Jeremy Hunt and Grant Shapps get backing of Shropshire MPs in race to become Prime Minister

Mr Hunt has the backing to become the new Prime Minister from Ludlow MP Philip Dunne and Shrewsbury MP Daniel Kawczynski - who has been invited to join the former Foreign Secretary's campaign team.

Wrekin MP Mark Pritchard has thrown his support behind Grant Shapps, while Telford MP Lucy Allan is still undecided on who to back in the Conservative leadership race.

Mr Hunt has claimed he is the only major candidate outside Mr Johnson's government, and that he had not been "defending the indefensible".

On who should be the next Conservative Party leader, Shrewsbury MP Mr Kawczynski said: "I've obviously given this a great deal of consideration. It is an extremely important decision which will undoubtedly have a huge bearing on our economy and our relationship with the European Union as well as other issues.

"I have been asked to go on the campaign team for Jeremy Hunt and I've decided to accept. He has a tremendous amount of experience in government. We entered the house at the same time in 2005.

"I think he is a man with tremendous integrity. All of my dealings with him have been predicated in good faith. I think he is the right person to lead my party."

Mr Hunt wanted the UK to remain in the EU when the vote was made in 2016, but has since changed his opinion.

"We disagreed on membership of the EU," added Mr Kawczynski. "But I think we have to set aside some of those tribal aspects of that highly polarising referendum from six years ago. We have to decide who would be the best individual to become prime minister."

Mr Kawczynski said Mr Hunt will outline how he will deal with the Northern Ireland protocol around post-Brexit trading arrangement, and believes he is the best person to make the most of the UK's agreement to join the CPTPP [Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership] trading bloc, which includes several Asian countries as well as Canada and Chile.

Ludlow MP Philip Dunne has also said he will support Mr Hunt, having been his campaign manager in the 2019 leadership election.

Mr Dunne said: "He would be the best placed candidate to provide the integrity and competence that we need to bring back into the role."

Wrekin MP Mr Pritchard, who is in favour of Grant Shapps, said: "Grant is determined to lower the barriers to success, whether that be for individuals, families or businesses - whatever their background. That is why I'm backing him for PM.

"He has a new vision for the country, has some great new policy ideas, is down to earth, has proven Cabinet experience, he knows how to communicate and how to successfully campaign and will seek to make the UK the strongest economy in Europe by 2050."

Telford MP Lucy Allan said she was consulting party members and supporters over the weekend to find out who they would like to see in the final two.

Rishi Sunak is currently the bookies' favourite for the top job, despite the former Chancellor remaining loyal to Boris Johnson throughout a raft of scandals before finally withdrawing his support. Others who are considered ones to watch - though not all have said they will run - include Liz Truss, Sajid Javid, Nadim Zahawi, Hunt, Suella Braverman, Penny Morduant, Tom Tugendhat, Priti Patel, Grant Shapps and Kemi Badenoch.

A timetable for the leadership race is expected to be revealed this week, with the new prime minister probably to be in position by September.

Candidates in the running will first have to secure the backing of Tory MPs before the final two go to a ballot of party members.

Under the current rules, candidates need the support of eight Conservative MPs to stand. If there are more than two, Tory MPs hold a series of votes until just two remain.

At that point there is a ballot of the wider Conservative party membership to select the winner.