Boris Johnson received 114 votes in the first ballot of the leadership contest last week, well ahead of other candidates, with Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt in second place with 43 votes. On Saturday, the candidates faced ordinary party members at the National Conservative Convention, where members were quick to suggest who they might back. Coming out of the convention, one Conservative Party member told Channel 4 News: “In the old Hughie Green stakes, the Clap-o-meter, was certainly for Boris Johnson, indeed.”

Channel 4 News reporter, Jane Deith, claimed Mr Johnson received “rapturous applause” and “queues for selfies” after his speech.

She added: “Seemingly as popular as ever with the party, at least.”

But, coming out of the convention, another Conservative member backed the former Brexit secretary.

She said: “My favourite is Dominic Raab, he, for me, answers the questions that we need answering on Brexit.

“He has got a very forward view looking forward.”

In the old Hughie Green stakes, the Clap-o-meter, was certainly for Boris Johnson

One Tory member

Footage from within the hustings in front of Conservative members showed Mr Johnson demand the UK get “Brexit over the line”.

He said: “We will get ready for ‘no deal’ between now and October 31st, not because I want to end up in that space, of course, I don’t.

“But, as Prime Minister, it would be my responsibility to ensure that we are ready to ‘no deal’ because that is the way to convince our friends and partners across the Channel that we are serious.”

After the event on Saturday, Mr Johnson wrote on Twitter: “Fantastic to address our party faithful at the National Conservative Convention today.

“It’s time to speak with confidence again, to deliver Brexit, unite our society, and protect our incredible country from a high-taxing, high-spending, anti-Semitism-condoning Corbyn government.”

Former Tory leadership contender Esther McVey has come out in support of Boris Johnson.

Writing in The Sunday Telegraph, Ms McVey, who was eliminated in the first ballot of MPs, said Mr Johnson had agreed to back her agenda for “blue collar Conservatism”.

She wrote: “He has promised to deliver Brexit on October 31, deal or no deal, and has shown time and time again that he is a dynamic leader, capable of building a strong team around him that will deliver on his promises.

“Our country is crying out for strong, optimistic leadership and Boris is the man best equipped to take us out of the EU, to transform our country into an outward-looking, confident, self-governing nation, and to implement a policy agenda that will bring back the voters we have lost and ensure we don’t allow Jeremy Corbyn’s manifesto of economic carnage to plunge us back into the dark ages.”

Once the Tory leadership race is whittled down to two candidates, the contestants will go in front of the Tory membership who will decide who becomes the Conservative Party leader.

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