Liz Truss has won the support of former Tory leadership rival Tom Tugendhat.
In a major boost to the foreign secretary’s campaign, Tugendhat wrote in the Times that his plans for major tax cuts “are based on true Conservative principles”.
The chairman of the foreign affairs select committee also criticized Rishi Sunak’s tax policy, saying it is “not right” that the tax burden is increased when people go into winter in “fear”.
His endorsement is important as he is popular with Conservative party members and a leading figure in the centrist Conservative MPs group One Nation.
It is another blow for Sunak, after Defense Secretary Ben Wallace also came out in support of Truss.
Sunak previously admitted a video of him as a youngster saying he had no working-class friends was “silly” as he argued for keeping tax cuts and claimed Truss’ plans would fuel a “sugar rush ” of inflation.
The Tory leadership candidate, who is trailing in the race to replace Boris Johnson, also insisted during an interview with Andrew Neil that he would make sure some asylum seekers were taken to Rwanda, even if only a few hundred, as it would be thousands more. dissuaded
Sunak faced a harsh crackdown from the Channel 4 presenter in Friday night’s interview which was sidestepped by his rival.
Rishi Sunak says it was ‘silly’ to say he had no working-class friends – video
Asked by Neil if there was “nothing unsavory about the son of successful middle-class migrants prepared to turn away asylum seekers with a valid claim”, he replied defiantly: “No”.
While Sunak admitted that only a few hundred migrants could be removed under the plan, which will cost millions, he said many thousands would be deterred from trying to cross the Channel to seek asylum in the UK.
Among the questions he was asked was whether he was embarrassed by a clip broadcast on the BBC when Sunak was 20 years old. It showed the now Conservative leadership candidate being interviewed as part of a class programme.
“I have friends who are aristocrats, I have friends who are upper class, I have friends who are working class, well, not working class,” Sunak said in the 2001 clip.
The footage caught on in the race to replace Johnson when it resurfaced several weeks ago, with rivals scorned and suggested it showed the wealthy Tory MP could not relate to those struggling during the cost-of-living crisis .
Rishi Sunak hits out after footage emerges of him saying he ‘has no working class friends’ – video
Sunak addressed the video when asked if Neil was out of touch. “We all say stupid things when we’re students,” he admitted.
“I grew up working at my mom’s pharmacy, and you don’t end up doing that unless you interact with a lot of people. I spent my time making sure I served our community.
“My parents worked incredibly hard to give me opportunities and ultimately that’s why I want to be prime minister because this country allowed my family to give me a better chance and a better future.”
Sunak, who a number of Tory MP polls have found trailing Truss in the leadership contest, was also targeted over his refusal to cut taxes and an alleged “U-turn” to cut VAT on bills energy
Sunak had argued against the tax cut in question in February when he was chancellor, telling the Commons that the policy would “disproportionately benefit the wealthiest households”.
On Friday, he admitted it was a blunt instrument, but said it was one of the few levers politicians could pull quickly.
He said the apparent U-turn was “absolutely not” a case of bad judgment to begin with and claimed the Truss tax cuts – £30bn of which will be financed by borrowing – would add “fuel to the fire” of already high inflation in a spiral
Sunak said the move would be a “sugar leak” that would also raise interest rates and worsen the economic hardships many will face this winter.
Despite being invited to a similar grill by Neil, Truss followed Johnson’s lead at the last general election and declined to do so.
At the end of Friday’s show, Neil said: “He declined our invitation. His choice, of course. That invitation still remains open.”