The Conservative leadership race descended into acrimony on Saturday as Grant Shapps entered the fray with an attack apparently aimed at front-runner Rishi Sunak for “plotting” to get rid of Boris Johnson.
It came as Tory MPs told The Independent that many of those who stayed on in government jobs or accepted ministerial posts this week were angry at Mr Sunak for his “betrayal” in helping to remove Mr Johnson from number 10.
The transport minister, launching his bid by saying he still subscribes to “Johnsonism”, defended his loyalty to the prime minister and condemned those who turned against him despite “taking advantage of his patronage”.
In scathing remarks to The Times, Mr Shapps said: “I have not spent the last few tumultuous years plotting or briefing against the Prime Minister. I have not mobilized a leadership campaign behind his back.”
Nadhim Zahawi, Mr Sunak’s replacement as chancellor, also announced his candidacy to become the next prime minister, pledging on Saturday to cut taxes and increase defense spending.
It followed Defense Secretary Ben Wallace’s announcement that he would not run despite being the Tory front-runner, saying he wanted to focus on his job “keeping this country safe”.
The Independent understands that Mr Wallace will not be endorsing anyone at this stage of the race. But his supporters said many of the MPs who wanted to see him as prime minister were angry with Mr Sunak and were unlikely to switch their support to the former chancellor.
Mr Sunak won the endorsement of several more MPs on Saturday, including Northern Ireland Electoral Commission chairman Simon Hoare and former Tory deputy leader Bim Afolami, moving him into the lead with 17 endorsements.
But challenger Suella Braverman’s campaign gained early momentum as right-wingers such as Steve Baker, Desmond Swain and Richard Drax flocked to her campaign promise of “serious” tax cuts.
In his slick campaign launch video on Friday, Mr. Sunak doubled down on his reputation as a balancing fiscal conservative with a warning against “fairytale” promises.
In a sign that most candidates will use the tax issue to challenge the former chancellor, Mr Shapps also promised a “clear path to lower taxes”. And Mr Zahawi has promised to cut taxes for individuals, families and businesses – claiming he is the right man to “stabilise the economy”.
It came after The Independent revealed that experts from the tax office were still investigating Mr Zahawi’s tax affairs. HMRC stepped in after an investigation into Mr Zahawi’s finances was initially launched by the National Crime Agency in 2020. A senior Whitehall source confirmed the tax investigation was currently “unsolved”.
Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, who will soon enter the race, has also indicated she wants to see lower taxes. The Mail on Sunday reported that she would commit to reversing Mr Sunak’s National Insurance increase.
Chancellor Nadhim Zahawi has promised to cut taxes as leader
(Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
Tom Tugendhat also won more supporters, with some sympathetic MPs claiming he was gaining more support than rival Jeremy Hunt in his bid to represent the moderate wing of the One Nation party.
Penny Mordaunt received several endorsements from high-profile figures on Saturday – including Sir Charles Walker and Caroline Dinnenage – although she has yet to announce her candidacy.
However, Ms Mordaunt, a staunch Brexiteer, has struggled to win support from the right wing of the party over her stance on transgender rights, according to one MP. Some campaigners shared her statement that “trans women are women and trans men are men” while she was equalities minister in 2018.
Kemi Badenoch, who announced her leadership bid in an op-ed for The Times, made it clear she wanted to be seen as a rival candidate with an attack on “identity politics” and left-wing “social justice” rhetoric.
One Nation moderates told The Independent they were optimistic the campaign could draw a line under a long period of divisive Brexit battles and culture war issues promoted by Johnson allies such as Jacob Rees-Mogg and Nadine Dorries.
Stephen Hammond – a senior figure in the One Nation group backing Mr Tugendhat – said it was vital to start anew so that the government was seen “as one with integrity so we can regain trust”, as and “that which is competent.”
Grand Sir Malcolm Rifkind said he hoped the key issue in the race would be personal integrity and the candidates’ ability to convince the nation they were offering a fresh start.
He said the leadership should go to someone who was not “tainted” by a close relationship with Mr Johnson, so the caretaker prime minister’s time in No 10 seemed “more of an interlude than a major malaise in the Conservative Party”.
Tory MP David Mundell mourned Mr Wallace’s departure. He said the defense minister had “decency and integrity” and displayed “calm competence compared to the drama of recent months”.
Meanwhile, Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, treasurer of the 1922 Committee, said the rules could be changed early next week to reduce the crowded field and speed up the process.
He told Times Radio that this could be done by increasing the number of signatures from MPs needed to be nominated and by increasing the threshold of votes candidates must receive to advance to the next round.
To participate, candidates need eight nominations. Candidates must then receive 5 percent of the vote to remain in the race — 18 votes — during the first round. They need to get 10 percent, 36 MPs, in the second round. The candidate with the fewest votes is then eliminated until two candidates remain.
It came after a spokesman for Mr Johnson said rumors he planned to step down as caretaker prime minister on Monday to run again for Tory leader were completely false.
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