Rishi Sunak has launched his bid for the Conservative leadership with a three-minute video that presented him in sharp contrast to Boris Johnson. Mr Sunak, who resigned as chancellor of the exchequer on Tuesday, joins attorney general Suella Braverman and foreign affairs committee chairman Tom Tugendhat as the first declared candidates.
“My values are non-negotiable. Patriotism, fairness, hard work. We’ve had enough of division. Politics at its best is a unifying endeavour, and I have spent my career bringing people together. Because that is the only way to succeed,” he said.
Mr Sunak’s video struck an optimistic note as he told the story of his parents’ success as immigrants in Britain but he warned that tough decisions were needed to navigate the country through difficult times ahead.
Rishi’s got the skills, he’s got the ability, he’s got the experience, and I think he’s got the vision that we need to pull the country together...
— Mark Spencer, leader of the House of Commons
“Do we confront this moment with honesty, seriousness, and determination, or do we tell ourselves comforting fairy tales that might make us feel better in the moment but will leave our children worse off tomorrow?” he said.
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“Someone has to grip this moment and make the right decisions. That’s why I’m standing to be the next leader of the Conservative Party and your prime minister.”
The leadership contest is a two-stage process, with MPs selecting two candidates to go to a ballot of the entire Conservative party membership. An Opinium poll for Channel 4 News found Mr Sunak to be the most popular choice among party members on 25 per cent, with foreign secretary Liz Truss on 21 per cent and defence secretary Ben Wallace on 12 per cent.
Mr Sunak won the immediate endorsement of two former chief whips, Mark Harper and Mark Spencer, who is now leader of the House of Commons.
“Rishi’s got the skills, he’s got the ability, he’s got the experience, and I think he’s got the vision that we need to pull the country together and to get us moving in the right direction,” Mr Spencer said.
Labour leader Keir Starmer said the Conservatives should agree to an early general election following Mr Johnson’s resignation, threatening to table a vote of no confidence in the House of Commons if the prime minister is allowed to remain in office while his party elects a new leader.
“We are ready now for a general election and rather than noises off, if they are so confident, let’s have that general election, let’s get on with it, let’s have the fresh start that we need for our country. So let them put their money where their mouth is. If they really think that, call a general election,” he said.
Sir Keir was speaking after Durham police said he and his deputy leader Angela Rayner had no case to answer over an incident last year when they had a meal and drank beer with campaign workers during lockdown. The Labour leader had promised to resign if he was fined over the incident.
Sir Keir ruled out any pact with the Scottish National Party (SNP) before or after the next general election, but left the door open to an arrangement with the Liberal Democrats.
“Let me take the SNP first: There will be no deal going into a general election and no deal coming out of a general election… there is no basis, no basis for an alliance with a party who wants to break up the United Kingdom,” he said.
“So far as the Lib Dems are concerned, we want a Labour majority. We want to deliver on our mission and that is what we are going to do. We are fighting for a majority Labour government to deliver our mission.”
