“This is not about petty politics, this is not some sort of a game. This isn’t just some sort of knife fight in a phone box. This is a battle of ideas that is actually going to determine the future of our country” – Tom Tugendhat.
“I think it was Margaret Thatcher who said, ‘Every prime minister needs a Willie’. A woman like me doesn’t have one” – Penny Mordaunt.
“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” – Rishi Sunak.
“A gentle word of advice to the remaining candidates: smears & attacks may bring short term tactical gain but always backfire long term. The nation is watching & they’ve had enough of our drama; be the broad church & unbeatable, election winning machine that our country deserves” – Jeremy Hunt tweets after coming last in the first ballot.
“Now is the time for colleagues to unite behind the candidate who will cut taxes, deliver the real economic change we need from day one and ensure Putin loses in Ukraine” – A spokeswoman for Liz Truss.
“As far as I can see every Eurosceptic’s heart is with Suella” – Steve Baker, a leading supporter of Suella Braverman.
“I don’t intend to make any further intervention, but I wish all the candidates in the leadership contest the very best of luck” – Nadhim Zawahi.
“I don’t think it’s a setback. At the end of the day he took a big step forward, a brave step forward. Many people, including myself, haven’t got the balls, to be perfectly frank, to put themselves forward. So I respect him massively for having a go at it” – Jonathan Gullis, a backer of Nadhim Zahawi, after the Chancellor was eliminated in the first ballot.
“I think that’s important, that you have somebody who’s fiscally on the right side of the argument, who doesn’t believe that higher taxation is the right answer to every question” – Brexit opportunities minister Jacob Rees-Mogg attacks Mr Sunak.
