Kent's Conservative MPs are beginning to take sides in the contest for a new Prime Minister to replace Liz Truss – with Rishi Sunak the most popular choice.

However, Tracey Crouch, the MP for Chatham and Aylesford, has this afternoon tweeted that she is backing Penny Mordaunt to "unite our party and unite the country".

And this evening, Ashford MP Damian Green has revealed he will also be backing Ms Mordaunt.

"I worked closely with Penny in government and saw her determination and imagination," he tweeted.

"She is best placed to provide national stability and unify the party."

Ms Mordaunt, 49, is currently leader of the House of Commons. She was defeated in the fifth round of the last leadership contest and then gave her backing to Liz Truss

Helen Grant, the MP for Maidstone and the Weald, has today declared for former Chancellor Mr Sunak, as she did in the last contest.

She said: "He has the economic and organisational competence and experience to bring financial stability and restore our country's reputation.

"He's a great communicator with vision and gravitas and he will unite the Conservatives to deliver for our great country."

Folkestone and Hythe MP Damian Collins has already publicly pledged his support for Ms Mordaunt, as he did last time around.

Mr Collins said: "We need someone with experience in high office and the strength of character to build a strong and united government that will inspire confidence. I was proud to support Penny Mordaunt in her bid this summer to become Leader of the Conservative Party and will be pleased to do so again should she stand as a candidate."

Faversham and Mid Kent MP Helen Whately and has joined Laura Trott (Sevenoaks) and Greg Clark (Tunbridge Wells) in declaring for Mr Sunak, as has Rehman Chishti (Gillingham and Rainham) and Sir Robert Neill (Bromley and Chislehurst.)

Between them they have helped take Mr Sunak above the threshold of 100 MPs needed to stand in this latest election – even though he has not yet officially declared himself a candidate.

Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson has also yet to declare his candidacy, but he has the backing of Kelly Tolhurst, MP for Rochester and Strood, and of Gareth Johnson, MP for Dartford.

At the last count, Mr Johnson had 53 publicly declared supporters, but the BBC's political correspondent Chris Mason has this afternoon tweeted that his sources tell him that the former Prime Minister, ousted by his party less than seven weeks ago, has received 100 pledges, and so that he would be able to stand if he wanted to.

But Sir Roger Gale, the veteran MP for North Thanet, has declared that he would quit the Conservative Party if Mr Johnson were re-elected as leader. He has opted instead for Ms Mordaunt.

Tom Tugendhat of Tonbridge and Malling was himself a candidate in the last leadership contest - though he made an early exit in the third round with just 31 votes. He has declared he will be supporting Mr Sunak.

Adam Holloway (Gravesham), Damian Green (Ashford), Gordon Henderson (Sittingbourne and Sheppey), Natalie Elphicke (Dover) and Craig Mackinlay (South Thanet) have yet to say who they would back.

Liz Truss stepped down from office on Thursday after just 44 days in office.

Her resignation followed a disastrous uncosted mini-budget, which sent the pound plummeting and interest rates soaring, and from which her reputation never recovered despite her sacking of her Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng.

The chairman of the backbench 1922 Committee Graham Brady suggested she consider her position after letters of no confidence began piling up in his in-tray.