Contenders to lead the ruling Conservative Party and the country face a deadline of 2 p.m. local time to secure the endorsements of at least 100 of their party colleagues in Parliament (out of 357). By late morning, Sunak already had the support of half the party, clearing the bar comfortably as Boris Johnson’s backers threw their weight behind him. The other declared candidate is House of Commons leader Penny Mordaunt, but with few of Johnson’s backers switching her way so far it is unclear if she can meet the threshold.