James Cleverly says he WON'T serve on Tory front bench under new leader... with Jeremy Hunt and ex-deputy PM O

James Cleverly will not serve on the Tory front bench under a new leader, with Jeremy Hunt and ex-deputy PM Dominic Raab also said to be considering their futures.

The Foreign Secretary was tipped to be a contender for PM but ruled himself out. Others are believed to be waiting to see who enters the contest before deciding their next move.

Nadine Dorries, a loyal supporter of Boris Johnson, is among those who has said they will not serve under a new leader.

Former Cabinet ministers Sajid Javid, Grant Shapps and Michael Gove are also seen as potential candidates. Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak are the current frontrunners, according to Tory MPs.

It emerged on Friday night that Foreign Secretary James Cleverly had ruled himself out of standing to replace Boris Johnson as Tory leader.

He said: "I've thought long and hard about putting myself forward for the leadership of the Conservative Party. But after discussions with colleagues and my family, I have come to the decision that I will not be putting myself forward."

Cleverly did not endorse any other candidate. He said he would "support whoever wins the contest and gets the opportunity to serve our country".

Cleverly's decision means there are now thought to be 11 potential candidates in the race to replace Johnson.

The other potential candidates are: * Jeremy Hunt * Rishi Sunak * Liz Truss * Sajid Javid * Nadhim Zahawi * Tom Tugendhat * Penny Mordaunt * Grant Shapps * Kemi Badenoch * Suella Braverman * Michael Gove