Who won the BBC leadership debate as Tories Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss trade bitter jabs
Tory leadership candidates Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak spent an hour trashing each other's records in a moody TV debate, where M Sunak was charged with "mansplaining"< /p>
Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss clashed in the first televised leadership debate (
Image: BBC/AFP via Getty Images
Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss exchanged blows in the first one-on-one televised debate as the Conservative leadership race descended into acrimony.
The PM's hopefuls clashed over tax and the economy, China and the environment in a sour debate where Mr Sunak was accused of 'mansplaining' and presenter Sophie Raworth had to intervene to allow Mrs. Truss to get her point across.
The top Tories have urged both candidates to tone down the personal attacks, which have been called 'trivial and silly' amid fears the name-calling match will only help Labour.
But the blue-on-blue war showed no signs of abating during last night's debate.
Former Chancellor Mr Sunak is battling to catch up in the six-week race to win backing from Tory members, who will decide the next prime minister in September.
A snap poll by Opinium, based on a sample of 1,032 voters, found that 39% thought Mr. Sunak performed best, compared to 38% for Ms. Truss.
Picture:
BBC/AFP via Getty Images)Most importantly, Conservative voters surveyed preferred Ms. Truss. 47% of Tories backed the Foreign Secretary against 38% for Mr. Sunak.
So who was the winner of last night's debate (other than Labor)?
RISHI SUNAKHighlights
The ex-Chancellor was confident in the economy and he was prepared to repeatedly attack Ms Truss over her ‘unfunded’ tax cut plan, which he said would ‘plunge millions into misery".
He called his plans a "short-term sugar rush" and introduced Conservative voters to the role of a sensible guardian of public finances.
Mr. Sunak cited his pandemic record at the Treasury and repeatedly held Ms Truss' feet against the
Tory leadership candidates Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak spent an hour trashing each other's records in a moody TV debate, where M Sunak was charged with "mansplaining"< /p>
Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss clashed in the first televised leadership debate (
Image: BBC/AFP via Getty Images
Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss exchanged blows in the first one-on-one televised debate as the Conservative leadership race descended into acrimony.
The PM's hopefuls clashed over tax and the economy, China and the environment in a sour debate where Mr Sunak was accused of 'mansplaining' and presenter Sophie Raworth had to intervene to allow Mrs. Truss to get her point across.
The top Tories have urged both candidates to tone down the personal attacks, which have been called 'trivial and silly' amid fears the name-calling match will only help Labour.
But the blue-on-blue war showed no signs of abating during last night's debate.
Former Chancellor Mr Sunak is battling to catch up in the six-week race to win backing from Tory members, who will decide the next prime minister in September.
A snap poll by Opinium, based on a sample of 1,032 voters, found that 39% thought Mr. Sunak performed best, compared to 38% for Ms. Truss.
Picture:
BBC/AFP via Getty Images)Most importantly, Conservative voters surveyed preferred Ms. Truss. 47% of Tories backed the Foreign Secretary against 38% for Mr. Sunak.
So who was the winner of last night's debate (other than Labor)?
RISHI SUNAKHighlights
The ex-Chancellor was confident in the economy and he was prepared to repeatedly attack Ms Truss over her ‘unfunded’ tax cut plan, which he said would ‘plunge millions into misery".
He called his plans a "short-term sugar rush" and introduced Conservative voters to the role of a sensible guardian of public finances.
Mr. Sunak cited his pandemic record at the Treasury and repeatedly held Ms Truss' feet against the
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