Who will replace Boris Johnson as UK PM?

[Technics 1210]

maybe it's because she's a bit of a right wing loon who's married into a global bankster family

Oh so Blacks will only support left wing suffering blacks. Got it. Seems to me blacks are more predijuce towards their own than whites. Who'd have thought it!

 

[Robert]

The one decent moderate candidate is out.

Ah well, better for the Opposition parties if not for the country.

 

[Robert]

Black Conservatives tend to be thought of as Uncle Toms by the Black community. Or by the Brit-Caribbeans at least. Maybe not so much by the Brit-Africans, don’t know enough of them to say.

The African-Caribbeans also deride Asian Conservatives - think they are kissing the White Man’s backside, like the St Johns and Coopers in Goodness Gracious Me.

 

[shaz619]

Black Conservatives tend to be thought of as Uncle Toms by the Black community. Or by the Brit-Caribbeans at least. Maybe not so much by the Brit-Africans, don’t know enough of them to say.

The African-Caribbeans also deride Asian Conservatives - think they are kissing the White Man’s backside, like the St Johns and Coopers in Goodness Gracious Me.

This is accurate, you surprise me lol

 

[Technics 1210]

So there we have it. Ethnic minorities will not support their own unless they are aligned to their social struggling roots.

Who needs racism from whites when ethnic minorities prevent their own kind from progressing because they disagree and are quite frankly jealous.

 

[Firebat]

So there we have it. Ethnic minorities will not support their own unless they are aligned to their social struggling roots.

Who needs racism from whites when ethnic minorities prevent their own kind from progressing because they disagree and are quite frankly jealous.

Ethnic minorities not blindly supporting the ethnic minority candidate because they disagree with her policies. Truly a disgusting world we live in.

 

[Technics 1210]

Ethnic minorities not blindly supporting the ethnic minority candidate because they disagree with her policies. Truly a disgusting world we live in.

Disgusting world indeed when the same ethnic minorities who disagree with policies cry white privilege. What a crying shame indeed.

 

[MenInG]

Voting closes on penultimate round of Conservative leadership contest

Voting has concluded in the latest round in the Conservative leadership election.

We are due to get results at around 3pm - and one more contender will be knocked out.

The final vote among MPs will take place tomorrow to find the top two candidates.

A winner will then be selected by the Conservative Party membership.

 

[Technics 1210]

If Sunak and snake becomes PM then it will be a sad indictment of UK politics.

 

[Manunited18]

If Sunak and snake becomes PM then it will be a sad indictment of UK politics.

Big if. As it stands sunak loses to any of his three rivals in a vote off to the members.

 

[Technics 1210]

Big if. As it stands sunak loses to any of his three rivals in a vote off to the members.

True, plus Truss & Badenoch votes should head to Penny if either is out.

 

[Manunited18]

True, plus Truss & Badenoch votes should head to Penny if either is out.

Yep.

 

[Technics 1210]

Badenoch eliminated!

 

[MenInG]

Kemi Badenoch has become the latest candidate to be knocked out of the Conservative leadership race.

In the fourth round of voting by Tory MPs, the contenders received the following votes:

Kemi Badenoch - 59
Penny Mordaunt - 92
Rishi Sunak - 118
Liz Truss - 86

There was one spoiled ballot paper and one vote was not cast.

Another vote will take place on Wednesday, which will leave just two candidates remaining.

All eyes will be on where Ms Badenoch's votes go.

The final two will then face a summer of campaigning and hustings before a vote by the wider party membership, with the winner expected to be announced on 5 September.

Earlier this afternoon, the results of a YouGov members poll which was conducted yesterday and today suggested that Ms Badenoch would beat any of the other three candidates in the final head-to-head.

It suggested she would beat Mr Sunak by 56 votes to 34, Ms Mordaunt by 48 votes to 43 and Ms Truss by 46 votes to 43.

Responding to the result of the fourth round ballot, Ms Mordaunt, who received the second highest number of votes said she is now "so nearly across the finish line" and "raring to go".

"This afternoon colleagues once again put their trust in me and I cannot thank them enough," Ms Mordaunt said.

"We are so nearly across the finish line. I am raring to go and excited to put my case to members across the country and win.

"I want to pay tribute to my friend Kemi Badenoch who electrified the leadership contest with her fresh thinking and bold policies.

"She and I both know that the old way of government isn't working as it should. Voters want change and we owe it to them to offer a bold new vision for this country.

"Kemi's passion for this showed and I'm glad she put herself forward to be heard."

A source close to Mr Sunak's campaign reiterated their belief that "only Rishi can beat Starmer" and that the former chancellor "is the candidate the public think would make the best PM".

"Rishi has continued to progress today because he is the candidate with the clearest plan to restore trust, rebuild the economy, reunite the country and because he is best placed to beat Labour at the next election," they said.

"Every poll shows only Rishi can beat Starmer and is the candidate the public think would make the best PM.

"MPs are also recognizing that Rishi has the best experience and plans to deal with the current economic situation.

"Rishi will rebuild our economy by gripping inflation, so we can get our economy growing and unleash the full opportunities of post-Brexit Britain."

The remaining runners will not face each other in a debate that had been planned by Sky News for tonight after Mr Sunak and Ms Truss refused to take part.

Conservative MPs are said to be concerned about the damage the previous debates have done to the image of the party after exposing disagreements and splits between the leading candidates.

The leadership contest was triggered after Boris Johnson announced he would be leaving Downing Street after an avalanche of ministerial resignations over his handling of the Chris Pincher scandal.

He will remain as prime minister until his successor has been named.

 

[shaz619]

Kemi Badenoch has become the latest candidate to be knocked out of the Conservative leadership race.

In the fourth round of voting by Tory MPs, the contenders received the following votes:

Kemi Badenoch - 59
Penny Mordaunt - 92
Rishi Sunak - 118
Liz Truss - 86

There was one spoiled ballot paper and one vote was not cast.

Another vote will take place on Wednesday, which will leave just two candidates remaining.

All eyes will be on where Ms Badenoch's votes go.

The final two will then face a summer of campaigning and hustings before a vote by the wider party membership, with the winner expected to be announced on 5 September.

Earlier this afternoon, the results of a YouGov members poll which was conducted yesterday and today suggested that Ms Badenoch would beat any of the other three candidates in the final head-to-head.

It suggested she would beat Mr Sunak by 56 votes to 34, Ms Mordaunt by 48 votes to 43 and Ms Truss by 46 votes to 43.

Responding to the result of the fourth round ballot, Ms Mordaunt, who received the second highest number of votes said she is now "so nearly across the finish line" and "raring to go".

"This afternoon colleagues once again put their trust in me and I cannot thank them enough," Ms Mordaunt said.

