Race to replace the PM becomes bitter mudslinging battle

2022-07-13

Knives out for the Tory hopefuls: Race to replace the PM becomes bitter mudslinging battle as frontrunner Rishi Sunak says he will emulate Thatcher but Jeremy Hunt warns the former chancellor will bring on a recession

Former Chancellor Rishi Sunak has said his economic vision amounted to ‘common sense Thatcherism’
He has faced criticism over refusing immediate tax cuts, but joined seven others on last night’s ballot paper
Comes as the leadership contest is showing signs of becoming ill-tempered, with accusations of ‘disloyalty’
Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries last night accused Team Sunak of the ‘dark arts’ and ‘dirty tricks’ on Twitter
Boris Johnson allies claim he had organised syphoning off of some votes to let Jeremy Hunt pass first hurdle
Jacob Rees also claimed that Liz Truss had ‘consistently in Cabinet opposed his tax hikes’ in recent months

The race to replace Boris Johnson is turning into a bitter mudslinging battle as frontrunner Rishi Sunak said he will emulate Margaret Thatcher’s economic approach, but fellow hopeful Jeremy Hunt warned that the former Chancellor would bring on a recession if his leadership bid is successful.

Mr Sunak, seen as one of the favourite candidates to replace Mr Johnson, told The Telegraph that his economic vision amounted to ‘common sense Thatcherism’ and insists ‘you have to earn what you spend’.

The former Chancellor has faced criticism over refusing to promise immediate tax cuts, but joined seven other leadership hopefuls on the ballot paper on Tuesday night as Tory MPs begin voting to elect a new Prime Minister later today.

It comes as the leadership contest is showing signs of becoming ill-tempered, with Nadine Dorries last night accusing the former Chancellor of ‘dark arts’ and ‘dirty tricks’ amid claims that Team Sunak had organised the syphoning off of some votes to let Jeremy Hunt pass the first hurdle.

Jacob Rees-Mogg was another ally of Mr Johnson to tear into the ‘disloyal’ Mr Sunak today, claimed that fellow leadership hopeful and Foreign Secretary Liz Truss had ‘consistently in Cabinet opposed his tax hikes’ in recent months.

Who has made it through to the first Tory ballot?

Kemi Badenoch

Proposed: Lee Rowley

Seconded: Julia Lopez

Suella Braverman

Proposed: David Jones

Seconded: Miriam Cates

Jeremy Hunt

Proposed: Esther McVey

Seconded: Anthony Mangnall

Penny Mordaunt

Proposed: Andrea Leadsom

Seconded: Craig Tracey

Rishi Sunak

Proposed: Dominic Raab

Seconded: Mel Stride

Liz Truss

Proposed: Simon Clarke

Seconded: Therese Coffey

Tom Tugendhat

Proposed: Anne-Marie Trevelyan

Seconded: James Daly

Nadhim Zahawi

Proposed: Brandon Lewis

Seconded: Amanda Milling

Mr Rees-Mogg also said there was ‘a problem with the timescale of the leadership election’ as he took a swipe at Mr Sunak.

And Jeremy Hunt also warned that Mr Sunak would lead the country deeper economic problems if he wins.

Sir Graham Brady, the 1922 Committee chairman, announced eight MPs have gone through to the first round proper.

Along with Mr Sunak, Penny Mordaunt Mordaunt, Tom Tugendhat, Ms Truss, Jeremy Hunt, Nadhim Zahawi, and Suella Braverman, and Kemi Badenoch made the nominations.

Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng claimed last night that ‘even the Prince of Wales was interested’ in the Tory leadership election as he mingled at a drinks reception at Buckingham Palace.

Nominations for the first vote will be held at 1.30pm today.

Those who made the first ballot will now require backing from 30 MPs out of the 358 total to survive into the second round on Thursday.

At least the lowest-placed contender will be eliminated in each ballot until two remain. They will then be put to party members in a postal ballot, with hustings held across the UK during August.

The new leader will be announced on September 5, becoming PM the following day.

Warning of Mr Sunak’s economic policy yesterday, Mr Hunt told LBC radio: ‘Rishi Sunak is… increasing corporation tax and it will be higher than not just America or Japan, but France and Germany as well.

‘And I’m worried that on our current trajectory, we’re heading into recession, and we’ll be there for too long…

‘I was very worried when he announced his budget… The thing that struck me was this slashing of the growth forecast for next year.’

