Boris Johnson is skipping Conservative leadership hustings with political journalists on Monday morning, hours after refusing to attend Channel 4’s televised debate.
His rival candidates are all participating in the event, which began at 11.10am, but the frontrunner's team claim he is too busy doing debate preparation to attend.
Channel 4 marked the Mr Johnson’s absence from Sunday’s debate with an empty podium.
During the event, Rory Stewart, one of the contenders vying to replace Theresa May, claimed up to 100 Conservative MPs would vote with him to stop Boris Johnson carrying out a no-deal Brexit – but ruled out joining with Labour to topple his government.
The Tory leadership outsider refused to echo senior Tories Philip Hammond and Ken Clarke who could potentially back a vote-of-no-confidence, saying: “I'm not going to take down a Conservative government.”
Questioned by The Independent at hustings in Westminster, Mr Stewart said: “We can stop a no-deal Brexit much more easily than that.
“I, and nearly 100 of my colleagues, would vote to prevent a no-deal Brexit without having to bring down a Conservative government.”
Mr Stewart also ruled out backing a Final Say referendum on Brexit, telling journalists it would be “catastrophic and divisive”.
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"Our future doesn't need to be Brexit. We can change the future.
"We can put Britain back at the heart of Europe again."
Mr Watson will deliver a major speech on Brexit later on Monday at the Centre for European Reform, in which he will push for a referendum to solve the current political impasse.
Jeremy Corbyn, the Labour Party leader, is under pressure to clarify the party's position on a second referendum after Labour suffered losses in recent local and European elections.
"Someone who really gets the Union, with ideas to strengthen and secure it."
Mr Stewart secured 19 votes in the first round of the contest and needs 33 votes in the second round of voting, which will be held on Tuesday.
He received a warm reception during a televised leadership debate held on Sunday evening.
"It's about what kind of country we are. What we want for our children: what we're able to bring them up to be.
"So those of us who love Europe should take pride in making this argument.
"We must bring the public back into this decision and we must argue strongly to remain.
"Our future doesn't need to be Brexit. We can change the future.
"We can put Britain back at the heart of Europe again."
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"Michael Gove has warned that his rivals' Brexit plans in the Tory leadership contest will result in a general election, and Jeremy Corbyn in Downing Street by Christmas," reports Ashley Cowburn.
"The cabinet minister made the remarks after failing to secure the endorsement of Matt Hancock, who dropped out of the race to replace Theresa May last week.
"Instead, Mr Hancock, the health secretary, threw his weight behind the frontrunner Boris Johnson - a candidate committed to taking Britain out of the bloc on 31 October with or without a deal."
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Mr Raab, who is standing to become Conservative leader, refuses to rule out a no deal Brexit and suspending parliament to achieve one.
Rory Stewart compares Brexit promises to cramming rubbish into a bin
Rory Stewart has compared his Conservative leadership rivals’ promises to negotiate a new Brexit deal to trying to cram too much rubbish into a bin.
Several candidates clashed over how to pass a deal to leave the European Union during a debate held on Sunday evening.
Michael Gove and Dominic Raab both claimed that they could win changes to the withdrawal agreement, which the EU says will not be re-opened.
“The fundamental issue here is that there’s a competition of machismo,” Mr Stewart said, to laughter and applause, as Mr Raab and Mr Gove spoke over one another.
