Tom Tugendhat has become the first Tory MP to say he would run to replace Boris Johnson in a leadership contest.

It comes less than 24 hours after reports that the Prime Minister will receive imminently the report from Sue Gray into alleged breaches of Covid restrictions during ‘partygate’.

Mr Tugendhat, a former soldier and the current chair of the foreign affairs select committee, said: “I think I’m making it pretty clear that I think that it’s up to all of us to put ourselves forward.

“And it’s up to the electorate, in the first case parliamentary colleagues, and in the second case the party, to choose.”

He declined to say whether he had put in a letter of no confidence in Mr Johnson, despite the long-standing dislike between the two men.

He admitted in an interview with Times Radio on Saturday: “My job is to hold to account whoever is the foreign secretary and whoever is the prime minister.”

He is the first candidate to say openly that he will run if Mr Johnson were forced to resign, after Jeremy Hunt said that he still had leadership ambitions.

Mr Tugendhat told Times Radio that he had not been “canvassing support”, but “of course you should have a go”.

“I think it’s a position of absolute integrity to say that of course you should offer yourself to the electorate if you think you can do it.

“Of course you should talk to colleagues and see if you can get a group together, and if you can get a group together you should go for it.”