Here is more from Jeremy Hunt who believes it would be “immoral” to offer personal tax cuts funded from borrowing as he promoted corporate tax cuts. The MP for South West Surrey told LBC radio he has costed his substantial tax cut pledges, admitting “they are expensive” but arguing he could “do this within the fiscal rule that says that debt has to fall as a proportion of GDP over the period”. “It would be immoral off a personal tax cuts funded from borrowing,” he added. “If you put money in people’s pockets, welcome though it is, you risk stoking inflation, business tax cuts don’t do that”.
Jeremy Hunt has denied speculation that Rishi Sunak’s campaign engineered MPs’ votes to help him clear the first hurdle of the Tory leadership contest.
“We are running completely independent campaigns,” he told LBC radio.
“It’s a very dangerous game to play and so I think most people would be very wary before doing that sort of thing. I’m not saying it never happens.”
Hunt also said he is “worried” Sunak’s economy policy would lead the country “into recession”.
“Rishi Sunak is… increasing corporation tax and it will be higher than not just America or Japan, but France and Germany as well.
“And I’m worried that on our current trajectory, we’re heading into recession, and we’ll be there for too long…
Conservative MP Andrew Mitchell has backed Jeremy Hunt, the former health secretary, to become Conservative leader. He told Sky News: “I think that many colleagues believe there are three key criteria that are required to win this campaign. “The first is to be unsullied by the recent Boris times, the second is to be experienced, preferably with a domestic as well as an international department, and the third is to be moral. “I think it’s true to say that many of the candidates hit two of those three criteria, but only Jeremy Hunt hits all three.”
Telford MP Lucy Allan said the report into child sexual exploitation (CSE) in the area, which found that more than 1,000 children were groomed, makes for “devastating reading”.
Allan tweeted: “Telford CSE report: measured, fair, nothing we did not know, but nonetheless makes for devastating reading.
“Thank you to victims, survivors and campaigners who made this happen.”
Nadine Dorries accuses Rishi Sunak’s campaign of pulling “dirty tricks”
Nadine Dorries has accused Rishi Sunak of pulling “dirty tricks” after he and Jeremy Hunt made it into the first ballot of MPs in the Tory leadership contest.
Tory leadership candidate Suella Braverman, appearing at the Centre for Social Justice hustings, told the PA news agency she was “honoured” to progress to the next stage of the contest.
She said she was “honoured and excited”, after the 1922 Committee confirmed the candidates who would continue to the next ballot, and was looking forward to the process playing out.
Chancellor Nadhim Zahawi has tweeted to say he is looking forward to the first round of voting in the Tory leadership contest tomorrow.
Delighted to be nominated by my colleagues to stand for the leadership of our Party, and the country.
For the country that has given me so much, I am deeply honoured. I am British by choice, but I am #conservativebyconviction.
According to an Opinium poll of Conservative party members, Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss are the candidates they most want to see on the final ballot. Opinium says:
Asked which two candidates should make it on to the final ballot, 28% of members chose Rishi Sunak, 20% favoured foreign secretary Liz Truss, with Penny Mordant polling at 14%.
Jeremy Hunt came in fourth with 9%, followed by Sajid Javid on 8%, Tom Tugenhat on 7%, with Nadhim Zahawi on 5% as was Suella Braverman.
That’s all from me for today. My colleague Nadeem Badshah is now taking over.
Graham Brady confirms eight candidates in first ballot for Tory leadership
Sir Graham Brady is reading out the names of the candidates who will be in the first ballot. He reads the names in alphabetical order. They are:
Kemi Badenoch
Suella Braverman
Jeremy Hunt
Penny Mordaunt
Rishi Sunak
Liz Truss
Tom Tugendhat
Nadhim Zahawi
Brady says the first round ballot will take place tomorrow between 1.30pm and 3.30pm. The result will be announced soon afterwards, he says.
He does not name the MPs who have not made it, but three MPs said today they would not stand after struggling to get the support of 20 MPs. They are:
Rehman Chishti
Grant Shapps
Sajid Javid
1922 Committee chair Graham Brady set to announce names of Tory MPs in first ballot
Sir Graham Brady, the chairman of the 1922 Committee, is due to make an announcement just after 6pm about the candidates who will be on the ballot paper in the first vote tomorrow.
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