Robert Jenrick has insisted the Tory leadership race is “neck and neck” despite a new poll of Conservative voters giving Kemi Badenoch a 24-point lead.
The former Home Office minister said there was “everything to fight for” a week before the results of the election are announced on November 2.
In a speech at Millbank Tower in central London, Mr Jenrick also announced he would seek to spend 3% of gross domestic product (GDP) on defence by the middle of the second parliament under a Tory government if he were elected leader.
There's everything to fight for
The leadership hopeful has sought to draw a dividing line between himself and Ms Badenoch over the frontrunner’s focus on “principles” over policy.
Ms Badenoch has argued the Tories “have time” to reflect on what their manifesto should like come the next general election and “don’t need to rush” into setting out a detailed platform.
A survey of 828 party members carried out by the Conservative Home blog between October 23 and 24 suggested Ms Badenoch had maintained her lead over Mr Jenrick, with 55 points to his 31.
Asked on Thursday whether his campaign was over, the former immigration minister said: “Absolutely not. This is neck and neck.
“That’s a survey, not a poll. The last poll that we had was done by YouGov several weeks ago, and showed it was absolutely neck and neck, the tightest leadership race that we’ve had for many years.
“There’s everything to fight for and I’m certainly going off around the country, as I have throughout the summer, and I think my message is resonating with members and with the public that we need to learn our lessons.”
He added: “(Members) don’t want vague promises of policy commissions which will report back in months or years to come. They want action now.”
Mr Jenrick had used his speech to set out his plan for defence, saying the UK and Nato appear “dangerously exposed” and warning the Government “must wake up to the next big threat on the horizon, and that is China”.
He said spending 3% of GDP on defence should be the new standard for the military bloc, expected of all member states, and Britain should be “leading by the force of our example”.
This would be funded by welfare cuts rather than taxation, he claimed.
Asked how quickly he would aim to reach the 3% target as prime minister, he said: “I want to see us get to 2.5% immediately under the next Conservative government, and then reach 3% by the middle of the next parliament. I think that’s a reasonable, realistic task.”
