Grant Shapps has become the second serving Government minister to announce a bid to lead the Conservative Party and become the next Prime Minister. The Transport Secretary said he wanted to end “tactical government by an often distracted centre”.
Attorney General Suella Braverman previously declared her intention to launch a leadership campaign on what turned out to be the eve of Boris Johnson’s resignation. In addition to Mr Shapps and Ms Braverman, former Chancellor Rishi Sunak, ex-minister Kemi Badenoch and senior Tory Tom Tugendhat have launched their own bids, with further announcements anticipated over the coming days.
Earlier, Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said that after “careful consideration” and discussion with colleagues and family, he would not stand to be party leader and the next prime minister. Foreign Secretary Liz Truss is widely expected to stand, while other potential frontrunners include trade minister Penny Mordaunt, Chancellor Nadhim Zahawi, and former health secretaries Sajid Javid and Jeremy Hunt.
Mr Shapps is launching his campaign in the Sunday Times. He said he wanted to rebuild the economy so it is the biggest in Europe by 2050, and address the cost-of-living crisis.
He also said he believes in the spirit of levelling up, but the state should “get out of the way” in some areas. Mr Shapps said: “I do think we have lost sight of what we should be about as a Conservative government.
“We should trust people and allow them to spend their money as they wish. We must map a clear path to lower taxes, not just expressing good intentions.
“Covid witnessed a necessary and extraordinary expansion of state spending and a quite unprecedented level of state interference in people’s private lives. As Conservatives, we should tolerate the unnecessary continuation of neither.”
A suggestion, reported on Saturday, that Mr Johnson intends to stand down as Prime Minister on Monday in order to run again for Tory leader was labelled "completely untrue" by his spokesperson. Tory MP Mark Francois has said he believes at least 12 people will put their names forward.
Elections to the executive of the Conservatives' powerful backbench 1922 Committee will take place on Monday. The new body will then draw up a timetable for the leadership election.
