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Former Defence Secretary Liam Fox has met Theresa May to discuss backing her in a future Tory leadership contest, it emerged today.

The Standard understands Dr Fox is willing to support the Home Secretary in a bid to stop Mayor Boris Johnson winning the Conservative crown.

The pair were seen having lunch at an Italian restaurant opposite the Home Office yesterday. It follows signs that there has been an end to hostilities between Mr Johnson and Chancellor George Osborne, Ms May’s two biggest rivals.

A potential alliance with Ms May could see Dr Fox help mobilise support for her among grassroots Tories. The senior right-winger, who himself stood for the leadership in 2005, continues to cultivate party members and friends claim that since leaving the Cabinet in 2011 he has visited three local Conservative associations every week.

Last year he turned down a job as a Foreign Office minister in David Cameron’s governmentand sources close to him say he harbours hopes of returning to the Cabinet as Foreign Secretary in a future Conservative government.

But it is believed he does not think Mr Johnson is the right candidate to lead the party after Mr Cameron steps down. Dr Fox was Tory chairman in 2004 when then-MP Mr Johnson left the party’s front bench amid allegations about his private life.

Dr Fox’s offer of support to Ms May is understood to stand whether a contest comes in the aftermath of the next election or further in the future. Her office did not respond to questions today, while a spokesman for Dr Fox said: “They regularly meet to catch up”.

A recent YouGov poll saw 29 per cent of voters name Mr Johnson as a good future Tory leader, against 23 per cent for Ms May. But polls on the grassroots ConservativeHome website have put her ahead.