Former chancellor Rishi Sunak launched his campaign for the Tory leadership today with backing from high-profile ministers.
Sunak has gained the support of deputy prime minister Dominic Raab and transport secretary Grant Shapps, who withdrew from the leadership contest this morning.
Sunak has been seen as the bookies favourite in the leadership contest, despite coming under fire earlier this year over a family tax avoidance scandal. The former chancellor has more declared MP support than any other candidate so far.
Raab introduced the campaign, declaring that Sunak “saved hundreds of small businesses” during the pandemic. He described the Richmond MP as a “true Conservative” who “makes things happen”,adding “we need a leader who can win” and “only Rishi can beat Labour”.
Sunak’s campaign opposes those of candidates on the right of the party and says that taxes should and can only be cut once inflation is under control, keeping what he calls ‘fiscal discipline’ in order.
“It’s not credible to promise lots more spending and cuts of taxes,” he said, having faced criticism from rivals for presiding over multiple tax rises.
The leadership contender called for a “grown up conversation”, a phrase which he repeated several times during the launch. He stressed the importance of “being honest and telling the truth”, in an attempt to highlight the differences between him and Boris Johnson whose downfall was arguably a result of dishonesty.
But Sunak’s focus was not just on the practical side of his potential tenure, but also the moral. He took some time to speak about Boris Johnson, after claims from his allies that there was an air of tension between the two and that the chancellor’s resignation was “treacherous” towards the prime minster.
Sunak said he would never “demonise” the prime minister, noting him as a “remarkable” man with “a good heart”.
“We are still members of the same Conservative family and when this election is over we are going to work together for the British people”.
