Brexit news: Final Tory leadership candidates confirmed, as Boris Johnson condemned over tax cuts for the wealthy
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Your support makes all the difference.Ten Conservative MPs have formally entered the race to succeed Theresa May, as several outsiders scored enough support to get onto the ballot paper.
Sam Gyimah, who was the only second referendum candidate, withdrew from the race moments before senior Tories announced the shortlist, which included big-hitters such as Boris Johnson, Jeremy Hunt and Dominic Raab.
Outsiders Rory Stewart, Andrea Leadsom, Esther McVey and Mark Harper also made it to the starting line, despite speculation that some would struggle to secure the necessary support.
It comes as Mr Johnson, the frontrunner in the race, faced an angry backlash over his plan to raise the 40p income tax threshold at a cost of nearly £10bn – handing thousands of pounds a year back to people on salaries of between £50,000 and £80,000.
To follow events as they unfolded, see our live coverage below
Oops! Victoria Derbyshire has become the latest presenter to stumble into a particularly X-rated mispronunciation of the foreign secretary and Tory leadership contender Jeremy Hunt’s name during a discussion on her BBC show:
Tory leadership outsider Mark Harper says he has got the numbers to get onto the ballot paper tonight.
Candidates need eight supporters - which was supposed to narrow down the 11-strong field. However even the outsiders seem to be hopeful of making it onto the initial ballot.
Jeremy Hunt has warned that the Tories will be "annihilated" in an early general election, in an attack on Boris Johnson's Brexit strategy.
The foreign secretary issued the thinly-veiled criticism of his rival's "empty rhetoric" over a no-deal Brexit, which he warned would trigger a general election and let Jeremy Corbyn into Downing Street.
More here:
We are now waiting for Michael Gove to launch his leadership campaign. He's had a tough weekend - after it emerged he had used cocaine more than 20 years ago when he was a journalist.
And he's up.
Michael Gove starts by saying it's weird for him to have the name Gove on the platform, as he was born as Graeme Logan. He was adopted by the Goves as a baby.
He says being adopted has shown him how fragile life can be. As the first person in his family to go to university, he says he knows the importance of education.
Gove says he has worked under two excellent prime ministers, and runs through his record on education, justice and the environment.
He says his "reforming zeal" proved successful in these departments.
Gove takes a moment to praise Theresa May and David Cameron - and to thank them for choosing him for cabinet roles.
On Brexit, Gove says he campaigned to leave the EU because it was the right thing to do - even if it would cost his family and his friendships.
He says he choose to 'lead from the front'.
He says his family has paid for membership of the EU - and points to the cost on fishing communities in Scotland.
People feel 'exasperated, scunnered as we say in Scotland' that the UK has not left the EU, he says.
He says some in government were not really behind Brexit, and saw it as a problem to be managed rather than an opportunity to be grasped.
He makes a pitch as the candidate of the union of the UK - saying there must be a unionist powerhouse at the heart of government.
"I am a unionist to my bootstraps," he says.
Gove also strikes a blow at Boris Johnson, saying he will never prioritise tax cuts for the wealthy. He repeats his support for 'overlooked families and undervalued communities'.
He also pledges to abolish business rates for small and medium sized businesses to boost high streets.
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