A summary of today's developments
- Kemi Badenoch, Suella Braverman, Jeremy Hunt, Penny Mordaunt, Rishi Sunak, Liz Truss, Tom Tugendhat and Nadhim Zahawi have all progressed to the first ballot which will take place tomorrow between 1.30pm and 3.30pm. The result will be announced soon afterwards.
- Sajid Javid, the former health secretary and former home secretary, is out of the contest as he was struggling to get the 20 nominations he needed.
- Rehman Chishti’s campaign for the Conservative leadership is over after being unable to receive any public endorsements from colleagues. Grant Shapps also failed to make it to the first ballot.
- Priti Patel, the home secretary, announced she will not be standing for the Tory leadership. She is not backing any other candidates, but she does not rule out doing so later in the contest.
- The government and Labour are involved in a briefing war about the rights and wrongs of the No 10 decision not to allow a no-confidence debate in the government tomorrow. Labour is accusing Downing Street of “an abuse of power”, but No 10 says it is Labour that is actually abusing the system because it is “playing politics”.
Conservative MP James Sunderland has cast doubt on the commitment of Penny Mordaunt to the UK’s net zero climate target.
Sunderland, a supporter of Mordaunt, told BBC Newsnight: “It is on her radar, it is a very important Government policy at the moment but net zero of course has to be balanced against the immediate priorities affecting British people.
“This is about cost-of-living crisis, this is about money in pockets, and ultimately, Penny will make a decision as to whether we can relinquish those green subsidies, those green taxes, as they’ve been called. But we have to do what is right now for people in the UK.”
He added: “I think it is important that we follow the net zero agenda, we have got very aggressive green policies in this country.
“Nothing is off the table.
“At this current point in time, if the British people are struggling, a pragmatist, a responsible Prime Minister, would look at that particular policy and assess whether or not to waive it.”
