Jeremy Hunt tells ITV's Tonight he's the man to lead the country out of Brexit crisis
Jeremy Hunt has told ITV’s Tonight that people want a prime minister who can steer them through the Brexit chaos.
"What they [people] say is that we are in a big constitutional crisis over Brexit and, you know, they’re not looking for someone to entertain them, they’re look for a prime minister to lead them out of the crisis and that’s what I’ll do," Mr Hunt said.
His comments came as the race for leadership of the Conservative Party enters its final stage, with Tory members set to vote in the coming weeks.
Boris Johnson is currently the frontrunner – his backers like leading Eurosceptic Jacob Rees-Mogg insist only Mr Johnson has the character to ensure the UK’s departure from the European Union.
"He is a committed Euro sceptic," said Mr Rees-Mogg.
"When there's a real crisis in our political system apart from anything else, I think people then feel the need for a big figure and that is what Boris is," he added.
For his detractors, Mr Johnson is too unreliable to occupy 10 Downing St, as Max Hastings, his former boss at The Telegraph maintains.
He said: "I've said in print that I would never trust Boris based on experience with my wallet, nor with my wife.
"And even less with my country”
Jeremy Hunt sat down with Julie Etchingham for the programme to tell her he is prepared to leave the EU with no deal, a situation the multimillionaire former entrepreneur said he would face up even in if it meant job losses.
Julie Etchingham pressed Mr Hunt on his no-deal Brexit stance, saying "you’ve acknowledged, that a no-deal Brexit could be almost as damaging a shock to our economy as the financial crisis.
"Will you look people in the eye and say, 'you are going to lose your job', in this situation?"
Mr Hunt responded: "I will look people in the eye... and say, 'this could be challenging, but I as prime minister I am going do everything I can to support you through this difficult period with a package, a 20-billion-pound package of tax cuts and additional support to help you weather the storm'."
Mr Hunt is widely regarded as the underdog in this campaign with Johnson as the flamboyant favourite.
He was asked by Julie Etchingham if he's "envious of Boris’s big personality?"
"Well, I talk to business people up and down the country, I talk to people in the fishing community, to students, to young families," he said.
Julie pushed him for a more direct answer to her question.
"That’s not what I asked. Are you envious of his big personality?"
"No no, I’m about to answer your question," he said. "And, you know, what they say is that we are in a big constitutional crisis over Brexit and, you know, they’re not looking for someone to entertain them, they’re look for a prime minister to lead them out of the crisis and that’s what I’ll do."
The exchange continued, with Julie pressing Mr Hunt for his thoughts on the popularity contest.
"Boris Johnson, apart from perhaps one other, is the only politician who is known by his first name only and you’ll forgive me for saying but you’re not even the best-known Jeremy in the country."
Mr Hunt bit back: "I’m about to become the best-known Jeremy in the country, let’s see what happens."
But if Boris Johnson was hoping for some spiritual support from his rival, a practising Christian, he’ll be disappointed – Mr Hunt told Tonight he doesn’t pray for his fellow politicians.
Julie Etchingham asked the foreign secretary if he prays about anything else in politics.
"Do you pray for a good deal?"
"Look, I go to church, not every Sunday, and I struggle to get my kids to go to church just like lots of mums and dads," he said.
"I’m—I go to the Church of England and I’m proud to say I do that but I don’t believe it would define me and I think there would be lots of prime ministers in history who have been absolutely superb without having religious faith."
"Do you pray for Boris Johnson?" she asked.
"I don’t pray for anyone else in politics," he said.
Boris Johnson declined to be interviewed for Tonight, but will face Jeremy Hunt in a live ITV debate with Julie Etchingham on Tuesday at 8pm.
You can watch Who’s Our Next PM? on ITV at 7.30pm on Thursday 4th July.