Mayor Andy Street: New Tory leader must champion HS2

The West Midlands Mayor said the next Prime Minister must give a "firm pledge to support high speed rail", which he says "will literally unite the country and drive regeneration in the Midlands and the North".

Conservative Mr Street has stopped short of endorsing any of the candidates, but his comments appear to rule out more than half of the field of 13, including favourite Boris Johnson, Michael Gove, Andrea Leadsom, Esther McVey and Dominic Raab.

His call over HS2 is one of seven "one nation tests" for Theresa May's successor, who he says must "build on the strong economic legacy of the last nine years".

Insisting the next Prime Minister must "lead Britain as an outward-looking, internationalist country", the Mayor said: "We need our Prime Minister to be a cheerleader around the world."

He said they must be "relentless" in tackling issues at a local level, providing jobs, skills and housing while also recognising the role of public services including the NHS and police forces.

"The key will be leadership, both to galvanise original thinking and to deliver real change through government at all levels," he said.

The new Prime Minister will "understand the power of business as a force for good", he added, and deliver a Brexit "which honours the referendum whilst meeting the economic needs" of the West Midlands.

"Our new Prime Minister needs to be a visible champion of all faiths, ethnicities and under-represented groups," Mr Street said, adding that the successful candidate must "reach beyond the comfortable to those who are struggling".

"The new Prime Minister must truly believe that the ultimate test of any society is the way in which it supports the less fortunate," he said.

"For example, the British public know that homelessness and the use of foodbanks in the UK today is wrong. They want someone who understands, listens and has a serious plan to sort it out."

He added: "We need a Prime Minister who believes in Britain, the British people, and our role in the world as an example of liberal values and individual rights.

"A new Prime Minister must bring a new lease of life to the country, and a new wave of optimism after the gruelling Brexit debates of the last few months."

The Mayor concluded: "Above all else, the new Conservative leader must be someone who can win. We are at a historic moment for the party and the country.

"Our new leader will need to navigate the waters of Brexit negotiations, and fight Jeremy Corbyn.

"But they also need to set out a powerful new domestic agenda which lifts up and inspires communities like ours in the West Midlands. The stakes couldn’t be higher."