Mark Harper
(Picture: PA Archive)One of Rishi Sunak’s key allies called on the UK’s next Prime Minister to reunite the Conservative Party after the summer’s “bruising” Tory leadership contest.
With Liz Truss expected to be announced as the new Tory leader at lunchtime on Monday, former chief whip Mark Harper called on her to heal divisions by appointing a Cabinet from across the whole of the party.
“I think this question about bringing the Conservative Party back together, I think that's going to be a big job for the winner today,” Mr Harper told Sky News. “The election campaign has been quite bruising, you know, but you get people making those arguments during campaigns.
“The big question is about how to bring the party together. The best way of doing it - and it's a sign of strength actually - is for the winner of the contest to appoint people to their Cabinet from across the party, not just people who supported them, but people from all wings of the party.
“If it is Liz Truss, that's what she said she wanted to do during the campaign at a number of the hustings that she did and I thought that was very well supported by members of the party.
“I think party members in the country, want the party in Parliament to come together. And that can be best done, I think with a very broadly based cabinet.”
Despite calls to reach out to all sections of the party, Ms Truss is reported to be lining up a number of loyalists for the top jobs in her new Cabinet if she beats former Chancellor Mr Sunak. The result is set to be announced by the chair of the 1922 Tory backbench committee Sir Graham Brady at 12.30pm.
Kwasi Kwarteng looks set to be named as Chancellor, James Cleverly as Foreign Secretary with Suella Braverman seen as a potential replacement for Priti Patel as Home Secretary. Other prominent backers are also expected to be rewarded with top roles including Therese Coffey, who is tipped to become Health Secretary, Jacob Rees-Mogg to business and Simon Clarke from the Treasury to Levelling Up.
But Mr Sunak looks set to remain on the backbenches if he loses with promiment supporters such as Transport Secretary Grant Shapps and Deputy PM Dominic Raab now facing an uncertain future.
Mr Harper added: “I don't know who's going to get appointed. All I'm saying is from my experience as a former government chief whip in terms of managing the parliamentary party, if you've got a very broadly based cabinet, so accounting for people, not just people that supported the winner, then that's most likely to have a unified and cohesive parliamentary party.
“And I think given all of the challenges facing the winner of this contest this winter, I think that will be the best way of a successful outcome for the Conservative Party and the Conservative government.”
