Tory leadership contender Jeremy Hunt has told Sky News that while his rival Boris Johnson makes promises, it is he who delivers.

Speaking in a special one-hour programme, he said: "Let me say this… Boris promised, on the side of a bus, an extra £350m every week for the NHS. I actually delivered that promise.

"And Boris promised Brexit... and I will deliver Brexit."

Image: The new Tory leader will be announced on 23 July

Challenged by Sky presenter Kay Burley to describe what promises he might emblazon on the side of a campaign bus, he said he would want four key messages:

"A Britain that walks tall in the world," spending more on defence and "cherishing" the special relationship with the US

A Tory "social machine, as well as economic machine" with a focus on education

Turbo charge the economy

Get more young people to vote Conservative as the party of "aspiration"

Mr Hunt also claimed he has won assurances from Germany's Angela Merkel to "look at" his plan to strike a new Brexit deal if he becomes prime minister.


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He said he had "had a conversation" with one of Europe's most influential figures and he was confident a new withdrawal agreement could be drawn up by September.

"Of course we will look at any proposals made by a new UK prime minister," he recounted the German chancellor saying, adding "she wants to solve this problem".

Mr Hunt admitted the path to Brexit by 31 October could be "bumpy" but claimed that the "sky's the limit" and "we can make this work".

Image: Boris Johnson is the bookies' favourite to win

He warned that Britain was at a "pivotal moment" in the Brexit negotiations and "if we get this wrong, we could end up with an accidental general election".

And he confirmed he would "100% not" suspend parliament to stop MPs trying to block a no-deal divorce with the EU.

Boris Johnson, the former foreign secretary and only other candidate in the Tory leadership contest, declined an invite to attend a debate with Mr Hunt on Sky News.

He spent an hour that evening fielding questions from party members over the phone.

"I want to unite the party and country with a modern one-nation vision," the bookies' favourite said.

"And we need someone who can defeat Jeremy Corbyn and the London Labour left. I've done it before and I can do it again."

Image: Ex-Tory leader William Hague backed Mr Hunt for the leadership

He was heckled earlier in the day after an event with his brother Jo Johnson - a Tory MP who supports another EU referendum - when a protester called out: "Good luck with your preposterous ideas."

In his Sky News interview, Mr Hunt sought to put more space between himself and his rival by saying he would delay Brexit by a "few extra days" if a new deal was struck with Brussels and more time was needed for it to be ratified by parliament.

And he ruled out withholding the full £39bn divorce bill that is a major part of the current withdrawal agreement if Britain leaves the EU with no-deal.

On domestic policy, Mr Hunt said he would not change abortion law in Northern Ireland by unpicking the "constitutional settlement" that means it is a devolved matter.

And he admitted feeling "deeply uncomfortable" about having better life chances having gone to a top private school than someone with equal talents without access to the same education quality, committing to giving every child the choice to climb a ladder to success.

William Hague, the ex-Tory leader, threw his weight behind Mr Hunt on Monday night, saying he had "the best chance of avoiding calamity over Brexit".