Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak have held talks as they approach the nomination deadline in the race to replace Liz Truss as Prime Minister.
Two separate sources told that the meeting took place, but neither camp said what they discussed.
Rishi Singh is leading the race with the support of 128 MPs from all wings of his party, including former allies of Johnson.
Mr Johnson is second with 53 supporters, according to JEE News figures.
However his campaign claims he has the support of 100 MPs – the number required to officially enter the race.
Mr Sunak’s supporters expressed doubts and demanded the former prime minister to show evidence.
Penny Mordant is the only candidate to officially announce that she is in the race, but she is trailing the support of 23 MPs.
Mr Sunak and Mr Johnson had met on Saturday evening, but not believe “there was likely to be any outcome or news tonight”.
JEE News is keeping track of the number of MPs who have gone on record with support.
The voting intentions of only 204 of the 357 Conservative MPs are currently known and confirmed by JEE News, with many yet to declare their interest.
Hopefuls have until 14:00 BST on Monday to get enough support to run, qualifying them for the next stage of the race.
If the party’s MPs get behind just one candidate, we could have a new prime minister by Monday afternoon.
But if not, it will go to an online Conservative Party membership ballot, with the result to be announced on Friday.
Polling suggests Mr Johnson, who has returned from a Caribbean holiday to consider his options, will be the favorite to win the members’ vote.
Throughout the week, MPs announced their support for their favorite candidate.
Mr Sunak has won support from all wings of his party, including the right wing and figures such as Mr Johnson’s former chief of staff Steve Barclay, his former Brexit minister Lord Frost and international trade secretary Cammy Badenoch.
Ms Bedinock, who had a major influence in previous Tory leadership contests but has ruled herself out this time, said in the Times that Mr Sunak “we need a serious, honest leader.”
Mr Sunak, who has not yet formally announced he is standing, also has the support of former chancellor and health secretary Sajid Javed, security minister Tom Tugendhat, former deputy prime minister Dominic Raab.
Referring to the parliamentary inquiry facing Mr Johnson, Mr Raab told: “We can’t go backwards. We can’t have another episode of Partygate soap opera Groundhog Day. “.
He said he was very confident Mr Sunak would stand, adding: “I think the main issue here will be the economy. Rishi had the right plan in the summer and I think it’s the right plan now.” “
The former prime minister has so far won the support of six cabinet ministers: Ben Wallace, Jacob Rees-Mogg, Simon Clarke, Chris Heaton-Harris, Alok Sharma and Anne-Marie Trevelyan.
Boris Johnson’s supporters include former home secretary Priti Patel, who said he could put together a united team and lead Britain to a stronger and more prosperous future.
An ally of former Home Secretary Sylla Braverman told the PA news agency that she had been “very well supported” by both Mr Johnson and Mr Sunak, and who she was likely to support on Sunday.
Meanwhile, Andrea Leadsom, the former business secretary, said Ms Mordant was a unified candidate. An experienced minister and a “strong Brexiteer”.
Writing in the Express on Sunday, Ms Mordant set out her plan to “unite the party and the country” and said the Tories had “allowed themselves to be distracted by infighting”.
He stressed the need to “make Brexit work”, “focus on the potential of all our citizens” and “defend our Union and its territorial integrity”.
Conservative MP Bob Seeley said “I think we have a collective responsibility as a country to apologise” and said he believed Ms Mordant had the best chance to provide “unity and leadership” within the party. Is.
Mr Johnson’s potential bid to return to power comes just seven weeks after his last day in No 10.
His successor, Liz Truss, is Britain’s shortest-serving prime minister, stepping down after 45 days in power.
She resigned on Thursday, after a series of humiliating U-turns forced on her by backlash in financial markets over her tax policies.
