The race to become the next leader of the Conservative Party is down to the final two candidates as Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak are set to battle it out during a series of live TV debates.
The pair have been engaged in bitter clashes over policies including immigration, China and tax cuts in their bid to secure the top job, with polls and surveys of Tory members currently suggesting Truss has a considerable lead over Sunak.
Over the coming weeks, it will be up to approximately 180,000 Tory members to decide which of the two MPs will be the next party leader and Prime Minister of the UK.
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Before then, the two top Tories will take part in several live TV debates, the first of which will broadcast live on BBC One at 9pm on Monday, but before then, we take a look at where the final contenders stand on several key policies:
Tax and spending
Rishi Sunak: The former Chancellor has pitched himself as the fiscally conservative candidate and had criticised his rivals’ plans to raise borrowing to pay for tax cuts as “comforting fairytales.” He has promised to “deliver tax cuts that drive growth,” but to do so in a “way that’s responsible” and only “after we’ve got a grip of inflation”.
Has branded plans by his rival as “immoral” for passing debt onto the next generation.
Liz Truss: The Foreign Secretary has pledged to “start cutting taxes from day one” with a new Budget and Spending Review that would reverse April’s rise in national insurance and next year’s corporation tax hike from 19% to 25%. She has vowed to “simplify” taxes and ensure people are not penalised for caring for children or relatives.
She has not explained how she would pay for the £30 billion in tax cuts she has promised, but insists they “can be paid for within the existing fiscal envelope” and has said that cutting taxes will help curb inflation. Pitched as the cornerstone of her tax-cutting economic vision, she has unveiled plans to turn brownfield sites – vacant or derelict pieces of land – and other locations into “investment zones,” dubbed “full-fat freeports.”
Immigration
Rishi Sunak: Has re-iterated his support for the Government’s controversial Rwanda asylum policy, saying he would do “whatever it takes” to get it up and running. He has unveiled a 10-point plan that includes the promise of a narrower definition of who qualifies for asylum compared to that offered by the European Convention on Human Rights, with enhanced powers to detain, tag and monitor illegal migrants.
Sunak has promised to give Parliament control over who comes to the UK by creating an annual cap on the number of refugees accepted each year, although this can be changed in the case of sudden emergencies.
Liz Truss: She also supports the Rwanda policy and has said under her leadership it could be extended further, with partnerships with more countries and further return and resettlement agreements. Truss has also said she will increase Border Force staff levels from 9,000 to 10,800 and double the Border Force Maritime staffing levels, while also bringing forward a strengthened UK Bill of Rights to provide a “sound legal basis” to tackle illegal migration.
Identity politics
Rishi Sunak: Has criticised “trends to erase women via the use of clumsy, gender-neutral language.” He has pledged a “manifesto for women’s rights,” including opposing biological men being allowed to compete against women in sport, and guidance for schools on how they teach issues of sex and gender.
Liz Truss: She previously shelved plans for an overhaul of gender recognition rules to make it easier for trans people to change their legal gender.
Brexit and Europe
Rishi Sunak: Voted Leave and has promised to scrap or reform all EU law or bureaucracy still on the statute book by the time of the next general election, and have initial recommendations on whether each law stays or goes within 100 days.
Liz Truss: Voted Remain but has since embraced Brexit and scooped up the backing of staunch Brexiteers in the party. She helped push through the Northern Ireland Protocol Bill which critics say breaks international law.
Truss vowed to review all EU laws retained after Brexit by the end of 2023 in a “red tape bonfire” if she becomes prime minister, and to scrap or replace those that are deemed to hinder UK growth. She reportedly said she would seek to reform the European Convention on Human Rights but would be “prepared to leave” it.
Defence
Rishi Sunak: Views the NATO target of 2% of GDP as a “floor and not a ceiling” and notes it is set to rise to 2.5% “over time” but refuses to set “arbitrary targets.”
Liz Truss: Has pledged to increase defence spending to 3% of GDP by 2030 and strengthen the intelligence services. She said the Government’s plan to cut the size of the Army to 72,500 in 2025 as part of a move towards drones and cyber warfare is “up for review.”
NHS
Rishi Sunak: Has promised a “vaccines-style” taskforce to tackle NHS backlogs, saying dealing with the issue will be a top priority. He plans to expand the network of specialist surgical centres and community diagnostics hubs in order to eliminate one-year NHS waiting times six months earlier than planned by September 2024 and to get overall numbers falling by next year.
Liz Truss: Agrees on the urgent need to deal with care backlogs, promising to install a “strong” health secretary to solve the issue. She also said she is “completely committed” to current Government promises for NHS spending, despite her plans for tax cuts.
Climate change and net zero
Rishi Sunak: He is committed to reaching net zero emissions by 2050. He has pledged to keep the ban on building new onshore wind farms, but wants to introduce a legal target to make Britain energy self-sufficient by 2045 by overseeing a massive expansion in offshore turbines.
Liz Truss: Backs the net zero push, but would pause green levies on domestic energy bills, which could damage the target. She says there is a strong case for lifting the ban on fracking and wants to move away from the EU’s habitat directive in favour of a stronger British biodiversity target.
Housing and infrastructure
Rishi Sunak: Has vowed to improve housing stock and energy efficiency. He wants to scrap EU Solvency II rules to help investors put money into infrastructure assets.
Liz Truss: Would scrap what she calls “Stalinist” housing targets in favour of tax cuts and deregulation.
Foreign affairs
Rishi Sunak: Says China is “the biggest-long term threat to Britain” and has promised to close all 30 of Beijing’s Confucius Institutes in the UK and “kick the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) out of our universities.”
Liz Truss: She “helped lead the international response to increased Chinese aggression” as Foreign Secretary and “this will only continue when she becomes prime minister,” according to her campaign.
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