Wiveliscombe and Wellington MP Rebecca Pow declared her support for Mr Sunak at the beginning of the leadership contest when there were eight candidates who put forward their names.

Former Environment Minister Ms Pow praised Mr Sunak’s straight-talking and integrity and said he had a proven track record.

Meanwhile, West Somerset MP Ian Liddell-Grainger said this week he had yet to make up his mind which of the two remaining Conservative Party leadership candidates would make the best Prime Minister.

Liddell-Grainger said he believed former Chancellor Rishi Sunak and Foreign Secretary Liz Truss would have more to say during a round of hustings across the country than in any television debate.

He said: “I am going to watch what they say and I will be really interested to see how they are going to lead the country forward.

“I would urge all party members to make up their minds themselves based on what the candidates say in the hustings.”

A series of 12 hustings will be staged before the September 2 deadline for party members to vote on which candidate they want to lead the party and succeed Boris Johnson as Prime Minister.

The nearest event will be in Exeter on August 1.