Shrewsbury MP rules out supporting Sunak or Javid

Daniel Kawczynski, MP for Shrewsbury and Atcham, said he had yet to decide who he will be voting for, and would be meeting a number of the leading contenders next week.

But he added: "I will not back either of the candidates that resigned and precipitated this crisis. Anybody else, I will happily consider."

Mr Kawczynski said his preference was for a candidate who would be prepared to borrow to get the country through the cost-of-living crisis.

He said there needed to be a review of taxation to re-energise business and get individuals through the cost-of-living crisis.

"We need someone who is prepared to try something different to the Rishi Sunak approach, which we have heard a lot about over the past 12 months," he said.

"I want someone prepared to go to the money markets and borrow money.

"At the moment we have a 104 per cent debt-to-GDP ratio, which is high, but lower than it is in France, Italy and the other European countries. There is some room for manoeuvre."

None of the county's other Conservative MPs have publicly declared support for any of the contenders yet.

Telford MP Lucy Allan, a former Johnson loyalist who declared this week that she had lost confidence in the Prime Minister, also said she would not yet be committing to who she would support.

She said: "I will be consulting with members, constituents and business about direction and policy issues they would like a new Prime Minister to champion."

Philip Dunne, MP for Ludlow, said he would not publicly pledge his support to anyone until the candidates were formally announced.

But Mr Dunne, who managed Jeremy Hunt's bid for the leadership in 2019, said the former cabinet minister had many of the qualities that the new leader would need.

Mark Pritchard, MP for The Wrekin, said he too would want to see who the contenders were before deciding.

"I want to see who enters the race first and hear what they stand for, and their ideas, before committing," said Mr Pritchard.

"I think Boris should be allowed to remain in No. 10 until then, which is probably just eight weeks more."

Meanwhile, Helen Morgan, Liberal Democrat MP for North Shropshire, called for Boris Johnson to be removed as Prime Minister with immediate effect.

Her call came as Labour deputy leader Angela Rayner said she planned to call for a vote-of-no-confidence in Mr Johnson in the House of Commons.

Mrs Morgan said: "Boris Johnson must not stay as Prime Minister while the new leader is elected.

"While the Government is paralysed, doctors, nurses and paramedics are the ones confronting our health crisis on the front line.

"They need action and leadership, not infighting and lies."

Mr Dunne said Mrs Rayner's threat would backfire on the Labour Party.

He said: "If she wants to unite the Conservative Party, that would be a very sensible way of doing it."