Former finance minister Rishi Sunak enters a second round of voting on Thursday in the Conservative Party leadership election to determine the next British Prime Minister with a comfortable lead and has hit back at critics of his tax plans.
Sunak, 42, is firmly placed as the candidate to beat in the race after he won the first round of voting on Wednesday with 88 votes and then received the backing of former Cabinet minister Jeremy Hunt, who was last placed with 18 votes.
Tory members of Parliament will have their say at the ballot box again as the six remaining candidates 바카라 including Trade Minister Penny Mordaunt (67 votes), Foreign Secretary Liz Truss (50 votes), former minister Kemi Badenoch (40 votes), backbencher Tom Tugendhat (37 votes) and Suella Braverman (32 votes) 바카라 are whittled down further, with those with the least votes getting eliminated in round two.
바카라I think our number one economic priority is to tackle inflation and not make it worse. Inflation is the enemy and makes everybody poorer,바카라 Sunak told the BBC when pushed on the issue of cutting taxes, which is seen as a decisive issue among the leadership contenders.
바카라I will get taxes down in this Parliament, but I'm going to do so responsibly. I don't cut taxes to win elections, I win elections to cut taxes,바카라 he said, in contrast to his nearest rivals who have made tax cut pledges already.
The British Indian ex-minister, who resigned as Chancellor and set off events in motion that ended in the resignation of Boris Johnson as prime minister last week, stressed that he is the 바카라best person바카라 to beat the Opposition Labour Party in the next general election 바카라 expected by 2024.
바카라I want to cut taxes and I will deliver tax cuts, but we will do that in a measured way. And the only way to really do that sustainably over time is to ensure that the Conservatives win the next general election. And I'm convinced that I'm the best person to beat (Labour leader) Keir Starmer and secure that election victory,바카라 he said.
On being challenged that he would struggle to connect with the poverty and cost-of-living crisis facing millions across Britain, Sunak pointed to his record as Chancellor when he introduced measures over the pandemic to help struggling families cope with the lockdown.
바카라When this country was faced with one of the biggest challenges that we had seen, I stepped up and in a matter of weeks put together and delivered the furlough scheme, which protected over 10 million people바카라s jobs and livelihood. That's an enormous amount of good for those people. I'm really proud of that achievement,바카라 he said.
Sunak was also challenged over his long term commitment to Britain and where he would 바카라stay and retire바카라, alluding to his US Green Card which he reportedly held on to months into his job in the UK Cabinet.
바카라I was living and working and studying (Stanford University) in America at the time, but I returned to the United Kingdom and decided to try and serve my country as an MP and then in government,바카라 he told the BBC.
바카라And now hopefully if I'm fortunate enough as Prime Minister, and that's because I believe I'm the best person to lead us through the challenges we face, do that in an honest and responsible way. But also, I know I've got the energy and the experience and the vision to grow our economy,바카라 he said.
On being probed on his wider plans in government, Sunak confirmed that he was in favour of the immigration strategy to deport some illegal migrants to Rwanda in order to control the borders.
바카라I say that as the child and grandchild of immigrants. This country has a proud history of welcoming people, but it's also right that we're in control of who's coming here. And, sadly, there is an illegal set of criminal gangs who are causing people to die in pursuit of coming here. We must stop that. The policy that we've put in place gives us the ability to do so,바카라 he said.
Sunak has highlighted his immigrant background as the very 바카라personal story바카라 behind his leadership campaign, with a focus on his Indian maternal grandmother who migrated to the UK from Tanzania in the 1960s. He has used that as a pitch for the Conservative values of 바카라hard work and fairness바카라 that he hopes will connect with the party membership.
