UK ex-minister Michael Gove endorses Rishi Sunak

London, August 20

A senior Conservative Party MP and former minister on Saturday issued a ringing endorsement of Rishi Sunak to succeed Boris Johnson as the Tory leader and the British PM, saying the former Chancellor has what the top job requires.

Michael Gove, who was dramatically sacked as Levelling Up Secretary by Johnson after he called for him to quit amid a mounting Cabinet rebellion against the outgoing Prime Minister last month, branded current frontrunner Foreign Secretary Liz Truss’ tax-cutting plans to tackle the cost-of-living crisis facing the country as a “holiday from reality”.

He said Sunak was the one in the leadership contest who was making the right arguments and telling voters the truth. “I know what the job requires. And Rishi has it,” Gove wrote in a newspaper.

“Even more important is what a future government will adopt as its central economic plan. And here I am deeply concerned that the framing of the leadership debate by many has been a holiday from reality. The answer to the cost-of-living cannot be simply to reject further ‘handouts’ and cut tax,” said the veteran Tory politician.