Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss are preparing for more live television Tory bloodletting tonight after their allies clashed angrily over immigration and standing up to China.
Both rival camps waged a fierce battle for Boris Johnson’s replacement and entered No10, with each side praising the other in an attempt to portray the other as a serious liability.
Allies of Ms Truss, the foreign secretary, labeled Mr Sunak a ‘totally boring failed economist’ after he vowed to double down on the £120m scheme to send migrants to Rwanda.
To cut down on the multi-million-pound hotel bills for those arriving in smaller boats across the Channel, he suggested some be placed in old cruise ships.
They also clashed about China. When Mr Sunak last night declared Beijing to be ‘the biggest long-term threat to Britain, ‘allies of Liz Truss accused Mr Sunak of being ‘soft on China’ and pursuing closer trade links.
The latest round of fighting in an ever bitter leadership struggle is underway.
They were previously at odds over matters such as tax policy.
Tonight’s live BBC debate will feature the two of them. Sky News’ last planned debate was canceled due to public concerns about the party.
This comes after a poll showed that Liz Truss, despite being on track to win Tory leadership and become the Tory leader in No10 (and is therefore more popular than Sunak) among the larger voting public.
We will examine their policies as well as the different offerings they made to Tory loyalists.
A new poll revealed that Ms. Truss was more popular among Tory voters but Ms. Sunak leads when it comes all voter support.
Allies of Ms Truss, the foreign secretary , labeled Mr Sunak a ‘totally boring failed economist’ after he vowed to double down on the £120m scheme to send migrants to Rwanda. This is her leaving for home today.
SPENDING AND TAX
Members of Tory are focused on paying less tax, which some may say is their main interest. It is the tax policy which has helped Liz Truss to win over Rishi Sonak.
Foreign Secretary, has committed to reducing both business and personal taxes. The Foreign Secretary has pledged to end a plan for increasing corporation tax to 25% and to reverse Boris Johnson’s 1.25 percent increase in National Insurance to help pay for social services and the NHS.
She is confident that her economic cuts will help boost the economy. Experts have said fiscal plans would cost the Treasury £30billion, but she has insisted they will not impact public spending, because she will increase borrowing.
Sunak, on the other side, stated that his priority was to reduce inflation. The current rate of 9.4 percent is the highest level since 1980. After that handbrake is removed, he will not consider tax cuts.
Former chancellor, who positioned himself as fiscally conservative candidate, had complained about his opponents’ plans for borrowing increases to finance tax cuts.
Economists warn that inflation could rise to 15% this winter.
According to the Institute for Fiscal Studies, Tory members will have to make a choice between Ms Truss and Mr Sunak’s plans. Sunak’s fiscal situation is similar to that of the current Government.
In June, debt interest costs were higher than ever since 1997 when records were first kept.
It exceeded the record for 1997, when it was at its highest point.
Nadine Dorries takes to Twitter to blast Rishi Sunak’s posh £3,500 suit
Despite ministers warning the two camps that the endless mudslinging was causing embarrassment, the Tory leadership race has become increasingly bitter.
Nadine Dorries lashed out at Rishi Sunak today after it was revealed he went campaigning in a £3,500 suit and £490 Prada shoes.
The Culture Secretary, who backs Liz Truss, contrasted it with his opponent’s more homespun appearance, saying the Foreign Secretary Ms Truss is more likely to be seen in a pair of £4.50 earrings from high street chain Claire’s.
But her sniping on Twitter provoked a backlash from Team Rishi, with Guildford MP Angela Richardson, who backs Sunak, replied: ‘FFS (for f***’s sake) Nadine! Muted.’
Marcus Fysh, Truss’ backer, said that he would muffle supporters of the rival.
The extremely public attacks on the blues came just as Truss & Sunak were scheduled to debate each other in a BBC debate tonight.
Sky News cancelled the last planned debate on tv last week due to fears of public fighting being detrimental to the party.
And there were similar pleas for calm today, with Veterans Minister Johnny Mercer tweeting: ‘Probably worth remembering that on current trajectory we are out of power in two years time. This leadership race is embarrassingly puerile. It’s time to elevate the standard.
