The timetable for electing the next Conservative leader – and Prime Minister of the UK – has been confirmed.

Under the Tory leadership contest rules, as set out by the 1922 Committee of backbench MPs, candidates will be whittled down by the end of the week.

From there it's expected the final two will be chosen by Thursday, July 21 – in just ten days time – before Parliament breaks for summer recess.

The 1922 Committee met tonight to confirm the rules and timetable for replacing outgoing Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

The Chairman, Sir Graham Brady, said: "Nominations will open and close tomorrow, we will have a first ballot on Wednesday and a second ballot is likely on Thursday.

"We expect 20 supporters for each candidate... we'll also expect that on the first ballot any candidate to proceed must have won at least 30 votes from parliamentary colleagues."

Sir Graham added the committee is trying to find a 'balance' in which the parliamentary proceedings are completed "reasonably quickly" before the summer recess.

He says the Conservative Party will get down to the final two candidates "as quickly as that happens". It's expected the result will be announced on September 5 .

The deadline for nominations is 6pm tomorrow evening.

Voting starts on Wednesday with a second round likely to take place on Thursday, leaving four candidates.

Three sets of hustings are planned for next Monday in what has been dubbed “super Monday”.

So far eleven Tory MPs have put themselves forward for the top job following Boris Johnson's resignation last week.

Among them is Tonbridge and Malling MP Tom Tugendhat who has emerged as one of the frontrunners to replace Mr Johnson.

Although the former army officer has never been a government minister he is confident of making the final shortlist.

But Mr 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."

He will be up against Gillingham and Rainham MP Rehman Chishti who has also now declared his intention to stand for leader. He currently has no confirmed supporters.

The former barrister - who has been an MP since 2010 - is promising “lower taxes”, “small state” and “big society” as part of his bid.

Announcing his bid online, he said: "As someone who came to our great country at the age of six not speaking a word of English, first in the family to go to university and qualify as a barrister at 24, and a Conservative MP for the past 12 years, our country is a land of opportunity for all and I want every one to get the best chance in life."

The last Tory leadership contest took place in 2019 after Theresa May stepped down following struggles to push through her Brexit deal.

In the contest that followed Boris Johnson ran out as eventual victor defeating Jeremy Hunt with a majority of the members' vote.