But Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak disagreed over recession warning in their latest TV clash
Tory leadership rivals Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak have set out competing plans to deal with the economic recession forecast by the Bank of England in their latest TV clash.
Sky News’ Battle for No10 show
Ms Truss said a recession was “not inevitable” if “bold” action was taken.
But Mr Sunak said the foreign secretary’s “unfunded” tax cuts would pour “fuel on the fire” of inflation.
At the end of 90 minutes, Liz Truss had a vision, but there was a reluctance to give all the answers. Rishi Sunak was across the issues, but wasn’t promising a bold new vision to a party fretful about the polls and the economy says Sam Coates, Deputy political editor @SamCoatesSky
Rishi Sunak won the audience, but Liz Truss appears to have a grip on the Tory membership in the country. The audience, made up of Conservative Party members, convincingly backed former chancellor Mr Sunak in a show of hands, rather than Ms Truss.
Liz Truss leads Rishi Sunak by 62% to 38% among Tory members, says polling company YouGov
The survey said Foreign Secretary Ms Truss was the preferred choice of 49% of respondents, compared to 31% for former chancellor Mr Sunak, with 15% saying they didn’t know and 6% not intending to vote.
Once “don’t knows” and those not intending to take part are taken out, this gives Liz Truss a sizeable 24-point lead.
On Monday 25 July, Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak took part in a head to head debate on BBC One.
Tory members say Liz Truss triumphed in BBC leadership debate, finds a snap Yougov Poll taken immediately after the debate.
The YouGov poll of 507 Conservative party members who watched last night’s BBC debate between the two Tory leadership candidates shows that Truss is seen as the better performer, with 50% saying so to Rishi Sunak’s 39%.
The two contenders to be the next PM did not hold back from “blue-on-blue” attacks in the hour-long BBC special.
Mr Sunak told Ms Truss her tax cut plan would “tip millions of people into misery” and cost the Conservatives the next election.
Ms Truss said tax rises brought in by him would lead to a recession.
Tory members think Truss came across as more in touch, likeable and trustworthy at the BBC debate, although they are split on which candidate looked more Prime Ministerial
However, on the matter of who looked more prime ministerial, the candidates tied: 43% say that Rishi Sunak did, while 42% give that point to Liz Truss.
Across the multitude of issues covered by the debate, Truss sweeps the board, being seen as better on every single one.
Conservative MPs have voted for the final two candidates to replace Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss make the final two – Penny Mordaunt is knocked out
The BBC will broadcast a final TV debate called “Our Next Prime Minister” between the final two candidates in the contest on 25 July.
It will be presented by Sophie Raworth, with analysis from BBC Political Editor Chris Mason and BBC Economics Editor Faisal Islam.
The programme will broadcast live from Stoke-on-Trent in front of a 80 to 100 strong audience at 9pm on BBC One.
The first TV debate on Channel 4
TV debates have already taken place on Channel 4 and ITV.
The BBC has confirmed that all three remaining candidates – Rishi Sunak, Penny Mordaunt and Liz Truss, have agreed to participate in the debate if they make it to the final two, after Sky News was forced to cancel its own planned debate when Mr Sunak and Ms Truss declined to take part.
