Conservative Party leadership contenders have been urged to ignore the “siren voices” pushing them to ditch the UK government’s plan to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050.

A group of net zero sceptics on the Tory back benches are hoping to move Boris Johnson’s would-be successors away from green policies, as climate change shapes up to be a major battle in the contest to choose the next prime minister.

Senior Tory MP Steve Baker – founder of the Net Zero Scrutiny Group of backbenchers – has suggested that he would push for the next PM to dismantle the government’s climate agenda.

Some in the party fear top contenders such as Nadhim Zahawi and Liz Truss could be pressured into prioritising tax cuts over investment in renewable energy, as well as committing to an expansion of oil and gas production.

Tory peer Zac Goldsmith, who has attacked Rishi Sunak’s environmental record, told The Independent it would be better to have a Labour government than a leader who “deprioritises” action on net zero.

Priti Patel has yet to decide whether to stand for the Tory leadership, according to The Telegraph’s political correspondent Christopher Hope.

The home secretary is expected to enter the race as a candidate on the right side of the party along with the already-announced Suella Braverman and Kemi Badenoch.

Party figures have been warning the crowded contest could be damaging to the party if several MPs of similar views scrap with one another.

Prominent Brexiteer Steve Baker, who is backing Ms Braverman, said there was “a grave danger of fragmentation” as he warned against further bids from the right.

Former ministers who resigned from Boris Johnson’s government and will now receive a payout should “look themselves in the mirror” and ask if constituents would want them to take the money, Labour has said.

Asking an urgent question in the Commons on severance pay, shadow Cabinet Office minister Fleur Anderson said: “By my reckoning, a quarter of a million pounds in severance paid for those ministers who haven’t been reinstated.

“Five former secretaries of state will receive over £16,000 each, including the former secretary of state for education [Michelle Donelan], who was in post for 36 hours, and is due to receive close to the annual starting salary for a teaching assistant.

“The unprecedented wave of resignations, the avalanche of abdications, makes this a unique case ... Now our constituents are forced to foot the bill, paying for this Government’s chaos yet again.”

She asked the exact cost, if any payments had already been made, and what arrangements there are to ensure they can be waived, adding: “Former ministers need to look themselves in the mirror and decide if their constituents would wish them to accept this payment.”

Responding, Cabinet Office minister Heather Wheeler said it was a matter for the departing ministers and not the government whether they waive their entitlement to severance payments.

Ms Wheeler said the relevant legislation allows for severance payments for ministers of eligible age if they are not reappointed to a ministerial office within three weeks.

When the many other Tory MPs who resigned along with ministers were factored in, the total severance pay bill for government last week was estimated to be more than £420,000.

Former Tory leader William Hague has warned candidates for the party leadership against cutting taxes with the economy in its current state.

The former leader cites Margaret Thatcher’s own aversion to using tax cuts to boost the economy, after candidates referred to the former prime minister in their bids to the party.

Writing in The Times, he said: “[Thatcher] and her chancellors did indeed reshape the tax system to incentivise enterprise. But they did so while insistently defending a position of fiscal strength. Observers were shocked when the 1981 budget, in a deep recession, delivered sharp tax rises and held down personal tax allowances despite high inflation.”

He added: “When I was leader of the opposition, she would regularly phone me with advice, solicited or not. As I crafted my policy of removing all taxes on savings, I remember her telling me to show how every penny would be paid for. She would have cast a very critical eye on the promises being made this week.

“On Monday morning on the BBC Today programme, leadership candidate Tom Tugendhat, a great talent in so many ways, suggested that those who say tax cuts have to be paid for needed to discuss it with Margaret Thatcher. Well, I did. And that was most definitely her view.”

Tory leadership hopeful Sajid Javid said any meetings he had with Uber while business secretary would have been declared, after leaked documents reportedly revealed secret lobbying efforts by the ride-hailing firm.

Documents leaked to The Guardian and shared with International Consortium of Investigative Journalists showed how Uber developed secret relationships with leading politicians around the globe to fuel its rapid expansion.

Uber lobbyists were reported to have met Mr Javid, along with other ministers Priti Patel, Michael Gove and Matt Hancock.

Mr Javid said: “Any meetings that I would have had with Uber would have been reported.

“So if they have not been reported in the ministerial transparency declarations, then I didn’t have them.”

Mr Javid had already faced difficult questions in the Tory leadership race over his past tax-avoiding non-dom status, which he refused to explain.

Sajid Javid has warned fellow Tories of 1997-style “oblivion” unless they change course as he launched his leadership campaign, saying: “Voters have lost faith in us.”

