Hampshire's MPs to reveal today who they want to see become prime minister

It comes as former defence secretary Liam Fox became the to throw his hat in the ring after cabinet minister Stephen Crabb launched his campaign to replace Mr Cameron.

Favourites Boris Johnson and home secretary Theresa May had not formally entered the race yesterday – but both have been building support.

Sources close to Dr Fox confirmed that he would stand for the leadership again, having lost to Mr Cameron in 2005.

Dr Fox resigned in 2011 after being found guilty of breaching the ministerial code over his links with self-styled adviser Adam Werritty, whom he met 40 times in the Ministry of Defence and on trips abroad.

Mr Crabb has vowed to make curbing immigration a ‘red line’ in Brexit negotiations if he takes the keys to Number 10 as he set out a vision to unite the deeply divided party and country following the vote to leave the EU. Portsmouth North MP and armed forces minister Penny Mordaunt, one of the lead campaigners in the Brexit campaign, was put at 55-1 by bookies to replace Mr Cameron.