Rishi Sunak- Liz Truss latest: Tory leadership candidate denies tax cut ‘gamble’ of over £30bn would fuel inflation

A Tory councillor said Rishi Sunak won him over in private leadership hustings with the Conservative Councillors’ Association.

Councillor Ben Mabbett, from Vale of White Horse District Council in Oxfordshire, said Mr Sunak has a more realistic plan for the country than MsTruss.

He told the PA news agency: “I was very much a floating voter before this time because there were so many good candidates in the leadership election, so I was really open-minded.

“I’m ready for Rishi now. He had some great answers to questions, he has a sensible plan and actually, I think he’s got a more realistic plan for the country and something that I think will go over better with the electorate”.

Mr Sunak was more convincing on topics including social care, housing and environment, Mr Mabbett said.

But councillor Rhys Smithson from Colchester said he was still undecided after the closed session, but was leaning slightly towards Ms Truss.

He said: “They’re both very, very different, different approaches, different ideas.

“If I had to put money on anything, I would say Sunak is probably more grown up, but I would say Truss is more passionate.

“Truss will appeal more to members, I think Sunak will appeal more to the electorate”.

Penny Mordaunt has taken aim at her ministerial boss by joking she was “amazed” to be back at the Commons despatch box given her “reported work ethic” — while standing next to her.

But her supporters lavished praise on her as she returned to her frontbench duties after being knocked out of the leadership race.

Ms Truss has denied that she has been modelling herself on former prime minister Margaret Thatcher, suggesting comparisons to the former Tory leader were sexist. It was “frustrating that female politicians always get compared to Margaret Thatcher”, she said. Thomas Kingsley reports:

Ms Truss was met by badger-cull protesters as she arrived for a hustings with Conservative councillors.

The leadership contender smiled as she walked into the Local Government Association’s offices in Westminster, but questions by reporters were drowned out by the noisy demonstration.

A dozen protesters, one wearing a badger costume, chanted: “Save our badgers, stop the cull”, as Ms Truss walked past.

As environment secretary, she reportedly changed the badger licensing criteria so that the badger cull could be rolled out.

Ms Truss‘s rival, Rishi Sunak, was still being grilled by local government politicians in a private session inside.

Journalists share bespoke Ready for Rishi merchandise as the Tory leader hopeful begins his hustings campaign in Westminster today

A box provided to reporters includes a can of Coco cola, a chocolate bar and a customised bottle of factor-50 sun lotion.

A message in the box reads: “Looking forward to seeing you out on the road. Just a little something to make sure you protect yourself in this hot weather.

“After all, we wouldn’t want anyone going red.”

Tory leadership contender Liz Truss was met by badger-cull protesters as she arrived for a hustings with Conservative councillors.

The foreign secretary smiled as she walked into the Local Government Association’s offices in Westminster, but any questions by reporters were drowned out by the noisy demonstration.

A dozen protesters, one wearing a badger costume, chanted: “Save our badgers, stop the cull”, as Ms Truss walked past.

Ms Truss’s rival, Mr Sunak, was still being grilled by local government politicians in a private session inside, with Ms Truss up next.

The race is on for the keys to 10 Downing Street after the Tory leadership contenders were whittled down to the final two – Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss.

On Wednesday, Penny Mordaunt was eliminated after a closely fought fifth round of voting saw her miss out on second place to Ms Truss by just eight votes.

Former chancellor Mr Sunak scooped 137 votes, Ms Truss 113 and Ms Mordaunt 105.

We want to know who you think will become Tory leader and subsequently the UK’s next prime minister – in our reader poll. Read more below on how to vote:

Tory leadership candidate Rishi Sunak greeted reporters as he arrived for a hustings with local government politicians.

The former chancellor smiled and said “morning”, but declined to answer any questions as he walked into the Local Government Association’s offices in Westminster for a behind-closed-doors session with Conservative councillors.

Mr Sunak and rival Liz Truss are holding the first in a series of summer hustings on Thursday morning, a day after making it into the Tory leadership run-off.

Arriving before Mr Sunak, Levelling Up Secretary Greg Clark said: “We’ve got two very good candidates and I know and expect they’ll be very keen on levelling up.”

Tory MP Tobias Ellwood has said he is backing Rishi Sunak for prime minister after a “miserable” couple of weeks.

The senior backbencher – suspended after failing to turn up to back the government in a confidence vote – said he would throw his weight behind Sunak after backing defeated candidate Penny Mordaunt.

“What I’d like to see, I think, as I say, is absolute commitment to advancing Britain’s defence posture,” he told Times Radio.

“Given the challenges domestic and foreign, I think Rishi Sunak is probably best placed to take our country forward, and most importantly, to unite the party.”

He added: “This has been a miserable couple of weeks for the party itself. We’ve not showcased the ideas, the vision, and expressed to the electorate any justification for us to remain in government right now.”