Blow to Rishi Sunak’s marketing campaign as ex-candidate backs rival Liz Truss for UK PM

Rishi Sunak’s marketing campaign to be elected the Conservative Party chief and the subsequent British Prime Minister suffered a blow on Saturday as a former candidate endorsed his rival Foreign Secretary Liz Truss.

Tom Tugendhat, the Tory backbencher and chair of the Commons Foreign Affairs Committee who was within the preliminary shortlist earlier than being knocked out of the race earlier this month, mentioned he most popular Truss’ marketing campaign pitch with its promise of rapid tax cuts.

The former soldier within the British Army mentioned that after watching the candidates go head-to-head in stay TV debates, “only one has convinced me she’s ready”.

“Liz has always stood up for British values at home, and abroad. With her at the helm, I have no doubt that we will move with determination to make this country safer and more secure,” he writes in ‘The Times’ newspaper.

He mentioned each contenders have “huge qualities and many talents” however Truss has a bonus on the world stage due to her Cabinet place.

“As foreign secretary, Liz is starting with a huge advantage. She can make our voice count,” he writes.

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It follows the endorsement of one other Tory heavyweight Defence Secretary Ben Wallace, who additionally threw his help behind Truss — describing her as “authentic, honest and experienced”.

Sunak was initially the frontrunner within the race within the ballots of his social gathering colleagues, profitable probably the most help from MPs within the first few rounds of voting. But since then, polling among the many Tory membership that can vote for the winner has proven Truss is extra fashionable.

According to a different report in ‘The Times’, even Sunak’s former boss is feeling sorry for him.

He advised mates he didn’t suppose that Sunak, the person he blames for his downfall, was going to make it.

“He almost feels sorry for him,” a buddy of Johnson’s was quoted as saying.

“[Rishi] got in with a crowd of malcontents who used him as part of their vendetta against Boris. What future is there for him now?” it mentioned.

The two finalists are subsequent scheduled to go head-to-head within the TV debate on Thursday, when the primary postal poll papers will begin touchdown at Tory members’ addresses.

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