CONSERVATIVE leadership candidate Jeremy Hunt has admitted he may pay a “political price” for saying he could not guarantee the UK would leave the EU by Christmas if becomes prime minister.
Both Hunt and his rival Boris Johnson were interviewed by BBC’s Andrew Neil last Friday night.
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During the grilling, the Foreign Secretary said he was not prepared to make the commitment over the Brexit date when it was clear Parliament could block it.
He said prime ministers should “only make promises they know they can deliver”.
However, his rival Johnson said it would be “insane” to delay Brexit again.
Hunt later admitted his “honesty” could cost him in the race for Downing Street – which Johnson has already been widely predicted to win.
He said: “Maybe I will pay a political price for being honest with people. But the reality is that we face a hung Parliament with people – not just in the Labour Party but in our own party – absolutely determined to stop us leaving without a deal.”
At a hustings event yesterday in Bedfordshire, many Conservative Party members said they had still to cast their ballot, preferring to hear from the two contenders first.
Support in the room was split, with some impressed by Hunt’s “considered” answers but others favouring Johnson as the “better talker”.
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Chris Hallam, 24, of Milton Keynes, said: “I like Boris more as a person but I’m just not sure if I think his characteristics should be prime minister. I think Jeremy’s more prime ministerial.”
He said he has yet to cast his ballot but added: “I think I will vote for Hunt.”
But Dave Gyngell, 59, of Dunstable, Bedfordshire, said Johnson impressed him more.
“He comes across with the energy. The quandary I’ve got is I think we need two different people.
“Where I sit today is that Jeremy is the best overall prime minister but we need Boris this year, and that was reinforced today.”
The new Conservative leader will be announced on Tuesday July 23 after an overnight count, with voting in the contest ending at 5pm the evening before.
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