Going somewhere important Rishi? Sunak leaves house as senior Tories try to broker ‘dream ticket’ peace talks between him and Boris Johnson and ex-Chancellor’s backers say he has backing of 100 MPs

• Rishi Sunak was seen shortly before it was confirmed he had hit 100 backers
• He was spotted leaving his home with a woman believed to be Lisa Lovering 
• This comes as Conservative Home announced he had the backing of 100 MPs
• Boris Johnson is understood to be willing to meet with Mr Sunak to broker a deal 
• However a deal seems unlikely based on how far apart the two are on key issues

Rishi Sunak was seen leaving his house this morning as senior Tories try to broker ‘dream ticket’ peace talks between him and Boris Johnson and the former Chancellor hit 100 backers in the race to be Prime Minister.

Mr Sunak left his London home with a woman believed to be Lisa Lovering, his senior parliamentary assistant. 

The former chancellor was seen wearing a blue jumper over a white shirt and dark blue trousers.

The apparent frontrunner, who has reached 100 backers in the race to become the next PM, acknowledged photographers as he got into a car.

It comes as Mr Johnson is understood to be willing to meet his estranged former chancellor in the hope of burying the hatchet and thrashing out a deal to govern together.

Rishi Sunak was seen leaving his house this morning as senior Tories try to broker ‘dream ticket’ peace talks between him and Boris Johnson

The apparent frontrunner, who has reached 100 backers in the race to become the next PM, acknowledged photographers as he got into a car

With the battle to succeed Liz Truss fast becoming a two-horse race, a deal between the pair could end the contest immediately and may offer the best hope of healing the bitter divisions in Tory ranks.

There is speculation among backers of the old Downing Street neighbours that they could strike a deal to stand together, but this seems unlikely given how far apart the two are on key issues and how much they both want the top job. 

Mr Sunak has got 100 endorsements from Conservative MPs, the number required to formally enter the race to become the next Prime Minister.

According to Conservative Home, Paul Howell, MP for Sedgefield, has become the 100th MP to throw his support behind the former Chancellor.

Meanwhile, Boris Johnson’s tally still stands at 51 and Penny Mordaunt has 22 supporters, according to the website.

But Mr Johnson has told allies he is ‘up for it’ and flew back to the UK from the Dominican Republic to enter the race.

Sky News photographed the ex-PM and his wife Carrie Johnson on an overnight British Airways flight back from the Dominican Republic with their children and said the MP received ‘one or two boos’ as he boarded. 

The former PM’s plane is due to land at Gatwick Airport on Saturday at around 10.15am from the Dominican Republic, following a planned stop in Antigua.

His was the most tracked in the world at one point, with more the 7,000 people watching for the former premier’s arrival.

There is speculation among backers of the old Downing Street neighbours that they could strike a deal to stand together, but this seems unlikely given how far apart the two are on key issues and how much they both want the top job

The former chancellor was seen wearing a blue jumper over a white shirt and dark blue trousers

His travels follow two trips in August, when the then outgoing PM holidayed with Carrie for a belayed honeymoon in Slovenia, and then took a trip to Greece for a family holiday near Horto where his father Stanley has a house.

Tory MPs will vote on Monday, and two candidates will be put forward to the Tory membership unless one pulls out, with a result being announced on Friday.

Mr Johnson won the support of six Cabinet ministers: Ben Wallace, Jacob Rees-Mogg, Simon Clarke, Chris Heaton-Harris, Alok Sharma and Anne-Marie Trevelyan.

But former Tory leader Lord William Hague warned Mr Johnson’s return would lead to a ‘death spiral’ for the Conservative Party.

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