How will the next leader of the Conservative party be chosen?

ITV News Deputy Political Editor Anushka Asthana reports on the latest developments in the Tory leadership race

The race to succeed Boris Johnson picked up on Monday evening after it was announced that Britain’s new prime minister will be officially declared on September 5.

With the first ballot of MPs due to take place on Wednesday, the 11 candidates are trying to shore up support to ensure they are not eliminated before the first round of voting.

Candidates have so far vied with each other for the most generous offers on tax cuts, while Brexit and culture issues have also opened up dividing lines.

So how exactly will the selection process work and what are the key dates to look out for?

Expected contest dates

• July 12- nominations close for candidates, who will all need the support of 20 MPs to stand.

• July 13 - first round of voting. Candidates with less than 30 votes eliminated.

• July 14 - second round of voting. Candidate with the fewest votes eliminated.

• July 18-21 - final two candidates will be chosen after successive rounds of voting.

• July-August - final two candidates will be scrutinised at hustings by Tory party members.

• September 5 - new prime minister announced, when MPs return to Westminster following their summer break.

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What has the 1922 committee said about the contest?

The 1922 Committee is the governing body of the the parliamentary Tory party, which represents its backbenchers and effectively acts as its HR department.

Following a meeting of the 1922 Committee executive on Monday, the chairman Sir Graham Brady said nominations will open and close on Tuesday.

To speed up the competition in a crowded field, the committee has opted to raise the number of backers a candidate needed from eight to 20.

Candidates who struggle to reach the 20 threshold may have to pull out within 24 hours pledge their support to one of the frontrunners.

Sir Graham told broadcasters that he is "very keen that we get this concluded as smoothly, cleanly and rapidly as possible."

"I think this is a great opportunity for us to have a really good, constructive debate about the future of the party. I think it will be a healthy thing to do," he said.

The committee's chairman added that it was a “perfectly reasonable” timetable that would allow hustings to take place around the country over the summer.

How much backing has each of the candidates gotten so far?

As of 6pm on Monday, the PA news agency had confirmed the intentions of more than 150 Tory MPs regarding which of the candidates and likely further contenders they support.

MPs are understood to have shown their backing where they have declared as much on social media, been quoted in the press, or confirmed by PA.

• Former Chancellor Rishi Sunak – supporters: 37

• Trade Minister Penny Mordaunt – supporters: 23

• Commons Foreign Affairs Committee Chair Tom Tugendhat – supporters: 19

• Foreign Secretary Liz Truss – supporters: 15

• Former Equalities Minister Kemi Badenoch – supporters: 13

• Chancellor Nadhim Zahawi – supporters: 13

• Former Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt – supporters: 11

• Attorney General Suella Braverman – supporters: eight

• Former Health Secretary Sajid Javid – supporters: seven

• Foreign Office Minister Rehman Chishti – supporters: zero

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps had garnered eight supporters before pulling out of the race and backing Mr Sunak.