He intervened after Amanda Milling (former party chair) called the current leadership race “more toxic than any I’ve seen”.
She stated that if both camps don’t settle down, ‘the lasting destruction to our Party could cause us to be out of power for at least a decade.
In an analysis, the IFS’s Robert Joyce noted that cancelling a planned rise in corporation tax from 19 to 25 per cent would cost £17billion, though some might be clawed back in higher tax income generally if it stimulates economic growth. The National Insurance pledge will reduce tax takings by an additional £13billion and mainly help the better-off.
But he points out, too that Sunak’s plans for leaving the UK will leave it with tax at its highest level in 70-years as a percentage of national income.
Ms Truss’s plans have been backed by Prof Patrick Minford, one of Margaret Thatcher’s favourite economists.
However, he said they might lead to interest rates reaching a “normal level” of as high as seven percent. Current interest rates are 1.5 percent. An increase in these rates would be devastating for homeowners who owe mortgage payments.
Public borrowing has already reached a new record due to the emergency bailouts that were provided during the pandemic. Last month figures interest payments on the £2.4trillion debt mountain set a new record of £19.4billion.
Today Education Secretary James Cleverly defended Ms Truss’s taxation plans and said he would not want to see interest rates at 7 per cent.
Although he said that no prime minister could predict what future interest rates would be, he added that a reduction in taxes will encourage economic growth. It has to be the foundation.
Former Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt claimed that Rishi sunak is ‘willing to share the truth with the country about the national finances’.
Hunt failed to win his leadership bid. He is supporting Hunt’s former chancellor for the Tory leadership election.
ITV’s Good Morning Britain asked him to support Rishi Sunak, saying that he was open with his country regarding the problems we are facing and the need for unfunded tax cuts.
“I believe we also need honesty in the future of NHS.”
Truss today will announce a “full fat” version of ex-chancellor’s freeports.
According to her, existing areas with low taxes are plagued by excessive red tape.
Popular Tory leader wants to make model towns with Victorian-style commercial areas, such as Bournville.
So developers can start building faster, they will no longer have to follow planning regulations.
Miss Truss has also promised to remove more bureaucracy from Mr Sunak’s eight freeports.
She and her colleagues hope that the plan will result in investment of billions of pounds.
IMMIGRATION
Today the camps clashed over who is toughest in immigration. Each side has agreed to Rwanda’s scheme to deport Channel migrants to Africa. However, none have been sent.
Sunak called the current system broken and presented a 10-point plan to fix it on Sunday. He included a pledge to a tighter definition of those who qualify for asylum, as opposed to the ECHR. Also, he gave the ECHR enhanced powers to tag, monitor and detain illegal migrants.
He promised that Parliament would have control over who enters the UK, and that he would establish an annual limit on how many refugees are accepted per year. However, this cap can be modified in case of emergency.
Truss’s close allies snatched apart the proposals. They questioned Mr Sunak’s plans, saying that it wasn’t clear how refugee quotas would function and suggesting that certain of his ideas were a rebrand.
Allies to Ms Truss also questioned a suggestion by Mr Sunak that illegal immigrants could be accommodated on cruise ship. This was something which the Truss camp said would constitute arbitrary detention as well as a violation of international and domestic law.
He was accused of offering unworkable red meat to Tory rightwingers to make them lose, but the Times reported that his camp stated to him: “Good to have Remainer Truss back on the side for human rights lawyers.”
Sunak attempted to defend his proposal on Sunday afternoon. He told the BBC that illegal immigration was a priority for him, and that there are no other options.
However, he could not give any clear assurance that his policies would be legal.
Today the camps clashed over who is toughest in immigration. They both agreed to the Rwanda Scheme, which is supposed to result in Channel migrants being deported to Africa. But none of them have yet been sent.
“What we must do is admit to the difficulties that the ECHR (these European laws) have in our ability to tackle this problem.
Truss had stated that she would double the Border Force Maritime personnel levels and increase UK’s Frontline Border Force by 20% as Prime Minister. Ms Truss claimed that her plan for tackling illegal migration will be supported by the UK Bill of Rights.
She vowed she would fight the ECHR when immigration came into focus in the Tory leadership contest.
