Honiton and Tiverton MP Neil Parish says he is backing Boris Johnson to be the next Tory Party leader and Prime Minister.

He said while he was also impressed by Jeremy Hunt, he felt that Brexit was the key issue.

He said: "I believe someone who argued the benefits of Brexit is best placed to unite the country behind that vision, defeat the challenges, seize the opportunities - and deliver good for the whole of the United Kingdom.

"It is one of the key reasons I supported Michael Gove - and it is the reason why I am now backing Boris.

"Listening to Boris, it's also clear he has the right plan for the South West. Once Brexit is delivered, he wants to level up education funding, dual the A303 and has committed to fibre broadband for every household. These are the right priorities and policies for our region, improving connectivity and spreading opportunity."

"We all recognise schools need more cash to pay for increased costs. This was reaffirmed by a recent meeting I had with headteachers of all schools in my constituency, where I listened to concerns about special needs provision, resources and morale.

"My view, shared by Boris, is we must see education spending as an investment. We cannot afford to lose a generation of talent."