Tory leadership debate – live: Tugendhat says Johnson not honest as Sunak and Truss clash over tax

Liz Truss’s “implosion” in tonight’s could significantly “move the dial” on the leadership race, an expert in political forecasting has suggested.

Professor Leighton Vaughan Williams, who heads Nottingham Business School’s political forecasting unit, tweeted: “If she survives this, let’s just call off debates in future.”

In his latest column, our associate editor Sean O’Grady says that there’s “no doubt who lost” tonight’s leadership debate. He writes:

“The Apprentice episode from hell couldn’t finish soon enough for her. Good team leader? Not poor old Liz Truss on Team Blue Horizon. Or Liz “trussed up and handed her sorry ass on a plate by Rishi Sunak”, as things turned out.

“So wooden she should have been sponsored by Cuprinol, the foreign secretary never actually evinced a groan from the audience (although they may well have been dying inside, the same as she was), but she certainly didn’t get them pumped up either. An indifferent public speaker at the best of times, she’s sadly just as bad as she was when she did that YouTube favourite, the “disgraceful cheese” speech a few years back.

“Boris Johnson must be fuming. This is supposed to be his secret wonder weapon, his “Stop Sunak” candidate, and he chose badly, as so often. Truss is a politician so frightened by a camera and a live audience of actual floating voters that she can’t even get herself pumped up. Maybe she’s a great laugh in private over a few drinks, and compelling in cabinet committees, but she’s a dud on the telly.”

You can read his analysis in full here:

It almost appears as though Ms Truss’s campaign team were seeking to run damage control before the debate was over.

An unfortunately-timed tweet sent out from her official Twitter account reading: “It’s only by walking the walk – not talking the talk – that we really restore trust.”

Twitter users have been quick to spot Liz Truss seemingly recreating an outfit of Margaret Thatcher’s for her appearance at the debate.

The foreign secretary wore a black blazer and white shirt with a large bow for the event on Friday, matching exactly what the former Conservative prime minister wore in a 1979 election broadcast.

Here’s the verdict from The Independent’s associate editor, Sean O’Grady:

“As part of her perpetual makeover strategy, Truss has been photographed in some remarkable outfits in recent years: like a David Bowie tribute act from his Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps) era; a peasant farmer in her orchard; and posing vice-regally in the splendour of the Foreign Office, antique globe placed as if in a portrait by Holbein.

“Now, though, with her target audience of Tory boomers, Liz had herself made up so that she resembled an animatronic waxwork Margaret Thatcher.

“There was the same blonde bouffant, the same blouse with giant pussy cat bow, the same Tory blue outfit, the same icy stare, the same humourless, deliberate delivery – all she needed was the handbag and some pits to close down.”

Sir Roger Gale, who is yet to publicly back any candidate, has given his verdict on tonight’s debate, claiming Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss “simply do not satisfy the ‘fresh start’ and integrity test”.

You can watch here as Tom Tugendhat accused Rishi Sunak of having privately told him that he only agreed to hike National Insurance – a measure intended to fund the NHS and social care – because Boris Johnson had told him to.

The debate saw various candidates clash over taxes, with ex-chancellor Mr Sunak accusing Ms Truss of touting economic “fairytales”, and striving to paint himself as a sole realist among the contenders, willing to take tough decisions such as hiking National Insurance to better fund the NHS and social care.

But this central pillar of Mr Sunak’s campaign risked being somewhat undermined after Mr Tugendhat’s claims, which appeared to leave Mr Sunak visibly shocked.

Mr Tugendhat appeared to be savvy to the advice of Albus Dumbledore, appearing to paraphrase the Harry Potter character as he said: “It’s easy to stand up to your enemies – it’s sometimes harder to stand up to your friends.”

Liz Truss will be hopeful that Tory MPs do not agree with the assessment of those polled by Opinium tonight – just 6 per cent of whom believed she performed best in this evening’s debate.

But a breakdown of the polling by Opinium by voter-intention suggests otherwise, showing the foreign secretary as effectively coming last in the eyes of Conservative voters, Labour voters and swing voters.

The race was tighter at the top among Conservative voters than the general population, however, with 29 per cent believing Tom Tugendhat had performed best – placing him just one point ahead of Rishi Sunak.

Ms Mordaunt and Ms Truss also enjoyed a slightly higher percentage of backing for their performance on Friday among Tory voters, winning 18 and 10 per cent of the vote respectively, the pollster found.

Tom Tugendhat has emerged as the clear winner of the first live televised debate in the Tory leadership race, according to a snap poll.

The results placed him significantly ahead of frontrunner Rishi Sunak, with 36 per cent believing Mr Tugendhat won compared to 25 per cent thinking the ex-chancellor.

Read more below:

Liz Truss and Kemi Badenoch challenged Penny Mordaunt’s record on trans issues.

They accused her of having backed self-identification when she had responsibility for equalities issues, something she strongly denied.

The international trade minister said that while she had carried out a consultation of the Gender Recognition Act, she had never been in favour of self-ID.

“I can’t imagine why people are not comprehending what I say and have been regurgitating this issue for weeks and weeks,” she said.

“I’m a woman, I’m a biological woman in every cell in my body,” she said, adding that a man who had transitioned was “not the same as me”.

“Our country can be so much better,” said Ms Badenoch, through better government.

In closing addresses, she stressed the need to be honest – not for the first time.

Mr Tugendhat called for a “clean start”, saying he had led operations and would like to lead the UK.

Ms Mordaunt addressed viewers, saying not all politicians are the same: she was not the legacy candidate.

“We’re going to build a btter future for our children and grandchildren,” said Mr Sunak.

Ms Truss talked of the grave challenges the UK faces, adding: “We need to be bold, do things differently, unleash growth… I can go into Downing Street on day one. I have a record of delivery.”