It came as former health secretary Sajid Javid – who triggered the coup against Boris Johnson by resigning last week – pulled out of the running after falling short of the 20 endorsements from Conservative MPs needed to feature in the first round of the contest.

Home Secretary Priti Patel also withdrew and refused to say who she will be backing, but her exit is a potential fillip to Ms Truss’ campaign, a fellow right winger, giving her a a clearer run.

Surprise candidate Rehman Chishti also conceded defeat shortly before yesterday’s 6pm deadline after securing no supporters.

In other twists and turns in the fight for the soul of the Conservative Party yesterday:

Former Cabinet minister David Davis has endorsed Ms Mordaunt after she topped a poll of activists on the ConservativeHome website. Although the survey is not scientific it is closely-watched by MPs and ministers;
Ex-health secretary Matt Hancock has backed Mr Sunak saying he is ‘best-placed’ to ‘take the country through difficult times’;
Mr Zahawi has insisted he has secured the 20 nominations needed to make the ballot, with allies saying he is also over the 30 mark;
Mr Javid’s allies say they are still confident of reaching the threshold and denied that he is about to withdraw and back Mr Sunak;
Channel 4 will hold a Tory leadership debate with the remaining candidates on Friday at 7pm, before ITV’s version on Sunday at 7pm and a Sky News programme on Monday at 7pm;
Tory grandees have cautioned that a bidding war between candidates pledging tax cuts could put the party’s reputation for economic management at risk;
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps has called for defence spending to be increased from 2 per cent to 3 per cent of GDP, echoing Jeremy Hunt’s position;
Keir Starmer is pushing for a no-confidence vote in Boris Johnson’s government to happen in Parliament tomorrow.

Mr Sunak, seen as one of the favourite candidates to replace Mr Johnson, has said his economic vision amounted to ‘common sense Thatcherism’

Then Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher pictured waving to crowds of well wishers outside Downing Street following her election victory

Jacob Rees-Mogg and Nadine Dorries (pictured), both close allies of Boris Johnson, yesterday hit out at the former Chancellor

Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, pictured leaving Downing Street on Tuesday, is also among the eight candidates to have made it onto the ballot yesterday evening

Rishi Sunak has again batted away calls for tax cuts before inflation is under control, saying ‘we need to have a grown up conversation’. At the launch event in Westminster today, he also heaped praise on Boris Johnson, describing him as ‘one of the most remarkable people I have ever met’ who has a ‘good heart’

A ConservativeHome survey has suggested that Mr Sunak would lose to his main rivals in a head-to-head run-off

Contenders for the leadership of the Conservative Party have been out and about today, including Nadhim Zahawi (right) and Liz Truss (left)

Rehman Chishti confirmed tonight that he has not made the nominations to enter the race

Sir Graham Brady (fourth from left) chairman of the 1922 Committee, announces in the Houses of Parliament, which MPs have gained the support of the 20 MPs required to go into the Conservative Party leadership contest

The contest to be crowned the new Tory leader – and become Boris Johnson’s replacement as Prime Minister – will formally begin today.

Sir Graham Brady, the chair of the Conservatives’ 1922 Committee, has revealed that the winner will be known on 5th September.

But how will the party choose, between now and then, from the long list of contenders?

Here’s how the election process will work…

Today – Nominations closed for the Tory leadership race. Candidates had to submit a nomination by 6pm, including a proposer and a seconder and the names of 18 other Conservative MPs who are supporting them.

Tomorrow – The first ballot of Tory MPs will take place between 1.30pm to 3.30pm, with a result to be announced later in the day. Any candidates who receive less than 30 votes in this first ballot will be automatically eliminated. If all candidates meet the 30-vote threshold, then the candidate with the lowest number of votes will be knocked out the contest.

Thursday – A second ballot of Tory MPs will be held which will see the candidate with the lowest number of votes eliminated.

Next week – Further rounds of ballots among Tory MPs will continue, as necessary, until the list of contenders is whittled down to a final two. The lowest-scoring candidate will drop out each time.

21st July – MPs will head away from Westminster for their summer break, meaning this is the deadline for a final pairing to be decided in the parliamentary stage of the leadership election.

Late July and August – CCHQ will assume responsibility for leadership election and will send out ballot papers to around 200,000 Conservative Party members. The Tory grassroots will be asked to decide between the final two candidates, with hustings events to be held across the UK.

5th September – The result of the membership ballot is announced, with the candidate receiving more than 50 per cent of the vote being declared the new Tory leader and Boris Johnson’s replacement as Prime Minister.

