Conservative leadership race: Five remaining candidates to face off in live televised debate | Politics news

The five remaining candidates in the Conservative leadership race will face off in a televised debate tonight.

It comes after Rishi Sunak came out on top in yesterday’s Tory MP vote, with Penny Mardaunt in second and Liz Truss in third.

Kemi Badenoch and Tom Tugendhat are also in the fray, but Suella Braverman was knocked out.

The leadership contenders will go head-to-head live on Channel 4 later, with another on Sunday.

And Sky News will broadcast the debate on Tuesday night at 8pm – after more candidates were eliminated in further rounds of voting in Westminster.

The final two contenders for the leadership will emerge by the end of next week and then face a summer of competition – with members of the Conservative Party getting the chance to decide who will be the next prime minister.

The winner will be announced on September 5.

Here are the results of yesterday’s vote among Tory MPs – including the number of supporters for each candidate:

Braverman supports Truss

Foreign Secretary Liz Truss is hoping to attract more Tory support in the immediate aftermath of the sacking of Attorney General Suella Braverman.

And last night Ms Truss received her backing – with Ms Braverman saying she would be a “strong keeper of the Brexit promise”.

Former Brexit minister Lord Frost also appealed to Ms Badenoch to stand down as foreign secretary, calling for “unity among free marketers”.

Former Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt, who lost the first round of voting, pledged his support to Mr. Sunak.

But Chancellor Nadhim Zahavi, who was also eliminated in the first round, has yet to attach his colors to any mast.

Candidates thank their supporters

In response to receiving the most votes for a second time, Mr Sunack said he was “incredibly grateful” for the support of Tory MPs.

He tweeted: “I am ready to give everything I have for the benefit of our nation. Together we can restore trust, rebuild our economy and unite the country.”

Meanwhile, Ms Truss’s leadership campaign group said: “Now is the time for MPs to unite around a candidate who will cut taxes, deliver the real economic change we need, continue to deliver the benefits of Brexit and ensure Putin loses Ukraine.”

Ms Mordaunt posted another video thanking her supporters, saying: “Together we will make a real difference.”

And Ms Badenach said she was “delighted that a growing number of my colleagues believe in my vision of a return to honest politics and conservative principles”.

Mr Tugendhat insisted he would not withdraw from the contest despite falling five votes from the first round, tweeting: “I have never turned down a challenge because the odds were against me. I don’t plan to start now.”

Labor is calling for a general election

Labor leader Sir Keir Starmer said a general election was needed to deliver “fundamental change”.

“I don’t think the answer to the stagnation of the last 12 years is to change the Tory candidate or leader,” he told reporters.

After that, a leadership contest was launched Boris Johnson announced his resignation last thursday.

His announcement followed an avalanche of ministers resigning for his treatment of disgraced MP Chris Pincherand allegations that he lied about his knowledge of inappropriate behavior by the former deputy chief of the department.

Mr Johnson remains at No 10 as caretaker prime minister while the contest is held.

Labor has been pushing for the prime minister’s immediate resignation in an attempt to trigger a vote of confidence in him and the government.

Instead the government announced a vote of confidenceallowing wording to be set to make it easier for Johnson’s Tory critics to vote yes.

Sky News is hosting a live televised debate with the contenders to be the next leader of the Conservative Party, and therefore Prime Minister, and you can be in the virtual audience.

The debate will take place on Tuesday, July 19 at 8 p.m.

If you would like to be part of the virtual audience and have the opportunity to ask a question, please send an email NewsDebates@sky.uk.