Tory leadership rivals at risk of turning the race into an election bidding war, warns former Chief Whip
RIVAL Tories are in danger of turning the leadership race into an election pledge bidding war, one challenger warned yesterday.
Mark Harper said too candidates risked losing credibility if they made too many eye-catching promises in an attempt to become PM.
He said: “I’m not going to make any commitments I know I might be unable to deliver.
“If the next general election is about who can dream up uncovered spending pledges and spray taxpayers’ hard-earned money about, we’ll never beat Jeremy Corbyn.
“We know full well the Labour leader is always going to outspend us with other people’s money.
“We’ve got to show people we aren’t going to throw away all the gains that the country made over the last nine years as we got the public finances back in shape.
“If we squander that, nobody is going to pay any attention to anything we say.”
Mr Harper, 49, believes he is the only candidate untarnished by the Brexit crisis because he didn’t serve in Theresa May’s Government.
The former chief whip, a former minister at the Home Office, Cabinet Office and DWP, questions whether any candidate can deliver Brexit by October 31.
‘THE EU WILL NOT PLAY BALL’
He says a “short, focused extension” may be required to secure an improved deal – but after that he is prepared to leave without one.
Mr Harper said: “If the EU won’t play ball that will be the only option.
“If you are not prepared to do that you are basically saying that if Brussels won’t talk to us we will never leave.
“It would be the end of the Conservative party if we don’t deliver Brexit.”
Mr Harper puts improvements to further education at the heart of his push for power.
He is frustrated that all the talk is often about university.
In an interview with The Sun on Sunday, he added: “I don’t think we should be putting extra billions of pounds into universities.
“We should look at the system that delivers for the other half of the population – that means further education and apprenticeships for young people plus lifelong learning for those who need to retrain.”
Mr Harper likens politics to his favourite TV show – Britain’s Got Talent.
He said: “It’s about making sure everyone gets a break.
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“I like watching people have a dream and being given an opportunity to do something and succeed at it.
“Being an MP or a minister, you meet some amazing people. When I was disabilities minister I had the pleasure of meeting people who had overcome real challenges.
“It’s good to have the chance to deliver those little breaks that they long for. It’s about making a difference. That’s why I love those kinds of TV show.”
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