County MPs urge unity and support with Rishi Sunak set to become PM

The former Chancellor is set to become Prime Minister and the Leader of the Conservative Party after neither of his expected challengers went forward to the voting stage of the contest.

It was understood that Penny Mordaunt was struggling to muster the support of the 100 MPs required, while former Prime Minister Boris Johnson ruled himself out of an improbable return, despite confirmation from the party's 1922 Committee that he had secured the level of support required to make it a contest.

While Mr Sunak had the backing of the overwhelming majority of his party's MPs, a significant number had initially been in favour of a return for Mr Johnson – including Wrekin MP Mark Pritchard, and Telford MP Lucy Allan.

The county's four Conservative MPs, including Mr Pritchard and Ms Allan, have now urged colleagues to rally support behind Mr Sunak, as he prepares to tackle the economic turmoil left behind by Liz Truss' chaotic 44-day tenure.

Ms Allan said: "Boris Johnson had sufficient support to reach the threshold needed for a vote of members, however, he decided in the interests of the party and the country not to stand. This was the right decision. It was clear that too many MPs would not support Boris Johnson in Parliament which would have led to ongoing political instability. That was not an option.

"The most pressing need for the country is stable government and this can now be achieved.

"We have a new Prime Minister and MPs have a duty to support him and ensure he can get business through Parliament. Local party members told me their priority was to see the party unite and move forward and that is what has now happened. I know Rishi well, he became an MP in 2015 when I did. He is a decent person, he’s bright, diligent and is the right person to be Prime Minister at this hugely challenging time."

Ludlow Tory MP, Philip Dunne, who had supported Sunak, said: "I am very pleased that the Conservative parliamentary party has united behind Rishi Sunak who will be an outstanding Prime Minister.

"He takes an evidence-based approach to policy-making and will provide the reassurance that the markets, the party and the country need after a turbulent few weeks.

He added: "I would expect his initial priorities to be to restore confidence in the financial markets to help keep mortgage rates as low as possible and maintain support for households and businesses as winter approaches."

Shrewsbury & Atcham's Conservative MP, Daniel Kawczynski, said unity would be key as Mr Sunak attempts to steer the country away from recession.

He said: "The UK is facing extraordinarily difficult economic times and I very much hope the whole parliamentary party can now get behind Mr Sunak and support him.

"Whenever the next General Election is we need to show a total united front and I think some of the division we saw during the election contest must now be put aside and we must get behind him with the very difficult task he has ahead of him.

"The UK is facing multiple challenges at the moment, energy costs predicated by the war in Ukraine, and inflation. He has got the ability, and he needs to demonstrate the skills he showed in the Treasury that he will steer the UK away from recession and get back to stability and growth.

"That is a huge challenge ahead of him because many countries around the world are facing similar challenges of inflation and rising energy costs. It is a big task but I have every confidence he will be able to do that. The party needs to show a united front both in parliament and in the country.

Mr Kawczynski said concerns that the outstanding investigation by the Privileges Committee into Mr Johnson would be a distraction had been a significant part of the decision by his colleagues.

He said: "Certainly there were sufficient numbers of Conservative colleagues who had reservations and concerns about the committee of privileges in the House of Commons. That was a key factor in this issue. We do not want any further distractions from the task ahead of us and talking to the party and the electorate there was a concern that the process would be a dominant distraction and we have to focus with laser like precision on the economy."

Wrekin MP, Mr Pritchard said: "Whoever people supported it’s now time for the Conservative Party to unite behind the new Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and get the UK’s economy back on track. It is in the national interest he succeeds. He will have my full support."

Both Mr Dunne and Mr Kawczynski rejected suggestions there should now be a General Election, insisting that the mandate remained with the Conservative Party – despite its second change of leadership since the 2019 vote.

Mr Dunne said: "We have had more Prime Ministers chosen in the last 25 years, and since the First World War, by the party changing than in General Elections so it is the normal way of doing things.

"The Conservatives were elected with a significant majority on a manifesto less than three years ago and that is what we should now deliver."

Mr Kawczynski said: "Constitutionally the Conservative Party has won a mandate, it was not Boris Johnson or Liz Truss on the ballot paper that people put their crosses on, it was the Conservative Party. We did not vote for a Prime Minister, we voted for a party and constitutionally the Conservative Party has a mandate until 2025.

"I do not think this time of acute economic crisis is the right time for a general election."