Boris Johnson a ‘guaranteed disaster’ says former ERG chairman Steve Baker – UK politics live

Read More

Mordaunt is asked whether the Conservatives have any legitimacy in not having a general election having changed leader twice since the country last went to the polls nearly three years ago.

“In the 2019 election we had a huge majority and mandate to deliver that manifesto,” Mordaunt says.

“The country now doesn’t need six weeks of chaos and Westminster bubble. What it needs is us to deliver. Open up access to healthcare services, all those bread and butter issues that people want to work better, that’s what we have to do. That’s our mandate. I also want us to remember that as a party that we come together and we start to work on that.”

And that’s it from her.

Mordaunt then flatly denies reports that she has been in touch with Boris Johnson’s camp trying to negotiate a job.

She doesn’t respond to Kuenssberg’s question about whether she would prefer Rishi Sunak or Johnson as prime minister, saying she is standing for a reason.

The presenter then asks whether she would be comfortable about Johnson returning to Downing Street.

“It’s not about him, it’s not about me. It’s not about us, it’s about what we do, and people be able to see a GP, it’s about people being able to get through winter without being worried about keeping the heating and the lights on.”

Kuenssberg tells Mordaunt that according to BBC data she still lags some way behind Johnson and Sunak, and asks whether she still thinks she can win.

Mordaunt replies: “I’m a savvy campaigner … I am very confident with the progress that we are making. I will say to you that i am in this to win it. It is important for our party, we have a contest, I am are very confident about our numbers.

“The reason I am doing this is because I think i am best placed to bring the party together. We have got to come together. We can’t deliver for people, people are fed up of the factional rows, the focus on ourselves, we have got to remember why we came into this place in the first place. It’s to serve our constituencies and communities.”

The same happens again when Mordaunt is asked about her approach to immigration.

“I believe in evidence based policy making, I also believe in cabinet responsibility. That is how I will take decisions. I won’t be imposing, I have my views, but I won’t be imposing policy I have made up in a room myself, I will be talking with my cabinet,” she said.

After saying benefits should rise with inflation during the Conservative party conference a few weeks ago, the pattern continues when Mordaunt is asked by Kuenssberg if she still believes it – and refuses to say either way.

“We have always protected people, but I am not being drawn into the detail.

“What we must do is remember that our mandate lies in the 2019 manifesto. If we remember what we all wanted to do at that last election, what our ambitions for the country were, to deliver those wishes that people set out in 2016, that will help unite us.”

On the triple lock, Mordaunt says she is “proud” that it was brought in.

“I am very proud of our record in government, I think if we Conservatives remember our record since 2010 when we took over when there was no money left, what we have done over pensioner income, how many people we have brought into work …”

She is then pressed by Kuenssberg, but says she will not be drawn.

“I want our party to remember this week what our party has in common. Our achievements, our manifesto that we stood on, that’s our mandate, the 2019 manifesto.”

Mordaunt refuses to say whether defence spending will rise by 3%, saying she knows not answering is to her “detriment” but she is “putting the country first”.

“We have got to have stability, and we can’t have people in this contest, I know it’s only a week, making spending commitments. We must stick to that process.”

Mordaunt says that the economic climate means that there needs to be a “doubling down” of supply-side reforms – but is unwilling to be pinned down on the details.

She is asked whether she would make cuts to the NHS. Mordaunt again, doesn’t immediately answer the question and refers to her leadership campaign in the summer. She said there should be “measured” tax cuts but said services should be “protected”.

“I think you have to recognise we have enormous backlogs. Not at any time in the last 12 years has Conservative government rolled back on health spending,” Mordaunt says.

However, she then says cuts could take place. “What we have to do is make efficiency savings, and we have to ensure that those services, which people need, are there.”

An interesting snippet from the Times’ political editor Steven Swinford on Johnson and Sunak’s meeting last night.

Penny Mordaunt is now being interviewed by Laura Kuenssberg. She is asked whether she did support her policies, as she did during the summer leadership election after she backed Liz Truss once her own campaign floundered.

She says: “I think she was right that we needed to focus on growth, but as you remember from the contest we had in the summer I was more cautious about how we did that.

“I felt we had to be focusing on supply side changes and I set out principles on how we should be taking decisions, I wanted to be tax competitive.

“I would not commit to numbers or a particular timetable, because I was very aware of the dangers of doing that.”

Mordaunt refuses to say whether she raised concerns in the cabinet, in her role as leader of the commons. She later adds that she has been briefed by Jeremy Hunt. “The debate now is for stability is whether you are for stability or low taxes, that is not the right construct. They are two sides of the same coin.”

While Heaton-Harris continues talking to Sophy Ridge, a note from the start of BBC One’s Laura Kuenssberg on Sunday.

Former Tory leader Iain Duncan-Smith says he hasn’t decided who he will vote for.

“The question is whether any leader will be supported as they should be. That’s the problem after 12 years in power is that they alone can save themselves and their seats because they are somehow different.

“The problem is we have to decide whether we have to make a go of this last two years until the election, or not, and therefore is we are going to pick somebody that we will get behind. We will have a big challenge, huge economic issues, war in Europe, the results of lockdown.”

Heaton-Harris says he doesn’t know for sure whether Johnson supports Jeremy Hunt’s economic plan, but adds that it is the only plan that exists at the moment.

On the privileges committee, he says that Johnson was happy for it to be set up. “He wants the privileges committee to do its work as he believes he will be exonerated. I don’t know what this vote is that people are talking about as we get back … there is a long way to go yet.”