£20 Rishi Sunak 'wine and nibbles' tickets axed after too low demand

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Gloucestershire party leaders have dropped plans to charge for the event after too few Tory members registered

Members were finally allowed to participate in the event for free (

Image: Reuters)

Tory leaders have been forced to scrap a £20 ticket price for 'wine and nibbles' with Rishi Sunak after too few tickets were sold.

Party organizers in Gloucestershire wanted to cash in on the weekend's event with the struggling No.10 prospect, who is teetotal.

An email to local campaigners, which said it had been 'promoted by Andrew Lennard on behalf of Gloucestershire Tories', quoted the 'ticket price of £20 to include wine and amusements gueules" for the party last Sunday.

But just 19 hours later, a follow-up email with the "Rt Hon Rishi Sunak MP is now free".

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An insider told the Mirror that the change was because "they couldn't sell tickets".

His stuttering campaign was boosted by a gaffe by his rival for Downing Street (

Picture:

PENNSYLVANIA)

Tory insiders are desperate to maintain support from members in the key South West region amid a Lib Dem resurgence.

The party overturned a huge Tory majority to win the Tiverton and Honiton by-election in June, sparked by the resignation of incumbent Tory MP Neil Parish.

He resigned after admitting watching porn in the Commons.

The Conservative leadership race is at a critical stage, with Mr Sunak still seen as trailing rival Liz Truss in the polls.

There are still five weeks left in the race, but ballots have started arriving at the doorsteps of Conservative party members.

While the result is not expected before September 5, many activists are likely to vote in the coming days.