TORY MP Mark Harper has explained why he is backing former Chancellor Rishi Sunak as new Tory leader.
He told GB News: “It’s very simple for me, it’s the things he said in his campaign, it’s about restoring trust in how we run the government.
“It’s about getting the economy rebuilt and it’s about bringing the country together. And I think if you look at the way his campaign has been going, putting on support from my parliamentary colleagues each stage, I think that message is getting through to people…
“And I think he set out clearly, both on the economy and on a range of other issues, that he’s both the right man to be Prime Minister in September, but also the right man to lead the Conservative Party into an election victory in a couple of years time, whenever that comes.”
He added: “Having been in the Conservative Party for many years and worked with Conservative Party members across the country, our members are very pragmatic, and they’re very sensible and I think they’ll listen to his message.
“I think he’s being honest with people about the economic challenges facing the country. He’s not saying the things that are easy to say, that will be convenient, but he’s telling people what they need to hear.
“And I think our members are very realistic people. They’ll listen to his message about the number one priority is defeating inflation.
“They’ll also look at how he polls across the country and they’ll see that in him they’ve got someone who can lead that battle to try and persuade the public to give us what will be a fifth consecutive term in a couple of years time and I think for both of those reasons, I think they’ll put their trust in him if he’s successful in getting to that member stage at the end of this week.”
Asked about questions over Mr Sunak’s popularity with the public, he said: “On the subjects about the Prime Minister, yes, Rishi Sunak did resign as Chancellor because he felt that he had been loyal to the Prime Minister all the way through but then reached a point with the events around the appointment of Christopher pincher as deputy chief whip and the way Number 10 handled that situation.
“Rishi Sunak felt that enough was enough and he resigned from the government and that, of course, many, many colleagues in government took the same view and in the end the Prime Minister had to stand down.
“It was right that he did so and in fact that view is shared by a majority of the members of the Conservative Party, but I want to focus on the future.
“Rishi will be setting out his approach to dealing with the economic challenges facing the country. He’s absolutely across that subject.
“We need somebody who can hit the ground running to deal with the economic challenges facing all of the people listening to this show. He’s proved he’s the right man for that.
“I think the public are really warming to him, the polls following the debates of the weekend were very positive…”
