WHAT Britain needs right now is leadership – someone who is a beacon of all that is best in British values. Someone who puts the interests of a Global Britain, free to trade with the world, above all else. That man is Jeremy Hunt.

It's true that Mr Hunt voted Remain, but he is committed to delivering Brexit and to defending our United Kingdom and his actions as Foreign Secretary gives us an indication of the measure of the man.

Religious freedom is an issue close to my heart. No matter your faith, you should have the right to practise it. Though far from perfect, we in the United Kingdom are extremely lucky that we can go to a religious service at the weekend without the fear of death.

Unfortunately, as we all know, the privileges that we enjoy in the United Kingdom in regard to religious freedom are not enjoyed everywhere in the world. At Easter, more than 200 Catholics were martyred in Sri Lanka simply because they attended Mass. In China, concentration camps have been set up for Muslims which have resulted in families being separated and women being sexually abused. Antisemitic attacks are on the increase worldwide.

As Foreign Secretary, Jeremy Hunt has ensured that the promotion of religious freedom and the ending of religious persecution is at the heart of the Foreign Office. In December 2018, Jeremy Hunt ordered a review into the global persecution of Christians to establish what the UK Government can do.

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The interim report of this was released earlier this year and it made for sober reading. It concluded that, in 2016, Christians were targeted in 144 countries, and approximately 245 million Christians living in the worst 50 countries suffer high levels of persecution or worse. The report also stated that "the level and nature of persecution is arguably coming close to meeting the international definition of genocide".

By ordering a review on the serious issue of Christian persecution, Mr Hunt has demonstrated leadership not only in Britain but on the world stage. And that is what we need right now. Leadership.

Our departure of the European Union is a process, not an event. We need leadership not only until October 31, but long afterwards to provide stability and security to the British constitution and economy. We need a plan not only to leave the European Union, but a plan on how to take advantage of the benefits that Brexit brings to our country.

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During this leadership election, Mr Hunt has laid out his plans to deliver Brexit. His first step – to fully prepare the United Kingdom for a WTO Brexit - is a recognition that we cannot take a WTO Brexit off the table. This is a sensible step because no deal really is better than a bad deal.

A good deal, however, can be struck and for that reason we should seek one. A good deal will ensure that our departure of the European Union will be smooth, respect the referendum result and, most importantly, protect the integrity of our United Kingdom.

I passionately believe in Brexit. I campaigned and voted to leave the European Union in 2016, and I helped create Scots for Leave, a group set-up to give a voice for the over one million Scots who voted to leave the European Union.

One of the main reasons I voted for Brexit was for the economy. The majority of the world’s wealth and growth is outside the European Union, and it would be to the benefit of all Britons if we felt the joys of that by becoming a truly global Britain.

Leaving the European Union was only the first step, however, to becoming a truly global Britain, and from what I have heard, Mr Hunt recognises that.

It is highly encouraging to hear him announce that he would reduce corporation tax to 12.5%. As we have seen in the Republic of Ireland, lower tax stimulates business investment, which is critical for jobs creation.

By raising the annual allowance for firms to £5 million, Jeremy Hunt would encourage investment in capital infrastructure. This is vital to boosting long-term productivity, economic and wage growth.

As a Brexiteer, I believe that Jeremy Hunt understands that Brexit is much more than just leaving the European Union. It gives our country the ability to make ourselves a truly global economy, whilst rebuilding communities across the country.

As Foreign Secretary, Jeremy Hunt has projected British values across the world. The advocation of religious freedom, and condemnation of religious persecution is just one of many examples of his doing so.

The only way to judge Mr Hunt against Boris Johnson is to compare their track records – and there is only winner there.

And during the leadership contest, Jeremy Hunt has displayed his passion for our United Kingdom, and has demonstrated his capability to lead our country out of the difficulties that we are currently in.

That is why as a Brexiteer who believes in our United Kingdom, I am voting for Jeremy Hunt to become the next Prime Minister of our country.

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