Junior ministers Anne Milton , Margot James and Penny Mordaunt are topping a list of likely successors for Priti Patel, the International Development secretary.

Ms Patel’s likely sacking later today will mean that Theresa May will have lost her second Cabinet minister in seven days.

Ms Patel is now back flying back from Nairobi after it emerged she held two further unauthorised meetings with senior Israeli politicians without telling Downing Street.

Ms Patel is expected to land in the UK mid-afternoon today.

The Foreign Office and Downing Street were unaware the meetings, which took place just weeks after she returned from a controversial holiday to the country, had taken place.