Welsh Secretary Robert Buckland switches his support from Sunak to Truss
Image credit: BBC
The first cabinet minister to publicly flip his support from Rishi Sunak to Liz Truss in the Tory leadership contest is Sir Robert Buckland.
In a piece for the Daily Telegraph, Sir Robert claimed that Ms Truss was “the appropriate person to carry the country forward.”
The Welsh Secretary has previously supported Mr Sunak, the former chancellor, praising his wisdom and experience.
Among Tory MPs, Mr Sunak won every vote; nevertheless, Ms Truss is now frequently predicted to secure party members’ support.
The two are currently touring the nation, participating in a series of hustings, which are gatherings where invited party members can ask them questions and hear their plans.
The votes will be cast via mail or the internet during the ensuing weeks, and the outcome will be made public on September 5th. The winner will replace Boris Johnson as prime minister and the next leader of the Conservative Party on that day.
According to Sir Robert’s article, he first supported Mr Sunak because he believed he “embodied what we required” during the parliamentary rounds in which MPs selected the final two candidates.
He said, “As the campaign has proceeded and as I have carefully listened to both candidates, I have given significant consideration to the themes that excite me and what I want to see the next prime minister accomplishing.
In order for the government to have a “genuine impact on people,” Sir Robert said he also wanted to see the next prime minister prioritise growth.
The health of the UK economy, existing tax rates, and the pace of inflation have all been major talking points in the leadership race.
Ms Truss promised rapid tax cuts, but Mr Sunak said they should wait until inflation was under control, despite his promise to eliminate the energy VAT and lower income taxes throughout the course of the next parliament.
Sir Robert also emphasised the importance of maintaining “party unity” regardless of who the next Tory leader is.
“If our party is split in two by the end of the summer, we cannot hope to have the required power in government,” he says.