The two candidates for the UK’s next prime minister are locked in another lively battle of arguments in the latest showdowns. Liz Truss enters the Cardiff event boosted by two surveys giving her huge leads as well as the support of Sajid Javid. Former health secretary Mr Javid hit out at Mr Sunak, saying his plans for the economy would lead Britain “sleepwalking into a high-tax, low-growth economy”. In The Times, he argued that Ms Truss had “a willingness to challenge the status quo”. The Foreign Secretary won a 34 percentage point lead over Mr Sunak in a YouGov poll of party members, before a survey for the website ConservativeHome put her 32 points ahead. The ConservativeHome poll of 1,003 Tory members found 58 per cent backed the Foreign Secretary, while 26 backed Mr Sunak.
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Truss pledges to expand Rwandan deportations to other countries
Liz Truss said she wanted to expand Rwanda’s deportation policy to other countries. “I know a woman is a woman,” she said, referring to the transgender rights controversy. Jane Dalton3 August 2022 19:52 1659552658
Welsh fields shouldn’t be littered with solar panels, says Truss
Liz Truss opens her speech by highlighting some of her achievements, including lifting the US ban on British lamb. Promising to unlock investment and opportunity, she reiterated her pledge to keep corporate tax low and scrap green levies. He said he would change the funding formula to funnel aid to areas that didn’t have as much. He also spoke about supporting farmers, saying that fields should not be full of solar panels, but crops and animals. Jane Dalton3 August 2022 19:50 1659551935
I will give you my heart and soul, Sunak promises
Mr Sunack promised: “I will give you everything, my heart and my soul” to ensure every Tory member is proud to be in the party. Jane Dalton3 August 2022 19:38 1659551822
Sunak attacks the no-road policy
Mr Sunack heard Liz Truss’ plan for “tens and tens of billions of pounds in unfunded promises”. It’s not right, responsible or conservative, he said. Promising to cut taxes on investment and innovation and invest in infrastructure, he also won applause when he attacked Labour’s policy of not building roads. Jane Dalton3 August 2022 19:37 1659551638
Sunak emphasizes education, waiting lists and immigration
Rishi Sunak begins his speech by citing the benefits of a good education, saying the party needed to restore confidence and rebuild the economy. He said NHS waiting lists in Wales were 20% higher than the rest of the UK, so Labor needed to be “driven” out of the nation. He had drawn up a bold plan to regain control of the border by controlling immigration, he said. Jane Dalton3 August 2022 19:33 1659551212
Former leader Howard backs Sunak
In a harbinger of the lively leadership debate, former party leader Michael Howard quoted Margaret Thatcher as arguing that Mr Sunak’s values on tax and borrowing were close to hers and that he would be better placed to win them over. Workers in elections. Jane Dalton3 August 2022 19:26 1659549024
Editorial: Rishi Sunak could still win
In case you missed it: Liz Truss’ turn to public sector pay gives Rishi Sunak a chance to return to a competition that seemed to elude him:
Editorial: Liz Truss’ reversal suggests Rishi Sunak could yet win the argument
Issue: Truss’s policy program generally gives the impression of being poorly thought out Jane Dalton3 August 2022 18:50 1659547713
Liz Truss wins Sajid Javid’s backing for lower tax plans
Sajid Javid is backing Liz Truss to become the next prime minister. The former health minister criticized his former protégé Rishi Sunak for his policy of not cutting taxes. Mr Javid told The Times that Mr Sunak’s economic plans would take Britain “sleepwalking into a high-tax, low-growth economy”. In what the paper described as a “direct attack” on Mr Sunak, he said: “Some claim that tax cuts can only come when we have growth. I believe just the opposite – tax cuts are a prerequisite for growth. “Tax cuts now are necessary. There are no risk-free options in government. However, in my view, not cutting taxes carries an even greater risk.” Javid was succeeded by Mr Sunak as chancellor in 2020. Lamiat Sabin 3 August 2022 18:28 1659547315
Truss opens up a 32 point lead
A new poll has found Rishi Sunak trailing Liz Truss by 32 points. The ConservativeHome poll of 1,003 Tory members found 58 per cent backed the Foreign Secretary, while 26 backed Mr Sunak.
Truss leads Sunak by 32 points in new poll despite ‘full fat U-turn’ on pay
Rishi Sunak trails Liz Truss in the Conservative leadership race by 32 points, according to a new survey by influential website ConservativeHome. Katy Clifton3 August 2022 18:21 1659547224
Sluggish growth leaves Britons £4,000 worse off under the Tories
Sluggish growth since the Conservatives came to power in 2010 has left the average Brit almost £4,000 worse off, according to new figures. Figures from the OECD and the Office for Budget Responsibility show the UK is on course to grow by just 11 per cent in real terms between 2010 and 2023, writes Jon Stone:
Sluggish growth since the Tories came to power leaves the average Briton £4,000 worse off
Labor accuses the government of running a “low-growth economy” compared to its neighbours Jane Dalton3 August 2022 18:20
