Conservative leadership – live: Liz Truss opens huge lead over Rishi Sunak in latest poll

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Watch: Boris Johnson's government wins confidence with 349 votes

Conservative leadership candidate Liz Truss has a huge lead over rival Rishi Sunak in a new YouGov poll.

The Foreign Secretary opened a 24 point lead after 62% of 730 Tory members polled said they would vote for her to succeed Boris Johnson as Prime Minister.

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Former Chancellor Mr Sunak won 38% of the vote.

Meanwhile, Mrs Truss' plan to introduce immediate tax cuts is expected to drive up the odds. prices and risk a return to 1970s inflation, say top economists warned as Mr Sunak declared himself Thatcherite.

Ms Trus s pledged to deliver tax cuts of at least £30 billion if she becomes Prime Minister, saying: "My tax cuts will reduce inflation."

Dr Jo Michell, Associate Professor of Economics at UWE Bristol, told The Independent that Ms Truss was wrong to claim that tax cuts would lower inflation.

"The tax cuts that she offers are more likely to be inflationary, so on a balance of probabilities her comments are wrong,” he said. "It's certainly a gamble - to say the plan has no risk [of increasing inflation] is ludicrous."

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