"We are so nearly across the finish line. I am raring to go and excited to put my case to members across the country and win.

"I want to pay tribute to my friend Kemi Badenoch who electrified the leadership contest with her fresh thinking and bold policies.

"She and I both know that the old way of government isn't working as it should. Voters want change and we owe it to them to offer a bold new vision for this country.

"Kemi's passion for this showed and I'm glad she put herself forward to be heard."

A source close to Mr Sunak's campaign reiterated their belief that "only Rishi can beat Starmer" and that the former chancellor "is the candidate the public think would make the best PM".

"Rishi has continued to progress today because he is the candidate with the clearest plan to restore trust, rebuild the economy, reunite the country and because he is best placed to beat Labour at the next election," they said.

"Every poll shows only Rishi can beat Starmer and is the candidate the public think would make the best PM.

"MPs are also recognizing that Rishi has the best experience and plans to deal with the current economic situation.

"Rishi will rebuild our economy by gripping inflation, so we can get our economy growing and unleash the full opportunities of post-Brexit Britain."

The remaining runners will not face each other in a debate that had been planned by Sky News for tonight after Mr Sunak and Ms Truss refused to take part.

Conservative MPs are said to be concerned about the damage the previous debates have done to the image of the party after exposing disagreements and splits between the leading candidates.

The leadership contest was triggered after Boris Johnson announced he would be leaving Downing Street after an avalanche of ministerial resignations over his handling of the Chris Pincher scandal.

He will remain as prime minister until his successor has been named.

Looks like Sunak is all set to be PM, what a moment for the UK, first coloured individual to be PM, it’s heart warming to see both British Pakistanis and Indians to support him [MENTION=137142]JaDed[/MENTION]

 

[Manunited18]

Looks like Sunak is all set to be PM, what a moment for the UK, first coloured individual to be PM, it’s heart warming to see both British Pakistanis and Indians to support him [MENTION=137142]JaDed[/MENTION]

The members oppose of him. Trust will get the vote, which could be equally bad

 

[James]

Oh my word. Who is going to be PM.

They all seem awful.

 

[Robert]

Badenoch had a good shot had she got into the last two as the members like her.

Dear heavens, the thought of Truss as PM. How have we fallen so far, so fast?

 

[Robert]

This is accurate, you surprise me lol

I ain’t as green as I’m cabbage-looking

 

[James]

Dear heavens, the thought of Truss as PM. How have we fallen so far, so fast?

Truss is now the odds on favourite. Likely to beat Mordaunt into the Final Two by hoovering up pro Badenoch MPs, and then more popular with the grassroots members than Sunak due to her Continuity Johnsonism, state school education & selection box of right wing views. SOS UK

 

[Manunited18]

So looks as though Thatchers second coming! We're in deep ****

 

[Firebat]

Truss may get the job now but will probably be easy work for Starmer in the GE.

 

[Robert]

So looks as though Thatchers second coming! We're in deep ****

I didn’t like Thatcher but she had brains, skills and international respect.

Truss will make us even more of a laughing stock than Johnson.

And in charge of our nuclear deterrent. Dear gawd.

 

[James]

Would rather have Sunak than Truss.

And I don’t really like Sunak.

 

[Technics 1210]

Mordaunt out.

 

[dildilpak]

Truss will be like Boris Johnson 2.0.

 

[MenInG]

Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss will go head-to-head to become the next leader of the Conservative Party after Penny Mordaunt became the latest candidate to be knocked out of the contest.

In the fifth and final round of voting by Tory MPs, the leadership contenders received the following support:

Penny Mordaunt - 105
Rishi Sunak - 137
Liz Truss - 113

The former chancellor and the foreign secretary finished in the top two places after five rounds of voting by Tory MPs.

Ms Mordaunt had been second in all previous rounds of voting, but a late surge by Ms Truss cost her a place on the ballot, with just eight votes separating the pair.

The foreign secretary gained 27 votes, Mr Sunak put on 19 while Ms Mordaunt could only gained an extra 13 supporters.

There were two spoiled ballots and one individual did not vote.

 

[Technics 1210]

The two worst possible candidates.

Sunak the snake, vs Truss the incompetent warmonger.

It will literally be a case of lesser of 2 evils.

 

[James]

Truss is a far right wing poundshop Thatcher.

Sunak is the lesser of two evils here.

 

[James]

<b>Tories brace for ‘nastiest’ leadership campaign in party’s history</b>

<I>Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak expected to launch personal attacks as they go for win or bust in race to become prime minister</I>

The identity of Britain’s next prime minister remains in the balance but, with the contenders whittled down to the final two, one thing seems certain: the Tories are entering the “nastiest” leadership campaign in their history.

A combination of ingredients, including a disconnect between MPs and party members, a win or bust scenario for both contenders and personal animosity between them, have cooked up a noxious stew that will be brought to the boil over the next six weeks.

Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss may have called a temporary truce on Tuesday by pulling out of a scheduled television debate, but their supporters concede they are likely to spend the summer tearing lumps out of each other in 12 regional hustings events.

“It’s got nasty because the race is so tight,” said one supporter of Ms Truss. “There isn’t a clear favourite at this stage, so they are both convinced they can win.”

It will be a battle of ideology, policy and personality, with Mr Sunak, the prudent, centrist, polished public schoolboy against Ms Truss, the tax-cutting, Right-wing, robotic Yorkshire lass.

The two have already committed enough blue-on-blue attacks to last Labour through to the next election.

Mr Sunak has dismissed his opponent’s “something for nothing” tax-cutting pledges as “fairytale” economics and attacked her past as a Remainer and a former Liberal Democrat. Ms Truss, who went to a comprehensive school, has attacked the former chancellor’s privileged education at Winchester College and accused him of leading the country into a recession.

Mr Sunak is reported to have turned to Ms Truss after the latest television debate and asked: “Why are we doing this?” However, he is unlikely to hold back once the membership hustings events begin.

Team Sunak believe their man will do better in the hustings events because of his camera-ready delivery, force of argument and greater experience, and that Ms Truss will come across as wooden and naive.

But he is the underdog, with polls of members suggesting they prefer the Foreign Secretary, meaning Mr Sunak has to use every means at his disposal to overhaul the current bookies’ favourite.

One person who is already helping him from the sidelines is Dominic Cummings, the former Number 10 adviser who helped unseat Boris Johnson with “Dom bombs” about partygate. He now has Ms Truss in his sights, and has dubbed her “the human hand grenade” because “she blows up all she touches”.

Mr Cummings has suggested that Boris Johnson wants her to win the contest because: “He knows Truss is mad as a box of snakes and is thinking ‘there’s a chance she blows, there’s another contest and I can return’.”

