Who Are The Candidates For Tory Leader And What Are They Promising?

The race to replace Boris Johnson as Conservative party leader has now formally kicked off and already bitter divisions between the candidates are coming to the fore.

Opponents of the frontrunner, Rishi Sunak, are already weaponising his decision to increase national insurance against him — while themselves promising tax cuts that the former chancellor regards as the stuff of “fairytales”.

An astonishing 11 candidates having already declared their intention to run, with others pondering getting involved as well.

HuffPost UK takes you through all the contenders so far, what they are proposing and who is backing them.

Rishi Sunak

Sunak has already emerged as the favourite in the race, having racked up 34 endorsements from Tory MPs so far.

In a slick campaign video released on Friday, emblazoned with the hashtag ”#Ready4Rishi”, the former chancellor sought to capitalise on his reputation as a “serious” politician who steered the country through the coronavirus pandemic, saying the country could not tell itself “comforting fairy tales” — in an apparent swipe at his rivals’ promises to slash tax.

In his first policy pitch and dip into the culture war territory, Sunak also pledged to protect women’s rights and expressed his opposition to gender-neutral language.

Who is backing him?

Mark Harper, Jacob Young , Angela Richardson, John Glen, Laura Trott, Mark Spencer, Claire Coutinho, Liam Fox, Kevin Hollinrake, Paul Maynard, Robert Jenrick, Bob Neill, Oliver Dowden, Mel Stride, Julie Marson, Bim Afolami , Simon Jupp, Simon Hoare, Louie French, ,Andrew Murrison , Helen Whately, Maria Caulfield, Fay Jones, Peter Gibson, Craig Williams, Robert Goodwill, James Cartlidge, Gareth Davies, Siobhan Baillie , Simon Hart, Rebecca Pow, Anthony Browne, Ruth Edwards, Greg Hands, Gary Streeter, Laura Farris, Andrew Bowie, Alex Chalk, Victoria Prentis.

Penny Mordaunt

The international trade minister and former defence secretary is seen as a unifying candidate who can appeal to the Tories’ broad voter base in the north and south.

In her campaign video — which had to be tweaked after a series of unfortunate gaffes — Mordaunt played heavily on the themes of patriotism and duty. She said the leadership of the party “has to change”.

“It needs to become a little less about the leader and a lot more about the ship,” she said.

Mordaunt has pledged to introduce a 50 per cent cut in VAT on fuel.

Who is backing her?

Kieran Mullan, Nicola Richards, Andrea Leadsom, Michael Fabricant, Caroline Dinenage, John Lamont, Charles Walker, Alicia Kearns, Robbie Moore, George Freeman, Caroline Ansell, Harriet Baldwin, Craig Tracey, Elliot Colburn, James Gray, Damian Collins, Derek Thomas, Maria Miller, Theo Clarke, Duncan Baker, James Sunderland, Sarah Atherton.

Liz Truss

The foreign secretary, who has long been rumoured to have her eyes on the leadership crown, vowed she would“start cutting taxes from day one” if she succeeds Johnson as prime minister.

Truss said she would reverse the 1.25 percentage-point increase in national insurance increase brought in by Sunak if she enters No.10, and she also pledgedto “keep corporation tax competitive so we can attract business and investment into Britain”.

Suella Braverman

Braverman, the attorney general, is pitching to her party firmly from the right, as a “true Brexiteer” who has won the support of influential MPs and eurosceptics including Steve Baker, who dropped his own leadership bid to back Braverman.

She has already promised to take the UK out of the much-maligned European Court of Human Rights, a move that will appeal to MPs who were angered by the legal challenge that effectively grounded the government’s first charter flight to Rwanda.

Braverman is also playing hard ball on Brexit, vowing to amend the Northern Ireland protocol from “day one”.

Who is backing her?

Desmond Swayne, Jason McCartney, Robin Millar, Henry Smith, Steve Baker, Julian Lewis, John Hayes, Philip Hollobone, Richard Drax, Danny Kruger, David Jones

Tom Tugendhat

Tugendhat was the first candidate to announce his leadership bid. He has the benefit of being untainted by association with Johnson or his government, thereby allowing him to present himself as a “clean start” for the party.

The chair of the foreign affairs select committee is most likely the choice for the moderate, One Nation wing of the Conservative party — though recent comments that he would be prepared to stick with legislation to rip up the Northern Ireland protocol, as well as his support for the Rwanda policy, may trouble some.

Tugendhat, who said his military service in Afghanistan and Iraq gave him the “real world” experience to lead the country as prime minister, also vowed to “lower taxes across every aspect of society”.

Who is backing him?

Damian Green, Aaron Bell, Robert Largan, John Stevenson, Stephen Hammond, Robert Syms, Anne-Marie Trevelyan, Mark Logan, Chris Green, Anne Marie Morris, Nickie Aiken, Damien Moore, Karen Bradley, Jake Berry, Paul Holmes, Mark Pawsey, James Daly

Nadhim Zahawi

Zahawi, who was promoted to chancellor in Johnson’s new Cabinet after previously serving as education secretary, is also running on a ticket to cut taxes, which he says he will fund by forcing every government department to reduce costs by 20 per cent.

He has also pledged to increase defence spending to 2.5 per cent of GDP by 2025, cut the base rate of income tax to 19p in 2023 and 18p in 2024. He will also scrap green levies and VAT on energy bills for two years.

The chancellor is already facing criticism over his financial arrangements after the Independent reported that his tax affairs are under investigation by HMRC.

