Hunt: I’d like to have a crack at being PM

JEREMY Hunt yesterday threw his hat into the ring in the battle to succeed Theresa May as Prime Minister.

The Foreign Secretary became the latest senior figure to indicate he will stand for leader of the Conservative Party when Mrs May decides to step down.

Asked if he would like to become PM, Mr Hunt told The Sunday Telegraph: ‘I think every MP has a corner of their heart that says they would like to have a crack at the top job. I’m no different. But I think the first thing is to get through this challenging next few months, and I passionately believe Theresa May is the right person to do that.’

The Prime Minister prompted feverish speculation about her future last week when she announced she would quit before the next planned election in 2022. In what was said to be a ‘heartfelt’ address to Tory MPs just minutes before they took part in a no-confidence vote on her future, the PM said she had reluctantly accepted the party did not want her to lead them into the next election.

Mrs May has refused to set a date for her departure, but the decision to accept she is on the way out has sparked a fresh jostling for position among senior Tories.

Cabinet ministers Sajid Javid, Amber Rudd, Andrea Leadsom, Penny Mordaunt and Michael Gove are all considering a future bid, as are Boris Johnson, Dominic Raab, David Davis and Esther McVey.

Mr Hunt yesterday moved to underscore his Eurosceptic credentials by suggesting the UK could ‘flourish and prosper’ if it leaves the EU without a deal. The Foreign Secretary backed Remain at the 2016 referendum, but has become an outspoken advocate in Cabinet for stepping up no-deal preparations.

‘I’ve always thought that even in a no-deal situation this is a great country, we’ll find a way to flourish and prosper,’ he said. ‘We’ve faced much bigger challenges in our history. But we shouldn’t pretend there wouldn’t be disruption, there wouldn’t be risk, and there wouldn’t be impact, and that’s why as a responsible Government we have to make all the preparations necessary.’

Mr Hunt is part of a group of Cabinet ministers urging Mrs May to pursue a ‘managed no deal’ exit – which was floated by Brexiteer Jacob Rees-Mogg last month – if she cannot get her with drawal agreement through a vote in Parliament.

The scheme would see the UK leave in March without a trade deal, but pay £20billion to the EU in return for a 21month transition period that would allow time to seal a series of side deals to minimise disruption, as well as providing a window for intensive trade talks.

Mr Hunt said: ‘No deal means we haven’t reached an agreement and, in those situations, the level of disruption depends on the presence or absence of goodwill between both parties. So if you’re trying to make arrangements about transport disruption, flights, visas, stranded holidaymakers – all those kind of things – if there is goodwill you can make those agreements quite quickly.’

‘Every MP would like the top job’ ‘We’ll find a way to flourish’