In his blog, he said she had been guilty of “compulsive pathological leaking” which “caused chaos and damaged the UK”. Previous experience suggests that Mr Cummings will make sure that plenty of other damaging stories about Ms Truss make it into the public domain.

Ms Truss, aware of her own shortcomings, has already felt the need to say she is not the slickest performer. Without the charisma of a Boris Johnson or even a Rory Stewart, she has no choice but to attack her opponent’s record and compare his policies to socialism.

One source in the Truss camp said: “Both of them have quite a few problems when it comes to winning over the membership.

“An awful lot of members are very cross that Boris is gone, so there isn’t a huge amount of affection for either candidate. It means they have got to work harder than normal to win over the membership.

“Rishi isn’t liked because he is regarded by the members as a high-tax chancellor, so he is retaliating with personal attacks on Liz, such as asking whether she had greater regrets about voting Remain or being a former Lib Dem, which was astonishingly pointed.

“I can remember attending hustings events with Boris and Jeremy Hunt, and they were both very polite to each other, and the same with Cameron and David Davis. But this is different. You do feel the needle between them and I’m afraid it’s going to be a tough campaign with a lot of personal remarks.”

When Mr Johnson and Mr Hunt went head-to-head three years ago, there was never any real doubt that Mr Johnson was going to win. Mr Hunt needed to avoid all-out warfare in order to protect his future chances of making it back into the Cabinet, which he might still do.

In the current contest, there is little or no chance of either candidate giving the other a job in their government and neither is likely to run again, unlike Mr Hunt - meaning it is win or bust for both of them.

Mr Sunak, in particular, is widely expected to quit Parliament at the next election if he loses. Ms Truss - who has served in the Cabinet for an unbroken run of eight years, running four departments - believes her time has come. To her, Mr Sunak is a newcomer, with just three years’ Cabinet experience. She used to introduce him at events as the new face of the Right, but surely did not sign up to the younger man overtaking her while she was in her prime.

Another factor gives the contest added bite. Mr Sunak has consistently been the choice of MPs to be the next prime minister and got 137 votes in the final round to Ms Truss’s 113. He feels he has won the argument and is the natural choice for the top job. But Ms Truss is preferred by the members - so far at least - meaning she, too, feels the job should be hers.

The last time a similar scenario occurred was in 2001, long before the days of social media, when Lord Clarke was the MPs’ choice - albeit only marginally - but was comprehensively beaten by Iain Duncan Smith in the members’ ballot.

Boris Johnson won the backing of both MPs and members in 2019, Theresa May was the runaway winner of the 2016 leadership election - even before Andrea Leadsom withdrew - and in 2005 David Cameron had a commanding lead with MPs and trounced Mr Davis in the members’ ballot. Before 2001, members did not have a say, so the conflict never arose.

The recriminations from the Penny Mordaunt camp are already under way, with dark murmurings about Ms Truss’s team helping to brief out negative stories about her to the media - denied by the Truss camp - which could have made the difference to the final result. Ms Mordaunt finished on 105 votes, missing out by just eight votes.

Plenty of members wanted Ms Mordaunt to be the next Tory leader, or even Kemi Badenoch - meaning that neither Mr Sunak nor Ms Truss will be the first choice for them.

Mr Sunak also has another formidable opponent - Boris Johnson. In a proxy war with Mr Cummings, Number 10 will be doing everything it can behind the scenes to steer members towards loyalist “continuity Boris” candidate Ms Truss, rather than the man who triggered the Prime Minister’s downfall by resigning.

In an undisguised dig at Mr Sunak at his final Prime Minister’s Questions, Mr Johnson told his successor to “focus on the road ahead but always remember to check the rear view mirror”. He also said that if prime ministers had always listened to the Treasury, “we wouldn’t have built the M25 or the Channel Tunnel”.

The clear message - Mr Sunak is a backstabber who was a brake on progress.

If Mr Johnson, still beloved of so many Conservative Party members, were to publicly endorse Ms Truss, it would be the ultimate act of revenge in a contest that needs no extra fuel to catch fire.

DT

 

[Technics 1210]

Truss is a far right wing poundshop Thatcher.

Sunak is the lesser of two evils here.

) Brilliant! Poundshop Thatcher!

Thatcher was next gen.

 

[Robert]

Truss has got it.

A perilous time - someone who is frankly highly inflexible and not that right in charge of GB’s nuclear deterrent in a conflict situation.

Ah well, it will be easier for Labour to win in ‘24.

 

[Technics 1210]

UK’s nuclear deterrent is controlled by Amreeka. Plus why boast or moan about UK’s military power when you have NATO.

Uncle Sam will come to the rescue, or at least this is what the uncle has promised; it gets worse, Trump could be in power 2024.

 

[JaDed]

Looks like Sunak is all set to be PM, what a moment for the UK, first coloured individual to be PM, it’s heart warming to see both British Pakistanis and Indians to support him [MENTION=137142]JaDed[/MENTION]

Supporting Penny here she even worked on Bush’s campaign

On a serious note it shows Conservatives have hardly anyone to back, if Labour party misses this chance during next elections then they deserve to lose.

 

[Technics 1210]

Supporting Penny here she even worked on Bush’s campaign

On a serious note it shows Conservatives have hardly anyone to back, if Labour party misses this chance during next elections then they deserve to lose.

Labour failed to capitalise on council elections of late when Boris and his popularity were in the dumps. Sadly the LD gains were greater.

 

[JaDed]

Labour failed to capitalise on council elections of late when Boris and his popularity were in the dumps. Sadly the LD gains were greater.

Political age of extremes, very similar to 1912-1939 era this wrt multiple narratives going around.

 

[Robert]

Political age of extremes, very similar to 1912-1939 era this wrt multiple narratives going around.

Social media and Brexit have polarised us and split the country, perhaps literally if Scotland leaves and Ireland reunifies.

I’m not seeing a British Union of Fascists - unless it is now part of the Tory party. This government certainly embodies some elements of fascism.

A lot of soft blue voters went orange in May and there have been big protest votes in by-elections.
Whether they will break blue again under Sunak or Truss remains to be seen. Much depends on whether Johnson’s successor continues his egregious behaviour - the disregard for the constitution, the continual lying - which made soft Tory voters look at the Lib Dems.

 

[shortbread]

Truss may get the job now but will probably be easy work for Starmer in the GE.

That's the only positive of Truss being PM, it enlivens the opposition. I don't think Truss is a bad person per se, just clueless. Spends more time looking the part than doing the job well.

Travelled all the way to Russia, simply for a photo op and for an excuse to say 'I stared right at Lavrov'. She had no point being there and UK has zero leverage over Russia. But it's the sort of headlines that sells well to the gullible public. Like that's how bilateral talks are done, by staring down rivals!

