The culture secretary, who Boris Johnson loyalist and now supports foreign minister Liz Truss to be next Prime Minister, tweeted: “This is dirty tricks/a stitch up/dark arts. Choose.
“Team Rishi wants the candidate they know they can definitely beat in the final two and that is @Jeremy-Hunt.”
She responded to a tweet claiming that former education secretary Gavin Williamson, who backs the former chancellor, had staged the single-vote transfer to allow Mr Hunt to pass the hurdle.
Mr Hunt denied the allegations.
“We are running completely independent campaigns,” Mr Hunt told LBC radio when he pressed the claims.
“It’s a very dangerous game to play and so I think most people would be very wary of doing something like that. I’m not saying it never happens.”
More to come.