Matt Hancock explains why he's backing Rishi Sunak to be Tory leader

19 July 2022, 10:41 | Updated: 20 July 2022, 10:52

Matt Hancock explains why he's backing Rishi Sunak to be Tory leader

Former Health Secretary Matt Hancock has explained why he's backing Rishi Sunak to be Tory leader.

The former Health Secretary gave his reasons for doing so while filling in for James O'Brien by presenting a LBC programme today, after Angela Rayner did so yesterday.

This week will also see Jeremy Hunt and Wes Streeting each host one of the 10am to 1pm programmes while James is away.

Speaking about the Tory leadership contest, Mr Hancock said: "Straight after this programme, I'll be going down to Westminster and I'll be casting my vote in the next round.

"There's four candidates left in, of course - Rishi Sunak, Liz Truss, Penny Mordaunt and Kemi Badenoch.

"I've worked with all of them. I think they'd make an excellent Prime Minister.

"But I'll be voting for Rishi Sunak. And the reason I'll be doing that is because I think he's the one who's got the economic plan to get through difficult times - he's not promising what can't be delivered - he's been really straightforward about the challenges that the country faces and how we're going to deal with it, especially getting the inflation down which is obviously causing huge problems with the cost of living right how, and making sure that we get growth going.

"And I think that he's got the experience for the job. You know, I sat next to him for all that time during the pandemic. And when I was making really difficult decisions and calls on the health side, he was there to keep the economy going [and] to make sure that businesses didn't collapse."

Mr Hancock went on to say that he's seen Mr Sunak "take tough decisions in incredibly difficult circumstances".

He also said: "And really in terms of you know the huge job of being Prime Minister, there are very few people who've had as much experience under fire in difficult circumstances than Rishi Sunak has because of being Chancellor during the pandemic.

"I've seen him up close and personal."

READ MORE: Angela Rayner takes aim at Boris Johnson over Chequers 'booze-up'

READ MORE: 'I'll serve under any Conservative leader', Kemi Badenoch backer Michael Gove says