Boris Johnson overwhelming favourite among Conservative supporters to take party leadership

Boris Johnson has emerged as the main contender for the Conservative Party leadership, according to a poll by a leading Tory website.

Conservative Home’s poll has the former London mayor as a comfortable favourite to follow Theresa May into Number 10 with just over 32% of the vote - comfortably beating second place Dominic Raab who received 14.72% of support.

Michael Gove was in third place with 8.42% backing him for leadership while Jeremy Hunt was the only other MP to receive more than 5% of the votes with 6.47% of those polled backing him for the top job.

It has prompted a bid among moderate Tories in Westminster to orchestrate their voting to try to prevent Mr Johnson from getting down to the final two leadership candidates.

Under party rules, MPs whittle down the leadership hopefuls to a choice of two, who are then put to Tory members

A senior Conservative behind the plans told The I newspaper: “It remains to be worked out once we know the numbers of candidates and the names but it will come down to blocks of votes.

“The dividing line in the party is really now between those who embrace a no deal Brexit willingly, such as Raab, [Esther] McVey, Johnson, and those who want a deal, such as [Michael] Gove, [Matt] Hancock, Sajid [Javid].”

The news comes as a senior Conservative backbencher has called on Theresa May to announce her resignation to allow a contest to choose her replacement to begin "straight away".

Nigel Evans, the joint executive secretary of the backbench Tory 1922 Committee, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that calls for the Prime Minister's removal had become a "clamour" and he would be "delighted" if she announced plans to quit today.

He said: "I hope she does accept the fact the call for her resignation now is growing into a clamour."

And he added: "To be honest, I would be delighted if she announced today she was announcing her resignation and we could then have an orderly election to choose a new leader of the Conservative Party."

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His comments came as Mrs May prepared to chair a meeting of her top ministerial team as MPs return to Westminster following the Easter break.

The Prime Minister convened her Cabinet on Tuesday morning as cross-party talks between the Government and the Labour Party were set to resume in a fresh bid to break the Brexit impasse.

Ministerial discussions are expected in the afternoon, with Mrs May's de facto deputy David Lidington, Brexit Secretary Steve Barclay and chief whip Julian Smith representing the Government.