Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss are taking part in their first head-to-head televised debate tonight after a senior MP made cutting remarks about the “puerile” Conservative Party leadership race.
The pair are in Stoke-on-Trent to take part in the BBC One debate. The broadcaster’s journalists said that “stakes are high” as Ms Truss is far ahead in opinion polls.
It comes after Cabinet Office minister Johnny Mercer warned that the Tories will be out of power in two years’ time if they continue on the “current trajectory” of “embarrassing” episodes during the contest.
His call for his fellow MPs to “raise the standards” came after MP Angela Richardson said that she had muted culture secretary Nadine Dorries’ on Twitter over her criticism of Mr Sunak’s expensive clothes.
Ms Dorries tweeted: “Liz Truss will be travelling the country wearing her earrings which cost circa £4.50 from Claire Accessories. Meanwhile…
“Rishi visits Teeside in Prada shoes worth £450 and sported £3,500 bespoke suit as he prepared for crunch leadership vote.”
Next week, 160,00 Tory members will vote on whether Mr Sunak or Ms Truss will succeed Boris Johnson.
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Snap debate poll shows which candidate viewers think performed best in elections debate
The poll, conducted by Opinium – a strategic insight agency, indicates a close ties between the two candidates.
Voices: One thing became clear, that Sunak and Truss visibly hate each other
Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss really do hate each other. It’s the reality TV hit of the summer.
Does it matter, anymore, which one of them wins? Will anyone even know? The next election is only two years away, by which point anyone who watched the BBC leaderships debate will still be so haunted by the program’s first fifteen seconds that they will be incapable of any meaningful interaction with the world around them.
Read the full opinion piece:
One thing became clear, that Sunak and Truss visibly hate each other
If this was a reality TV show, producers would have intervened to stop it getting this toxic
Watch: Rishi Sunak defends decision to resign from Johnson government
Starmer confronted by angry voter in Liverpool over Sun article
Sir Keir Starmer was confronted by an angry voter in Liverpool over writing an article for The Sun newspaper in October 2021.
The Labour Party leader had previously promised not to give interviews to the paper during his leadership campaign at a hustings in the city in January 2020.
The publication is widely boycotted in Liverpool due to its coverage of the aftermath of the Hillsborough disaster in 1989.
Aisha Rimi has the full story:
Starmer confronted by angry voter in Liverpool over Sun newspaper columns
Sir Keir accused of ‘feeding into Tory idealogy’
Truss risks tipping millions into ‘economic misery’, Sunak says
Rishi Sunak has warned Liz Truss risks tipping millions into “economic misery” and fuelling inflation with her economic proposals, as the pair trashed each other’s policy platforms in an acrimonious debate.
Hitting out the foreign secretary’s £30 billion plus tax cut plans, the former chancellor claimed there was “nothing Conservative” about her approach, with the party having “absolutely no chance” of winning the next election.
Ashley Cowburn has the full story:
Sunak says Truss risks tipping millions into ‘economic misery’ in acrimonious debate
Foreign secretary hits back accusing ex-chancellor of ‘Project Fear’
Watch: Truss accuses Sunak of being ‘Project Fear’
Voices: Tory TV debates are just like Strictly, only without the public involved
There is obviously something very strange about having two Tory contenders to be our next prime minister go on television to make their cases – with the vast majority of the audience having no say on the outcome. It’s like I’m A Celeb, Strictly, or Love Island stirring the usual irrational feelings about the eccentric contestants, but with no phone number or app to register your feelings. No matter how wooden, robotic or ignorant Liz Truss is, we can’t vote her out.
Read the full opinion piece:
Tory TV debates are like I’m a Celeb or Strictly – without a phone-in | Sean O’Grady
To be a political activist is not so very different to being a member of a religious cult – except they have rather too much control over our lives
Key moments from the Truss-Sunak debate
With the deciding vote on who should replace Boris Johnson lying in the hands of tens of thousands of Tory members, the pair are increasingly forced to pander to the tastes of their selectorate, with the party faithful generally believed to sit considerably to the right of its MPs.
Andy Gregory has the round up:
Key moments from the first debate between Truss and Sunak
Rivals clash over ‘Project Fear’ and economy in heated BBC appearance
Quick fire round of last minute questions for candidates
Both Truss and Sunak say yes to publishing tax affairs.
Liz scores Boris Johnson 7/10 for his leadership, while Sunak gives him a 10/10 for delivering Brexit.
Truss says she would “love” for Sunak to be part of her team if she wins.
