Jeremy Hunt 'rules himself out' of Tory leadership race after narrow victory
The former Chancellor narrowly held onto his seat in Godalming and Ash
Last updated 6th Jul 2024
Former Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has reportedly ruled himself out of the running for the upcoming Conservative leadership race.
Hunt, who had served as previous Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's Chancellor, said in an interview that "the time has passed" for him to launch a big to lead the party.
It comes following his narrow victory in his Godalming and Ash constituency, where he edged out the Liberal Democrat candidate by just 800 votes.
In his victory speech after being elected, Hunt had admitted that the "crushing" defeat for the Tories at the general election was "a bitter pill to swallow".
Jeremy has tried on two previous occasions to become Tory leader, losing the race in 2019 to future Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
He tried once again in 2022, following Boris' downfall, but was culled before the final race between Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak.
The decision not to run comes following speculation that former Home Secretary Suella Braverman would contend to become leader.
Other names that have been suggested to submit a bid include James Cleverley, Kemi Badenoch and Priti Patel; all of whom have held senior posts in government.
The Conservative leadership election will see voters back their favourite candidate, before the top two go into a run-off to decide the winner.