6th September – The new Tory leader is likely to be formally appointed as PM during a visit to the Queen at Buckingham Palace.

7th September – The new PM is set to be quizzed in the House of Commons in their first ever Prime Minister’s Questions.

The surviving candidates headed straight into a hustings event after the announcement yesterday evening, facing questions from Tory MPs behind closed doors in Parliament.

But in his first campaign interview with The Telegraph yesterday, Mr Sunak linked Mrs Thatcher’s economic thinking with his own upbringing.

He told The Telegraph ‘We will cut taxes and we will do it responsibly. That’s my economic approach. I would describe it as common sense Thatcherism. I believe that’s what she would have done.’

He said: ‘If you read her speeches – and I’ve quoted her and [former Tory chancellor] Nigel Lawson in other lectures I’ve given – her approach to these things was to make sure that as a nation you have to earn what you spend.

‘She talked about the person at home with their family budget. She talked about that really powerfully. That resonated with me, because that’s how I was brought up.

‘My mum was a small businesswoman, she was a chemist. I worked in my mum’s small chemist in Southampton. I did my mum’s books, that was part of my job. I also did payroll and accounts every week and every month.’

Mr Sunak is also understood to be against an increase in defence spending and would not lift a ban on new grammar schools or hunting.

Earlier on Tuesday, Ms Dorries was responding to a tweet which claimed that former education secretary Gavin Williamson, who is supporting former chancellor Mr Sunak, had organised the syphoning off of some votes to let Mr Hunt pass the first hurdle.

Making her allegations public, the Culture Secretary tweeted: ‘[They] want the candidate they know they can definitely beat in the final two and that is Jeremy Hunt.’

But speaking tonight after his appearance at a hustings event in front of around 60 Tory MPs, as arranged by the Centre for Social Justice, Mr Hunt described claims he had been lent support by Mr Sunak as ‘absolute nonsense’.

He pointed to how each of his 20 supporters had to sign his nomination form – and so he would have been aware of any who had not been previous supporters.

After some speculation that he might not make it through to tomorrow’s first ballot, Mr Hunt revealed he had reached the threshold of 20 MPs ‘quite comfortably’ in the end.

Sources close to Mr Sunak described the Ms Dorries’ accusations as ‘complete nonsense’ and a ‘dirty story being spread by anti-Rishi people’.

As the mudslinging grows, Energy Secretary Mr Kwarteng last night appeared to say ‘it’s kicking off’.

He was attending the event hosted by Charles for recipients of The Queen’s Awards for Enterprise at the palace.

The Conservative MP was among a line of people who greeted Charles as he arrived, and as they chatted Mr Kwarteng appeared to make the remark.

Asked about the exchange later on, Mr Kwarteng told the PA news agency: ‘It’s kicking off, the leadership, even the Prince of Wales is interested in the Tory leadership.

‘We do this every three years – but there you go.’

And speaking on his podcast for the ConservativeHome website, Mr Rees-Mogg insisted there was ‘a problem with the timescale of the leadership election’ as he took a swipe at Mr Sunak.

‘Those who have been disloyal to the PM have had plenty of time to set up their campaigns,’ the Cabinet minister said.

‘Those who have undermined the PM, sometimes by actually running – dare I say it – not a very successful economic policy, have had six months or more where they have been cogitating, mulling, considering their next steps.

‘Where people who have been loyal to the PM, of course, haven’t.

‘Because people who have been loyal to the PM wanted him to carry on and therefore weren’t considering a leadership campaign.

‘And I think there is a difficulty that haste favours the disloyal, rather than the loyal.’

Meanwhile, announcing his withdrawal on Tuesday evening, Mr Javid tweeted: ‘I have withdrawn from the Conservative leadership race. We now have an opportunity to renew and reunite as a party.

‘In the last few days we have already seen an abundance of talent and ideas. I look forward to working together and delivering for our great country.’

Earlier, Home Secretary Priti Patel also withdrew, with signs that MPs who had been in her group are now shifting to Ms Truss.

The Foreign Secretary has gained the endorsement of prominent Boris Johnson loyalists Jacob Rees-Mogg, Nadine Dorries and James Cleverly, in what is being seen as a concerted move to prevent Mr Sunak entering No 10.

But Mr Sunak was well over the threshold as he formally launched his campaign this morning, introduced by deputy PM Dominic Raab and Transport Secretary Grant Shapps.

At a second hustings event on Tuesday, hosted by the Common Sense Group of Tory MPs, candidates were each allotted 12 minutes to take questions.

