British prime minister candidate Penny Mordaunt wants to continue fighting for the necessary support in the Conservative faction despite her rival Rishi Sunak's large lead. The BBC reported on Monday morning, citing sources from Mordaunt's campaign team, that the 49-year-old will definitely run in a grassroots runoff if she gets the necessary support from 100 Tory MPs.

This threshold is "within reach," the team said. However, according to various media counts, only around 25 members of parliament spoke out in favor of the Minister for Parliamentary Affairs.

According to the BBC, 155 MPs have already publicly spoken out in favor of Mordaunt's rival, ex-Finance Minister Rishi Sunak. Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson withdrew from the race on Sunday evening.

Backing needed from 100 Tory MPs

Candidates can enter the race until Monday afternoon (3:00 p.m. CEST). However, only those who can claim the backing of 100 MPs from the Tory group have a chance of succeeding the outgoing Prime Minister Liz Truss.

Should Mordaunt actually manage to do this, the faction would first vote between the two candidates. If both finalists want to remain in the race after that, the party base would have the floor in a short-term online vote. The new prime minister should be announced by Friday at the latest.