Miss Truss pledged also to reconsider the controversial idea to ask Border Force to intercept Channel migrants, and then tow them to France.
Boris Johnson rejected the idea in this year’s wake of warnings that it could pose too much risk to lives. However, campaign sources stated that Miss Truss would consider ‘all options’ to help others avoid the risky crossing.
The Foreign Secretary uses an interview with The Mail on Sunday vow to strike Rwanda-style deals with more countries.
She stated that the Rwanda policy was “the right policy.” This policy is my goal. I will continue to work with other countries to find similar partners. This is the right thing.
Both candidates’ plans caused anger, Oxfam calling it ‘cruel” any attempt to tie UK aid payments to co-operation in immigration removals. Amnesty International said that making policies to please Tory members had created ‘chaos & backlogs.
James Cleverly from Education, who supports Ms Truss today, said that a Rishi Sunak suggestion to asylum seekers be accommodated on cruise ships may be “reputationally quite negative” for vacation destinations, if they are moored near the ship.
Times Radio spoke to him, saying: “It is understandable (Mr Sunak), needs to present a strong position regarding migration issues. It’s understandable.
He said, “I don’t know the practicalities of it.” Because cruise ships can usually be moored in holiday areas, I think it would be intriguing to know where they would go.
“And although I am not sure that it would be a good fit for the tourism industry in our coast towns, which might need I think a boost instead of what might be reputationally quite negative, I will consider that.”
CHINA AND FOREIGN POLICY
China was another issue that drew them into conflict. When Mr Sunak last night declared to be ‘the biggest long-term threat to Britain, ‘allies of accused Mr Sunak of being ‘soft on China’ and pursuing closer trade links.
Yesterday night, Sir Iain Duncan Smith (former party leader) was one of five British MPs who were sanctioned for speaking out against human rights violations in China. He said that it was surprising that Mr Sunak claimed to be hard on Beijing.
Ahead of the leadership contenders’ first head-to-head TV debate tonight, Sir Iain – who is backing Miss Truss – said: ‘Over the last two years, the Treasury has pushed hard for an economic deal with China.
The ex-Chancellor was criticised for pushing closer trade relations with China, even though the country cracked down on peaceful demonstrations in Hong Kong (pictured).
Allies of Ms Truss, the foreign secretary, labeled Mr Sunak a ‘totally boring failed economist’ after he vowed to double down on the £120m scheme to send migrants to Rwanda.
China sanctioned Sir Iain Duncan Smith to say that Rishi Sunak is silent on China over the last two years
“This was despite China sanctioning me and four UK Parliamentarians. This is despite China brutally cracking Down on peaceful democracy campaigners and activists in Hong Kong. It also despite China illegally occupying South China Sea and committing genocide against the Uyghurs.
“After reading this lengthy list, I’d like to pose one question to Mr Sunak: Where are you now in the last two-years?”
China’s State-controlled Global Times reported earlier this month that Mr Sunak is Beijing’s top leadership contender. Although’most of these candidates have a strong stance on China’, there is only one. [Sunak]According to the communist mouthpiece, the group has “a pragmatic and clear view about developing UK-China ties”.
Team Truss’s source said that Sunak was “playing catch-up” on the China problem. A second source stated that Mr Sunak was “playing catch-up” on China. According to the source, Liz “almost single-handedly pulled the Government into China’s tougher position.”
Sunak charged his opponent with allowing Beijing’s propaganda machine to reach Britain’s universities via its Confucius Institutes. He promised to end this practice.
Chinese-funded cultural centers are accused of censorship on campus campuses, and spying upon overseas students. Sources in Sunak camp claimed that nine such institutions were opened by Miss Truss during her two-year tenure as education minister.
Last night neither camp wanted to make comments on the growing evidence that Covid could have leaked in a Wuhan lab. A source close to the Foreign Minister said that Covid might have leaked from a laboratory in Wuhan, China.
DEFENSE
Liz Truss has pledged to raise Britain’s spending on defence to 2.5 per cent of GDP by 2026, and 3 per cent by 2030.
This would cost more than £22 billion on top of the current £48.2bn defence budget. She will also ‘review’ plans to cut the Army by nearly 10,000 personnel.