Sajid Javid and Jeremy Hunt join Conservative Party leadership race

Two former health secretaries - Sajid Javid and Jeremy Hunt - have joined the race to replace Boris Johnson.

Both declared their plans in the Sunday Telegraph - with Mr Hunt emphasising he was the "only major candidate" who did not serve in Mr Johnson's government.

Tax has emerged as a central issue in the race - with contenders setting out whether they favour lower rates.

Mr Javid and Mr Hunt called for tax cuts, with Mr Javid pledging to scrap an increase in National Insurance.

Joining them in the race are Chancellor Nadhim Zahawi and Transport Secretary Grant Shapps - both of whom promised to lower taxes.

Former chancellor Rishi Sunak, who has been criticised for increasing taxes, and Attorney General Suella Braverman, who called for a low-tax state, have also launched campaigns.

Allies of Foreign Secretary Liz Truss have said she will also throw her hat in the ring to replace the prime minister with a pledge to reverse Mr Sunak's health tax levy, according to the Mail on Sunday.

Former equalities minister Kemi Badenoch and chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee Tom Tugendhat are also in the running.

But earlier, Defence Secretary Ben Wallace, who was widely tipped to have the most support among party members, said he would not run for leader.

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Attempting to set himself apart from his fellow contenders, Mr Hunt championed the fact he remained on the backbench during Mr Johnson's administration, saying this meant he had not "been defending the indefensible".

Mr Hunt, 55, told the Sunday Telegraph he was the "only major candidate" who had not worked in the outgoing prime minister's government and had "called out what was going wrong long before any of the other major contenders".

The runner-up to Mr Johnson in the 2019 ballot revealed plans to scrap business rates for the most deprived parts of the country for five years and slash corporation tax to 15%, from its current level of 19%.

Despite backing remain during the 2016 EU referendum, Mr Hunt said he would be tempted to vote to leave if he could decide again.

Mr Hunt also criticised Mr Johnson's levelling-up agenda for being "far too New Labour".

'Focused'

Meanwhile, in an apparent criticism of Mr Sunak, Mr Javid told the paper he was not sure if he would have introduced the rise in National Insurance.

But the 52-year-old said he had been "focused" on his own job while in government and was "not trying to do other people's jobs for them".

Mr Javid also said he would cut corporation tax - levied on business profits - by 1% per year to reach 15%.

He said he would implement an additional temporary cut in fuel duty as part of measures to help ease the cost of living crisis.

Mr Javid added: "Whether it's the cost of living or it's low levels of growth, for me, that's our most immediate challenge... You need someone with an economic plan from day one."

Mr Hunt served as health secretary under prime ministers David Cameron and Theresa May between 2012 and 2018, moving on to become foreign secretary for a year in 2018 and 2019.

Mr Javid was health secretary in Boris Johnson's government from June 2021 until last week, when he resigned over the PM's handling of the handling of the Chris Pincher and Partygate scandals - minutes before Mr Sunak.

He also served as chancellor under Mr Johnson between July 2019 and February 2020, when he quit the cabinet over planned reforms to the operations of the Treasury and Downing Street.

Earlier, Mr Shapps launched his own leadership bid - pledging to cut personal tax for the poorest people and give state support to businesses with high levels of energy consumption. He ruled out an early general election.

Mr Zahawi - who was education secretary before being appointed chancellor last Wednesday after Mr Sunak's resignation - said he planned to "steady the ship and to stabilise the economy".

He also said he would lower taxes, boost defence spending, and continue with the education reforms he had devised.