BLUE FEUD TURNS UGLY
THE Tory leadership contenders made the party look even more unelectable as they turned fire on each other in the latest live TV debate.
But the five candidates condemned us to years more of the same by each ruling out triggering a snap election to secure a mandate from the public if they won the race to succeed Boris Johnson at No10.
Without a studio audience to remind them where their focus ought to be, the gloves came off in last night’s excruciating ITV showdown as the five ripped into each other’s records and made ever more desperate promises.
Labour’s Conor McGinn, Shadow Minister Without Portfolio, said: “As the contenders deny their own records in government and squabble over their fantasy economic plans, what families across the country who are struggling with the cost of living crisis need is a fresh start. Only a Labour Government led by Keir Starmer can offer Britain the fresh start it needs.” Former Chancellor Rishi Sunak was ambushed by three of his rivals as ITV host Julie Etchingham invited each to pose one question to a candidate of their choice. Kemi Badenoch accused Sunak of dismissing Covid bailout fraud – an allegation he claimed was “absolutely not true”.
Former Defence Secretary Penny Mordaunt asked him why he refused to raise spending on the military, which he denied.
Foreign Secretary Liz Truss challenged him on whether he still believed the UK should do more business with China.
Sunak was also forced to defend his Indian heiress wife Akshata’s previous non-dom status and her family’s wealth.
The couple are worth £730million, according to The Sunday Times Rich List.
Former hedge fund boss Sunak insisted: “I’ve always been a completely normal UK taxpayer. My wife is from another country so she’s treated differently. She explained that...
Families struggling with the cost of living need a fresh start
LABOUR’S CONOR MCGINN URGES ELECTION
resolved that issue.” He then turned his fire on Truss, a former Lib Dem who backed Remain in the 2016 Brexit referendum.
He asked her: “I’m just wondering which one you regretted most?”
The two had the fiercest clash of the 60-minute showdown, as Truss accused Sunak of creating the conditions for a recession.
She said: “Rishi, you have raised taxes to the highest level in 70 years – that is not going to drive economic growth. You raised National Insurance even though people like me opposed it in Cabinet at the time, because we could have afforded to fund the NHS through general taxation.”
He hit back: “I’d love to stand here and say, ‘I’ll cut this tax, that tax and another tax and it will all be OK’. But it won’t. There’s a cost to these things and the cost is higher inflation, higher mortgage rates, eroded savings.
“This something for nothing economics isn’t Conservative, it’s socialism.”
But the targeting of Sunak backfired as he returned to pole position, according to bookies. Mordaunt was forced to deny tax cuts she outlined, including halving fuel duty, would drive inflation.
Earlier, she blasted “toxic smears” aimed at her by rivals’ campaign allies, as she was confronted with her record on transgender rights while Equalities Minister.
Reports yesterday suggested she was in favour of scrapping the requirement for trans people to obtain a medical diagnosis of gender dysphoria before they could legally change gender. A document from February 2020 confirmed the Government’s support for self-identification ended after she was replaced as Equalities Minister, it was claimed. Mordaunt insisted she had never backed ending the requirement. She said the leadership contest was being “dragged down” by such “smears”. Meanwhile, Tugendhat pledged a multi-billion pound extension of the HS2 high speed railway.
Currently the project is only due to run from London to the East Midlands and Manchester – but he said he would expand the tracks to Scotland.
His team did not explain whether it was a new commitment or a blunder.
None of the five raised their hand when asked which of them would give Johnson a cabinet role if they won.
Tugendhat could be ejected from the race for No10 in the latest round of Tory MPs’ voting tonight.
Further such MPs’ ballots are due to be held tomorrow and Wednesday, after which the estimated 160,000 Tory Party members nationwide will choose between the final two.
The winner is due to be announced on September 5 and will become Prime Minister the following day.