Jon Ashworth MP, Labour’s Shadow Minister without Portfolio, responding to today’s announcements of candidates for Conservative leader, said:

“We’ve now got a huge field of Tories offering themselves up as prospective leader, all of them quick to explain why their colleagues aren’t up to the job.

“Michael has seen Boris up close so knows he’s not the man; Theresa thinks none of them have got leadership skills; Stephen says they’re out of touch; Liam thinks none of them have the right policies; and Boris will think whatever you want, as long as you pick him.

“The truth is they’re all right: this is a Tory Government which has failed.

“The Tory party offer no hope to working people. After six years of failure ordinary people are worse off and the NHS is going backwards. Simply rearranging the Tory deckchairs will do nothing to erase their dismal failures.”