Is Rishi’s tax cut pledge enough to rally MPs?

Rishi Sunak has a reputation for sleek and snazzy presentation, and his leadership launch this morning was no exception – by Westminster standards, anyway. The air-conditioning was on full blast as young activists lined up with their ‘Ready For Rishi!’ signs, next to heavily branded backdrops. And the guest list was long. MPs in attendance included many who had already declared for Sunak: Bim Afolami, Claire Coutinho, Helen Whately, and Liam Fox.

There were also surprise guests, including the Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab, who introduced Sunak and credited him for delivering ‘the biggest tax cut for working people in a decade’ by lifting the National Insurance threshold for millions. Transport Secretary Grant Shapps also turned up (until five minutes before Sunak’s launch, he had been running a leadership bid of his own). Perhaps the most eye-catching guest, however, was Gavin Williamson, Boris Johnson’s former Education Secretary who played a pivotal role in securing ‘Team Boris’ MP votes in the 2019 leadership contest.