Esther McVey: Tory leadership candidate would have a Brexiteer-only cabinet until UK leaves EU

Ex-cabinet minister insists she has 'numbers to go forward'

Tory leadership hopeful Esther McVey has said she would have a Brexiteer-only cabinet until the UK leaves the EU.

Ms McVey, one of 11 candidates jostling to succeed Theresa May, said she would ban Remain-backing ministers from her top team until the official deadline on 31 October.

The controversial ex-work and pensions secretary claimed she had enough support from Tory MPs to get onto the ballot paper after party grandees tightened the rules governing the contest.

Senior backbench Tories agreed that candidates now need eight nominations from MPs - rather than two - to officially enter the race next week.

Kit Malthouse and James Cleverly, both junior ministers, became the first contenders to drop out of the crowded race on Tuesday after failing to gather enough support.

Ms McVey, who takes a hardline stance on Brexit, insisted she had the numbers and repeated her pledge to leave the EU by the 31 October deadline, with or without a deal.

Asked if there would be any Remainers in her cabinet, Ms McVey told LBC: "I believe at the moment we actually have to have a team that believes in Brexit.

"They have to because it is the most difficult delivery we have got to give and we have got to give it by 31 October.

"I think you need to have people who believe in Brexit to deliver this by 31 October."

Pressed on whether she would ban pro-EU ministers, she said: "For the time being, to make sure we get this through, yes."

The Tatton MP said it would be Brexiteer-only until exit day, then she would "review" the make up of her cabinet.

Ms McVey insisted she had "the numbers to go forward" in the contest, despite only five public endorsements.

The 1922 committee has intervened to thin out the field, requiring candidates to have eight supporters to get on the ballot paper next week.

They would then need to win 5 per cent of votes (16 MPs) to stay in after the first ballot and 10 per cent (32 MPs) to survive the second.

Boris Johnson is widely regarded as the frontrunner, with Dominic Raab, Matt Hancock, Jeremy Hunt, Michael Gove and Sajid Javid all expected to secure enough support.

Other candidates such as Rory Stewart, the international development secretary, Andrea Leadsom, the ex-Commons leader, Mark Harper and Sam Gyimah are struggling.

Elsewhere, defence secretary Penny Mordaunt refused to be drawn on whether she could enter the race to succeed Ms May.

Ms Mordaunt, who is attending the D-Day commemorations in Portsmouth, said she did not want to say anything which might "upstage" the veterans of the Normandy landings.

Candidates will be whittle down to two through a series of Commons votes, then the next leader will be chosen by the Conservative membership in July.