Rishi Sunak makes pitch to Tory Brexiteers in bid to be next UK leader

The leading contender to become the UK’s next prime minister said he plans to make the most of the opportunities thrown up by shaking off the “shackles” of European Union regulation.

Writing in the Telegraph newspaper, former Chancellor Rishi Sunak said that, if chosen to lead the Conservative party, he will have “scrapped or reformed all of the EU law, red tape and bureaucracy that is still on our statute book and slowing economic growth in time for the next election.”

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So far in the leadership race, Sunak has tapped into the support of moderate MPs, while drawing fire from opponents who accuse him of championing of high-spend, high-tax policies.

In a pitch to the right wing of the party, he said he’d task a new “Brexit delivery department with reviewing 2,400 EU laws still on the statute book, scrap the EU’s Solvency II rules to incentivize investment, replace the bloc’s data privacy regulations and speed up medical trial approvals.”

Sunak’s July 5 decision to quit helped spark a string of resignations by government officials that helped to force Boris Johnson out of Downing Street and he’s faced a backlash from those loyal to the prime minister as a result.

To become premier, he must fend off the challenge of other leadership contenders including Penny Mordaunt and Liz Truss.

The other candidates also set out their pitches in the Telegraph:

Truss pledged “the biggest change in economic policy for 30 years for supply-side reforms, tax cuts and lower public spending

She would also add tax and regulatory incentives for firms to build new homes, according to an interview published late on Saturday.

Mordaunt wrote that her decision to welcome a Ukrainian refugee into her home showed how “a steadfast and unwavering commitment isn’t just political it is also personal” and said she would help rebuild the war-ravaged country’s economy after the war.

Kemi Badenoch said the Conservatives should “return to first principles such as low taxes, property ownership and the role of the family in providing welfare. She also pledged to address the “small boats issue of people crossing the Channel as migrants.”

Tom Tugendhat focused his piece on the country’s need for more homes as a housing crisis makes it harder for young people to buy a home. He said the party needs to show it “has a plan to help the younger generation.

The next vote in the Conservative leadership context will be on Monday afternoon. By Wednesday, the field will be narrowed to two contenders who will face off in a ballot of party members.

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