Boris Johnson’s closest allies were backing a ‘stop Rishi’ candidate as the former chancellor stormed ahead tonight in the race to succeed him, and Sajid Javid was eliminated.
Mr Sunak has nearly twice as many declared supporters as any of the other seven candidates as they prepare to face the first ballot of Conservative MPs tomorrow.
The ex-chancellor insisted quick tax cuts are ‘not credible’ as he officially launched his campaign and wheeled out deputy PM Dominic Raab as his latest high-profile supporter.
But influential Johnson loyalists Nadine Dorries and Jacob Rees-Mogg threw their weight behind foreign secretary Liz Truss as the candidate most likely to stop the Sunak bandwagon.
Mr Rees-Mogg, who considered running himself said Ms Truss ‘was always opposed to Rishi’s higher taxes’.
‘She’s a proper Eurosceptic, she’ll deliver for the voters and she believes in low taxation,’ he added.
Mr Javid triggered the wave of resignations that brought down the PM when he walked out of his job as education secretary on July 5, demanding a ‘new direction’.
But he failed to secure the 20 nominations needed to join the race as backbencher Rehman Chishti was also eliminated.
‘I believe the party must now look outwards, not inwards, if we are to win again,’ Mr Javid said last night.
‘I look forward to seeing the debate unfold.’
Attorney general Suella Braverman, former health secretary Jeremy Hunt, trade minister Penny Mordaunt, current chancellor Nadhim Zahawi, junior minister Kemi Badenoch and backbencher Tom Tugendhat will join Mr Sunak on today’s ballot.
Ms Dorries reacted with fury to suggestions Mr Sunak had ‘lent’ Mr Hunt some votes to ensure he was on the ballot.
‘This is dirty tricks/a stitch up/dark arts, take your pick,’ the culture secretary tweeted.
‘Team Rishi want the candidate they know they can definitely beat in the final two and that is Jeremy Hunt.’
Transport secretary Grant Shapps had already dropped out of the race and Home Secretary Priti Patel said she would not stand by the time Mr Javid was eliminated.
The remaining eight candidates will now need support from at least 30 Tory MPs to survive tomorrow’s ballot before the field is whittled down over the next week to a final two who will face the deciding vote from Conservative Party members over the summer.
The scramble was on tonight to win over previous supporters of the defeated candidates with Mr Shapps declaring for Mr Sunak along with Matt Hancock who said the ex-Chancellor is ‘best-placed out of all of them to take this country through difficult times’.
But the former health secretary was slammed as ‘unbelievable’ for filming his video endorsement next to the Covid memorial wall opposite Parliament.
‘Despite being asked when he was health secretary, Matt Hancock never visited the Covid Memorial Wall and refused to meet bereaved families on multiple occasions,’ tweeted Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice UK
‘He’s managed to find his way there to launch a video for Rishi Sunak, though, who was fined for Partygate.’
Penny Mordaunt was forced to edit her campaign video again after the family of murdered Labour MP Jo Cox objected to her inclusion.
The trade minister who is the bookie’s second favourite had already removed footage of convicted murderer Oscar Pistorius competing for South Africa at the London 2012 Paralympics, and was also forced to remove clips of the UK Paralympian Jonnie Peacock after he objected.
Mr Sunak remains 7/4 favourite with the bookmakers and supporters have pointed to polls suggesting he is the most popular among voters.
And an Opinium poll for Channel 4 News tonight found Mr Sunak with most support among Tory party members on 20 per cent followed by Ms Truss and Ms Mordant on 14 per cent.
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