That incident is a synopsis for Truss, all show, no go.

 

[Varun]

The process to find the replacement seems to be taking longer than the average tenure of a UK PM being in office lol.

 

[Technics 1210]

Liz Truss tells the Today programme she was "wrong" to back Remain in the 2016 EU referendum

 

[Robert]

The process to find the replacement seems to be taking longer than the average tenure of a UK PM being in office lol.

Well, it’s been about three weeks so far. Johnson was on power for two and a half years, May for three, Cameron for six.

 

[MenInG]

The final two runners in the race to be the next prime minister will begin a summer of campaigning today in an effort to convince Conservative party members they are the right candidate for the job.

Former Chancellor Rishi Sunak and Foreign Secretary Liz Truss made it onto the ballot paper on Wednesday after their remaining rival, Penny Mordaunt, was knocked out of the contest.

Now they will kick off six weeks of hustings by facing questions from Tory councillors at a closed event in Westminster, before heading around the country to make their case to the membership in appearances that will be streamed online.

Sky News has also announced it will hold a live TV debate between Mr Sunak and Ms Truss on Thursday 4 August, hosted by Kay Burley.

Conservative Party chairman and Tory MP Andrew Stephenson, who is organising the election, said: "At such an important time for our nation, we are conscious that the Conservatives are not just choosing a new leader but also the next prime minister, and it's a responsibility we take very seriously."

There were five rounds of voting by Tory MPs to narrow the field to the last two candidates, and Mr Sunak came out top in every one - getting support from 137 members on Wednesday.

SKY

 

[Technics 1210]

Truss rubbishes comparison to Thatcher

In her Today interview, Truss pushes back on the suggestion she's modelling herself on former PM Margaret Thatcher.

Truss says she's "her own person", from a "very different background", before referencing the fact she went to a comprehensive school and "grew up in Yorkshire" (unlike Thatcher, who grew up in Lincolnshire).

It comes after photographs went viral last week, showing Truss wearing an almost identical white silk shirt to one Thatcher once wore.

 

[shaz619]

I didn’t like Thatcher but she had brains, skills and international respect.

Truss will make us even more of a laughing stock than Johnson.

And in charge of our nuclear deterrent. Dear gawd.

Would rather have Sunak than Truss.

And I don’t really like Sunak.

Sunak is of the view we need to tackle inflation hence the rise in tax, while Truss wants to cut NI I believe to encourage more growth during these dire straits. What do you guys think is the best approach out of the two ?

 

[shaz619]

Supporting Penny here she even worked on Bush’s campaign

On a serious note it shows Conservatives have hardly anyone to back, if Labour party misses this chance during next elections then they deserve to lose.

The opposition is not as strong as it could be, having said that, wouldn’t rule out a hung parliament to get the Tories out. The country has been through some of its worst crisis in history but the Tories have always found a way to stay in government, but as some of the candidates have already said during this leadership contest, the next GE wont be about Jeremy Corbyn or Brexit and possibly not Covid to (hopefully). It is pretty crap that there are poor leaders across the board really

 

[Technics 1210]

Sunak is a *****. He was investigate for fraud when he was in investment banking.

Raising taxes will not help drive down inflation because the inflation we are seeing is not through demand but through high commodity prices.

 

[Manunited18]

Sunak is a *****. He was investigate for fraud when he was in investment banking.

Raising taxes will not help drive down inflation because the inflation we are seeing is not through demand but through high commodity prices.

Yep. Poverty will increase tenfold under this clown, the political spectrum must be dire if a guy who has so much to answer for is in a position to be the next PM!

 

[Technics 1210]

Yep. Poverty will increase tenfold under this clown, the political spectrum must be dire if a guy who has so much to answer for is in a position to be the next PM!

I miss Boris already, he may have been a clown, but he was on the right track pushing #11 for tax cuts!

Oh well, you don't know what you got till its gone!

 

[MenInG]

Liz Truss extends lead against Rishi Sunak in latest poll of Tory members

Liz Truss has extended her lead among Tory members over Rishi Sunak as the final stage of the race for Number 10 gets under way.

A YouGov poll taken on Wednesday evening and Thursday morning found the foreign secretary would beat the former chancellor by 62% to 38% among those who would vote. This is a 24 percentage point lead, up from a 20 point lead two days previously.

This is significant because on Tuesday, when the last poll was published, the Sunak campaign had argued they had a degree of momentum and were closing the gap, but this poll reverses that trend.

The latest poll found 15% said they do not know how they would vote.

Truss beats Sunak in every age category, among men and women and among those who voted Brexit. The only category where Sunak beats Truss is among 2016 Remain voters. This is a striking reverse given Truss supported remain during the referendum while Sunak campaigned for Brexit.

This marks a remarkable turnaround for Mr Sunak who was the frontrunner during the five rounds of MP voting but polling suggests now is the underdog with the Tory membership.

Truss's lead is smaller than the one enjoyed by Boris Johnson over Jeremy Hunt in the last Tory leadership contest in 2019, when he was 74% to 26% at the start of the race and went on to win 66% to 34%.

The poll also lays bare the divide inside the Conservative Party. Some 18% say Truss cannot be trusted but 40% say Sunak cannot be trusted, while 42% say Sunak would be a poor leader while 31% say Truss would be a poor leader.

This suggests Sunak would struggle to unite the party after the leadership contest is over. This result also suggests the attacks by Nadine Dorries and Jacob Rees-Mogg and parts of the media are rubbing off on the Tory membership.

YouGov interviewed 730 Conservative Party members on Wednesday night and Thursday morning.

SKY

 

[Robert]

Sunak is of the view we need to tackle inflation hence the rise in tax, while Truss wants to cut NI I believe to encourage more growth during these dire straits. What do you guys think is the best approach out of the two ?

Neither. Cutting taxes will just mean more service cuts. Cutting NI means old age pensions will fall and more poverty.

I would temporarily offer loans to business to get them to take on staff, like Obama did in the wake of the 2008 crash, to create more corporation tax revenue.

And rejoin the Single Market at the first opportunity, or negotiate a better free trade deal with the EU. Get trading with the richest market in the world again, at pre-Brexit levels.

 

[Technics 1210]

EU single market is not the richest. This is an outright lie. Proven by the fact the economic growth in the EU/Eurozone is less than the UK, and by the fact some EU members have negative rates, and EU has the highest unemployment amongst the youth demographic within the G20.

Do not believe the hype.

 

[KingKhanWC]

I wrote before she even entered the race, Liz Truss has a great chance.

Its pretty easy to figure out the UK political scence. War is the agenda atm, so the best warmonger which is Truss is the one for the elite. Unless Rishi makes promises to fund the war with more billions of borrowing.

