Rishi Sunak launches leadership bid

The battle for Tory leadership has become a frenzied affair, with currently eight MPs remaining in the running:

1. Suella Braverman
2. Kemi Badenoch
3. Jeremy Hunt
4. Penny Mordaunt
5. Rishi Sunak
6. Liz Truss
7. Tom Tugendhat
8. Nadhim Zahawi

Rishi Sunak officially launched his leadership bid yesterday with a highly anticipated campaign speech, backed by deputy prime minister Dominic Raab and transport secretary Grant Schapps.

Sunak’s overarching campaign centres around: “tackle inflation, grow the economy, and cut taxes”; “to restore trust, rebuild our economy and reunite our country”.

Further highlights from Sunak’s campaign speech included:

• “When confronted with challenges so fundamental, the right place to start is with your values – and my values, traditional, Conservative values, are clear hard work, patriotism, fairness, a love of family, pragmatism, but also an unshakable belief that we can build a better future.”
• “We need a return to traditional Conservative economic values and that means honesty and responsibility, not fairytales.”
• “I will have no part in a rewriting of history that seeks to demonise Boris [Johnson], exaggerate his faults or deny his efforts.”
• “I will not engage in the negativity that you may have seen and read in the media – if others wish to do that, then let them – that’s not who we are, we can be better.”
• “It is not credible to promise lots more spending and lower taxes.”
• “Once we’ve gripped inflation, I will get the tax burden down. It is a question of when, not if.”
• “We need to implement the radical reforms I set out as Chancellor to the way businesses are taxed to make our country the best place in the world to invest more, train more, and critically to innovate more.”
• “We need to use the new freedoms Brexit has given us and the new mentality it can give us to reform the … regulations, bureaucracy and constraints that too often get in the way.”
• “We need to build a new consensus on people coming to our country – ‘yes’ to hard working, talented innovators, but crucially, control of our borders.”
• “We need to transform the performance and productivity of our public services.”
• “If we do all of this, we will get our economy growing quickly again – not just for a short burst, but sustainably for generations – this is the surest path to tax cuts that work, to keeping our schools and NHS strong, to properly funding our armed forces and keeping our country safe.”

It is currently unclear which candidate the media is most supportive of as campaign speeches and interviews continue throughout the week, and opinion remained divided over Sunak.

Rishi Sunak sticks by Boris Johnson, but promises to ‘restore trust’ in Conservatives as he launches leadership bid

Sky News

Rishi Sunak launches Tory leadership campaign with backing of top ministers

Financial Times

“I’ll run the economy like Thatcher if I win Tory leadership”:

Speaking to The Telegraph in his first campaign interview, former chancellor pledges to model himself on Iron Lady with responsible tax cuts

Don’t demonise Boris Johnson, Rishi Sunak warns Tories at campaign launch

Sunak warns Tories it’s time for a ‘grown up conversation’ as he leads PM race

Boris loyalists backing Truss to ‘Stop Rishi’

Daily Express

Sunak and Truss lead race

The Times

Why the Labour party is praying for the Tories not to vote for Rishi Sunak

The Guardian

Rishi blasted on ‘Socialist’ taxes

Daily Mail

You can watch Sunak’s full speech, followed by a Q&A, below.