UK contest to replace Johnson heats up

On Thursday, the British Conservative Party’s final two contenders for prime minister, former Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak and Foreign Minister Liz Struss, will take part in a live televised debate by Sky News. Sunak and Truss are battling to succeed Boris Johnson as head of Britain’s governing party.

After leading the race in every round of voting among Tory ministers of Parliament, Sunak was trailing Truss last week by a wide margin in polling among the grassroots party members who’ll make the final choice about their new leader. Paper ballots start going out to members of the party this week.

As evidence mounted that his status quo campaign wasn’t cutting through, Sunak’s own strategists appear to have accepted a change in tack is required. So he has decided to endorse a proposal to scrap the value added tax on domestic energy bills.

Truss has vowed to scrap all remaining EU laws by the end of 2023 if she becomes prime minister.

DOMINIC LIPINSKI AP Liz Truss, right, and Rishi Sunak square off during a debate sponsored by The Sun in west London on Tuesday. More debates are to come.