The remaining three Tory leadership candidates will be whittled to two on Wednesday as the race for No10 heats up.
The top two will then face a ballot of Conservative party members, with the winner announced on September 5.
Here, Liz Truss, Rishi Sunak and Penny Mordaunt set out their stall for the leadership:
Liz Truss: ‘Now is the time for boldness of vision’
We face immense challenges amid a growing economic crisis and burgeoning threats to international security from Russia, China and more.
Now is the time for boldness of vision and clarity of purpose. That is why I am putting myself forward to lead our party and our great country.
I am the only person who can deliver the economic change we need. After working in the energy and telecoms industries, I have long championed enterprise and aspiration.
Those values are at the heart of my clear and credible plan, which is in line with true Conservative pro-business principles.
My plan is based on tax cuts, deregulation and tough reform to help working people with the cost of living and get the economy firing on all cylinders in London and the rest of the country.
My government will be fiscally responsible and people can trust me to keep a tight grip of our national finances. We cannot tax our way to growth.
I will take the decisive action to deal with Londoners’ priorities, such as keeping the streets safe.
I am campaigning as a Conservative and will govern as a Conservative.
I am ready to go further and faster to seize the opportunities of Brexit, in the same positive and proactive way I struck dozens of trade deals with major markets such as Australia and Japan.
My track record of delivery shows I can get things done. I am direct and honest. I do what I say I will.
At this critical moment, I say to my colleagues and fellow party members that it is time to unite.
Together, we can deliver for the British people the real economic change which is so sorely needed. Under my leadership, we will ensure Britain’s best days lie ahead.
Rishi Sunak: ‘I am the only one standing in this contest who can beat Keir Starmer’
This leadership contest has shone a light on the depth of talent that we have in the Conservative Party.
It has been important to showcase the breadth of ideas from those seeking to become the next Prime Minister of our great country. However, the evidence shows that I am the only one standing in this contest who can beat Sir Keir Starmer at the next election and win an unprecedented 5th term for our Party.We are currently experiencing some of the most challenging economic times for decades. The country needs a responsible and honest government to steer us through these headwinds.
I would love to walk into No10 on September 6th and cut a range of taxes. But this would not help you, the British people. It would make inflation worse, and those who are suggesting otherwise are not being honest with you.
I will cut taxes before the next election, but not before we have got inflation under control and grown the economy.My track record as Chancellor is clear: I delivered when the country needed it most, implementing the furlough scheme in a matter of days and saving over 11.5m jobs in the process.
Thanks to the positive action that we took in those dark days in March 2020, we now have record levels of unemployment and have more job vacancies than people out of work in the UK for the first time since records began.The country needs a responsible and honest government to steer us through these tough economic headwinds.
I am the only candidate with the plan and the vision to rebuild our economy, restore trust and reunite the country. I delivered when the country needed it most, and I will deliver again.
Penny Mordaunt: ‘I’m the candidate of change’
Winning is important. It allows us to do what we believe needs to be done. I’m the best candidate to be leader of the Conservative Party because I’ve proven I can win from Labour: I’ve taken my constituency of Portsmouth North from a Tory gain to an increased majority at every election. I can win seats around the country, and I know what voters are going through in difficult times, because I’ve been there.
I’m also the candidate of change. The reason my friends Tom and Kemi conducted such impressive campaigns was that they were presenting fresh thinking. We need to show the public that we’ve changed and that we understand the new challenges facing us: a cost of living crisis, rebuilding after the Covid pandemic, and making the most of the opportunities Brexit has given us.
We need change, but we also need hope and optimism.
I want the chance to put myself before the membership of my party to avoid a toxic summer of Westminster in-fighting. I want to say to the party that I have a plan to make this country better, I have a team around me on whom I can rely, and I have an absolute dedication to service that comes from my background and experience.
I haven’t been sitting around the cabinet table for the last three years. I want us to regroup and rethink. We need to do some things quickly to help families and communities, like cutting VAT on fuel by 50 per cent, and we need to lay the groundwork for longer-term plans, like growing the economy and shaking up Whitehall.
The polls show I’m the one who can beat Labour up and down the country. I’m ready to serve, and I’m ready to win.
