Why I’m backing Jeremy Hunt over Boris Johnson – Miles Briggs MSP

A Scotland embedded in the Union is safe in the competent and capable hands of the Foreign Secretary, Jeremy Hunt, says Miles Briggs.

A Scotland embedded in the Union is safe in the competent and capable hands of the Foreign Secretary, Jeremy Hunt, says Miles Briggs.

As Shadow Health ­Secretary for the Scottish Conservatives, I see every single day how difficult it must be to oversee our NHS. I speak to patients and families who are struggling to receive diagnosis and treatment on time and medical professionals who are doing their best in difficult circumstances to provide an extraordinary level of care.

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The number of issues that emerge on a day-to-day basis is staggering. And I say that only as the Shadow Health Secretary within Scotland for a few years. By contrast, Jeremy Hunt was the Health Secretary for England for six years. That’s the longest tenure of any Health Secretary.

You don’t last six years as Health Secretary without being incredibly competent and capable. I saw that at first hand and was pleased to meet and work alongside Jeremy to discuss and take forward cross-border health issues, from improving access to new drugs, to Scots seeking specialist treatment in others parts of the UK. That is why I’m backing Jeremy Hunt to be the next leader of the Conservative Party and the next Prime Minister.

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When he was in charge of the NHS south of the Border, there is no ­question that Jeremy made ­decisions that were not always universally popular. He frequently made tough but necessary calls that often did not win him many friends in the medical establishment. But that is what leadership sometimes demands of you and why I believe he is the right man for the job of delivering Brexit. He didn’t shirk the challenges or shy away from difficult decisions. He made the right choice for patients and he got the job done.

I fully expect that he would do the same on Brexit. He has proven throughout his career, from overseeing the Olympics to the NHS and now as Foreign Secretary, that he has the determination and persistence to achieve the necessary results, no matter the tests put before him. He has built up a wealth of experience and shown that he has the character to make sure we deliver a good Brexit deal that works for Scotland and the entire UK.

At this difficult and tumultuous period, we desperately need someone who can bring the country together. We need someone who will unite us, not divide us even further. Jeremy is the clear choice to do that. He has made it abundantly clear that he is committed to not only protecting the Union, but strengthening ­Scotland’s place in the United Kingdom. He wants to drive support for the Union, not by simply rejecting Nicola ­Sturgeon’s requests, but by investing in Scotland to show people across the country that we are stronger together.

On the first weekend of his ­campaign, Jeremy visited Scotland to listen to local fishermen and small business owners. That speaks volumes about his commitment to protecting Scotland’s interests within the UK.

He understands the concerns of small business owners especially because he built his own company from the ground up. He would be the first entrepreneur to become PM and has set out ideas for cutting corporation tax and backing business in the aftermath of Brexit. I have confidence that he can get a good Brexit deal and then swiftly begin rebuilding confidence in the economy by building the pro-business economy in Europe.

There is no doubt in my mind that Jeremy Hunt is the clear choice to become a successful Prime Minister. Not only has he shown that he will he make the difficult decisions when necessary, he will bring the country back together and protect jobs by ­giving businesses the support they need.

Now, more than ever, we need a Prime Minister with Jeremy’s skills, experience and character to get the job done.