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WATCH: Michael Gove confirms he will challenge Boris Johnson for Tory leadership

3 min read

Michael Gove has confirmed that he will run to be the next Conservative party leader and Prime Minister.


The Environment Secretary had been tipped to mount a challenge against frontrunner Boris Johnson, with reports that he had last week vowed to run as a “unity” candidate with the “vision” and proven “grip” to make Brexit happen.

In a statement outside his home on Sunday morning, he said: “I can confirm that I will be putting my name forward to be prime minister of this country.

“I believe that I'm ready to unite the Conservative and Union Party, ready to deliver Brexit and ready to lead this great country.”

“According to The Sunday Times Mr Gove will tell the Hays literary festival that "it is not enough for [the next leader] to just believe in Brexit.

“The next leader must respect it, believe in it and, crucially, have the wherewithal to deliver it."

Mr Gove rocked the 2016 Tory leadership battle when he withdrew his support for Mr Johnson, who he campaigned with in Vote Leave, and announced his own pitch for the top job.

The frontbencher joins a crowded field of Tory runners-and-riders, with arch-Brexiters Andrea Leadsom and Dominic Raab having confirmed that they will join the contest.

Mr Raab, the former Brexit Secretary told the Mail on Sunday he wanted to lay out an "optimistic Conservative vision" - and vowed to "fight for a fairer deal on Brexit".

Meanwhile Ms Leadsom - who quit the Cabinet this week over Theresa May's latest bid to sell her Brexit deal - told the Sunday Times she had the "experience and confidence" to "lead this country into a brighter future".

Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt, Health Secretary Matt Hancock, ex-Work and Pensions Secretary Esther McVey and International Development Secretary Rory Stewart are also in the race to succeed Theresa May in Number 10.

Elsewhere, former de-facto deputy prime minister, Damian Green said it would be “dangerous” for the future of the Tories for colleagues to suggest how people voted in June 2016 “is all that matters”.

The former frontbencher, who was seen as an ally to Mrs May, confirmed that he was backing Health Secretary Matt Hancock as the best candidate to win over young voters.

He told Sky’s Sophy Ridge on Sunday: “The average age at which people are most likely to vote Conservative than not has gone up to 51, we talk about young voters, we’re talking about anyone under the age of 50 here.

“It’s absolutely key, it’s one of the reasons I’m supporting Matt Hancock, the combination of the policy ideas he has and his approach and style to politics can actually expand the Conservative vote in a way that is of supreme importance to the future of the party.”

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