A Tory frontbencher has insisted that the two candidates vying to be the party’s new leader “are not fruit loops”.
Andrew Bowie, the shadow veterans minister, made the bizarre boast after Kemi Badenoch and Robert Jenrick made it through to the run-off in the race to succeed Rishi Sunak.
The result was a major shock after James Cleverly, seen as the more moderate of the three remaining contenders, came top of the previous day’s ballot of Tory MPs.
It means that whoever wins, the Conservatives are set to take a massive lurch to the right.
Jenrick, who quit as immigration minister because he did not think Sunak’s policies were tough enough, has pledged to take Britain out of the European Convention on Human Rights if he becomes prime minister.
Badenoch, meanwhile, has suggested that maternity pay is “excessive”, that the minimum wage is bad for business and 10% of civil servants should be in jail.
On Radio 5Live yesterday, presenter Matt Chorley said he was “inundated” with responses from listeners after the result was announced.
One said: “When will the Tories stop picking leaders who are complete fruit loops?”
Chorley asked Bowie, who is backing Badenoch: “Just to confirm, Andrew, you don’t think either of them are fruit loops?”
The frontbencher replied: “No, absolutely not. I can categorically confirm I do not think the candidates are fruit loops.”
Listen to the exchange here:
Tory members now have until October 31 to vote for which of the two remaining candidates they want to be party leader, with the result due to be announced on November 2.