At least with Pakistan you know the devil you see but in the UK the devil is hidden in this circus called democracy.

 

[Manunited18]

I wrote before she even entered the race, Liz Truss has a great chance.

Its pretty easy to figure out the UK political scence. War is the agenda atm, so the best warmonger which is Truss is the one for the elite. Unless Rishi makes promises to fund the war with more billions of borrowing.

At least with Pakistan you know the devil you see but in the UK the devil is hidden in this circus called democracy.

Lol, democracy

 

[Technics 1210]

I wrote before she even entered the race, Liz Truss has a great chance.

Its pretty easy to figure out the UK political scence. War is the agenda atm, so the best warmonger which is Truss is the one for the elite. Unless Rishi makes promises to fund the war with more billions of borrowing.

At least with Pakistan you know the devil you see but in the UK the devil is hidden in this circus called democracy.

Nail. Head. Hammer.

It was Truss who encouraged brits to fight with Ukraine; so far, those that did, ended up with the death sentence, but what do the powers to be care? As long as there is a war, there is an economy, and more importantly, votes from a public that supports war - except on its doorstep.

 

[Manunited18]

Nail. Head. Hammer.

It was Truss who encouraged brits to fight with Ukraine; so far, those that did, ended up with the death sentence, but what do the powers to be care? As long as there is a war, there is an economy, and more importantly, votes from a public that supports war - except on its doorstep.

True. The patriotism for war is unshakeable, and it's a very strong tool for votes which is leading to ludicrous polices.

 

[James]

<b>Why Liz Truss’s campaign is winning</b>

Liz Truss may have been a Remainer but she has learned the political lesson of the EU referendum in the way that her genuine Brexiter opponent has seemingly failed to do.

The point is that in today’s milieu, and especially with an electorate of 160,000 largely Brexit-supporting Tory members, power is with the insurgent.

In pinning her colours to at least £30 billion of immediate tax cuts, against Sunak’s steady-as-we-go no-tax-cuts-till-prudent mantra, she has defined herself as the crusader against alleged stultifying Treasury orthodoxy.

Every time a credible economist accuses her of risking financial ruin - by pushing up national debt and inflation - all she has to do is whisper “there they go again, the spineless establishment, refusing to take the risks that will restart Britain’s economic motor”.

And as and when big business stands up and expresses anxiety, they would just paint her even more firmly on the side of the little people - even if in reality it is the little people who have most to lose from rampant inflation.

We’re in a world where logic, facts and economic history do mot have the power they once had. Economists and experts remain a discredited class.

So when Sunak sniggers about her Remainer and Lib Democrat past, as he did in the ITV debate, she just implies “I’ve owned up to my mistakes, but you actually put up national insurance and corporation tax and you’re still defending that”.

The Brexiters won the argument in 2016 because they understood the power of saying “we offer hope, the other side offer fear and establishment-protecting caution”.

That argument, reworked, is Truss’s. And given that she and Sunak agree on pretty much everything else of substance, it is perhaps unsurprising that Sunak has so far failed to graze her with a counter punch.

And for him the fight could be over far too soon: within a matter of only days Tory members will be able to send in their votes.

https://www.itv.com/news/2022-07-22/why-liz-trusss-campaign-is-winning

 

[shortbread]

Both are bad, but Truss will make the country look stupid as well.

 

[KingKhanWC]

Nail. Head. Hammer.

It was Truss who encouraged brits to fight with Ukraine; so far, those that did, ended up with the death sentence, but what do the powers to be care? As long as there is a war, there is an economy, and more importantly, votes from a public that supports war - except on its doorstep.

Both are bad, but Truss will make the country look stupid as well.

Truss is very dangerous, also clever in how she moves on from criticism.

Her role as PM will be to keep European leaders on their toes against Russia. Truss wasnt considered to even be runner very early on but she must have got a phone call, rushed back to join the leadership race. She wore an outfit similar to Thatchers, as some sort of initiation ritual and also to show the elites who their new puppet would be .

I wouldnt be surprised if this idiotic woman does the unthinkable of sending in British special forces into some parts of Ukraine. But more likley she will allow inflation, job losses etc to continue as defeating Russia is more important than feeding your own population.

Under Boris rule during the pandemic, the government upgraded their bunker with an extra £9 million.

 

[MenInG]

Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss are ramping up their campaigns for the Conservative leadership this weekend, announcing new policies to tackle NHS backlogs and scrap EU laws if they become prime minister.

First up, the former chancellor, who will promise to make cutting NHS waiting lists his "number one public service priority" if he wins the contest.

A record 6.5 million were waiting for a routine NHS hospital treatment in June - the highest number since records began 15 years ago.

The number of people waiting for more than a year for hospital treatment is almost 200 times higher than before the pandemic, with 300,000 in the queue at the end of February this year - compared to 2020 when that figure was below 2,000.

In a speech in Grantham - the birthplace of former Conservative prime minister, Margaret Thatcher - Mr Sunak will pledge to create a "vaccine style taskforce" to "cut bureaucracy and waste, and drive radical reforms".

He will say he would "eliminate one year waits" by September 2024 - six months earlier than the current government target - and ensure everyone who has been waiting more than 18 weeks for a procedure is contacted by their trust within 100 days.

And in his "war footing" NHS plan, he will also promise to deliver 200 community diagnostics hubs by March 2024, offering things like MRI and CT scans, expand testing at home, and help patients choose their own appointment times.

Mr Sunak is expected to say: "Already many people are using money they can't really afford to go private. That is privatisation by the back door, and it's wrong.

"People shouldn't have to make a choice with a gun to their head. If we do not immediately set in train a radically different approach, the NHS will come under unsustainable pressure and break."

But staff are already feeling the strain from the pandemic and there are vacancies across the board, with Labour warning the government needed a plan to "tackle the workforce crisis" in the service if it wants to cut waiting times.

Meanwhile, in her latest policy pitch, Ms Truss promised a "red tape bonfire" of EU laws, pledging to review all the rules retained in the UK post-Brexit by the end of 2023.

The foreign secretary says she will then scrap or replace those which she believes damage economic growth to "encourage business investment" and "make the most of our new-found freedoms outside of the EU" - echoing promises by Boris Johnson.

Ms Truss insisted she was the "best candidate to deliver on the opportunities of Brexit", adding: "EU regulations hinder our businesses and this has to change.

"In Downing Street, I will seize the chance to diverge from outdated EU law and frameworks and capitalise on the opportunities we have ahead of us".

Mr Sunak has already pledged to appoint a Brexit minister to go through the retained laws if he wins the contest.

He said they would be instructed to come forward with initial recommendations for rules to be scrapped or changed within 100 days of the former chancellor taking office.

