Sunak and Truss

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Sunak and Truss reach concluding two in race to become PM

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Alive Reporting

Edited past Owen Amos

All times stated are Great britain

  1. Thanks for joining us

    We're pausing our live coverage of the Conservative Party leadership contest now, but earlier we get, here'south a summary of what's happened today:

    • Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss are the final two candidates hoping to succeed Boris Johnson after Penny Mordaunt was knocked out of the contest
    • Sunak topped the vote with support from 137 Bourgeois MPs, followed by Truss with 113 and Mordaunt with 105
    • The next stage will meet 12 hustings beyond the state betwixt 28 July and 31 August every bit 160,000 Tory members make their listen up, with their vote closing on 2 September
    • The country's next prime number minister will exist declared on 5 September
    • Before and so, Sunak and Truss will go caput-to-caput at two live televised debates on the BBC and Sky News
    • Earlier, Boris Johnson took part in his final PMQs where he said his mission was "largely accomplished", bowing out with the words, "hasta la vista, baby".

    Today's page was written by Adam Durbin, Sam Hancock, Aoife Walsh, Richard Morris, Chas Geiger, James Fitzgerald, Marie Jackson, Marita Moloney, James Harness and Andrew Humphrey.

    It was edited by Alex Therrien, Claudia Allen and Owen Amos.

  2. IDS insists there'll exist unity once new leader decided

    And on the aforementioned theme, one-time Conservative leader Iain Duncan Smith - who's backing Liz Truss - says the party will unite behind a new leader, whoever it is.

    "Whoever wins this, we'll come back together and support them," he insists.

  3. Truss and Sunak backers hope to avoid 'blue-on-blueish'

    Every bit we've only seen, Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak are keen to avoid and so-called "blue-on-blueish" attacks (blue being the traditional colour of the Bourgeois Party).

    MP Ed Argar - a backer of Liz Truss - says both potential leaders have a "clear conclusion to practise what'south right for this land with unlike approaches and nuances on how they would exercise that".

    "Either of them would make an excellent prime number minister", Edgar, a sometime health minister, adds.

    Meanwhile MP for Hastings and Rye, Sally-Ann Hart, who supports Rishi Sunak, has denied that Sunak has been tarnished by serving as chancellor in Boris Johnson's government.

    "When you look at all Conservatives, whether it's ministers, chancellors, secretary of land, or MPs, you are loyal to your prime number government minister," she says.

  4. What have the candidates said nigh 'bluish-on-bluish' attacks?

    Both candidates have striking back back at claims that "blue-on-blue" attacks - meaning Tories criticising each other - might be a souvenir to Labour.

    Rishi Sunak said in that location'd been a "debate near ideas", while Liz Truss said she'd focused on making a "positive example".

    Video content

    Video caption: WATCH: Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak answer to questions about campaign tactics

  5. Members' hustings announced

    The Conservative Party has just announced details of 12 hustings events for members to assist them choose between Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss.

    Hustings are meetings in which candidates in an election address voters.

    The events, which will have place across all four nations of the Britain and will be streamed on the party's website, are as follows:

    • July 28: Leeds
    • Aug 1: Exeter
    • Aug 3: Cardiff
    • Aug 5: Eastbourne
    • Aug 9: Darlington
    • Aug 11: Cheltenham
    • Aug sixteen: Perth
    • Aug 17: Northern Ireland
    • Aug 19: Manchester
    • Aug 23: Birmingham
    • Aug 25: Norwich
    • Aug 31: London

  6. A second head-to-head TV debate to accept place on Heaven News

    The final two Tory leadership candidates Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss volition have part in a televised debate hosted past Sky News adjacent month.

    The broadcaster has appear that the live one-hour argue will exist held at 20:00 BST on iv August and will exist hosted by Kay Burley, with questions from a live studio audition.

    Sunak has already tweeted that he's "looking forrad to it".

    Before this, he and Truss volition face off in their outset live Telly fence on Monday which will be circulate on BBC One from 21:00 and hosted by Sophie Raworth.

  7. Starmer's expletive-laden assessment of Johnson

    Keir Starmer and Boris Johnson

    Copyright: Reuters

    Paradigm caption: Keir Starmer and Boris Johnson clashed for the last time at Prime number Minister's Questions earlier

    Alarm - this mail includes language some readers volition find offensive.

