Rishi Sunak received criticism today for trying to leave the launch of his own Tory leadership campaign without being thoroughly questioned, and his supporters jeered a TV reporter.
After a speech and a few questions—four from broadcasters and one from a supporter—the former chancellor attempted to leave the lunchtime event in central London, much to the chagrin of newspaper journalists in attendance.
Eventually, he gave in and came back to answer a question about defense spending and refute rumors that he would hire the former No. 10 Svengali Dominic Cummings.
At the QEII center in Westminster, his vociferous supporters had already turned against Sky’s political editor Beth Rigby.
When she referred to him as a “corrosive” person and inquired about his multimillionaire wife’s tax affairs, she received jeers.
Akshata Murty’s non-dom status as a taxpayer was discovered earlier this year while she was residing in Downing Street housing paid for by the taxpayer; she later promised to pay full rates.
As Mr. Sunak was responding to the query, the broadcasters’ live feed to the event also became frozen, which also disabled Ms. Rigby’s microphone.
After a few seconds, a second camera that was thought to be Sky’s entered the scene. But the embarrassing line of questioning to a reporter outside of Parliament was cut off from BBC viewers.
None of the candidates who are starting their campaigns today seemed particularly open to being questioned independently.
At his launch, Tom Tugendhat only answered two questions, whereas Kemi Badenoch left after answering five.
Other turns in the current struggle for the Conservative Party’s identity include:
After Ms. Mordaunt won an online survey conducted by activists for the ConservativeHome website, former Cabinet minister David Davis gave his support to her. Despite not being scientific, MPs and ministers closely monitor the survey;
Matt Hancock, a former health secretary, endorsed Mr. Sunak and said he was “best-placed” to “take the country through difficult times”; Mr. Zahawi claimed he had received the 20 nominations necessary to qualify for the ballot, and allies claimed he had received more than 30;
Allies of Mr. Javid claim they are optimistic about crossing the finish line and deny that he is likely to back Mr. Sunak;
The last candidates for the Tory leadership will debate on Channel 4 on Friday at 7 p.m., followed by ITV’s debate on Sunday at 7 p.m. and a Sky News program on Monday at 7 p.m.;
Tory grandees have issued a warning that a tax cut bidding war between candidates might jeopardize the party’s standing in economic management;
Grant Shapps, the transport secretary, has echoed Jeremy Hunt’s request for increased defense expenditure from 2% to 3% of GDP, while Keir Starmer is pressing for a no-confidence vote in Boris Johnson’s administration to take place in Parliament tomorrow.
In order to become the leader of the Conservative party, Mr. Sunak had previously informed the reporter he wasn’t willing to “demonize” Boris Johnson.
In response to ITV News, he claimed that although if Mr. Johnson was “flawed” and that they frequently clashed, he had a “good heart.”
Following up, Ms. Rigby questioned him, saying, “The party just booted Boris Johnson for behavior and probity.
You also owe a police fine. Additionally, there are concerns regarding your family’s tax avoidance of millions of pounds.
Additionally, you are viewed negatively by the partygoers. You are not a brand-new beginning, are you?
After she asked, he continued to claim that he was before turning to exit the stage.
Reporters became upset over this, with one claiming that if he wanted to be prime minister, he should be able to field more inquiries.
With Priti Patel quitting from the race as right-wingers struggle to stay in the running, Mr. Sunak highlighted his position as the front-runner for the Tory leadership today.
Just hours before the deadline for submitting the 20 nominations required to appear in the first round of the competition, the Home Secretary stated she would not be entering the race.
Despite cries from opponents on the Thatcherite right to coalesce behind one candidate, Ms. Patel has yet to reveal which candidate she would support. However, there are early indications that some of the MPs in her group are switching to Liz Truss.
Mr. Sunak officially launched his candidacy this morning, with Grant Shapps and deputy PM Dominic Raab serving as his introducers.
He already appears to be well above the threshold.
We need to have a grown-up discourse, the former chancellor said, dismissing requests for tax cuts before inflation is under control. He also praised Boris Johnson at the Westminster event, calling him “one of the most wonderful people I have ever met” with a “good heart”—but that it was “not working” any longer.
Mr. Sunak stated his strategy was to “tackle inflation, boost the economy, and cut taxes” but only took a few questions from the media, who were heckled by the audience for their aggressive remarks.
I want to speak with you in a mature manner so that I can be honest with you, he said.
We need a leader who can win, and Mr. Raab is the only one who can, he stated before the speech.
Penny Mordaunt and Tom Tugendhat also appear to have achieved the nominations mark, but Ms. Truss has gone above and beyond after receiving support from Boris Johnson allies Nadine Dorries and Jacob Rees-Mogg, who swore allegiance on the steps of Downing Street.
Other well-known figures, however, are having difficulties. Jeremy Hunt, Nadhim Zahawi, Sajid Javid, Suella Braverman, and Kemi Badenoch are all lacking in stated supporters.
A ConservativeHome poll suggested that Mr. Sunak would lose to his primary challengers in the run-off election for Tory members, which will upset Mr. Sunak’s camp.
