I am incredibly proud of the campaign I ran to be leader of the Conservative and Unionist Party. I was humbled by the support I received, and am grateful for the avalanche of messages when I withdrew from the race on Friday.

It gave me the opportunity to articulate the values I am fighting for: that each person has a contribution of value to make, that our goal is to help each person achieve their potential, and that this must be done through a forward-looking pro-enterprise agenda, rising to the great challenges of the age.

Central to my outlook is that we need to be optimistic about our country, take an optimistic view of human nature, and get this country moving forward with energy and