Conservative leadership front-runner Rishi Sunak has boosted his chances by winning the support of Boris Johnson’s loyal lieutenant Steve Barclay.
Mr Barclay – a former No 10 chief of staff who became health minister during a cabinet revolt against the prime minister last week – announced his support for Mr Sunak on Twitter.
“I worked closely with him when I was chief secretary to the Treasury and I am convinced that he has all the necessary qualities to take our country forward,” he said of the former chancellor.
Mr Sunak has come under fierce attacks from Johnson loyalists, with Jacob Rees-Mogg accusing him of being a “socialist” chancellor and Nadine Dorries claiming he used “dirty tricks” to ensure his victory.
Mr Barkley’s support may go some way to allaying some of the anxiety about Mr Sunak felt by junior ministers who stayed in government or took up roles last week amid the unrest of the rebellion.
Tory MPs will have the chance to vote for the eight contenders vying to replace Boris Johnson as voting begins to find his successor.
Mr Sunak, Liz Truss, Penny Mordaunt, Tom Tugendhat, Kemi Badenoch, Jeremy Hunt, Nadhim Zahawi and Suella Braverman will be on the ballot as voting opens at 1.30pm on Wednesday after all secured 20- those nominations.
Tuesday witnessed some significant causation as the race intensified. Former health secretary Sajid Javid withdrew, home secretary Priti Patel decided against a late bid and transport minister Grant Shapps switched his support to Mr Sunak.
Meanwhile, Ms Truss won the endorsement of prominent Johnson loyalists Jacob Rees-Mogg, Nadine Dorris and James Cleverley, in what is seen as a concerted move to prevent Mr Sunak from entering No 10.
Ms Dorris accused Mr Sunak’s team of “dirty tricks” following claims one of his backers – former chief whip Gavin Williamson – was trying to “leak” votes for Mr Hunt to get him to final runoff and give Mr. Sunak an easy opponent.
The claim was denied by Mr Hunt, who told LBC radio it was a “very dangerous game”. He also accused the former chancellor of steering Britain into recession.
Mr Hunt’s supporters believe he will be able to muster the required minimum of 30 votes on the first ballot later on Wednesday, but publicly announced nominations suggest he, Ms Bdenock, Ms Braverman and Mr Zahawi may now struggle to reach the final two.
Johnson supporter and cabinet minister Jacob Rees-Mogg launched a sweeping criticism of Mr Sunak’s economic policies in an article in the Daily Mail, accusing him of raising taxes to “socialist” levels.
Mr Sunak told The Telegraph in an interview: “We will cut taxes and we will do it responsibly. This is my economic approach. I would describe it as common sense Thatcherism. I believe that is what she would do.”
Mr Shapps denied Mr Sunak’s campaign had engaged in “dirty tricks” and dismissed Mr Rees-Mogg’s claim he was a “socialist chancellor” as “false”.
It comes after an Opinium poll for Channel 4 News revealed Mr Sunack was the preferred candidate to take over the Tories among Conservative Party members, with 28 per cent wanting him in the final vote.
As well as the Tory leadership race, the government has also sparked a row with Labor after the opposition party accused Mr Johnson’s team of “running scared” after refusing to give parliament time for a no-confidence vote in the House of Commons.
Labor called it “unprecedented” that ministers would not give parliament time for a confidence vote. But a government spokesman hit back, accusing Labor of “playing politics”.
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