Asked how she had fared after speaking before Mr Hunt at the event this evening, Penny Mordaunt said: ‘Alright, no one threw anything!’

Foreign Secretary Liz Truss also left the room declaring: ‘It’s hot!’

When Tom Tugendhat departed to the traditional sound of the banging of desks, he said: ‘Lots of banging, who doesn’t like banging?’

An MP on Suella Braverman’s campaign team said they had already been approached tonight by supporters of those candidates who dropped out of the contest today.

Although she appeared last at the second hustings of the night, Ms Mordaunt quipped she was ‘first in our hearts’.

And, asked if she was ready for a grilling by Tory MPs, she added: ‘Still afloat, ready to return fire!’

One MP, speaking after the hustings had ended, said there was ‘not a weak candidate’ among the eight who remain in the contest.

They predicted that the final three would be Rishi Sunak, Penny Mordaunt and Liz Truss.

Another MP revealed they had quizzed each candidate on the Channel migrants crisis, with a number of them telling the hustings event they would keep open the option of leaving the European Convention of Human Rights.

The MP added that, although their colleagues would be choosing candidates who most closely aligned with their views, they were also deciding based on who they thought would do best against Labour at a general election.

Although the MP is supporting Kemi Badenoch, they predicted Ms Mordaunt could also prove popular with the wider public.

There are signs that some previous supporters of Priti Patel are moving to Liz Truss after she withdrew

Mr Sunak already appears to be well over the threshold as he formally launched his campaign this morning, introduced by deputy PM Dominic Raab and Grant Shapps

Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab (pictured) today gave his backing to Mr Sunak’s campaign to become the next Tory leader and Prime Minister

Earlier, at his launch this morning, former Chancellor Mr Sunak again batted away calls for tax cuts before inflation is under control, saying ‘we need to have a grown up conversation’.

At the event in Westminster, he also heaped praise on Boris Johnson, describing him as ‘one of the most remarkable people I have ever met’ who has a ‘good heart’ – but it was ‘not working’ any more.

Mr Sunak – who only took a few questions from the media while journalists asking combative points were heckled by the crowd – said his plan was to ‘tackle inflation, grow the economy and cut taxes’.

‘I want to have a grown up conversation where I can tell you the truth,’ he said.

Mr Raab said before the speech: ‘We need a leader who can win… he is the only one who can win.’

In news that will cause alarm in Mr Sunak’s camp, a ConservativeHome poll has found that he would lose to his main rivals in the run-off ballot of Tory members.

Announcing the end of her leadership bid, Home Secretary Ms Patel said in a statement: ‘I am grateful for the encouragement and support colleagues and Party members have offered me in recent days in suggesting that I enter the contest for the leadership of the Conservative Party. I will not be putting my name forward for the ballot of MPs.

‘As Home Secretary I have always put the security and safety of our country and the national interest first and my focus is to continue working to get more police on our streets, support our amazing security services to keep our country safe and control our borders.

‘As a lifelong and committed Conservative, I will always make the case for freedom, enterprise and opportunity and work with colleagues to deliver these values in Government.

‘Like all Conservative MPs and Party members, I will be listening to cases being put forward by the candidates standing for the leadership of the Party and trust the contest will be conducted in a good spirit that brings our Party together.’

Nominations for the first vote will be held at 1.30pm tomorrow.

Those who made the first ballot will now require backing from 30 MPs out of the 358 total to survive into the second round on Thursday.

At least the lowest-placed contender will be eliminated in each ballot until two remain. They will then be put to party members in a postal ballot, with hustings held across the UK during August.

The new leader will be announced on September 5, becoming PM the following day.

At his launch, Mr Sunak delivered a sharp barb at his rivals, suggesting their tax plans are ‘not credible’ as he said he would only reduce them after inflation is under control.

The former chancellor said: ‘It is not credible to promise lots more spending and lower taxes.

‘I had to make some of the most difficult choices of my life as chancellor, in particular how to deal with our debt and borrowing after Covid. I have never hidden away from those, I certainly won’t pretend now the choices I made and the things I voted for were somehow not necessary.

‘While that may be politically inconvenient for me, it is also the truth. As is the fact that once we’ve gripped inflation, I will get the tax burden down. It is a question of when, not if.

Mr Sunak said that Mr Johnson is ‘flawed’ like all politicians and they often disagreed.

But he added: ‘I will have no part in a rewriting of history that seeks to demonise Boris, exaggerate his faults or deny his efforts.