    There'southward been an outbreak of pearl clutching among some Conservatives at Westminster, after Sir Keir Starmer turned the air blueish when describing Boris Johnson in a podcast interview.

    The Labour leader gave an expletive-laden assessment of the soon to be ex-prime government minister's relationship to the truth and attitude to the public on The Residuum is Politics podcast, calling him a "bullshitter".

    Asked well-nigh Sir Keir's option of language, the prime minister'due south official spokesman told reporters: "I would not reply with similar language of course. But I obviously wouldn't agree with the characterisation."

    The Labour Party denied its normally balmy-mannered leader had debased public debate with his flare-up.

  8. What happens next?

    • In the space of viii days, Tory MPs have whittled down a field of eight candidates to the final ii - Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss
    • The decision on which of them becomes party leader and the country's next prime minister now goes to Bourgeois members across the land. They are idea to number more than 160,000, around 0.3% of the total electorate
    • On Monday Sunak and Truss volition take function in a live Idiot box debate, which will exist broadcast on BBC One at 21:00; Sky News will too host a alive debate on 4 August
    • A total of 12 hustings events have been scheduled beyond the UK; the kickoff will take place in Leeds on 28 July
    • Election papers will begin landing on members' doorsteps from 1 August
    • Votes tin be cast past post or online. The borderline is 17:00 on ii September
    • The issue will exist declared on 5 September
    • The post-obit twenty-four hours, half-dozen September, Boris Johnson will go to see the Queen to resign equally prime government minister. His successor will be appointed a few minutes later
  9. Analysis

    Why newspapers matter more in this race to be prime number minister

    Newspapers

    Copyright: BBC

    The Bourgeois leadership competition volition exist determined by an electorate who are withal heavily influenced by newspapers - making it much less of a social media election than recent plebiscites.

    Through the 2015, 2017, and 2019 general elections there was a lot of focus on the employ of political ads and viral content on social media - especially Facebook - to target voters.

    This was true of the Brexit and Scottish independence referendums too. And former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn was more often than not thought to take activated a very influential following on social media.

    Merely Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss have to persuade a narrow section of the population that is much more than attuned to newsprint than most Britons.

    Existence politically active by nature, and mostly over 60, Conservative Party members notwithstanding buy newspapers much more oftentimes than most of the public.

    Therefore this is an election which has an nigh late-20th-Century experience, in terms of media.

    • Read more than from Amol here

  10. Sunak has the edge - erstwhile minister

    Tory MP Andrew Mitchell

    Copyright: Getty Images

    Both remaining candidates are "incredibly gifted", says Tory MP Andrew Mitchell - but "Rishi has the edge when it comes to feel".

    Sunak has the skills to tackle the "multiple crises" facing the country, Mitchell tells BBC Radio 4's PM program.

    He goes on to hail the former chancellor's decision-making during the pandemic.

    But the erstwhile international development secretary also praises Liz Truss every bit existence "charming [and] piece of cake to get on with".

  11. Leadership competition 'scarily embarrassing', Rayner says

    Angela Rayner

    Copyright: Reuters

    As we've simply reported, Labour deputy leader Angela Rayner has go the latest Labour effigy to take shots at the final two Tory leadership candidates.

    She says on Twitter : "This Tory leadership contest is so scarily embarrassing both candidates pulled out of the TV argue [due to be on Sky on Tuesday].

    "They're hiding from the public and their record. The Tories have no leadership and no answers. They're unfit to govern.

    "But Labour can provide the fresh start the country needs."

  12. What'due south been happening?

    Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak

    Copyright: PA Media

    If you're only joining us, hither'southward a recap of today's main developments:

    • Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss are the last two candidates to succeed Boris Johnson every bit the next Tory party leader and prime minister, afterwards Penny Mordaunt was knocked out in the concluding Bourgeois MPs' vote
    • Sunak topped the vote with back up from 137 MPs, followed by Truss with 113 and Mordaunt with 105
    • The quondam chancellor vows to "build a squad that draws on all the talents and strengths" in the Conservative Political party if selected, and insists he is the only candidate who can defeat Labour at the next election
    • Truss also believes she can defeat Sir Keir Starmer, calculation she is gear up to striking the footing running equally the adjacent prime minister
    • Subsequently her defeat, Mordaunt - who until today had been second in all previous rounds of voting - says MPs must piece of work together to unify the party and "focus on the task that needs to be done"
    • Labour'southward deputy leader Angela Rayner, meanwhile, says the Tories "have no leadership and no answers"

  13. Truss: I've run a positive campaign

    And hither's Liz Truss speaking to reporters - she says she'due south been entirely focused on a "positive campaign".