There are currently more than 2,000 pieces of legislation that the UK has retained since leaving the EU, and Brexit opportunities minister Jacob Rees-Mogg had pledged to axe all the remaining laws by 2026.

But TUC general secretary Frances O'Grady said the leadership candidates' "cynical and reckless proposals threaten hard-won workers' rights".

She added: "Holiday pay, equal pay for women and men, safe limits on working hours and parental leave are just a few of the rights underpinned by retained EU law. These are all essential - not a nice to have.

"Let's call this out for what it is - ideological posturing at the expense of ordinary working people."

SKY

 

[James]

Liz Truss to accuse Rishi Sunak of being soft on Russia and China

The Foreign Secretary, who has a commanding lead in polls, believes foreign policy and national security are 'winners' for her

Liz Truss has opened a new front in her battle with Rishi Sunak for the Tory leadership as her supporters accused the former chancellor of being “soft” on Russia and China.

The Foreign Secretary will portray herself as a “hawk” and Mr Sunak as a “dove” as she seeks to broaden her appeal beyond her main policy promise of tax-cutting.

A briefing war between the two candidates has already begun, with supporters of Ms Truss accusing Mr Sunak of being overly cautious about sanctions with Russia and pushing for increased trade with China even in the face of growing human rights abuses.

Ms Truss, who has built a commanding lead in polls of Conservative Party members - who will choose the next leader and prime minister - believes foreign policy and national security are “winners” for her, and is expected to use forthcoming hustings events to contrast her wide ministerial experience with Mr Sunak’s single-department Cabinet career.

Supporters of Mr Sunak point out that it was under his stewardship of the Treasury that Britain imposed tough sanctions on Russia following the invasion of Ukraine, and that he has insisted China’s human rights abuses cannot be ignored in UK-China economic relations. They say he will be talking “much more” about the issues in the coming week.

Many MPs believe Ms Truss already has an unassailable lead in the leadership race, but her campaign team is taking nothing for granted, and they believe foreign policy is one of her strong points, as well as being one of Mr Sunak’s weaknesses.

They are aware that Mr Sunak, the better media performer, may have the more statesmanlike demeanour in the eyes of many Tory members, but will counter that by attacking him over foreign policy and saying Ms Truss will be “ready from day one” to tackle the twin threats of Russia and China.

One ally of the Foreign Secretary said: “Liz is the one who has the experience, the credibility and the resolve when it comes to Ukraine and China, which puts her at the hawkish end of the party, while Rishi is more at the dovish end. It’s a bit of a winner for us.

“Liz’s pitch is that this is a more dangerous time than at any point since the Cold War and she can put Britain in a leadership role on the world stage.

“She has called out China for using economics as a coercive tactic against other countries in a way that harms Britain and she raised this at the G7 summit. She doesn’t think we should cut off ties to China, but she wants to recalibrate, to diversify supply chains and make sure Commonwealth countries don’t become client states of Beijing. I don’t think Rishi is quite in that space - he still harks back to the ‘golden era’ of trade with China that David Cameron and George Osborne wanted, and has taken softer positions.

“On banking sanctions against Russia, the Treasury under Rishi was reluctant to move as quickly as Boris and Liz wanted. The Treasury was very backward-leaning when it came to banning Russian banks from the Swift system (Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication).

“The default setting for the Treasury is to be cautious and only think about the maths, but sometimes you have to take tough decisions. There’s no point having a prime minister or a chancellor who is just a spokesman for Treasury officials.”

Ms Truss has consistently said that Russia must pull out of the whole of Ukraine - including Crimea - before sanctions can be fully lifted.

James Cleverly, the Education Secretary and former foreign office minister who is also a Lieutenant Colonel in the Territorial Army and is backing Ms Truss, told The Telegraph: “I was in the Foreign Office when she came in and gave real clarity on these issues. She said that pushing back on Chinese economic activity was absolutely the right thing to do, because while it would have some economic implications for Britain, a failure to grip the problem would have even worse consequences in future, as well as geopolitical implications.

“It was the same with Russia. She was adamant that we had to go very hard on sanctions very, very early and that would inevitably put economic pressure on us but we had to be at the forefront of that so that we could persuade European neighbours like Germany, who are more dependent on Russia, that they had to go further.”

Earlier this month there was uncomfortable reading for Mr Sunak when the Global Times, China’s largest state-run tabloid newspaper, praised him for his “pragmatic view” on strengthening trade links with the country.

In 2021, he used his Mansion House speech to the City of London to call for a more “nuanced” approach to trade with China, and spoke of “realising the potential of a fast-growing financial services market with total assets worth £40 trillion”.

Last December, Mr Sunak asked Treasury officials to revive the UK-China Economic and Financial Dialogue, which had been suspended for two years because of tensions over Hong Kong and Covid.

He formally agreed to hold the trade talks on a telephone call with Chinese Vice-Premier Hu Chunhua, and a source said at the time the decision represented a "complete sea change" in relations with Beijing.

Critics said a summit would be wrong in the face of diplomatic rows over the telecoms equipment maker Huawei and continuing human rights abuses in Xinjiang province. In the event, the summit was cancelled after China imposed sanctions on seven MPs, including Tom Tugendhat and Iain Duncan Smith.

Mr Sunak has also faced questions about potential conflicts of interest between British foreign policy and his wife’s business interests.

Mr Sunak’s wife, Akshata Murty, owns a £700 million stake in Infosys, which was founded by her father, and which employs 3,300 people in China through a subsidiary. Infosys also continued to operate in Russia after the invasion of Ukraine, but has since pulled out.

Supporters of Mr Sunak say the Truss camp has mischaracterised his response to China and Russia, and also said he would take a tougher stance as prime minister than as chancellor, a job in which he had to focus more on the economic effects of foreign policy.

One source within the Sunak campaign said: “All the sanctions that were put in place against Russia, like freezing assets, were put in place by the Treasury and Rishi was instrumental in making those sanctions happen.

“He gave the Ministry of Defence the biggest uplift in spending since the Cold War, and even before he was an MP he was writing about the threat from Russia to our undersea cables.

“He is incredibly firm on the need to make sure any economic relationship with China does not endanger national security, and his view is that there should be no compromise on economic grounds when the values we share are not being followed by other countries.”

Bob Stewart MP, who is backing Mr Sunak and is a retired Army Colonel who has a degree in international politics, said: “He isn’t one for the big showpiece like sitting on top of a tank, but I don’t think for one moment he is in any way weak on China or Russia.

“Liz Truss is Foreign Secretary and that means she has a different job from someone who is chancellor. It is far more difficult being chancellor than being Foreign Secretary, particularly at this time.

“If Rishi was to become leader, and I very much hope that happens, he will be far more balanced and concentrated on foreign affairs than he was able to be as chancellor. He is a highly intelligent man and his logic and his analysis of the situation will put him in a strong position.”

