A slew of Tories face having their dreams of becoming PM dashed today - as the leadership battle gets real.
Five of the 11 candidates, including former Commons leader Andrea Leadsom, could be brutally axed from the race as they struggle to get enough support from colleagues.
Boris Johnson, the front runner, suffered a blow today as Cabinet minister Amber Rudd opted to back Jeremy Hunt - jibing that being 'sunny and optimistic' could not make up for having no realistic 'plan' for Brexit.
Meanwhile, Environment Secretary Michael Gove is fighting to keep his campaign together after admitting to taking cocaine 'several times' in the past.
The contest kicks off for real this morning when nominations officially open, before four of the key players hold launch events.
Cabinet minister Amber Rudd today opted to back Jeremy Hunt for the Tory leadership
Ms Rudd jibed that Mr Johnson (pictured in London today) being 'sunny and optimistic' could not make up for having no realistic 'plan' for Brexit
Environment Secretary Michael Gove (pictured on the BBC's Andrew Marr show yesterday) is fighting to keep his campaign together after admitting to taking cocaine
However, Mrs Leadsom, former universities minister Sam Gyimah, ex-chief whip Mark Harper, Aid Secretary Rory Stewart and former Work and Pensions Secretary Esther McVey all look to be struggling to get the eight pledges needed from colleagues.
Former foreign secretary Mr Johnson is the bookmakers' favourite to replace Theresa May and the main focus at Westminster is on who will challenge him when MPs have whittled the field down to the final two next week. Tory members will then have the final say, with the new PM expected to take over at the end of next month.
Boris Johnson is drawing up plans to raise the 40p income tax threshold to £80,000 at a cost of almost £10 billion.
The higher rate of income tax currently applies on earnings over £50,000 in England and the move could benefit more than three million people.
Mr Johnson claims that someone earning around £60,000-a-year would see their personal tax bill fall by an estimated £1,000.
The former foreign secretary believes the cost of the policy could be met through some of the cash set aside for No Deal Brexit planning and increasing national insurance payments made by workers.
In his regular Daily Telegraph column, published this morning, he said: 'We should be cutting corporation tax and other business taxes.
'We should be raising thresholds of income tax - so that we help the huge numbers that have been captured in the higher rate by fiscal drag.'
Mr Hunt and Mr Gove, the MPs seen as his most likely competitors, both launch their campaigns today with Mr Johnson fixed in their sights.
Mr Gove will attempt to present himself as a 'serious' alternative to the contest's frontrunner Boris Johnson when he launches his campaign this afternoon, insisting he is 'undaunted' by criticism.
He will attempt to persuade Tory MPs that he can be the 'serious