    Video content

    Video explanation: Tory leadership: I've run a positive campaign, says Liz Truss

  14. Sunak: I want to be honest about challenges we face

    As we've been reporting, Rishi Sunak says he is the "only candidate" who can beat out Labour at the next general election.

    Watch his mail service-outcome interview with the media here.

    Video content

    Video caption: Tory leadership: Rishi Sunak on policies to be side by side PM

  15. Reality Cheque

    Have candidates pledged £330bn in unfunded commitments?

    We've given you lot the Labour reaction to Truss and Sunak making the final 2 - "continuity Johnson" seems to be the main assail line - so now let'south await at one of the figures Labour is using.

    At PMQs before, Labour leader Keir Starmer told MPs: "Those vying to replace him [Boris Johnson] have racked up £330bn of unfunded spending commitments."

    We've been looking at the toll of the pledges fabricated by the candidates and we tin can't make it add upwards to that much.

    We've had a look at Labour's sums and it turns out they include pledges from all the candidates early in the race, almost of whom accept already been knocked out.

    Of class only one of the candidates tin can end upwardly every bit prime minister, but Labour has been counting the same pledge several times.

    For example, they approximate the undertaking to reverse next April'southward increase in corporation tax at £14.5bn, but and so count that pledge from Nadhim Zahawi, Grant Shapps and Liz Truss - so multiply it by 3 to get a total £43.5bn pledged.

    Then they added another £24bn to cover Sajid Javid and Jeremy Hunt's plans to get the revenue enhancement down even further.

  16. Truss refuses to exist fatigued on blue-on-blue attacks

    Liz Truss

    Copyright: Reuters

    We've just given you Rishi Sunak'south latest interview with the media - and his rival to go new PM, Liz Truss, has likewise been speaking to reporters at Westminster.

    She avoided questions on whether she's proud of the way the campaigns have been handled. Instead she says the "important" thing to focus on is "delivering for the British people".

    "I want to assistance struggling families, I want to brand sure we unleash all the potential talent across Britain - and that has been the focus of my campaign."

    Pushed on the so-called blue-on-blue attacks, she again avoids the questions - and says just that she's focused on "delivering all the promises we made in 2019".

  17. Sunak 'incredibly humbled' to make final ii

    Sunak

    Copyright: PA Media

    More now from Rishi Sunak, who says he'south "incredibly humbled" to have made it to the run-off for the leadership.

    "The question at present for our members is who is best to crush Keir Starmer," he says several times in his interview with broadcasters.

    Asked about his record as chancellor, he replies: "I've e'er said I want to exist honest about the challenges nosotros face. I helped get the country through a difficult period over the last couple of years."

    Finally, Sunak denies his team lent votes to other candidates, in order to manipulate the race, proverb: "This has been a really close contest and I am humbled."

  18. Labour frontbencher uses Johnson to assault Sunak and Truss

    And here's some more than Labour reaction - following a similar theme. Shadow health secretary Wes Streeting suggests Labour are pleased with the result of today's vote.

    "Our next prime number minister will exist someone who propped up Johnson, voted for every ane of his 15 tax rises, and parroted his lies," he says.

    "Simply Labour offers the fresh start that Britain needs," he says.

  19. Candidates are continuity Johnson, says shadow minister

    Labour's shadow Scotland secretary Iain Murray says Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss are "two stooges" of the current government.

    He says Labour would similar to come across an early general ballot, and give the public the adventure to decide who should exist the next PM.

    Both candidates "are not fresh faces and they're non new," Murray says, calling them "continuity Johnson" and "Johnson low-cal".

    Both Sunak and Truss have ruled out an early on election - arguing the public backed the Conservative Party manifesto in the 2019 general election.

  20. Sunak insists only he can defeat Starmer at election

    Rishi Sunak, who's topped every ballot of Tory MPs during the leadership contest, has released a video thanking his colleagues for putting him into the final vote that volition be decided by party members.

    His 137 votes today represent 38.six% of the full bandage.

    In his video, posted on Twitter, he says he'due south now the "only candidate" in the competition who can beat Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer at the next election.