LONDON -Candidates competing to become Britain's next prime minister will need the backing of at least 100 Conservative Party lawmakers to enter the parliamentary stage of the contest, which will take place on Monday, organisers said.
The high threshold means a maximum of three candidates will make it to the first stage. Nominations close at 1300 GMT on Monday.
If only one candidate meets the threshold, that candidate will be declared the winner on Monday, organisers said.
If two candidates make it to the ballot, the party's wider membership will decide the winner in an online ballot.
Any third candidate will be eliminated in a ballot of lawmakers, leaving two to go forward to the online vote, with the winner declared Friday Oct. 28.
Before members vote, lawmakers will hold an indicative vote on the two candidates, making clear the preferred choice of Conservative lawmakers.