Could the Tory leadership contest turn into Rishi Sunak’s coronation?

Ben Wallace’s exit cemented the former chancellor’s frontrunner status to be the next PM. Adam Forrest takes a closer look at whether his remaining rivals can shake up the contest

Sunak has come under fire from right-wingers and Johnson loyalists even before his launch (Reuters)

Rishi Sunak’s leadership chances received a major boost this weekend when grassroots favourite Ben Wallace backed out of the contest, insisting that he wanted to focus on “keeping the country safe” as defence secretary.

A major rival out of the way, it is safe to say Sunak is now the frontrunner in the contest to succeed Boris Johnson – the former Downing Street neighbour he helped to destroy with his dramatic exit from No 11 on Tuesday evening.

Sunak has a highly organised team in place, a well-prepared social media campaign, and some heavyweight endorsements from senior figures such as Oliver Dowden, Liam Fox, Mark Spencer and Mark Harper already in the bag.