The Kent MP tipped by many to be the next Prime Minister and leader of the Conservative Party says he is confident he has the numbers to make it to the final shortlist.

Tonbridge and Malling MP Tom Tugendhat has emerged as one of the the favourites to succeed Boris Johnson in the race for the keys to Downing Street.

Eleven candidates have declared they are running, including a second Kent MP. Rehman Chishti, who represents Gillingham and Rainham, has thrown his hat in the ring too.

The crowded field could thin out significantly if, as expected, party chiefs increase the number of nominations candidates require to stand.

Tugendhat refused to say what level of support he had from other MPs, telling KentOnline: “I'm not going there. But yes, I do expect to make the final two.

"I'm very confident that we've got a fantastic team of parliamentarians and the team of others who are communicating extremely effectively.

"The message that we want to get out there is this isn't just about winning the Conservative leadership election. This is about winning the country. The whole point of winning as leader of the Conservative Party is to make sure that Conservative ideas flourish and prosper across the country.”

When asked about his claim that trust in politicians was collapsing and if he had some responsibility, he said: “On the contrary, I've been holding the system to account as the chair of the foreign affairs committee and as the chair of the liaison committee. I have been challenging every organ in every institution in government to make sure that we have delivery and we call it out when it doesn't work.”

The MP said the UK is like a 'jet airliner flying one engine' when asked about the UK economy. He said: “What we actually need is to make sure that we get the other engine flying and burning at full speed because we need to be seeing our economy powering along."

On controversial planning reforms that have pitched local councils and residents against developers, he said: “What we've got to do on housing is make sure that we respect absolutely the greenbelt and respect the rights of communities and citizens to make decisions for their own communities. We need to respect the rights of communities to have the housing that is appropriate to them.

He added: "Now, one of the things that people say is that means less housing. Well, it may or it may not. There are some communities where people want the ability for their children and grandchildren to live near them. There are others where the greenbelt or other natural environment means that they want different things.”

The first round of voting is scheduled to take place on Wednesday.