2015(subsequently endorsed Johnson) Shailesh Vara, MP for North West Cambridgeshire since 2005 (subsequently endorsed Johnson) Nadhim Zahawi, MP for Stratford-on-Avon since 2010 (subsequently endorsed Johnson) Rory Stewart Prior to his elimination on 19 June, Rory Stewart had 14 backers among the Members of Parliament for the Conservative Party, including himself. Richard Benyon, MP for Newbury since 2005 Kenneth Clarke, Father of the House since 2017 and MP for Rushcliffe since 1970 Tobias Ellwood, MP for Bournemouth East since 2005 David Gauke, Secretary of State for Justice since 2018 and MP for South West Hertfordshire since 2005 Dominic Grieve, Attorney General for England and Wales (2010–2014) and MP for Beaconsfield since 1997 Margot James, MP for Stourbridge since 2010 (subsequently endorsed Hunt) Gillian Keegan, MP for Chichester since 2017(subsequently endorsed Hunt) David Lidington, Minister for the Cabinet Office since 2018 and MP for Aylesbury since 1992 Paul Masterton, MP for East Renfrewshire since 2017 Victoria Prentis, MP for Banbury since 2015 Antoinette Sandbach, MP for Eddisbury since 2015 Nicholas Soames, MP for Crawley (1983–1997) and Mid Sussex since 1997 Caroline Spelman, Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (2010–2012) and MP for Meriden since 1997 Members of the European Parliament Michael Gove Nosheena Mobarik, MEP for Scotland since 2019 Former Cabinet ministers Jeremy Hunt William Hague, First Secretary of State (2010–2015), Leader of the Conservative Party (1997–2001) and MP for Richmond (Yorks) (1989–2015) John Major, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (1990–1997) and MP for Huntingdon (1979–2001) Boris Johnson John Nott, Secretary of State for Defence (1981–1983) and MP for St Ives (1966–1983) George Osborne, First Secretary of State (2015–2016), Chancellor of the Exchequer (2010–2016) and MP for Tatton (2001–2017) Former MPs and MEPs Jeremy Hunt Ben Howlett, MP for Bath (2015–2017) Rob Wilson, MP for Reading East (2005–2017) Boris Johnson Janice Atkinson, independent (formerly UKIP, until 2015) MEP for South East England (2014–2019) and Vice President of Europe of Nations and Freedom (2015–2019) David Campbell Bannerman, MEP for the East of England (2009–2019) Ashley Fox, MEP for South West England and Gibraltar (2009–2019) and Leader of the Conservatives in the European Parliament (2014–2019) Stewart Jackson, MP for Peterborough (2005–2017) Karl McCartney, MP for Lincoln (2010–2017) James Wharton, MP for Stockton South (2010–2017) Rory Stewart Sajjad Karim, MEP for North West England (2004–2019) Peers Jeremy Hunt Michael Ashcroft, Deputy Chairman of the Conservative Party (2005–2010) and life peer since