He has also come under fire over reports he used he used taxpayers’ cash to heat his horse stables — something he said was a “genuine mistake”.

Zahawi has pledged to publish his returns annually if he becomes prime minister, but that he would not release his tax returns from over the last decade. He dismissed some of the reports against him as “smears”.

Who is backing him?

Jonathan Gullis, Sara Britcliffe , Brandon Lewis, David Johnston, Amanda Milling, Michelle Donelan, Mark Fletcher, Jesse Norman, Mark Jenkinson, Jack Brereton,Tobias Ellwood, Paul Scully, Maggie Throup

Kemi Badenoch

Badenoch is often touted as a rising Tory star and secured a massive coup when party heavyweight Michael Gove confirmed that he was backing her.

In an interview with the Sunday Times, Badenoch, who served previously served as a local government and equalities minister, put free speech and her opposition to identity politics at the heart of her pitch, as well as tight spending and “strong but limited government focused on the essentials”.

“I’m putting myself forward in this leadership election because I want to tell the truth. It’s the truth that will set us free,” she wrote.

Who is backing her?

Tom Hunt, Michael Gove, Lee Rowley, Eddie Hughes, Lee Anderson, Julia Lopez, Justin Tomlinson, Ben Bradley, Gareth Bacon, Caroline Johnson, Andrew Lewer, Neil O’Brien, Leo Docherty

Jeremy Hunt

Hunt enters the race as one of the most experienced contenders, having served in top Cabinet posts including health secretary and foreign secretary under Theresa May and David Cameron.

Sometimes derided as “Theresa May in trousers”, he may struggle to break his association with the former prime minister and appeal to those who served under Johnson.

Hunt has also said he wants to “cut all taxes” and that the party should “always be looking at” ways to reduce department running costs. He has also proposed cutting corporation tax to 15 per cent, down from the current 19 per cent.

If elected, he said he would pick Tory MP Esther McVey as his deputy.

Who is backing him?

Phillip Dunne, Steve Brine, Dan Poulter, Anthony Mangnall, Crispin Blunt, Oliver Heald, Philip Davies, David Morris, Andrew Mitchell, Esther McVey, Peter Bottomley, Daniel Kawczynski, Jonathan Djanogly, Paul Beresford

Sajid Javid

Javid precipitated Johnson’s downfall last week when he was the first cabinet minister to resign over the government’s handling of the allegations against Chris Pincher.

In his resignation speech — which at times also felt like a leadership pitch — Javid said he had given Johnson the “benefit of the doubt” over partygate, but that the reset button “can only work so many times”.

Javid is one of the most experienced hands in government, having served as chancellor, home secretary, culture secretary and, more recently, a health secretary.

His pledge to scrap the national insurance hike to fund NHS and social care is likely to raise eyebrows given he backed it as health secretary.

He also said he did not believe in “unfunded tax cuts” and that he would be setting out shortly how he would fund scrapping the NI rise, as well as his proposal to reduce corporation tax to 15 per cent.

Who is backing him?

Rachel Maclean, Chris Philp, Saqib Bhatti, Robin Walker, Ed Argar, Mike Wood, Steve Double, Mary Robinson, Rob Halfon, Jeremy Wright, Virginia Crosbie

Grant Shapps

Transport secretary Grant Shapps quickly established a reputation as one of the party’s most able media performers.

He played on that legacy when he outlined his leadership bid, telling Tory MPs nervous about losing their seat at the next election that he could help them win their seat.

“My case for leadership is simple: I can plan, I can deliver, I can communicate, I can campaign, I can help you win your seat,” he said.

Shapps is also calling for lower taxes and a cut to “red tape”, saying he would bring forward and implementthe 1p income tax cut to “now”. He would also freeze corporation tax and spend three per cent of GDP on defence — up from around two per cent at present.

He has also vowed to create a “Tory campaigning university” if he is made prime minister.

Who is backing him?

Robert Courts, George Eustice, Trudy Harrison, Graham Stuart , Mark Pritchard, Paul Bristow, James Davies (7)

Rehman Chishti

Chishti, a little known MP and recently appointed minister, didn’t waste much time in declaring he would run for Tory leader.

The MP for Gillingham and Rainham, who has just been appointed as a foreign office minister,  tweeted: “I’m standing to be the next leader of the Conservative Party and your prime minister.

“For me it’s about aspirational conservatism, fresh ideas, fresh team for a fresh start taking our great country forward.”

Who is backing him?

Chishti has so far not received any endorsements.

Priti Patel

The home secretary has not yet formally declared her intention to run but is expected to throw her hat in the ring shortly.

Reports suggest Patel — a Johnson loyalist — could win the backing of the PM’s allies, or they could back Liz Truss. Patel is likely to be supported by members of the European Research Group (ERG) for her full-throated support for Brexit and populist policies.

The home secretary’s campaign team has also been blamed for sharing a negative dossier about Sunak on Tory Whatsapp groups, according to the Times.

The memo accuses Sunak of “wasting” money during the pandemic, of breaking the manifesto pledge not to increase taxes and of “publicly lying” about his wife’s former non-dom status.

Who is backing her?

Tom Pursglove, Anna Firth, Scott Benton, Greg Smith, Kevin Foster, Ian Levy, Simon Baynes, Ian Liddell-Grainger, Andrea Jenkyns, Laurence Robertson, Brendan Clarke-Smith, Christopher Chope, Shaun Bailey