Rishi Sunak remains wedded to the economic policy he pursued as chancellor, but the subject of foreign affairs gives him a chance to show that prime minister Sunak would not be the same man as chancellor Sunak.

Foreign policy is comfortable ground for Liz Truss. She is, after all, the serving Foreign Secretary, and has been undeniably hawkish when it comes to Russia and China, which will play well with Conservative Party members in the ongoing leadership race.

In order to overtake the woman who is favourite to be the next prime minister, Mr Sunak must, among other things, show Tory members that he is prepared to be tougher than he has been in the past when it comes to standing up to our enemies.

His supporters argue that when he was chancellor, he had a duty to point out the economic risks of bold foreign policies, in order for the Prime Minister to be able to come to an informed decision on issues such as sanctions.

But as prime minister, Mr Sunak would be freed from the shackles of Treasury caution, and those same supporters are confident he would show the courage that is needed when it comes to dealing with foreign aggressors.

Boris Johnson trod a similar path on his journey from Mayor of London to Foreign Secretary to Prime Minister: an instinctive Sinophile, Mr Johnson inherited one of the most pro-Chinese countries in western Europe when he entered Downing Street, and called China a “great and rising power”. He had to change tack and take a tough line on Huawei by ordering all of the Chinese firm’s technology to be stripped from the UK’s 5G infrastructure, then stood up to Beijing by offering three million citizens of Hong Kong the chance to live in Britain in response to China’s security crackdown, which broke the terms of the 1997 handover agreement.

Mr Johnson was reacting to events, but Mr Sunak has a chance to get on the front foot this week by toughening his stance on China and Russia, something his campaign team has suggested he will do.

Voters may be preoccupied with the cost of living crisis, but Russia and China will remain problems long after that has been resolved, with long-term implications for the economy, national security and the supply of everything from fuel to food and consumer goods.

Mr Sunak believes he, not Ms Truss, is the only candidate who can beat Sir Keir Starmer at the next election. In order to prove it, he must convince Tory members that his statesmanlike manner has substance behind the style.

DT

 

[Robert]

Liz Truss to accuse Rishi Sunak of being soft on Russia and China

The Foreign Secretary, who has a commanding lead in polls, believes foreign policy and national security are 'winners' for her

After she was made to look stupid by the Russian foreign minister.

 

[MenInG]

Snap poll shows 50% of Tory members felt Truss performed best last night

A snap poll of 507 Conservative Party members who watched the TV debate last night shows 50% felt Liz Truss performed the best.

In contrast, the poll by YouGov shows just 39% of party members felt Rishi Sunak delivered a better performance.

Getting into the details more, 19% of those polled thought Mr Sunak came across as in touch with ordinary people - compared with 63% for Ms Truss.

Some 51% thought the foreign secretary was more trustworthy, with 37% choosing Mr Sunak.

But when it came to who was more prime ministerial, Mr Sunak narrowly beat Ms Truss with 43% against her 42%.

Our political correspondent Ali Fortescue says the poll "does not make good reading" for Mr Sunak and there is "no sign" he is catching his rival up.

However, she says the former chancellor does seem to be doing better among some of the younger members of the Tory party.

 

[MenInG]

Debate will not continue tonight

TalkTV has released a statement confirming that presenter Kate McCann fainted on air tonight.

"Although she is fine, the medical advice was that we shouldn't continue with the debate," the broadcaster said.

"We apologise to our viewers and listeners."

Although we will no longer be covering the debate, our live politics coverage will continue here.

 

[MenInG]

After the ill-tempered exchanges of the BBC debate between Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss, the Sun's "showdown" has felt much less fiery.

Mr Sunak even uses his one question at the beginning of the debate to his rival to wish her a happy birthday, which seems to take her by surprise.

But the Sun debate quickly covers an issue ignored in the BBC debate, the NHS. The first audience question is from John in Birmingham, a cancer patient, who asks angrily: "Why is the NHS broken?"

Liz Truss says she wants to see fewer layers of management. Mr Sunak says using innovation and tech is the solution to improving services.

Then to the cost of living and Gemma, an audience member from Manchester, asks whether she should go vegetarian because the cost of living crisis has stretched budgets so far.

Mr Sunak returns to his well-rehearsed answer about grappling inflation as a means of getting the economy back on track, but does suggest that holding supermarkets to account for price rises is something he would look at as prime minister.

Ms Truss pledges to cut red tape for farmers and increase the production of homegrown food. But she can't resist a swipe at Sunak, calling his recent tax rises "morally wrong".

Neither candidate suggests people should turn to vegetarianism as a solution to the cost of living crisis, however - probably keeping in mind Tory party members in the shires who will soon be voting!

 

[Saj]

Looks like it's going to be Truss with Sunak's popularity dwindling according to reports.

Will we ever see a coloured PM in the UK?

 

[James]

Looks like it's going to be Truss with Sunak's popularity dwindling according to reports.

Will we ever see a coloured PM in the UK?

Truss is growing in confidence as this contest goes on. She is doing a commanding job.

We will see a PM of colour one day. Just not Sunak. He has burned through his goodwill with the public and simply isn’t popular anymore.

 

[Manunited18]

Sunak poked a hornets nest when back stabbing Johnson, who is hugely popular with conservative members, also the u-turns in his policies in these debates clearly shows he's rattled.

 

[James]

Sunak poked a hornets nest when back stabbing Johnson, who is hugely popular with conservative members, also the u-turns in his policies in these debates clearly shows he's rattled.

There has also been the debates. In the BBC one Sunak was being rude and aggressive towards Truss, who brushed it off and carried on. Then in the TalkTV one, the presenter collapsed and Truss went over to help her. Truss has looked more prime ministerial than Sunak. Like you say he is now scrambling over policy and trying to change direction. He’s blown it.

 

[Technics 1210]

Sunak poked a hornets nest when back stabbing Johnson, who is hugely popular with conservative members, also the u-turns in his policies in these debates clearly shows he's rattled.

Yup, his pledge to reduce VAT to zero temporarily on energy bills after the BBC debate is seen as a ‘screeching’ u-turn for someone who has repeatedly rejected tax cuts, and more importantly rejected a VAT reduction to 0 on energy bills earlier in the year.

He’s getting desperate, but no one, not even the Tories, wants to side with a snake.

 

[KingKhanWC]

There has also been the debates. In the BBC one Sunak was being rude and aggressive towards Truss, who brushed it off and carried on. Then in the TalkTV one, the presenter collapsed and Truss went over to help her. Truss has looked more prime ministerial than Sunak. Like you say he is now scrambling over policy and trying to change direction. He’s blown it.

It was great acting scene set up for exactly this reason.

