The race to replace Theresa May as Prime Minister and Conservative party leader has been narrowed down to seven contenders.

The result of the first ballot by Tory MPs was announced on Thursday, with Esther McVey, Mark Harper and Andrea Leadsom not getting enough votes to progress to the next ballot.

Ex-foreign secretary and bookies' favourite, Boris Johnson, won the backing of 114 of the 313 MPs who cast votes in the first stage of the contest.

If he was to retain that level of support in all the subsequent MPs' ballots, Johnson would be guaranteed to make the final two, from whom a winner is decided by Tory party members around the country.

In second place was current foreign secretary Jeremy Hunt, who secured 43 votes, followed by environment secretary Michael Gove on 37.

Former Brexit secretary Dominic Raab, who quit Theresa May's cabinet last November over her EU withdrawal deal, took fourth place, winning the backing of 27 MPs.

Home secretary Sajid Javid, endorsed last weekend by Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson, picked up 23 votes, followed by health secretary Matt Hancock on 20.

In seventh place, but with enough votes to make the cut for the second ballot next week, was insurgent candidate, international development secretary Rory Stewart.