Former Chancellor Rishi Sunak today refused to rule out moving back to California eventually if he loses the fight for No10. He was quizzed about his plan if, as expected, he is defeated by Liz Truss in the race to become the next Prime minister.
He told the BBC ’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg: "I'm going to stay as a Member of Parliament”. He added: "It's been a great privilege to represent them as their Member of Parliament for Richmond in north Yorkshire, I'd love to keep doing that as long as they'll have me," reports The Mirror.
But he declined to rule out evenyually leaving the UK to head across the Atlantic to sunny California, where he and heiress wife Akshata Murthy own a home.
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Asked if he’d commit to standing in the next election, rather than returning to California, he replied: "It's presumptuous for me to say because I have to get selected by my own members.”
He added: “You make the point about California.
“I have lived and worked in California and I actually think it's one of the reasons that I would be good at this job.
“Because what I will bring to this job is a way of thinking, we think about growth and in a modern economy - how do you drive growth, you drive it through innovation.
“Because of my experience I know how to build that type of economy."
Asked if he would run in the leadership again if he does not win this time, Mr Sunak said: "Oh gosh. We've just finished this campaign.
“So, I'd say ... I need to recover from this one. But I look forward to supporting the Conservative government in whatever capacity."
Asked if that is a yes, he said: "No gosh, no no no, I think my job now is just to support a Conservative government.
“That's what I want to see succeed and that's what I'll do."
His rival Liz Truss today pledged to make an announcement on energy bills this week if she is named Tory leader. But she repeatedly refused to say what it will be.
Ms Truss - the favourite to be named the next PM at 12.30pm tomorrow and confirmed by the Queen at Balmoral on Tuesday - said her announcement will come before an emergency budget, tipped for September 21.
Mr Sunak said he would pump in extra money for Universal Credit claimants and vulnerable people like pensioners this winter as gas supplies are strained and prices soar.
He added energy rationing or organised blackouts “should remain a tool in the toolbox” this winter, warning: “We shouldn’t rule anything out”.
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