Boris Johnson pulls out of the Conservative leadership race

Boris Johnson has stunned Westminster by pulling out of the race to be David Cameron’s successor.

Boris Johnson will not run to be Conservative leader, the former mayor of London has announced.

The campaign for Johnson, who started the race as the early front-runner, was rocked by a series of body blows over the past 24 hours. A series of polls showed him trailing Theresa May among both the public and Conservative members, while the entry into the race of Michael Gove, the Justice Secretary, imperilled his standing among members.

The contest will now be between Gove, May, Stephen Crabb, Andrea Leadsom and Liam Fox.