The Environment Secretary’s hopes of succeeding Theresa May were fading fast after allegations of his past use of the class A drug. Defence Secretary Penny Mordaunt has also chosen to back Jeremy Hunt instead of him. Now the Foreign Secretary has overtaken Mr Gove as the main challenger to Mr Johnson.

Asked whether he should now “call it a day” after three days of headlines about his alleged cocaine use, Mr Gove instead decided to taunt Mr Johnson.

To deflect from the headlines associating him with a class A drug, Mr Gove rounded on his Conservative colleague by suggesting the former Mayor of London does not “believe in his heart” he is up to the job of prime minister.

The Daily Telegraph reported Mr Gove said: “If I get through, which I’m sure I will, to the final two this is what I will say to him.

“Mr Johnson, whatever you do, don’t pull out.

READ MORE:Michael Gove REVEALS final two candidates of Conservative leadership

“I know you have before, and I know you may not believe in your heart that you can do it.

“But the Conservative Party membership deserve a choice.”

One MP backing Mr Johnson said: “It smacks of desperation.

“He is trying to shift the conversation away from the questions over his own judgement.”

Supporters of other candidates said Mr Gove was “struggling” and predicted he would be forced to withdraw from the Tory leadership race at an early stage.

Mr Johnson is the clear frontrunner in the contest to replace Mrs May, with almost twice as many MPs backing him as Mr Gove or any other candidate.

Iain Duncan Smith, the former Tory leader, on Monday became the latest high-profile figure to back Mr Johnson, the 62nd MP to do so.

He described the former minister as “the most likely to deliver” on the need for Britain to leave the EU by October 31.

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