A self-made multi-millionaire, Jeremy Hunt has pitched himself as the entrepreneurial candidate whose background in business can help him secure a better Brexit deal.

The Foreign Secretary, who co-founded the educational listings company Hotcourses, said he is standing to “unleash growth and make our economy competitive” after the UK leaves the EU.

But he has been dubbed Continuity May over his plan to merely seek changes to Theresa May’s Withdrawal Agreement, in contrast to some of his rivals with more radical pledges.

He pitched himself as a “serious leader” for a “serious moment”, and has said he wants to unite the Conservative Party.

Mr Hunt, who received 54 votes in Wednesday’s poll, coming second to Boris Johnson, has been in the Cabinet for longer than any of his rivals, having served as health secretary for six years and culture secretary for two years prior to his appointment in the Foreign Office in 2018.

While not an Old Etonian, he has a distinctly privileged background.

His father, Sir Nicholas Hunt, was an admiral, and he was educated at the prestigious Charterhouse School before reading politics, philosophy and economics at Oxford.

Mr Hunt is married to Lucia, with whom he has three children, and has described his wife as a “great diplomatic weapon” for Britain.

He won support from Donald Trump during the US president’s state visit, but came under fire for saying he agreed with Mr Trump’s criticism of London mayor Sadiq Khan’s record on tackling knife crime.