AMBER Rudd yesterday slammed Jeremy Hunt and Dominic Raab for “parading” their wives as they vie for the Tory crown.
She risked deepening the party’s bitter civil war as she slammed the stampede of men who have rushed forward to try to succeed Theresa May.
And in a swipe at Boris Johnson, she warned the next Tory leader will flop and fail to command a majority in the Commons if they push for a no-deal.
It came as she burnished her own leadership credentials by giving a big speech on workers and announcing she is scrapping three-year benefit sanctions.
Leadership hopeful Mr Hunt took his wife Lucia on a week-long tour of Africa last week where she was presented as his “secret weapon”.
While Mr Raab posed for cosy snaps in his kitchen with his Brazilian wife Erika in a leadership pitch interview.
Ms Rudd tore into the men for the old-fashioned tactics, telling BBC’s Newsnight Programme: “Don’t wind me up just because it is all the men putting themselves forward at the moment.
“People have a different way of addressing this leadership issue. I don’t think we need to parade partners in the way that we have been seeing.
“I am much more interested in the policies that people want to bring forward than the actual people.”
Ms Rudd warned Tory leadership hopefuls will have to try woo Remainers – not just Brexiteers – to stand a chance of lasting in No10.
She said: “Whoever makes the pitch in the future is going to have to convince everybody that they can hold that majority together.”
Justice Secretary David Gauke also stuck the knife into Mr Johnson by warning the Tories not to lurch towards right-wing populism.
He said Brexit campaigners had made promises based on “wishful thinking” that had not survived “the collision with reality”.
Ms Rudd has not ruled out trying to take over when Theresa May finally steps down, and is seen as a possible kingmaker in any contest.
The latest register of MPs’ interests revealed Mr Raab has raked in another £58,000 in donations last month. Boris Johnson was given a further £8,000 from JCB.
