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Tory leadership contest: Jeremy Hunt warns the Conservatives will be 'annihilated' in an early general election under Boris Johnson's Brexit plans
Jeremy Hunt has warned that the Tories will be "annihilated" in an early general election, in an attack on Boris Johnson's Brexit strategy.The foreign secretary issued the thinly-veiled criticism of "empty rhetoric" over a no-deal Brexit, which he warned would trigger a general election and let Jeremy Corbyn into Downing Street.Mr Hunt has swung to the forefront of the contest with the surprise backing of cabinet Brexiteer Penny Mordaunt, who boosted his Eurosceptic credentials by saying she "trusts" him to deliver on Brexit.Her endorsement comes after Amber Rudd, the pro-EU work and pensions secretary, threw her weight behind Mr Hunt's campaign - bolstering his chances of being Mr Johnson's primary challenger.It comes on a busy day in Westminster as Matt Hancock, Esther McVey, Dominic Raab and Michael Gove were all set to officially launch their bids. Speaking at his campaign launch, Mr Hunt took a swipe at Mr Johnson, who has advocated leaving the EU on 31 October with or without a Brexit deal.Mr Hunt said: "Without a deal, any prime minister who promised to leave by a certain date would have to call a general election to change the parliamentary arithmetic. "An election we would lose badly. Because the lessons of the European and Peterborough elections are clear. If we fight an election before delivering Brexit, we will be annihilated. "Squeezed by the Brexit Party on the right and the Lib Dems on the left, we simply allow Labour through the middle."Mr Hunt said the country was facing a "constitutional crisis" and urged Tories to "get real".He said: "This extremely serious moment calls for an experienced, serious leader. "We need the art of tough negotiation, not the art of empty rhetoric."And faced with bad choices, we need a prime minister who can negotiate some better choices."Mr Hunt also told the audience that no government he leads will change the law on abortion, despite admitting he personally believes the legal time limit should be halved to 12 weeks.He also said he had never committed a crime, as his rival Michael Gove's campaign stalled amid controversy over his cocaine use when he was working as a journalist.Elsewhere, Mr Raab tried to paint himself as "the conviction Brexiteer with a plan" and said his rivals were only offering "bluff and bluster".The former Brexit secretary, who has previously suggested suspending parliament to force through a no-deal, vowed he would break from the EU by 31 October, even without a deal.Mr Hancock, the health secretary, ruled out proroguing parliament in order to ensure the UK leaves the EU on October 31 and said no-deal would not get through the Commons.He has previously set out a Brexit delivery plan to leave by October 31, including establishing an Irish border council, made up of UK and Irish officials, to prevent the return of a hard border and time-limiting the backstop.Ms McVey, a hardline Brexiteer, said the Brexit negotiations to date had been a "national embarrassment".Criticising Theresa May's efforts she said: "As far as I'm concerned there could have been literally any outcome with her at the helm, apart from the one we wanted."Because she was not going to leave the EU without a deal. At the very least something that could be described as EU lite. But the way I was looking at it, it was EU watertight."We could have ended up being in there (the EU) and having no say."Nominations close at 5pm for candidates for the first round of voting by Tory MPs. The 11 candidates must secure at least eight nominations to get on the ballot paper.
Conservative leadership candidate Jeremy Hunt has warned the party will be committing “political suicide” if it pursues a no-deal Brexit in the wake of a calamitous showing at the European elections.
Writing in The Daily Telegraph, the foreign secretary also claimed the Conservatives would be “annihilated” and “face extinction” if a general election were called before Brexit is delivered.
Mr Hunt, who voted remain, trails Brexiteers Boris Johnson, Dominic Raab and Michael Gove in the leadership race betting odds, but has so far received public backing from 28 MPs – more than any of his rivals.
“Any candidate for prime minister whose strategy leads to a general election is offering a prospectus for disaster,” Mr Hunt wrote.
He claimed the “most likely outcome” of an election would be a “damaged Labour sneaking through the middle” in coalition with the SNP, leaving a “Marxist in Downing street” in what would amount to a “threat to the Union”.
Mr Hunt appealed to colleagues to unite to “fight off the forces of Farage” and “deliver Brexit”, which he pledged to do if leader by re-entering negotiations with the European Union (EU).
On BBC Radio 4's Today Programme on Tuesday morning, Mr Hunt said he would involve Scotland and Wales, as well as the DUP and the European Research Group in EU talks, but not Labour, who he claimed had not acted in "good faith" over its approach to Brexit.
In a rebuke to Tory rivals including Andrea Leadsom and Esther McVey, who have vowed to leave the EU on 31 October, Mr Hunt said: “Any prime minister who promised to leave the EU by a specific date - without the time to renegotiate and pass a new deal - would, in effect, be committing to a general election the moment parliament tried to stop it.
“And trying to deliver no deal through a general election is not a solution, it is political suicide. That would delight Nigel Farage and probably put Jeremy Corbyn in No10 by Christmas.”
Ms McVey, who has promised to deliver a no-deal Brexit, was quick to respond on Monday evening to Mr Hunt, claiming political suicide “actually lies in not having a clean break from the EU”.
Ben Bradley, Conservative MP for Mansfield, said Mr Hunt’s article showed a lack of commitment to delivering Brexit.
“This is exactly why we need a leader who believes in #Brexit and fought for it,” he tweeted.