Liz is the true blue candidate promising proper Conservative policies

This week, Conservative members across the UK have begun to cast their votes for the next party leader, and our new prime minister. In making this critical decision, they will reflect, as we all must, on not just their policies but also on their character and the values that they stand for.

Now more than ever, we need someone who embodies those core Conservative principles of aspiration, personal liberty and enterprise. We need someone who recognises that it is only through the determination and ingenuity of people and businesses up and down the country that we will continue to prosper, someone who stands by those who work hard and do the right thing, and someone who doesn’t apologise for our values or country. Our next prime minister must face up to the twin tasks of growing our economy and standing up to the likes of Russia and China abroad.

Liz Truss is that candidate. I have served with Liz for many years and she has proved time and again she can deliver, whether that is trade deals the naysayers said were impossible outside the EU or her steadfast support for Ukraine. Liz can deliver the many opportunities made possible by Brexit, and to continue the great work she has done as Foreign Secretary in standing up to Vladimir Putin.

Liz has always approached her work with passion and drive, combining a love of everything that makes Britain great with an unshakeable optimism for our future. She is a candidate of hope, hard work and unity. We can trust Liz to deliver on the promises we as a party made to the British people in 2019. Her vision for Britain is spot on. Liz shares my belief that everyone should have the opportunity to succeed and that to achieve this we need to ensure that every baby is given the best start for life and that every family has access to the support they need to do so. She recognises that families are at the heart of our society, that much of what motivates people is building a better future for their children and grandchildren, and the vital importance of supporting them, which is why she would review taxation to ensure people aren’t penalised for taking time out to care for their children or elderly relatives.

Liz knows that the Conservatives should be on the side of those who work hard, do the right thing and take personal responsibility. That is why she will provide immediate help with the cost of living for people across the country by cutting taxes.

People should be able to keep and spend their own hard-earned cash – government should only tax what is necessary to deliver first-class public services, a strong welfare safety net and the right incentives for business and trading success. The dynamic entrepreneurs who start up and grow businesses are a key driving force behind the UK’S economic success, creating thousands of new jobs and providing critical investment in local areas. Liz has the right prescription for Britain’s struggling economy. She has a bold plan that combines low taxes, a positive belief in business, and a plan to boost the supply side to grow our economy – these are at the heart of Liz’s economic plan.

She is acutely aware that too often Treasury orthodoxy and the “silos” created by Whitehall departments risk holding us back from addressing the increasingly burdensome tax system, ensuring access to investment and enacting bold supply side reforms. Under Liz’s leadership, we will hug business and enterprise close again. She will transform our economy into a high-growth and highly productive dynamo, with a focus on the job opportunities coming from our growing green economy.

Perhaps above all, Liz has a keen instinct for what the country and our party want and need. She understands the challenges people face and will take immediate action to help people struggling with the cost of living.

She knows they want positivity and hope, not scaremongering and declinism. Crucially, Liz can unite the Conservatives and lead a team drawn from across the party. That is how we will take the fight to the opposition at the next election and save Britain from the disaster of Sir Keir Starmer’s Labour Party forming a government.

With so much at stake, my fellow Conservatives have an enormous responsibility in the coming weeks. We must choose a leader who will get things done and govern in a Conservative way. Just as importantly, we must choose someone who can restore faith in our politics. Liz Truss will be the prime minister who can achieve that.

Liz will take immediate action to help people struggling with the cost of living