Rishi Sunak ‘most suitable of PM contenders’

By Nikkie Thatcher

- Last updated on GMT

In the running: there are a number of MPs in the race to become Conservative Party leader (image: Getty/_ultraforma_)
In the running: there are a number of MPs in the race to become Conservative Party leader (image: Getty/_ultraforma_)
While former chancellor Rishi Sunak was the most popular of the contenders vying for the role of Prime Minister with The Morning Advertiser (MA) readers, most of the votes were in favour of none of the candidates.

A snap poll from The MA ​asked ‘who would you trust to understand and safeguard the interest of UK pubs as Prime Minister more?’

It gave 14 options including 12 MPs plus ‘none of the above’ and ‘not sure’. The most popular answer of the 115 MA ​readers who participated in the survey, with about a third (33%) of those polled opting for ‘none of the above’ and 6% unsure.

Former chancellor Rishi Sunak was the most popular named MP with 18% of the votes, followed by defence secretary Ben Wallace, who recently pulled out of the leadership race, with 10%.

Poll results

Conservative MPs Tom Tugendhat and Penny Mordaunt received 10% and 7% respectively while foreign secretary Liz Truss was next with 6% of votes.

Some 3% were in favour of former health secretary Sajid Javid, which was also the case for Jeremy Hunt and Priti Patel who both received 3% of the votes each.

Current chancellor Nadhim Zahawi had 2%, which was also the same as current health secretary Stephen Barclay.

Michael Gove, previous levelling up secretary, was voted to be the next PM by 1% of those surveyed and current deputy PM Dominic Raab also received 1% of votes.

Government news

Outgoing Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced his resignation last week (Thursday 7 July) following more than 50 MPs resigning.

Following this, trade body UKHospitality boss Kate Nicholls called for stability from the Government​ for the sector.

She tweeted: “We need clear, consistent, strategic plans to restore confidence, underpin investment and accelerate economic growth.

“Tackling the cost of doing business – key part of tackling cost of living – to and remove barriers to delivering it needs prioritising.”

Elsewhere in Government-related news, MP for Loughborough Jane Hunt has been confirmed as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State​ at the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, replacing Paul Scully.

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