Tom Tugendhat has become the second Tory MP to confirm he is standing in the contest to succeed Boris Johnson as party leader.
The foreign affairs committee chair said it was time for the Conservatives to have “a clean start”.
Writing in the Daily Telegraph, Tugendhat, who was elected MP for Tonbridge and Malling in 2015, said: “I am putting together a broad coalition of colleagues that will bring new energy and ideas to government and, finally, to bridge the Brexit divide that has dominated our recent history.”
The former Army officer added: “I have served before – in the military, and now in parliament. Now I hope to answer the call once again as prime minister. It’s time for a clean start. It’s time for renewal.”
His declaration followed that of attorney general Suella Braverman, who announced her leadership ambitions on ITV’s Peston show.
She said she wanted to cut taxes, reduce public spending, end migrants crossing the Channel in small boats and also “get rid of all this woke rubbish”.
Transport secretary Grant Shapps is preparing to throw his hat into the ring, alongside the likes of Sajid Javid, Liz Truss, Nadhim Zahawi and Rishi Sunak.
Members of the Tory backbench 1922 committee will elect a new executive on Monday, which will then decide on the timetable for the leadership contest.
It is thought they want to see the list of contenders whittled down to two before parliament’s summer recess in a fortnight’s time, with party members then electing the winning candidate in time for MPs returning to Westminster in September.
The contest has been sparked after Johnson reluctantly resigned after facing a wave of ministerial resignations over his handling of the Chris Pincher affair.