Conservative Party leadership hopeful Jeremy Hunt was in Bristol today visiting the Bristol Port Company - which he says he had a hand in helping to transform nearly three decades ago.
The current Foreign Secretary is up against Boris Johnson in the battle to become the next prime minister after they both reached the final two last week.
The pair will now travel across the country and appear before members during hustings in every region of the UK, including the South West, before the victor is declared during the week of July 22.
On June 24 Mr Hunt visited Bristol Port Company on his race to Number 10 where it was revealed that he has a surprising link with the port which dates back to the early nineties - long before he had entered the world of politics.
Speaking to Bristol Live he said: “When I was setting up my own business back in the early 1990's I didn’t have any revenue coming into the business so I earned a little bit of money on the side by helping out the new owners of the port Terence Mordaunt and David Ord get business from Japan."
Mr Hunt, who speaks fluent Japanese, had been living in Japan for a couple of years and used his knowledge to help the port win contracts from Honda and Toyota - whose cars are still imported through the port today.
During his visit to the port Mr Hunt was also quizzed on his Brexit strategy, what he would do in the event of a No Deal and the perception of the Tory Party following a week full of controversy relating to MP Mark Field - a minister within Mr Hunt’s Foreign Office - and his opponent Boris Johnson.
On Brexit and the possibility of No Deal, Mr Hunt said all options were “on the table” but said leaving with a deal would be “vastly preferable” as it would be “less disruptive for businesses and the best outcome for the country”.
He added: “The big choice that we have to make as a country is who is the Prime Minister we trust to go back to Brussels and come back with a deal that can get through Parliament.
“If we don’t do that there’s a risk that parliament will trip us into a general election and I think Jeremy Corbyn would win that election and we would end up with no Brexit and that would be a betrayal of what people voted for.
“My background as a negotiator, some of which I learnt here at Bristol Port, gave me unique qualifications to do that.
“I am very clear that No Deal is on the table, and if we get to October 31 without a better deal then I am out.
“But I believe I have a much better chance of negotiating a deal, talking to people here it would be vastly preferable to get a deal, less disruptive for businesses and the best outcome for the country.”
He also said there are small businesses across the country - including here in the West of England - that might be “wiped out altogether in a No Deal situation”.
“But I still think in the end if we have to leave without a deal we should do that, but it would be with a heavy heart because of the risks to businesses,” he added.
In terms of the deal Mr Hunt would be looking to work out with Europe he said it would be “different” to what Theresa May had come back with and one that would have a chance of getting through Parliament which he said would mean no “backstop” option.
During his visit to the Port Mr Hunt spent time with some of the dock workers, including two apprentices, who he asked for ideas on how to get young people to vote Conservative.
He said getting younger people to vote Tory was a “serious concern” and that for every young person that votes Conservative three vote Labour.
“We can’t be the party of aspiration if aspirational people don’t support us,” he added.
But said the solution to gaining young votes was “sorting out Brexit so that their futures are secure.”
Mr Hunt also said that for the Conservative Party to survive it has to be “a party for the whole country not just for rich white people from London and the South East”.
