TWO Tory MPs have come out to back two candidates for the leadership of the Conservatives who are most favoured by ordinary party members in a new poll.
The Politics Home website has published the results of a survey which puts former Trade Secretary Penny Mordaunt in front with 19.6% of the vote, ahead of former equalities minister Kemi Badenoch on 18.7%.
The poll of 842 of the party’s faithful puts them ahead of bookies’ favourite Rishi Sunak who scored 12.1% in the poll.
Tory MP Bob Seely told GB News that he was supporting Ms Mordaunt as the new leader and that she had the backing of some 26 MPs, more than the 20 needed to be officially listed as a candidate.
He predicted she would pick up considerable support as the process unfolded: “I think we need to recognise a recognisably conservative government because that’s what folks voted for, and that’s what the many of the viewers of GB News viewers voted for.
“But we also need somebody who is personable and somebody who has got cut through and can have a good chance of delivering victory.
“And so for that combination between a Conservative, proper Conservative, and somebody who can deliver victory, I think Penny is our best bet”.
He added: “It’s not going to be a perfect journey but we expect to pick up many supporters as we go as other candidates, very good candidates drop out…
“I’m very much hoping that she can get to the final two and I think if she gets to the final two, I think she will win.”
Tory MP Ben Bradley told GB News why he is backing Kemi Badenoch for Prime Minister.
“She’s been a minister in the Treasury for a significant period of this Parliament so I think she certainly does understand that but the thing that really attracted me to me is her values, her bravery on those difficult conversations where she has been equalities minister,” he said.
“In particular, she’s laid out her clear set of principles and values. Her clear views on these things jive with the common sense views of my own constituents and myself.
“And the fact that she has always been willing to be what I always talk about as being a signpost rather than a weather vane – I am what I am, this is what I believe in.
“This is the direction I’m going to go rather than reacting to the daily newspapers, as I think we’ve been guilty of for far too long. It really makes me think she’s the right person that could step up and do this.”
He added: “Well, I think what she’s done already is she’s clearly sparked a conversation that we found in recent days is very Westminster bubble.
“But most of the top read articles on some of those regular kinds of Westminster things that we did, the Spectator and stuff like that, have all been about how interesting Kemi is, how she’s the answer to so many questions. Lots of people are talking about it.
“And although she’s a fairly new entrant in this with lots of candidates, and obviously has been working at it for a long time behind the scenes. She really has picked up that interest.
“You mentioned party members, of course, she was second ahead of Rishi Sunak in the Conservative Home poll and I hope colleagues here in Parliament will recognise that, for all the reasons I’ve said and more, members really look at somebody like Kemi as somebody who can change things and make a difference.”
