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When will the next Conservative Party leader be announced?
The candidates for the Conservative leadership are preparing for their first TV head-to-head debate, which could play a decisive role in determining who succeeds Boris Johnson as prime minister.
With many of the 160,000 Tory members likely to vote as soon as ballot papers arrive next week, the BBC showdown at 9pm today could be the only real chance for Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss to make their pitch direct to those determining their fate.
The pair will clash over tax and immigration, but Labour insisted they should be grilled on how they would fund their “fantasy economics” plans, whether they would abolish non-dom status and how they would help families facing a £1,000 leap in energy bills this autumn.
On the eve of the debate, Ms Truss set out proposals for a network of “full-fat freeports”, offering tax breaks, light-touch planning rules and scaled-back regulation in the hope of attracting investment and growth.
Mr Sunak took a tough line on China, branding the east Asian country “the biggest long-term threat to Britain”.
Kerry warns Truss not to ‘jigger’ with climate change levies
US president Joe Biden’s climate envoy John Kerry has warned Tory leadership contender Liz Truss not to “jigger” with the UK’s plans to achieve net zero carbon emissions by slashing green levies, which help to pay for the transition to clean energy.
Ms Truss has said that she backs the target of net zero by 2050, but wants to suspend levies, which add 8 per cent to energy bills, in order to do it “in a way that doesn’t harm people and businesses”.
But Mr Kerry said that any savings from tax giveaways would be massively outweighed by the cost of extreme weather if global warming was not reined in.
While he insisted that he did not want to interfere in the choice of the UK’s next prime minister, he said he would “pointedly and adamantly” advise against any move to water down commitments to carbon reductions confirmed at last year’s COP26 summit in Glasgow.
John Kerry warning to Liz Truss not to ‘jigger’ with climate change levies
Tory leadership contender backs 2050 net zero target but wants to suspend green tax
Namita Singh25 July 2022 05:33
First TV head-to-head between Sunak and Truss could have decisive impact on leadership battle
Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss are preparing for their first TV head-to-head debate that could play a vital role in determining the claim to the position of prime minister.
The former chancellor and foreign secretary would clash over tax and immigration in the BBC showdown tonight at 9 pm as they make their pitch to as many as 160,000 Tory members who are likely to vote as ballot papers arrive next week.
Ms Truss’ plans for £30bn of immediate tax cuts, funded from borrowing came under renewed scrutiny after three members of Margaret Thatcher’s last cabinet Chris Patten, Norman Lamont and Sir Malcolm Rifkind, said that the “Iron Lady” would not have approved of them.
Our political editor Andrew Woodcock has more:
Sunak and Truss face first TV head-to-head of leadership fight
Thousands of Conservative members expected to cast online ballots as early as next week
Namita Singh25 July 2022 05:30
Welcome to The Independent’s UK politics blog for Monday, 25 July 2022 where we provide the latest on the Tory leadership race and everything that is buzzing in Westminster.
Namita Singh25 July 2022 04:40
