Robert Jenrick in an impassioned speech in defence of GB News called for the end of the ad boycott on the People’s Channel.
Speaking at a GB News event at the Conservative Party Conference, he said: “One thing that I think is incredibly important is that we end the advertising ban on GB News.
“As Conservatives, that those companies that choose not to advertise on GB News are not supported by the Conservative Party.
Speaking in Birmingham, he added: “So if I’m lucky enough to lead this party, we’re not going to engage with those companies.
“We’re going to support those companies that work and advertise and support GB News. That’s very important for us all.”
It comes as the Conservative leadership candidate said that the “British political system” is “fundamentally broken”.
Asked about the change in his views in recent years, he told the PopConversation event at Conservative Party conference that “it’s fair to say that my views have evolved over time. I don’t think my values have changed incidentally.”
He said that for “much” of his time in politics “I broadly thought our political system worked and I tried to work within it, and I prided myself on doing a good job”.
However he added that, “over time, particularly in the last few years, I did come to the view – a very firm view – that the British political system is not working, in fact it’s fundamentally broken.”
Reflecting on his time as communities secretary, housing minister, immigration minister, he said that he “came to the view that not only is the state that I had been part of that I had tried to uphold broken, but it’s actually contributing to our national decline.”
He is currently in the race to be Conservative party leader against Kemi Badenoch, Tom Tugenhat and James Cleverly.