In a statement, Ms. Patel said: “I am appreciative of the support and encouragement colleagues and Party members have given me recently in urging that I enter the race for the Conservative Party leadership. I won’t be submitting my name for the MP election vote.
“As Home Secretary, I have always put our nation’s security, safety, and best interests first. My aim is to continue fighting to increase the number of police officers on the streets, support our incredible security services, and maintain border control.”
“As a devoted and longtime Conservative, I will always argue for freedom, opportunity, and free enterprise, and I will work with colleagues to implement these values in government.
I will be listening to the arguments being made by the contenders for the leadership of the Party, as will all Conservative MPs and Party members, and I hope the election will be conducted in a way that unites our Party.
The 1922 committee’s powerful chair, Sir Graham Brady, has announced that nominations will end at 6 p.m. today and that voting will begin at 1.30 p.m. tomorrow.
To advance to the second round on Thursday, even candidates who qualify for the first ballot will need 30 MPs out of the 358 total to support them.
Each ballot will see at least one candidate eliminated until just two are left. When then, party members will vote on them via mail after hustings are held all around the UK in August.
On September 5, the new leader will be formally installed as PM.
At his introduction, Mr. Sunak took a potshot at his competitors, saying their tax plans were “not believable” since he indicated he would only lower them once inflation was under control.
“It is not credible to offer a lot more spending and lower taxes,” the former chancellor remarked.
“As chancellor, I had to make some of the hardest decisions of my life, particularly over how to handle our debt and borrowing following Covid.”
I’ve never tried to avoid them, and I’m not going to try to say that the decisions I made and the things I voted for were somehow unnecessary now.
“While that could be politically awkward for me, the truth is that it is the case. It’s also true that I’ll lower taxes after we’ve got inflation under control. The issue is one of when, not if.
Mr. Sunak claimed that Mr. Johnson, like other politicians, is “flawed,” and that they frequently clashed.
However, he continued, “I will not take part in a rewriting of history that aims to demonize Boris, magnify his flaws, or ignore his efforts.
“I am conducting a successful campaign that is centered on the benefits that my leadership can bring to our party and nation.
“I won’t participate in the ugliness you’ve seen and read in the media,” I said. Let others do that if they so choose.
We are not like that. We are capable of better.
He also categorically denied the claim made by certain opposition groups that he was working with the unconventional former No. 10 commander Dominic Cummings.
The candidate declared, “Dominic Cummings has had absolutely nothing to do with this campaign and will have absolutely nothing to do with any government that I have the honor to lead.”
As a matter of fact, I haven’t spoken to Dominic Cummings since the day he departed Downing Street.
However, the ConservativeHome survey indicates that despite Mr. Sunak’s polished campaign event, he still has work to do to win over members.
Even though they are not scientific, public opinion surveys are constantly scrutinized.
And they indicate that Mr. Sunak would lose to Ms. Mordaunt and Ms. Truss by 58 to 31 and 51 to 34 percentage points, respectively.
Mr. Sunak held an advantage over Mr. Javid and Mr. Tugendhat as the two other leading candidates.
According to a Tory member poll conducted by Opinium for Channel 4 News, Mr. Sunak would defeat both Ms. Truss and Ms. Mordaunt in a run-off.
Ms. Truss has told the Tory Right that unless they unify behind her, they run the risk of giving Mr. Sunak the keys to No. 10.
Allies of the foreign secretary pushed her opponents on the party’s Thatcherite side to drop their campaigns and support her.
Because Ms. Truss is a “stronger Brexiteer” than either of them, Ms. Dorries and Mr. Rees-Mogg declared they are supporting her in the leadership race.
After a Cabinet meeting, Ms. Dorries stated, “I have sat with Liz in Cabinet now for some time,” in remarks to reporters in Downing Street.
I’m quite aware that she likely supports Brexit more strongly than either of us.
“She has consistently supported low tax policies, and I’m especially concerned about the 14 million people who voted for a manifesto and a Government that the candidate we select—for me, it’s Liz, who I’m going to support—will continue with those manifesto policies and will continue to deliver for the Government and the Conservative Party going forward.”
If elected prime minister, Mr. Tugendhat pledged to reduce gasoline taxes by 10p during a speech today.
“I am here to make the case that our economy can only succeed if we believe that people—and not Westminster—know best how to spend their money,” the Tory leadership candidate stated.
I am aware of the suffering families are going through right now. Because of this, my first commitment is to lower fuel duty by 10p per litre.
“Reversing the national insurance increase is my second priority.”
‘Percentages aren’t relevant here. Jobs are at issue.
“I didn’t vote for the hike then, and I wouldn’t vote for it now,” you said.
After Dominic Raab stated there was “no time to learn on the job,” Mr. Tugendhat dismissed criticism of his lack of ministerial experience.
The reality is that the position of prime minister is distinct from all other positions in government, he remarked. It is not a managerial or departmental position.
It’s a position that calls for leadership and vision as well as a willingness to put everything on the line to serve the British people.
“Now is not the time to learn.” This is an opportunity to assess performance in some of the most trying and challenging environments around the world, and to recognize that this isn’t learning on the job but rather putting all that experience to use.