By 6pm we'll have a clearer idea of who will be the in the Tory leadership run-off with Boris Johnson.
Until this week, conventional wisdom suggested Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt would be the alternative.
But the curious figure of Rory Stewart – real name “Rod Stewart” - casts doubt on that assumption.
Stewart is, like Johnson, an Old Etonian who went to Oxford.
But there their paths diverged – so much so that Stewart was yesterday forced to deny having been an MI6 spy .
He's just confirmed on the radio that even if he was a spy he would deny it – obviously – to protect his cover.
(Could you imagine Boris Johnson as a spy? Literally the worst spy ever.)
Stewart spent time in the Army, worked in the Foreign Office and had several postings abroad, including as deputy governor of an Iraqi province.
He walked 6,000 miles across India, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Nepal, apparently for the fun of it; you can see why questions arise as to whether he was an agent for the Secret Intelligence Service.
Now he could help eliminate Home Secretary Sajid Javid and ex-Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab from the No10 race.
Listening to Stewart, you wonder if he realises the fight he is in .
He sounds less like a settled Tory and more like a desperate Lib Dem with his nuance, pragmatism and yearning for compromise.
This may be enough to win him a spot in the final runoff where the remaining two candidates are put to the membership.
But if he makes it that far, one has to wonder what his plan will be then.
While his pitch obviously appeals to some Conservative MPs and non-Tories , it's mightily difficult to imagine his message is one the 160,000 Tory members who can actually vote want to hear.
They want out of the EU and they wanted it at least three months ago.
Critics hit back that 33.5 million people were consulted in the 2016 referendum, and there's no need for another can-kicking exercise.
Maybe Stewart's real role, if he makes it to the final stage, will be to subject Johnson to the kind of scrutiny he has dodged thus far, putting him under pressure in the 16 scheduled hustings.
In performing that duty, he will be doing just as much service to our country as any MI6 spy.
Today's agenda:
9.30am – Theresa May hosts Cabinet in No10
10am – Man accused of throwing a milkshake at Nigel Farage due in court
11.30am – Health Questions in the Commons
3pm – Voting opens in round two of the Tory leadership contest
6pm – Result of latest Tory leadership ballot due
8pm – BBC Tory leadership debate
What I am reading:
Rachel Sylvester on how white male Tories need to look at the country they want to lead
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