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In the first hustings that specifically addressed Tory party members who will be casting ballots in the election, Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss—the two finalists in the race to succeed Boris Johnson as leader of the Conservative Party and prime minister of the United Kingdom—were questioned about their policies.
While the economy and cost-of-living issues were the main topics, as they were in earlier televised debates, the audience at the hustings in Leeds, Yorkshire, northern England, on Thursday night asked more general questions, demonstrating their support for Johnson.
A Tory member raised serious concerns about Sunak’s decision to step down as chancellor earlier this month and charged the former minister of betraying his old employer.
One West Yorkshire-based Tory audience member observed to Sunak, “You’re a fantastic salesperson and you have many outstanding traits, but many people still back Johnson who has delivered consistently through dangerous waters.”
“Unfortunately, a lot of people can see that you stabbed him in the back. You become a top politician thanks to him. Additionally, some individuals do not wish to observe it in No “said he.
Sunak answered that there was “a major difference of opinion” between the two on the economic course of the nation and that he was left with no alternative.
“There is no way that the Prime Minister and the Chancellor cannot work together closely on economic policy, especially now when the economy is dealing with significant difficulties. I thus had no choice but to “said he.
Further insisting that he was “ideally situated to bring the party back together, since I’ve already gained support from across the party,” the British Indian Tory MP for Richmond, North Yorkshire.
As did his opponent, who was born and raised in the region, he tried to appeal to voters by calling his connection to northern England as a North Yorkshire MP “the greatest honour of my life.”
With his proposals to delay major tax cuts, Sunak, who is now in second place behind Foreign Secretary Truss in the polls of Conservative Party members, positioned himself as the underdog who “hasn’t taken the easy way.”
In his inaugural statement, he made the subtle jab at his rival’s intentions to lower taxes right away if she becomes prime minister, saying it was irresponsible to “borrow our children and grandchildren’s future to make our lives easier today.”
When he said earlier in the week that he would reduce the VAT on energy bills, he was obliged to admit that he had changed his mind, but he insisted that his intentions were only temporary and time-limited.
Throughout the meeting, the former Cabinet member did draw cheers for his firm position on immigration, which he said was one of the topics he wanted to “grasp as swiftly as possible” as the new prime minister with a 10-point plan.