The former health secretary cast himself as the most experienced candidate in the race – having held two of the three big offices of state – and the only one with a detailed economic plan for recovery (Rob Merrick writes).

Urging the party to pick a leader with “integrity”, Mr Javid pointed to the 1997 landslide defeat and said: “I fear that party was on a trajectory to the same electoral oblivion.

“This is a wake up and smell the coffee moment,” he said, adding: “Sleaze, scandal, internal warfare. We’ve seen this movie before, we know how it ends.”

A couple of political reporters have said sources close to Jacob Rees-Mogg are not denying that the controversial minister is considering a bid for the Tory leadership.

The Telegraph earlier reported Mr Rees-Mogg was considering entering the crowded race. The Brexit opportunities minister, a fierce Johnson loyalist, has yet to announce his support for any of the 12 announced and expected candidates.

Christian Calgie, Guido Fawkes reporter, tweeted that when he asked a source close to Mr Rees-Mogg about a potential bid he “received a response that doesn’t even having a passing resemblance to a denial”. Christopher Hope, politics correspondent for The Telegraph, replied to the tweet: “Yup”.

Meanwhile, Steve Baker, an influential Brexiteer MP, said he hoped to dissuade Mr Rees-Mogg from standing as the minister would not be able to win a general election. Mr Rees-Mogg, nicknamed the “member for the 18th century”, has previously drawn outrage for opposing gay marriage and abortion in all circumstances.

In the 2019 general election Mr Rees Mogg stopped appearing in public after suggesting in a radio interview that victims of the Grenfell fire lacked common sense.

As the race to succeed Boris Johnson as leader of the Conservative Party gathers pace, many Tory MPs have revealed who has their backing.

Through quotes in the press, social media posts and direct confirmation, the PA news agency confirmed the supported candidates of more than 140 Tory MPs, as of 3pm.

Below, The Independent has listed the candidates in descending order of total announced backers:

Rishi Sunak: 36

What are supporters saying? “Best person to lead our country and unquestionably the best person to beat Labour,” said former minister Oliver Dowden.

Full list of supporters: Mark Harper, Jacob Young, Angela Richardson, John Glen, Laura Trott, Mark Spencer, Paul Maynard, Robert Jenrick, Claire Coutinho, Liam Fox, Oliver Dowden, Mel Stride, Sir Bob Neill, Andrew Murrison, Bim Afolami, Louie French, Simon Jupp, Simon Hoare, Kevin Hollinrake, Fay Jones, Peter Gibson, Helen Whately, Maria Caulfield, Craig Williams, James Cartlidge, Robert Goodwill, Simon Hart, Gareth Davies, Siobhan Baillie, Anthony Browne, Greg Hands, Ruth Edwards, Gary Streeter, Alex Chalk, Laura Farris.

Penny Mordaunt: 20

What are supporters saying? “Penny Mordaunt shares my socially liberal views but, like me, will ensure there will be no compromise on the British wish for a clean break with the £EU,” said Michael Fabricant MP.

Full list of supporters: John Lamont, Nicola Richards, Michael Fabricant, Kieran Mullen, Alicia Kearns, Craig Tracey, Robbie Moore, Harriet Baldwin, Caroline Ansell, George Freeman, Derek Thomas, Elliot Colburn, Damian Collins, Maria Miller, Andrea Leadsom, Theo Clark, James Sunderland, Duncan Baker, James Gray, Caroline Dinenage.

Tom Tugendhat: 16

What are supporters saying? Sir Robert Syms, MP sisaid: “I’m backing Tom as he’s the best person for the party and the country. As someone who voted Leave, I have no doubt he will deliver the Brexit dividend this country deserves.”

Full list of supporters: Damian Green, Aaron Bell, John Stevenson, Stephen Hammond, Sir Robert Syms, Mark Logan, Anne-Marie Trevelyan, Chris Green, Nickie Aiken, Damien Moore, Karen Bradley, Anne Marie Morris, Jake Berry, Mark Pawsey, James Daly, Neil Hudson.

Liz Truss: 15

What are supporters saying? Kwasi Kwarteng, the business secretary, told The Sun: “What we can’t do is simply load our economy with lots of different taxes. I think there has to be a reset and there has to be a new path. Liz’s basic instinct on tax is right.

Full list of supporters: Alec Shelbrooke, Dehenna Davison, Jackie Doyle-Price, Rob Butler, Julian Knight, Chloe Smith, Dean Russell, Marcus Fysh, Darren Henry, Simon Clarke, Therese Coffey, Kwasi Kwarteng, Ranil Jayawardena, Wendy Morton, Vicky Ford.

