defense secretary Ben Wallace has questioned Rishi Sunakexperience of becoming Britain’s next prime minister after putting his support behind the former Chancellor‘s Tory leadership rival Liz Truss.
Ahead of a pivotal weekend of campaigning for the two Tory leaders, Mr Wallace’s endorsement of Ms Truss is seen as a major boost to the Secretary of State’s chances of winning the race for No10.
Before the Tory leadership contest started earlier this month, the Secretary of Defense was seen as a frontrunner to replace Boris Johnson. Conservative members who will ultimately make the decision on September 5. But he decided not to participate, which led to a fight between candidates to secure his support.
Speaking on Sky News on Friday morning, Mr Wallace said Ms Truss’ experience as Secretary of State for the Treasury, the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, as well as her commitment to spend 3 percent of GDP on defense, will help her. .
‘She actually has an incredible amount of experience in government. You know, she’s the only candidate to have spent nearly two years in the Treasury as Chief Secretary of Treasury. She was in international trade and negotiated trade agreements. And now she’s Secretary of State. That’s a broad experience that I’m afraid Rishi doesn’t have. Yes, he’s been, you know, in the chancery, but he doesn’t have that broad experience.”
Mr Wallace also doubled down on his criticism of Mr Sunak for causing Mr Johnson’s downfall by stepping down as Chancellor, citing major disagreements with the Prime Minister over economic policy.
But the defense secretary said: “I just don’t think running away in times of crisis is the right thing to do. There were other mechanisms for doing what they wanted. If Rishi Sunak didn’t want the prime minister to become prime minister, there are other mechanisms to do that. And that goes for all other ministers. He has made his choices. He reconciles with that.
“My verdict was, you know, first of all, I didn’t want the Prime Minister to leave, but if I had been in that position, I think there was another mechanism to do it.”
After Thursday night’s first husting event with the two candidates in Leeds, Ms Truss and Mr Sunak were back on the campaign trail on Friday, with the former Chancellor expected to recruit Tory members in Kent, while the Foreign Secretary is expected to in Suffolk and Norfolk .
With the ballots in the mail for the 160,000 conservative activists who will decide the contest early next week, it’s a weekend getaway for Mr Sunak, who is trailing Tory members’ polls.
In an appeal to the Tory base, Mr Sunak announced plans on Thursday to double the number of foreign criminals deported from the UK if he becomes Prime Minister.
He said in the Daily Express: “We are far too soft on foreigners who commit crimes in our country, so I will double the number of foreign offenders we deport. I will reduce crime by incarcerating the most prolific offenders, incarcerating them and build the prison space needed to do so.”
Former Security Minister Damian Hinds, who supports Mr Sunak, insisted the former Chancellor could still win the contest.
He added: “The more members hear about Rishi, the more they actually meet Rishi, the more likely they are to vote for Rishi as the candidate with the record, experience, character and vision, not just to be in to put in place, conservative policies to ensure we can win this historic fifth general election we need to win against Labour.”
Mr Hinds, Tory MP for Hampshire East, also defended Mr Sunak’s plans to cut VAT on utility bills if he becomes Prime Minister, and questioned Ms Truss’ own tax-cutting plans, which his camp believes will drive inflation up .
He said there was a “big difference” between the plan to cut VAT on utility bills and “unfunded, massive increases in spending or tax cuts and all the borrowing that comes with it”. He added: “Stirring up inflation is the last thing you want when you have a cost of living crisis.”