Michael Gove joins crowded Tory leadership race – live news
Follow live updates as the battle to lead the Conservative party is played out in a round of broadcast interviews with some of the key contenders
Damian Green, the former de facto deputy prime minister is backing Health Secretary Matt Hancock.
Speaking to Sky News, Green said: “I think the next leader should be Matt Hancock. “I do think we need a fresh start.”
‘Obviously getting Brexit through is the immediate task but we’ve got to start thinking and caring about more than that’ – @DamianGreen has backed @MattHancock to be the next Tory leader.#Ridge
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Former education secretary, Justine Greening, has suggested she would be prepared to back a vote of no confidence in the government if the new leader goes for a no-deal Brexit.
Greening, confirmed that she will not be standing the contest and refused to say who she will back.
“The danger is that a government with an unviable strategy on Brexit is destabilising itself. The choice is going to be quite simple … either we end up with a general election which Jeremy Corbyn would likely win. I don’t think he’ll win it with a majority. He’s likely to have a coalition partner who is likely to demand some kind of a second referendum. Or we can chose to break the Brexit deadlock through giving people a vote. We are going to have to bite the bullet.”