Hereford MP backs Zahawi for next leader

One of Herefordshire’s two MPs has thrown his backing behind the former education secretary Nadhim Zahawi in the race to become next Tory leader and Prime Minister.

Hereford and South Herefordshire MP Jesse Norman tweeted at the weekend:

Powering up our economy is fundamentally about aspiration, innovation, competition and entrepreneurship. Four reasons why I’m delighted to be backing the dynamic @nadhimzahawi to be our next Prime Minister.

But Herefordshire councillor Diana Toynbee, who has stood three times as a Green parliamentary candidate in the county, tweeted in response:
Good to know who Jesse is backing. ‘Cut Taxes’ is clearly this contest’s key slogan, and Trumpian code for ‘shrink the state’. But where we actually need growth is in care, education, ecology, public transport, health, legal services.

Mr Zahawi, who was born in Baghdad to Kurdish Iraqi parents, briefly became Chancellor of the Exchequer following the resignation of Rishi Sunak earlier this month.

But within 48 hours, Mr Zahawi had himself called on Boris Johnson to step down – which he did shortly afterwards.

Mr Zahawi was reported this morning to have pledged to make every government department cut its running costs by 20 per cent to fund tax cuts, if elected.

North Herefordshire MP Sir Bill Wiggin has been asked whether he will pursue his own reported bid for a leadership candidacy, and which other declared candidate he would support.