‘I am running a positive campaign focused on what my leadership can offer our party and our country. I will not engage in the negativity you have seen and read in the media. If others wish to do that, then let them. That is not who we are. We can be better than that.’

He also flatly dismissed the idea he was in cahoots with maverick ex-No10 chief Dominic Cummings – as some rival camps have alleged.

‘Dominic Cummings has had absolutely nothing to do with this campaign and will have absolutely nothing to do with any government that I’m privileged to lead,’ he said.

‘For the record, I’ve not communicated with Dominic Cummings since the day he left Downing Street.’

But despite Mr Sunak’s slick campaign event, the ConservativeHome survey suggests he still has work to do to win over members.

Although it is not scientific, the grassroots polls are closely watched.

And they show Mr Sunak would lose to Ms Mordaunt by 58 per cent to 31 per cent, and Ms Truss by 51 per cent to 34 per cent.

The findings contrasted with an Opinium poll of Tory members for Channel 4 News, which found Mr Sunak would beat both Ms Truss and Ms Mordaunt in a run-off.

Ms Truss has warned the Tory Right it risks handing Mr Sunak the keys to No10 unless it unites behind her.

The Foreign Secretary’s allies urged her rivals on the Thatcherite wing of the party to end their campaigns and back her.

A poll has shown that Mr Sunak would lose to Ms Mordaunt by 58 per cent to 31 per cent, and Ms Truss by 51 per cent to 34 per cent

At a speech today, Mr Tugendhat (pictured) promised to slash fuel duty by 10p if elected as prime minister

Ms Dorries and Mr Rees-Mogg said they are backing Ms Truss in the leadership contest as she is a ‘stronger Brexiteer’ than either of them.

Speaking to reporters in Downing Street after a Cabinet meeting, Ms Dorries said: ‘I have sat with Liz in Cabinet now for some time.

‘[I’m] very aware that she’s probably a stronger Brexiteer than the both of us.

‘She has consistently argued for low tax policies and I’m particularly concerned about the 14 million people who voted for a manifesto and voted for a Government that the candidate that we select, for me it’s Liz who I’m going to back, will continue with those manifesto policies and will continue to deliver for the Government and the Conservative Party moving forward.’

At a speech today, Mr Tugendhat promised to slash fuel duty by 10p if elected as prime minister.

The Tory leadership candidate said: ‘I am here to make the case that our economy can only prosper if we believe that people—and not Westminster—know best how to spend their money.

‘I know the pain families are feeling now. That is why my first pledge is to take fuel duty down by 10p a litre. My second is to reverse the national insurance rise. This isn’t about percentages. It’s about jobs. That’s why I didn’t vote for the increase then, and I wouldn’t now.’

Mr Tugendhat has dismissed criticism of his lack of ministerial experience after Dominic Raab said it was ‘no time to learn on the job’.

He said: ‘The reality is that the job of prime minister is unlike every other job in government. It’s not a management job, it’s not a departmental job. It’s a job that demands vision and leadership, it demands a willingness to serve and to throw everything in the duty of serving the British people.

‘This is no time to learn. What this is, is a time to look at a record of service and a record of delivery in some of the most difficult and trying conditions around the world, and to see that this isn’t learning on the job, this is putting all that experience to work on the job.’

He has also pledged 3 per cent of GDP on defence spending, adding: ‘Putin’s barbaric invasion of Ukraine shows we face the most severe national security threats of a generation.

‘A sudden u-turn on defence spending would undermine our credibility in NATO.’

Meanwhile, in a swipe at Mr Sunak, Mr Zahawi said ‘cutting taxes isn’t a fairytale’.

The now Chancellor also shrugged off criticism from Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey that he should not be making commitments on tax.

He told BBC Breakfast: ‘I’m setting out my stall as prime minister and I have fully costed these pledges, and I’ll be saying more about the way we’ll pay for that in the coming days.’

He also said in a leadership campaign video that he would reform education to give pupils ‘the tools they need to succeed in life’.

‘Faced by Russia and China it is clear we must increase our spending on defence,’ he added.

‘And of course we need to reduce the burden of tax. I believe cutting taxes isn’t a fairytale but rather a critical step to tackle the cost-of-living crisis.’

Contenders for the leadership of the Conservative Party were seen out at a 1922 Committee summer reception last night after Sir Graham Brady announced the timings.

Ms Truss, Mr Sunak, ex- Equalities minister Kemi Badenoch, Ms Patel and chairman of the Commons Foreign Affairs Committee Mr Tugendhat, enjoyed wine and chat on the Terrace at the Houses of Parliament.

