Sajid Javid supports Liz Truss while doing 'sleepwalking' jibes about Rishi Sunak

Mr. Javid, who had kept his cards close to his chest, warned that Rishi Sunak's policies would lead Britain to "doze in a high tax and low growth" economy

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Conservative Leadership: A Look and the Politics of Truss and Sunak

Conservative heavyweight Sajid Javid backed likely winner Liz Truss in the race for number 10.

Mr. Javid, who had kept his cards close to his chest after his own failed leadership campaign, warned Rishi Sunak's policies would lead Britain to 'sleepwalk' into a high-tax, low-growth economy .

The former cabinet member - who has served as Chancellor of the Exchequer, Home Secretary and Health Secretary - said tonight he backed Ms Truss to be the next PM,

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He is the latest big name in the party to express his support for the Foreign Secretary in recent days, after Penny Mordaunt and Ben Wallace.

Sajid Javid is the latest high-profile conservative to back Liz Truss in the leadership race (

Picture:

AFP via Getty Images)

The announcement came an hour before Ms Truss and Mr Sunak are due to face party members during an election campaign in Cardiff.

Writing in The Times, Mr. Javid said: “Over the long term, we are more likely to be financially sustainable by improving trend growth.

“Only by bringing growth back to pre-financial crisis levels can we hope to sustain the high-quality public services that people rightly expect. taxes can only come in once we have growth.