As Rishi Sunak, Penny Mordaunt and Boris Johnson work hard to pass the Tory leadership threshold of 100 Tory MPs it is not only raw numbers that are important.
As Monday’s 2pm deadline for nominations looms, we take a look at whom the Conservative big beasts and grandees are backing.
Supporters of Rishi Sunak include:
Dominic Raab, the former deputy prime minister, who said: “He is the right person for the job. He is best placed with the economic plan to restore financial stability, get inflation down, get mortgage interest rates down and get that confidence into the economy that millions of businesses and workers want.”
Sunak is also the person “to bring the Conservatives together with a government of all the talents”.
Grant Shapps, the home secretary, said: “We need someone who can provide stability and proven economic competence in these challenging times, and Rishi Sunak is that person. That’s why I’m backing him in the Conservative leadership contest.”
Michael Howard, a former party leader, said Sunak could rescue the Tories in the same way Harold Macmillan did “after Anthony Eden stepped down amid the fiasco of the Suez crisis.
“Sunak can repeat Macmillan’s achievement from all those years ago. I urge my colleagues in the Commons to make this possible at once – or face annihilation when the voters have their say.
Kemi Badenoch, the international trade secretary, former leadership candidate and an influential figure on the Tory right, said: “The party needs a unifying figure to do what’s right for the UK. At this moment, I believe that person is Rishi. I’m a fan of Boris but his return, given all that’s happened, would not bring people together. We all need to set aside our differences and work for the greater good.”
Sajid Javid, the former chancellor who backed Liz Truss last time, said the country desperately needed “economic stability, hard-headed decision making and strong leadership.
“It is abundantly clear that Rishi Sunak has what it takes to match the challenges we face – he is the right person to lead our party and take the country forward.”
Suella Braverman, former home secretary, wrote: “I have backed Boris from the start. But we are in dire straits now. We need unity, stability and efficiency. Rishi is the only candidate that fits the bill and I am proud to support him.”
David Frost, a former minister, chief Brexit negotiator and once a close ally of Johnson, called on his party colleagues in the Commons to back Sunak. “Boris Johnson will always be a hero for delivering Brexit. But we must move on. It is simply not right to risk repeating the chaos and confusion of the last year. The Tory party must get behind a capable leader who can deliver a Conservative programme. That is Rishi Sunak.”
Tom Tugendhat, a former leadership candidate who backed Truss, said: “We need economic stability. That’s why I’m backing Rishi Sunak.”
Steve Baker, a former minister, leading Tory Eurosceptic, and influential figure in the European Research Group faction, backed Sunak, warning that choosing Boris would be a “guaranteed nailed-on disaster” that would cause the government to implode.
Supporters of Boris Johnson include:
Priti Patel, the former home secretary, said: “Boris has the mandate to deliver our elected manifesto and a proven track record getting the big decisions right. I’m backing him in the leadership contest.”
Jacob Rees-Mogg, the business secretary, was on Sunday described by the BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg as a “Boris Johnson evangelist”. He told her: “I have been speaking to Boris Johnson, and clearly he’s going to stand, there’s a great deal of support for him.”
Johnson “has been the greatest electoral asset the Conservative party has had in modern times”.
Ben Wallace, the defence secretary, said he was “leaning towards” backing Johnson. “I think he will still have some questions to answer about that [Partygate] investigation,” Wallace said, but added: “He got a mandate and I think that’s an important thing for all of us to bear in mind.”
James Cleverly, the foreign secretary, tweeted: “The last few weeks show that being PM is tough and no other job in government is quite like it. I know Boris has learned lessons from his time in No 10 and will ensure the focus is on the needs of the country from day 1. I will be supporting him to return to the role of PM.”
Nadhim Zahawi, the chancellor of the duchy of Lancaster, said he got a preview of what “Boris 2.0” would look like after serving as his chancellor. Johnson was “contrite and honest about his mistakes. He’d learned from those mistakes how he could run No 10 and the country better. With a unified team behind him, he is the one to lead us to victory and prosperity.”
Simon Clarke, the levelling up secretary, said: “Boris is the person trusted by voters to level up opportunity across the country, from north to south.”
Alok Sharma, the MP and president of Cop26, co-authored a Sun article with Clarke writing: “Boris is a world leader who can chart a course through difficult waters. We need that today.
“Our constituents want to see progress – bills and taxes falling, wages rising, public services working and high streets booming again. This government was elected with Boris Johnson as leader on a manifesto to deliver these things. It’s on this platform we’ll be judged.”
Penny Mordaunt’s big beast backers are thinner on the ground. They arguably include:
Andrea Leadsom, the former business secretary who stood as leader against Theresa May, said: “Penny has tough real-life experience to add to her wealth of ministerial experience. She has the compassion and the determination to get us through this difficult period and build a better future.”
Damian Green, a former cabinet member who was effectively Theresa May’s deputy, said: “I worked closely with Penny in government and saw her determination and imagination. She is best placed to provide national stability and unify the party.”
