Here is a summary of today’s events.
- Penny Mordaunt has publicly declared she is backing Liz Truss to become the next leader of the Conservative party. She made the announcement in a speech during hustings in Exeter tonight. Truss said of Mordaunt: “She’s a great person, she’s a great politician, she’s a great patriot and I’m proud to call her my friend.’’
- During the hustings Liz Truss hit out at Nicola Sturgeon saying she is an “attention seeker” and should be “ignored”.
- Rishi Sunak says he was loyal to Boris Johnson, but their differences on economic policy and the government being on the “wrong side” of an ethical issue meant he had to resign.
- Earlier today, Truss said she would stop taxes that discourage people from eating unhealthy foods and scrap the ban on ‘buy one, get one free’ offers on junk food.
- Truss has pledged to “unleash British farming” through deregulation.
- Britain’s House of Commons foreign affairs committee is planning a visit to Taiwan later this year.
- Russia’s foreign ministry has announced new sanctions against 39 officials, businesspeople and journalists from the UK, including Keir Starmer and David Cameron.
- Boris Johnson has ruled out an extra bank holiday to celebrate the Lionesses’ victory in the Women’s Euro.
- Sam Tarry, the shadow transport minister sacked by Keir Starmer for comments made on a rail picket line, said it was “great to see” Lisa Nandy visiting striking communications workers today.
- Liz Truss has insisted she is running a “positive” leadership bid as allies tried to distance her campaign from the decision by culture secretary, Nadine Dorries, to share a tweet showing Rishi Sunak wielding a knife at Boris Johnson.
- A new Ipsos poll shows Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer tied amongst the public in terms of who would make the most capable prime minister. Liz Truss trails Starmer by six points on the same measure. Meanwhile, Labour has increased its lead over the Conservative party among the public.
- David Trimble’s funeral took place today in Lisburn. Boris Johnson, and other political representatives from London, Dublin and Belfast attended the service to bid farewell to Northern Ireland’s inaugural first minister.
- York and North Yorkshire are to elect a mayor and receive £540m of government investment over 30 years in a landmark devolution deal.
Updated
That is the end of tonight’s leadership hustings in Exeter. The next hustings will be on Wednesday 3 August in Cardiff.
