Boris Johnson‘s closest allies backed a ‘stop Rishi’ candidate as the former chancellor stormed ahead tonight in the race to succeed him, and Sajid Javid was eliminated.
Sunak has nearly twice as many declared supporters as all the other seven candidates as they prepare for the first vote of Conservative MPs tomorrow.
The ex-chancellor insisted swift tax cuts are ‘not credible’ as he officially launched his campaign and expelled deputy prime minister Dominic Raab as his latest high profile supporter.
But influential Johnson loyalists Nadine Dorries and Jacob Rees-Mogg threw their weight behind Secretary of State Liz Truss as the candidate most likely to stop the Sunak train.
Mr Rees-Mogg, who considered running herself, said Ms Truss was “always opposed to Rishi’s higher taxes.”
“She is a real Eurosceptic, she will perform for the voters and she believes in low taxes,” he added.
Javid sparked the wave of resignation that toppled the prime minister when he resigned from his job as education secretary on July 5 and demanded a “new direction.”
But he failed to land the 20 nominations needed to enter the race as backbencher Rehman Chishti was also eliminated.
“I believe the party must now look outwards, not inwards, if we want to win again,” Mr Javid said last night.
“I look forward to seeing the debate unfold.”
Attorney General Suella Braverman, former Health Minister Jeremy Hunt, Commerce Secretary Penny Mordaunt, current Chancellor Nadhim Zahawi, Secretary of State Kemi Badenoch and backbencher Tom Tugendhat will join Mr Sunak in today’s vote.
Ms Dorries reacted furiously to suggestions from Mr Sunak that Mr Hunt had ‘borrowed’ some votes to ensure he got on the ballot.
“These are dirty tricks/a sewing/dark art, take your pick,” the culture secretary tweeted.
“Team Rishi wants the candidate they know can definitely beat the last two and that’s Jeremy Hunt.”
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps had already dropped out of the race and Home Secretary Priti Patel said she would not hold out by the time Javid was eliminated.
The remaining eight candidates will now need the support of at least 30 Tory MPs to survive tomorrow’s vote, before the field is narrowed down to the last two who will be the casting vote of Conservative Party members in the summer over the next week. to get.
The battle was on tonight to win over previous supporters of the defeated candidates. Shapps stated for Sunak along with Matt Hancock, who said the ex-chancellor is “the best of them all at guiding this country through difficult times.”
But the former health minister was labeled ‘incredible’ for filming his recommendation video next to the Covid memorial wall opposite Parliament.
“Despite being asked when he was health minister, Matt Hancock never visited the Covid Memorial Wall and several times refused to meet relatives,” Covid-19 tweeted Bereaved Families for Justice UK
“However, he managed to find his way there to launch a video for Rishi Sunak, who was fined for Partygate.”
Penny Mordaunt was forced to re-edit her campaign video after the family of slain Labor MP Jo Cox objected to her recording.
The trade secretary who is the bookie’s second favorite had already removed footage of convicted murderer Oscar Pistorius battling for South Africa at the 2012 London Paralympic Games, and was also forced to remove clips of British Paralympic athlete Jonnie Peacock. to be removed after objecting.
Sunak remains a 7/4 favorite with the bookmakers and supporters have pointed to polls suggesting he is the most popular among voters.
And a poll for Channel 4 News tonight found Sunak to have the most support among Tory party members at 20 percent, followed by Ms Truss and Ms Mordant at 14 percent.
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