FORMER Tory chief whip Mark Harper MP said former Chancellor Rishi Sunak will be “a breath of fresh air” as Prime Minister.
He told GB News: “Some people…will know that I’ve for a while now been very clear about why I felt Boris Johnson needed to go and I think Rishi Sunak will be a breath of fresh air.
“He’s going to restore trust, I think, to the way the government is run. I think he’s got very sound solid economic policies…being honest with people about the challenges facing us.
“I think he appeals to voters across the whole United Kingdom, leave voters, remain voters, people in the north, people in the south, to help bring the United Kingdom together.”
He was speaking to Tom Harwood ahead of the results of the first Tory leadership ballot this afternoon.
Mr Harper defended the former Chancellor as a candidate committed to change, despite him being central to the administration of Boris Johnson.
“I think on the change front, it’s going to be about style and about honesty and integrity on economic policy,” he said.
“I’m very happy to [endorse him] and I think he’s ready. He’s very happy to defend the decisions he’s made over the last couple of years.
“I mean, we’ve had a one in 300 year economic shock with a global pandemic. I’m incredibly proud of the pace and the scope of the package that he rolled out with furlough and all of the support to the hospitality and leisure sector that was absolutely pummelled by Covid.”
He added: “You mentioned I was chair of the Covid recovery group. Rishi Sunak was the strongest supporter in government of taking balanced decisions that dealt with the threat from Covid but also recognised that you had to keep the economy functioning, and all of the other risks.
“I felt very comforted when I was chair of the Covid recovery group, that he was making those arguments inside government and I think he’s the only candidate that’s laying out a really serious pitch about dealing with inflation, getting taxes down…
“But you can’t roll out massive unfunded tax cuts and massive spending pledges and remain credible, and the Conservative Party has taken a long time to establish economic credibility. And I don’t want to see us throwing that away.”
