UK PM Hopeful Jeremy Hunt Says EU Treated Britain 'Like Dirt'

The candidate for the post of the Conservative Party leader, Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs Jeremy Hunt, has weighed in on Brexit saying that he would vote to "leave" if the UK held another referendum.

Jeremy Hunt told BBC radio on Wednesday that he believed the view that the United Kingdom has been treated like "dirt" by Brussels. Hunt complained that the European Union has not shown any respect for the United Kingdom.

The foreign secretary added that he was not going to underestimate the impact a no-deal Brexit would have on business in the UK, also pledging to protect Britain's aid budget.

Touching upon his vision of the UK pullout from the bloc, the official underlined that he would pursue a deal that will be different from the one agreed upon by Theresa May. He vowed to take an altogether different approach to Brexit compared to the one taken by outgoing PM May.

Jeremy Hunt and his rival Boris Johnson are competing to succeed Theresa May who announced her resignation last month amid a deadlock over Brexit.

Boris Johnson and Jeremy Hunt

© REUTERS / HANDOUT

She is expected to resign as caretaker PM on 22 July to be replaced by one of two candidates chosen by the party's members after a postal ballot.

So far, former foreign secretary Johnson is leading in the polls and has been touted as the most likely successor to Theresa May.