Grant Shapps, the secretary of transport, has become the latest Conservative to announce a candidacy to become the next prime minister.
Shapps pledged to end the “tactical government of an often distracted center.”
He joins a leadership race that includes former Chancellor Rishi Sunak, who announced his candidacy on Friday, promising to “restore confidence, rebuild the economy and reunite the country.”
Sunak resigned from the Treasury shortly after Sajid Javid resigned as health secretary on Tuesday, sparking a wave of resignations that eventually led to Johnson’s downfall.
He has won the support of a number of Conservative MPs, including former Conservative President Oliver Dowden and former Cabinet Minister Liam Fox.
The Conservatives take sides as Johnson’s race to succeed picks up pace: live politics
Defense Secretary Ben Wallace was the favorite of bookmakers to succeed Johnson, but announced Saturday that he would not stay.
Read more: Who are the favorites to be the next prime minister?
Wallace had become the clear favorite in the latest YouGov poll of Conservative Party members, beating out Mr Sunak, as well as Foreign Secretary Liz Truss and former Secretary of Defense Penny Mordaunt who have yet to revealed whether they will run for leadership.
Tom Tugendhat, the veteran and chairman of the select foreign affairs committee, became the first MP to announce on Thursday that he would run for the party’s new leader.
Image: Conservative MP Tom Tugendhat was the first MP to announce his candidacy for Conservative leadership
Former Equality Minister Kemi Badenoch has also announced his intention to run, presenting plans to radically reduce the size of the state and preside over a “limited and essential-focused government.”
It is understood that Mr. Javid is weighing in if he shows up at the address.
It is understood that Dominic Raab, the Deputy Prime Minister, has been excluded from the race for the top job, as has former Secretary of State Michael Gove, who was fired by Mr. Johnson before his own resignation.
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5:20 The Fall of Boris Johnson
Former Health Secretary Matt Hancock has also confirmed he will not be appearing.
The Johnson administration is collapsing in free fall after a series of scandals involving the party and, more recently, allegations against the disgraced deputy deputy director Chris Pincher, which the prime minister initially denied knowing.
Johnson on Thursday announced his resignation in an address to the nation off Downing Street.
But it is unclear when he will leave Downing Street and has faced calls from some MPs to go there immediately.