Kemi Badenoch: 13

What are supporters saying? Michael Gove told The Sun: “She is brave, principled, brilliant and kind.”

Full list of supporters: Julia Lopez, Eddie Hughes, Tom Hunt, Ben Bradley, Justin Tomlinson, Gareth Bacon, Caroline Johnson, Andrew Lewer, Neil O’Brien, Michael Gove, Leo Docherty, Lee Anderson, Lee Rowley.

Nadhim Zahawi: 12

What are supporters saying? Michelle Donelan, who briefly replaced him as education secretary, said “he gets things done and delivers just like he did as Vaccines Minister.”

Full list of supporters: Jonathan Gullis, David Johnston, Brandon Lewis, Michelle Donelan, Jesse Norman, Tobias Ellwood, Paul Scully, Amanda Milling, Mark Fletcher, Mark Jenkinson, Jack Brereton, Maggie Throup.

Jeremy Hunt: 10

What are supporters saying? Esther McVey, who Mr Hunt has said he would make deputy prime minister if he won, said he was the most experienced candidate.

Full list of supporters: Steve Brine, Oliver Heald, Anthony Mangnall, Crispin Blunt, Esther McVey, Daniel Kawczynski, Andrew Mitchell, Philip Dunne, Dan Poulter, Jonathan Djanogly.

Suella Braverman: eight

What are supporters saying? Prominent Brexiteer Steve Baker, who had considered running himself, said: My priorities were delivering against our manifesto with our mandate, cutting taxes and seeing through Brexit. Happily I no longer need to stand. SuellaBraverman will deliver these priorities and more.”

Full list of supporters: Sir Desmond Swayne, Jason McCartney, Robin Millar, Steve Baker, Danny Kruger, David Jones, Henry Smith, Sir John Hayes.

Sajid Javid: seven

What are supporters saying?Former parliamentary under-secretary Rachel Maclean said: “There are only two people who the public think would be a good PM. One is a tax-cutter with the broad experience to hit the ground running, and the backstory to relate to people. And that’s why I’m #teamsaj. It’s not just about this leadership election but who can unite the party and win the next general election.”

Full list of supporters: Rachel Maclean, Chris Philp, Saqib Bhatti, Robin Walker, Mike Wood, Steve Double, Robert Halfon.

Grant Shapps: seven

What are supporters saying? Environment secretary George Eustice said: “Grant has always shown good judgement and an ability to handle anything thrown his way.

Full list of supporters: George Eustice, Robert Courts, Trudy Harrison, James Davies, Mark Pritchard, Graham Stuart, Paul Bristow.

Priti Patel (as yet unannounced): six

What are supporters saying? Home Office minister Tom Pursglove, Home Office and Ministry of Justice minister said: “I have witnessed first hand PritiPatel’s ability to deliver solutions to the most complex problems facing our country – from the Rwanda deal to stop the small boats, to getting serious violence and burglary down.”

Full list of supporters: Tom Pursglove, Scott Benton, Anna Firth, Greg Smith, Simon Baynes, Shaun Bailey.

Rehman Chishti: zero

The newly appointed Foreign Office minister had not been endorsed by any colleagues.

The chancellor Nadhim Zahawi has attempted to turbo-charge his leadership bid with a raft of tax cut pledges, despite warnings from a Tory grandee they risk fuelling inflation (Kate Devlin writes).

In a speech to Conservative activists, Mr Zahawi promised to cut the basic rate of tax to 19p and then 18p next year and the year after.

He also pledged to scrap VAT and green levies on energy bills for two years, reverse the planned corporation tax rise and ensure tax falls as a percentage of GDP every year if he became prime minister.

But former chancellor Lord Lamont criticised Tory leadership candidates “thinking that you can grow your way out of inflation” and argued that “unfunded, irresponsible tax cuts” would drive up interest rates and lead to a weaker pound.

Conservative leadership hopeful Suella Braverman has vowed to tackle “stubborn” working-age people who “refuse” to get jobs to help cut the cost of government and fund a “radical” plan to slash taxes.

The attorney general said: “In so many areas we are spending too much in an inefficient way.”

That included looking at the “size of government department budgets”, she said. But she insisted spending could be cut without dramatically reducing public services.

She added: “It’s about spending money more smartly and I think we waste too much money.

“I think there are too many people in this country, for example, who are of working age, of good health and who are choosing not to work full time and they are taking benefits.

“Whilst universal credit did a very good amount of work to stamp out that welfare dependency, we still have a stubborn tail of the population that refuses to enter into economy activity.

“I think we have to introduce much more rigour and incentive to get people into work.”