Also present at the drinks reception were Former Secretary of State for Health Matt Hancock, Chancellor of the Exchequer Nadhim Zahawi and Vice Chair of the 1922 Committee Nus Ghani

During the 2019 Tory leadership race, there were suspicions that Mr Johnson’s campaign team asked some backers to lend votes to Jeremy Hunt to ensure he got into the final two because they believed he would be easier to beat.

Sir Gavin Williamson, who was a leading figure on Mr Johnson’s team, is now working on Mr Sunak’s campaign.

A Tory source said: ‘Gav will try and get another no-hoper on the ballot with his man … he could even make sure it is Jeremy again.’

Mrs Braverman’s team last night joined calls for the Tory Right to unite behind a ‘Stop Rishi’ candidate, but she declined to withdraw herself.

The Attorney General stole a march on her rivals by announcing her candidacy live on TV last Wednesday.

An ally said: ‘The Right of the party need to come together on a single person who both backed Brexit and who party members actually really like. It would be a catastrophe if they can’t.’

Mr Baker, who is Mrs Braverman’s campaign manager, said it was ‘a nonsense to have candidates standing all over the place’.

He told BBC Radio 4’s PM programme: ‘There’s a danger of fragmentation. Kemi Badenoch has decided to stand, I’m afraid as much as I am fond of Kemi, it’s a bit improbable.

‘She hasn’t been in the Cabinet; Suella has been in the Cabinet.’

The runners and riders in the race to succeed Boris Johnson

Rishi Sunak

Super-rich father of two
Married to Indian heiress
Chancellor throughout the Covid pandemic
Oversaw huge public spending
Has pledged to cut taxes only when inflation and the economy are under control
Bookies odds: 6/4 Favourite (William Hill odds)

In a slick campaign video launched on Friday, Mr Sunak announced his leadership bid with the message: ‘Let’s restore trust, rebuild the economy and reunite the country.’

One of the main front-runners the former chancellor’s rise from relative obscurity to household name came as he turned on the spending taps to protect jobs through the furlough scheme when the coronavirus pandemic struck.

His calm and measured delivery during televised Covid briefings, and his viral declaration of love for a popular soft drink, will have endeared him to those perhaps not always plugged in to the political goings-on, as well as his resignation on matters of principle on Tuesday.

A Brexit supporter from the off, he has attracted more than 30 declared supporters so far from within the Tory ranks, including from serving and ex-ministers Mark Spencer, Oliver Dowden and Robert Jenrick.

However his stock has taken a tumble recently following disclosures that his wife had non-dom status for tax purposes, while she lived in Downing Street, and he held on to his US green card while serving in Government.

He has become the man to beat in the leadership race, and has already been the focus of concerted mud-slinging.

There have been claims that allies of Mr Johnson are aiming to stop Mr Sunak winning the Tory leadership contest over his ‘treachery’ in resigning from Government on Tuesday night – a move that precipitated the PM’s downfall.

According to the Telegraph, a 424-word criticism of Mr Sunak is being widely shared across Tory WhatsApp groups.

As well as claiming ‘there is nothing Conservative about the ‘Big Tax and Big Spend’ agenda of Rishi Sunak’, Mr Sunak is also branded a ‘liar’ and accused of ‘schoolboy errors’.

The ex-chancellor has also witnessed a TV clip of himself, from 20 years ago, talking about his circle of friends being ‘err… not working class’ go viral on social media.

Rishi Sunak was forced to deny links to ‘toxic’ former No10 adviser Dominic Cummings last night.

Mr Cummings has posted ‘poisonous’ claims online about Mr Sunak’s rivals for the Tory leadership, but the former Chancellor’s team insisted he had not spoken to the controversial adviser since he left No 10 in late 2020.

A rival Tory leadership campaign source said Mr Sunak should ‘come clean’ about whether his team had any links to Mr Cummings – or if they had been in contact with him.

Penny Mordaunt

Former defence secretary
Appeared on reality TV show Splash!
Current trade minister
Divorced Royal Naval Reservist
Odds: 9/4

Ms Mordaunt’s campaign got off to an awkward start on Sunday with her launch video hastily edited to remove several identifiable figures including athlete Jonnie Peacock and jailed Paralympic athlete Oscar Pistorius.

Announcing her bid, the international trade minister said the UK’s leadership ‘needs to become a little less about the leader and a lot more about the ship’.

