The battle to become Britain’s next prime minister descended into fierce clashes on Monday night as Rishi Sunak launched repeated attacks on front-runner Liz Truss’s economic policies in her first televised debate to face
The two Tory leadership hopefuls traded blows over tax cuts, China and inflation, with former chancellor Sunak accusing the foreign secretary of seeking “a short-term sugar rush” by cutting the national insurance
Truss accused his former cabinet colleague of raising taxes to their highest level for 70 years.
The exchanges at the BBC debate followed a weekend of deeply personal attacks, with Sunak criticized for his wealth and wardrobe, as Truss faced claims he was financially illiterate while being reminded that he used to be a residence
Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss face off in their first head-to-head TV debate – video highlights
Sunak, widely seen as having to make crucial ground to win over Conservative members, who will vote from August 5, repeatedly described his opponent’s plans on the economy as “unconservative”, interrupting her at one point to say: “You promise. almost £40bn of unfunded tax cuts, £40bn more borrowing.
“This is the country’s credit card. It’s our children and grandchildren … all here … who are going to have to pick up the tab for this.”
Truss responded to Sunak’s calls for a tougher stance on China, noting that the Treasury last month called for closer bilateral and economic ties.
Sunak accused his opponent of making statements about a “golden age” between China and the UK. “I think it was almost a decade ago,” the foreign secretary replied.
Amid reports that Boris Johnson has yet to rule out a political comeback despite pledging to step down next month, both candidates also ruled out a role for the current prime minister in any government they may lead.
“I’m sure he’ll have a role. I’m sure he’ll be vocal, but he won’t be part of the government,” the foreign minister said, while stressing that she had been one of Johnson’s early supporters.
He contrasted her continued loyalty to him with that of others, adding that it “would have been a dereliction of duty” not to remain in his charge.
According to the Daily Telegraph, Johnson told Lord Cruddas at Checkers over lunch on Friday that he “wants to fight the next general election as leader of the Conservative party,” the father said.
Cruddas is campaigning to give Tory party members a vote on whether to accept Johnson’s resignation as Tory leader. But Downing Street hit back by insisting that Johnson will step down when a new leader is chosen.
Of Johnson, Truss said in the debate: “Having spent time with him this week on foreign affairs, I strongly suspect he would not want a future role in government. He needs a well-earned break.”
Sunak, whose resignation from the Cabinet on the same day as Sajid Javid precipitated Johnson’s sacking, paid tribute to Johnson as “remarkable” but said he had reached a point where “enough was enough”.
“I thought all the things that were going on on the conduct side were not right … and we clearly had different views on the economy,” he said.
But with postal ballots set to hit Tory members’ doorsteps on August 5, Sunak faced pressure to use the BBC debate – and another presented by TalkTV and the Sun on Tuesday – to make an early breakthrough .
Despite comfortably winning the leadership race among Tory MPs, Truss is the favorite to win after a series of opinion polls and polls put her firmly ahead of party members.
Perhaps as a result of this pressure on Sunak, the debate was particularly ill-tempered, with the former chancellor often interrupting Truss. At one point, he said, “According to my plans, we would start paying off the debt in three years, so I’ll never put it down.”
The former chancellor interrupted, saying: “It’s just not right,” adding: “You promised almost £40bn of unfunded tax cuts… that’s the country’s credit card.”
Truss said: “Rishi, that’s not true. According to my plans, we would start paying off the debts in three years. Covid was a once in 100 year event. No other country is taxing at this time . The OECD has described Rishi’s policies as contractionary.”
After the debate, Truss supporters argued that Sunak’s interruptions were a result of his titled background. “He came across as a public school blasphemer,” said one.
A Sunak supporter claimed that Truss did not understand economics. “He was out of his depth again,” the deputy said.
The elders of the party have spoken in the hours before the debate, and have asked that both parties resist “destroying the brand”.
But simmering tensions continued to play out, with Truss declining to distance himself from comments from a supporter, the culture secretary, Nadine Dorries, who outraged some Tory MPs by comparing Sunak’s Savile Row outfit and the Prada shoes with the £4.50 from Truss. earrings from Claire’s Accessories.
“I’m not going to give Rishi fashion advice. I mean, I’ve said he’s a very well-dressed man. I’m not going to give him fashion advice,” Truss said, when challenged about Dorries’ comments.
Lord Maude, the former party chairman and Cabinet Office minister, had told the BBC’s Prime Minister’s Program before the debate: “Obviously one will win the leadership, but if the behavior of the teams and their language has been out of control, and has damaged the position of the party or the way people see the party, then it could end up being a Pyrrhic victory.”
He said the increasingly frenetic tone of the campaign teams’ interventions over the weekend had begun to feel like “a race to see who can sound the most right-wing, as if this was the only party in town”.
Sunak’s allies said it was “no secret” he was set to make a significant impression in the debate, with polls suggesting he is trailing his rival.
But a campaign source said polls by both YouGov and ConservativeHome showed a wider gulf between the candidates than they had detected and said many members were undecided.
Truss has strictly limited her broadcast appearances and has so far declined to be interviewed by veteran political journalist Andrew Neil, who will go head-to-head with Sunak on Friday. Channel 4 said it was still hoping to convince Truss to take part.
Sunak’s allies have suggested he will use numerous broadcast opportunities to highlight one of his own strengths against Truss’s perceived weakness. In previous multi-candidate debates, Truss has polled poorly with the general public, while Sunak came first in one debate and second in another.
Earlier on Monday, Sunak teased his rival with a tweet: “Just me then?” – and a wink when Channel 4 announced the interview with Neil. Truss’ refusal echoes that of Boris Johnson, who refused to be interviewed by Neil during the 2019 general election campaign.
Sunak and Truss will take part in another head-to-head debate on TalkTV on Tuesday night and will go head-to-head again at the first of the members’ meetings in Leeds on Thursday night.
Truss is likely to come under scrutiny when he returns to his home town on Thursday after several speeches criticizing his former comprehensive school in north Leeds, which he said spent “too little time making sure everyone could read and write… there was a preference for symbolic gestures”.
The declarations have been criticized by the former conservative deputy of the area and by the councilors of the city.