“However, as the campaign develops, the dangers to our Union have become more apparent. There is a need to break away from today’s orthodoxy. The future of our Union depends on it. “For this reason, I have concluded that with the positive ambition for our country and the imagination she has shown, alongside her strong record as a reformer, Liz Truss is best placed to secure our Union.” Cairns served in cabinet under David Cameron, Theresa May and Boris Johnson from 2016 to November 2019, when he resigned over his links to a Conservative candidate for the Welsh Assembly who was accused of sabotage in a rape trial. Sir Robert Buckland, the current Welsh minister, defected from the Sunak campaign to back Ms Truss on Friday, after former minister Chris Skidmore was replaced. The candidates’ approaches to securing the Union will come under increasing scrutiny, with the pair heading to Perth on Tuesday and Belfast on Wednesday for questioning by party members who will pick the winner.