Ms Mordaunt was Ben Wallace’s predecessor as defence secretary, and the first woman to hold the post before being sacked by Mr Johnson shortly after he became Prime Minister in 2019.

The trade minister has many strings to her bow as a Royal Navy reservist and former reality TV contestant, having appeared on the Tom Daley-fronted diving show Splash.

She played a prominent role in the Leave campaign in the 2016 Brexit referendum, and enjoys the backing of Dame Andrea Leadsom and Michael Fabricant.

Mordaunt’s bid was promoted on her Twitter page, where she has hit back against critics trying to depict her as ‘woke’ amid a row over her stance on transgender rights, insisting she has ‘fought for women’s rights all my life’ as she hit back at opponents

Ms Mordaunt’s bid was promoted on her Twitter page, where she has hit back against critics trying to depict her as ‘woke’ amid a row over her stance on transgender rights, insisting she has ‘fought for women’s rights all my life’ as she hit back at opponents.

Her position as one of the bookies’ favourites to become the next Tory leader has led to a furious row over her stance on trans issues, including her past claim that ‘trans women are women’.

She has been accused of being ‘a committed warrior for the trans lobby’ and of risking ‘enormous harm to women’s rights and children’.

But Ms Mordaunt, a Royal Navy reservist, used a series of Twitter posts in the early hours of this morning to push back at opponents.

As well as highlighting her past work in Government, including when she was women and equalities minister under Theresa May, Ms Mordaunt also stressed there was a difference between ‘biological women’ and those who are ‘legally female’.

Liz Truss

Foreign Secretary
Remainer turned Brexit hardliner
Negotiating with EU over NI
Loves posing for pictures on Instagram
Odds: 7/2

The Foreign Secretary kept her powder dry as the Tory top brass turned on the mortally wounded Prime Minister, despite being a Johnson loyalist, though she did cut short a foreign trip to Indonesia to head back to Westminster as he announced his resignation.

But she confirmed long-standing expectations that she would throw her hat into the already crowded ring on Sunday, pledging to reverse the national insurance hike.

Ina video released today she vowed to return to ‘proper Conservative policy’ with tax cuts ‘from day one’ and business rates reforms. She suggested that the £2trillion debt mountain should be put on a ‘longer-term’ footing in order to give immediate wriggle-room.

In her video, she played up her experience at the top levels of government and said the party needs to ‘deliver, deliver, deliver’ to win the next general election.

Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng has already come out in support of Liz Truss

Writing in The Telegraph on Sunday, Ms Truss, who has been cultivating support among Tory MPs and enjoys the backing of Julian Knight, Jackie-Doyle Price and Chloe Smith, said she could be ‘trusted to deliver’.

Social media aficionado Ms Truss has made little secret of her leadership ambitions, with a series of high-profile interventions and photo opportunities in which she appeared to be channelling late PM Margaret Thatcher.

She has the experience of working across many Whitehall departments, while her hard line on Ukraine, insisting Russian forces must be driven from the country, and threats to tear up the Northern Ireland Protocol with the EU play well with sections of the party.

Nadhim Zahawi

Made Chancellor after Sunak quit last week
Urged Boris to quit within a day of appointment
Born in Iraq to Kurdish parents and came to Uk as a child
Made millions by founded the YouGov polling company
Questions over his tax affairs
Odds: 50/1

Mr Zahawi’s bid, also announced in The Sunday Times, is rooted in lower taxes and a ‘great education’ for all, promising to ‘steady the ship’ and ‘stabilise the economy’.

He also appeared to suggest a hard-line stance on so-called culture war issues, claiming he would protect children from what he claimed was ‘damaging and inappropriate nonsense from radical activists’.

The newly appointed Chancellor argued Britons must be trusted ‘to do what is best for themselves’, as he warned the country had lost a sense of ‘boundless optimism and opportunity’ that he traced back to Margaret Thatcher’s tenure.

An outside bet among the bookies, the Iraqi-born former education secretary was a successful businessman and came to wider prominence as vaccines minister during the pandemic.

But he is facing questions over his tax affairs that could serious hinder his campaign.

There have been claims that HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) is probing Mr Zahawi after civil servants raised a red ‘flag’.

But Mr Zahawi, who founded polling firm YouGov and is believed to be worth around £100million, dismissed the suggestion and said he will ‘not apologise for being a successful businessman’.

Today he lashed out at ‘smears’ as he insisted he is ‘not aware’ of any investigation into his financial affairs.

The new Chancellor also attempted to turn the tables by vowing to publish his tax return annually if his Tory leadership bid is successful.

