Jacob Rees-Mogg donned a safety coat and joked that he is learning a forklift job ‘in case I need a new job’.
The cabinet minister, who supports Liz Truss in the ongoing race for leadership, he joked that he might soon be out of a job as the race to find the new prime minister heats up with candidates being roasted in a TV debate tonight.
The 53-year-old has shown his support for Liz Truss as she fights to regain ground on the early frontrunner Penny Mordaunt in the leadership race.
Mr Rees-Mogg, a hard Brexiteer and a staunch supporter of the current Prime Minister Boris Johnsonsupports Mrs Truss and her commitments to cut taxes.
The former backbench heavyweight has taken a number of cabinet positions in recent years – he was appointed Leader of the House of Commons by Boris Johnson in 2019, before becoming Minister of State for Brexit opportunities and government efficiency earlier this year.
However, he could return to the back seat if another candidate wins the race to replace Mr Johnson.
Jacob Rees-Mogg was pictured today driving a forklift at a business in his North East Somerset constituency. He joked that he was ‘learning in case I needed a job’
It comes as the remaining five Conservative leadership candidates face each other in a televised debate tonight. Pictured from left to right are Tory MPs Kemi Badenoch, Penny Mordaunt, Rishi Sunak, Liz Truss and Tom Tugendhat
Mr Rees-Mogg, pictured here at the IBMATA summit in London on Wednesday, has thrown his support behind Liz Truss in the ongoing leadership hunts
Other contenders include former Chancellor Rishi Sunak, Boris Johnson critic Tom Tugendhat and former government minister Kemi Badenoch.
Mr Rees-Mogg joked on Twitter that he might need to learn a new trade in case he finds himself out of work.
The famously posh MP was seen on the vehicle today at the opening of a Prime Tools business showroom in Midsomer Norton, which is in his North East Somerset constituency.
In a tweet, he said: ‘Learning in case I need a new job… @PrimeToolscouk’.
The tweet came hours before the five remaining Tory leaders take the stage in tonight’s first televised debate.
During the debate, hosted by Channel 4, the candidates were questioned about Boris Johnson, trust and integrity in office, as well as their plans to help people struggling with the cost of living crisis.
Mr Rees-Mogg’s preferred candidate, Liz Truss, pledged to roll back a planned corporate tax hike from 19 to 25 percent next year – at a cost of £16bn.
The opening questions were dominated by the shadow of the Prime Minister’s tenure, with Liz Truss, Penny Mordaunt, Kemi Badenoch, Rishi Sunak and Tom Tugendhat questioning trust and integrity in office
Her tax pledges have been opposed to rivals, including frontrunner Rishi Sunak, who again declined to push for tax cuts. He told those watching the Zoom event, hosted by the Conservative Home website, that controlling rising inflation was more important than blindly cutting taxes.
Ms Truss said: ‘We need to put money back into people’s pockets immediately, we know families are struggling to make ends meet right now.
“I would reverse the increase in national insurance, I was against it in the cabinet at the time because I thought it was a mistake, I think it’s even more of a mistake now that we are dealing with such strong economic headwinds.
“I would also have a temporary green energy moratorium to cut £153 on people’s energy bills.
“And I wouldn’t do the corporate tax hikes either, because I think it’s vital that we attract investment in our country.”
Mr Rees-Mogg expressed his approval during the debate, tweeting: ‘Thatcherite meritocracy is what we need. #Liz4Leader #C4LeaderDebate’
The Tory MP has been in the news in recent months amid his ongoing battle with the civil service as he tries to save.
He has berated the Civil Service for allowing staff to work from home despite the end of the pandemic and has threatened to fire those who do not return to the office full-time.
The minister plans to cut the number of workers in Whitehall by 91,000 and has left empty desks with notes saying ‘Looking forward to seeing you in the office soon’, leading unions to suspect he is ‘bullying’ workers.