Truss is well trained in not answering questions and avoiding them. This woman told Brits to go over to Ukraine to fight but after some were caught, she never acknowledged them.

I dont follow UK politics closely but it was clear it a warmonger like Truss was needed. Its not a good sign meaning more conflicts are on the way.

There was also talk of Boris being given Chief of NAto job.

With Truss, Biden and Boris leading the charge, Russians must be laughing on the floor.

 

[Technics 1210]

It was great acting scene set up for exactly this reason.

Truss is well trained in not answering questions and avoiding them. This woman told Brits to go over to Ukraine to fight but after some were caught, she never acknowledged them.

I dont follow UK politics closely but it was clear it a warmonger like Truss was needed. Its not a good sign meaning more conflicts are on the way.

There was also talk of Boris being given Chief of NAto job.

With Truss, Biden and Boris leading the charge, Russians must be laughing on the floor.

Very good point. Putin is no doubt taking advantage of a politically weak West, decentralised West, disunited West - all down to Liberal Democracy, a tried and tested failure of a system.

 

[Robert]

There has also been the debates. In the BBC one Sunak was being rude and aggressive towards Truss, who brushed it off and carried on. Then in the TalkTV one, the presenter collapsed and Truss went over to help her. Truss has looked more prime ministerial than Sunak. Like you say he is now scrambling over policy and trying to change direction. He’s blown it.

Now Tugendhat has come out in support of Truss. That disappoints me - I thought he was The Good Tory, but in the modern Conservative Party I don’t believe such a thing exists.

Probably Truss offered him Defence Secretary.

He’s playing the long game.

 

[James]

Now Tugendhat has come out in support of Truss. That disappoints me - I thought he was The Good Tory, but in the modern Conservative Party I don’t believe such a thing exists.

Probably Truss offered him Defence Secretary.

He’s playing the long game.

Politicians are politicians mate. They aren’t honest or principled people. Doesn’t matter what colour tie they are wearing or what their CV says. Not sure if some of them used to be but there are certainly very few if any left now. Depressing!

 

[MenInG]

Rishi Sunak has pledged to introduce a temporary £10 fine for NHS patients who fail to attend a GP appointment as he tries to bridge the gap with Liz Truss in the Tory leadership race.

The former chancellor acknowledged he is "playing catch-up" to the foreign secretary in the battle to become the next prime minister.

This weekend saw him promise to end "woke nonsense" and vowed to slash the number of empty shops on Britain's high streets, as well as a pledge to increase police powers to tackle anti-social behaviour in public spaces.

He said he would crack down on graffiti and littering by allowing local authorities to double the lines for such offences and would consider lowering the damage threshold for offenders to be jailed.

Mr Sunak told The Sunday Telegraph his plan to reform the NHS would include a temporary £10 fine for patients who fail to attend a GP or outpatient appointment.

"If we have people who are not showing up and taking those slots away from people who need it, that's not right," he told the newspaper. "I'm all for a healthcare system that's free at the point of use, but not one that's free at the point of misuse."

He added: "Yes, it means we have to do something brave and something different, but that's what I'm about doing. I want to be a transformational prime minister."

She has pitched herself as the "education prime minister" with a plan that includes replacing failing academies with "a new wave of free schools".

The foreign secretary unveiled a six-point strategy on Saturday "to get Britain's education system back on track" which includes expanding existing academies which are high performing, while replacing failing ones with free schools - newly-set up academies.

Ms Truss said she had seen "first hand how children were failed and let down by low expectations" during her comprehensive state schooling in Leeds.

The former minister for education and childcare also pledged to improve maths standards and meet the "target for 90% of primary children to reach the expected standard in literacy and numeracy".

She said she would aim to give working parents access to childcare around the school day and extend the range of providers who accept government childcare entitlements.

Ms Truss, who studied at Oxford, also promised to reform admissions procedures for Oxbridge and other top universities "so students who get top grades in their A levels would be automatically invited to apply".

Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss will take part in a head-to-head debate on Sky News on Thursday 4 August at 8pm hosted by Kay Burley.

SKY

 

[Technics 1210]

Iffy Rishi is now desperate for votes.

I mean £10 fine for missing a NHS appointment? How does that work in the midst of travel strikes?

Perhaps this snake should concentrate fining tax avoiders/evaders (cue his wife) and try to recoup the BILLIONS lost to Covid fraud under his watch which he refused to chase down.

 

[MenInG]

Truss popularity soars among cabinet members as judged by Tory members

Liz Truss's popularity among Conservative Party members has crystallised even further in a new poll.

The ConservativeHome website asked members of the Tory Party if they felt positively or negatively about each member of the cabinet.

While Defence Secretary Ben Wallace comes out on top with a net positivity of +85.5, Ms Truss is in second place with a score of +62.3.

This puts her up 13 points compared to last month - the biggest rise on the table.

Ratings, in general, are up on June as members took out their frustrations with Boris Johnson on the rest of his top team.

While he has eeked back into the positive ranking, the caretaker PM is still far from popular with a score of +3.9.

Johnson and Truss loyalist Nadine Dorries has the lowest score - just +1.2.

Having left cabinet, Rishi Sunak is no longer on the table.

However, he was third last in June's rankings, compared to Truss who was third from the top, showing her popularity is not new.

SKY

 

[James]

YouGov Conservative Party members poll:

60% Liz Truss
26% Rishi Sunak

A 34 point lead for Liz Truss.

GB News

 

[James]

Rishi Sunak on Thursday vowed not to stand down from the race to become the next Conservative leader and prime minister despite Liz Truss's significant lead in the polls.

Mr Sunak and Ms Truss faced a grilling from Sky News's Kay Burley and scrutiny from Tory members tonight as the race for Downing Street continued to heat up.

They are also took questions from the Conservative faithful, with most of the audience members undecided about which hopeful to support. A show of hands at the end of the debate, held after the electronic voting system crashed, signalled majority support for Mr Sunak.

Asked by an audience member called Matthew if he would withdraw from the contest at any point, Mr Sunak said: "The quick answer is no. That's because I'm fighting for something I really believe in and I'm taking my ideas across the country.

"I want to have that debate with people because I passionately believe what I'm saying is right. I want to convince as many people as possible of that."

Meanwhile, Ms Truss insisted a recession was not "inevitable" in the face of dire warnings from the Bank of England, but argued major economic policy change was needed to avoid this.

DT

 

[Manunited18]

Sunak put on his best performance so far in the leadership race on sky news this evening hosted by Kay burley. He was ruthless, had clarity, and to be honest looked in a different league to Truss.

 

[Rajdeep]

Lets be honest, only colour of the skin can stop Sunak to become the next PM bcoz he is simply on a different level to Liz Truss.