BORIS Johnson will embark on a leadership tour of Scotland later this week to drum up support for his ‘One Nation’ Tory credentials.
He will lobby Scottish Tory associations, cosy up to Scotland’s 13 Tory MPs and make a speech in Aberdeen.
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And the former Foreign Secretary will be the star guest at a fundraiser hosted by Aberdeen South MP Ross Thomson.
The 54-year-old is attempting to appeal to Tory MPs on the centre-left of the party amid fears he is losing the race to be the Brexiteers’ first choice for leader.
His Scotland tour is seen as his latest attempt to woo socially liberal Conservative MPs – with the Scottish Tories often seen as more centrist than the rest of the party.
His efforts were dealt a blow amid reports that Scottish Tory leader Ruth Davidson, who has clashed with Boris previously, banned him from addressing the Scottish Tory conference last week.
Dominic Raab – his biggest Brexiteer rival for the top job – yesterday made the boldest leadership pitch so far by promising to cut income tax by 1p.
He said he would use some of a £27 billion Brexit war fund raised by the Government to deliver personal tax cuts to woo lower paid workers.
BOJO WOOING SCOTS
The Sun has also learnt that the influential and well-connected Childrens Minister Nadhim Zahawi is heading up Mr Raab’s increasingly organised campaign team.
Yesterday the former Brexit Secretary won the influential backing of the Women’s and Equalities committee boss Maria Miller by promising to improve paternity leave and bolster rights for new mums.
In an interview with the Sunday Times, in which his Brazilian wife Erika also took part, he outlined proposals for all new fathers to get the right to two weeks’ off – paid at 90 per cent of full salary.
He also wants to change the law to ban employers from making new or expectant mums redundant during pregnancy, maternity leave or six months after.
Mrs Miller, the former Women’s Minister, said: “The Conservative Party needs to lead from the front when it comes to equality issues, Dominic has shown a determination to do that; he has the right ideas for the future of the party and would have my backing in any future leadership contest.
“Getting it right for your children as a working parent is difficult, particularly when your children are young. Its important that Dominic has set out how he wants to see proper Parental Leave for Dads and protection from redundancy for new and expectant Mums. These are some of the real challenges modern families face and important equalities issues.”
Yesterday David Davis, Mr Raab’s predecessor as Brexit Secretary, also came out in support for him.
Meanwhile the new Aid Secretary Rory Stewart confirmed he will run in the leadership contest.
Asked on the Andrew Marr Show if he would throw his hat into the ring, he said: “Yes.”
Reuters
