LIZ Truss backer Brandon Lewis MP said she will deliver for the people as the UK’s new Prime Minister.
The former Northern Ireland secretary told GB News: “It’s an emphatic victory for Liz Truss, pretty much in line generally with where our membership over the centuries tends to be around that kind of figure for all the leadership elections going back to 2001.
“It is a very good, clear majority for Liz Truss I think gives us a very clear message. The party now has taken its decision.
“We now come back together, get behind the leader of the party and next prime minister, and get on with delivering for people.”
Asked about the length of the contest in a live interview with GB News’ political editor Darren McCaffrey, he said: “I hesitate to say it but people like yourself would criticise us if we did it too quickly.
“This is a big decision. We were able to get around the whole country…I was chairman of the party and organised the 2019 leadership campaign, organised the hustings all over the country to give members a chance to put their questions, get the candidates chances to answer those questions both at the live events and online events.
“It does take a bit of time and I think for a decision like this it’s right that we take the time for the members to have the chance to get it right.”
Mr Lewis, who has been tipped for a role in the new Cabinet, added: “One of the strengths of our party has always been that we are such a big wide tent, ideas, and personalities.
“We’ve got a new leader, we come together now we get behind that leader.
“I think we’ll see in the next week or so when we listen to her new chancellor, a package of measures that people recognise is going to make a positive difference, a real difference in a way that we can all get behind and make sure we’re helping people across the country.”
Asked about an energy price cap, he said: “I’m not going to predict it…it’s market sensitive, we haven’t had the fiscal event [budget] yet.
“What we’ve got to do is make sure we are affecting the challenges that hit people’s pockets, those cost delivery challenges they’re facing today whilst, as Liz Truss said just a few moments ago, dealing with a longer-term supply issue so we’re able to be more resistant to these issues in the future as well.”
