Tory rising star described Donald Trump as ‘refreshing’

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A Tory rising star and ally of Liz Truss described US Presidential hopeful Donald Trump as “incredibly refreshing”.

Mhairi Fraser, the Conservative candidate to exchange Chris Grayling within the secure seat of Epsom & Ewell, went to see the previous US president win the 2016 election and stated she had “never been as excited” about a politician.

Ms Fraser is a City lawyer and is among the figures set to speak at the launch of Ms Truss’s new Popular Conservatism Tory pressure group.

Other speakers at the event include Ms Truss and former business secretary Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg, while the group is supported by former Tory deputy chairman Lee Anderson and ex-ministers in the Truss government Simon Clarke and Ranil Jayawardena.

Ms Fraser told STV in 2016 that she found Mr Trump “incredibly refreshing” and that she agreed with his analysis that America was “sleepwalking into a politically correct driven decline”.

Her comments, rediscovered by The Times, show that she did “not see Russia as a natural enemy” and was more concerned about Islamic terrorism.

Ms Fraser also defended a series of controversial comments made by Mr Trump, saying: “I don’t think he’s a sexist and I don’t think he’s a racist.”

A friend of the Tory candidate told The Times: “These views were expressed eight years ago. A lot has changed since then and so, naturally, have her views.”

Senior Tories have thrown their weight behind Mr Trump’s campaign to return to the White House, including Sir Jacob.

He has said Joe Biden dislikes Britain and that his tenure so far has been “very bad” for UK-US relations.

Meanwhile right-wing Tory Andrea Jenkyns stated the world could be a safer place if Mr Trump was returned to the White House, including that she want to see the “dynamic duo” of Boris Johnson and Mr Trump reunited.

The Popular Conservatism group, dubbed the PopCons, will set out its stall in London on Tuesday.

It is a platform for right-wing MPs to push Rishi Sunak to undertake hardline insurance policies on immigration and tax earlier than this yr’s common election.

And it represents Ms Truss’s newest venture since she was compelled out of Downing Street.

Ms Fraser was final month confirmed as the candidate to exchange Mr Grayling, who stated in October that he wouldn’t stand at this yr’s common election.