RISHI Sunak has finally promised to back Liz Truss if she becomes PM – and vowed to stay in frontline politics.
Despite previously blasting his rival’s flagship plan for tax cuts as a “moral failure”, the ex-Chancellor said he would “always support a Conservative government”.
His scathing attacks on the Foreign Secretary throughout the contest had fuelled fears he and his sulking supporters could block her mini-Budget.
But last night Mr Sunak insisted: “Of course I’m going to support a Conservative government.
“I believe very strongly in the Conservative Party, and I want it to do well, and I will always, whether as a minister or as a backbencher, always support a Conservative government because I believe that’s the best thing for this country.”
Relieved allies of the Foreign Secretary welcomed Mr Sunak’s commitment and said it was “important to unite the whole party around Liz’s tax-cutting agenda“.
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They had worried “wounded stoat” Mr Sunak would whip up a backbench revolt to kneecap Ms Truss’ new government.
Mr Sunak told the TalkTV hustings in Norwich he believed Ms Truss would make a better PM than Boris Johnson.
He said: “We’ve got to look forward as a party. I know lots of you here I’m sure are upset with me for resigning and wish Boris was here. That is not going to help us move forward.”
However the ex-Chancellor swiped that he was the better candidate to heal the party after winning the most MPs in the first round of the contest.
He added: “It’s not just one segment or faction of the party that supported me.”
But since then more Conservative colleagues have jumped aboard Ms Truss’ campaign, including three defectors.
Mr Sunak also promised to remain in Parliament if he loses the leadership race following speculation he would bow out.
Dominic Cummings today claimed Mr Sunak was acting “like a man whose epically bad campaign has melted his brain and he’s about to quit politics.”
But the wannabe PM said he would “absolutely not” stand down and would accept defeat because “that’s life”.
The underdog candidate, who is miles behind in the polls, is refusing to throw in the towel and insists “there’s everything left to play for”.
At the penultimate hustings in Norwich Ms Truss hammered home her promise of bumper tax cuts within weeks of entering No10.