He also refused to give any estimate for his personal wealth saying he would ‘probably get it wrong’ and ‘these things move around’ with changes to investment values.

Tom Tugendhat

Former soldier who served in Iraq and Afghanistan
Married father of two
Chairman of Foreign Affairs Committee
Russia and China hawk
Remain-voting long-term Boris critic
Has never held a ministerial post
Odds: 12/1

Not a household name, but among the early contenders.

The multi-lingual chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee became the first to announce his intention to stand for leader should Mr Johnson be turfed out, with his declaration made in January, a position he repeated in Friday’s Daily Telegraph, saying he was putting together a ‘broad coalition’ offering a ‘clean start’.

His odds shortened almost immediately as a result.

The former soldier wrote in the paper: ‘I have served before, in the military, and now in Parliament. Now I hope to answer the call once again as prime minister.’

A Remainer in 2016, he has been a trenchant critic of Mr Johnson, a stance that would appear to have cost him any chance of ministerial preferment under the current leadership.

Yesterday he provided a punchy response today when – asked about the ‘naughtiest thing’ he’d ever done – the Tory leadership candidate replied: ‘Well, I invaded a country once.’

The former British Army officer looked to draw on his experience in the military – during which he served in both Iraq and Afghanistan – as he pushed forward his case to replace Boris Johnson as prime minister.

Although considered an outsider in the race for Number 10, as he has not previously been a Government minister, the 49-year-old insisted he had a wealth of experience as a ‘leader’.

Mr Tugendhat, the chairman of the House of Commons’ Foreign Affairs Committee, vowed to be tough on Russia and China.

He also promised to reverse a hike in National Insurance and to take action on ‘crippling’ fuel duties.

Suella Braverman

Attorney General and hardline Brexiteer
British daughter of Indian parents from Goa
Has vowed to rewrite Brexit deal on Northern Ireland
Also pledged to tackle ‘woke’ social issues
Odds: 50/1

The Attorney General launched an unlikely leadership bid as support for Mr Johnson crumbled around him on Wednesday night.

But a surprise endorsement from prominent Brexiteer Steve Baker, who had earlier said he was considering running, has lent weight to her standing.

Ms Braverman, who was first elected as an MP in 2015, is regarded as something of an outlier for the top job.

A Suella Braverman for PM Twitter account has nonetheless sprung up, with Tory MP Sir Desmond Swayne being the first to tweet his support for her bid.

Jeremy Hunt

Former foreign, health and defence secretary
Lost to Johnson in 2019 leadership election
Remainer turned Brexit supporter
Long seen as the moderate, anti-Boris candidate
Father of two whose wife is Chinese
Odds: 50/1

Mr Hunt confirmed his widely anticipated leadership bid in The Sunday Telegraph, making similar tax-cutting pledges to fellow ex-health secretary Mr Javid.

The foreign secretary, whose Remainer background may have been part of what ruled him out of the running in 2019, has been a persistent critic of Mr Johnson.

Seen by some as a bit of a Thatcher reboot, Mr Hunt might appeal to those who want a sensible choice of leader after months of instability.

As chairman of the Commons Health Committee, he has used his position to make a number of critical interventions on the Government’s handling of the pandemic, although his strong support for lockdown measures will not have pleased all Tory MPs.

Kemi Badenoch

Former equalities minister who fought against ‘woke’
A 42-year-old banker with Nigerian heritage
Has received the shock backing of Michael Gove
Odds: 12/1

Former equalities minister Kemi Badenoch threw her hat into the ring with a plan for a smaller state and a government ‘focused on the essentials’.

The MP for Saffron Walden said she supported lower taxes ‘to boost growth and productivity, and accompanied by tight spending discipline’.

Writing in The Times, the 42-year-old former banker, who grew up in the UK, US and Nigeria, also hit out at ‘identity politics’ and said Boris Johnson was ‘a symptom of the problems we face, not the cause of them’.

Ms Badenoch may be considered an outsider for the leadership given the Tory grandees already in the running, but her profile was boosted by an endorsement from Michael Gove on Sunday.

Writing in the Sun the former minister said: ‘As I reflect on what it takes to deliver in government – on the mistakes I’ve made, the lessons I’ve learned, the progress I helped secure – I know one thing is true above all. If you want to drive change, empower the right people. Kemi Badenoch has the Right Stuff.’

He went on to say the party needed a leader with ‘Kemi’s focus, intellect and no-bulls*** drive’.

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