Early evening summary
Kemi Badenoch has had an awkward start to a party conference that may determine whether or not she can become party leader.
A survey today confirmed that she is the clear favourite amongst party members (see 1.45pm). But Robert Jenrick is the bookmakers’ favourite, because it is assumed that Badenoch will not get enough support from MPs to make the final two.
Voting in the Commons on Wednesday 9 October and Thursday 10 October will decide the two candidates on the ballot for party members, and Badenoch, who had 28 votes in the last ballot, needs to win the support of at least 13 more by 10 October, because with 41, you are guaranteed a slot in the final two. (There are only 121 Tory MPs, so the last three candidates cannot all get 41 or more.)
Badenoch started the day by delivering hard-hitting message on Israel (fully supporting the attack on Lebanon – see 8.40am) and on immigrants (implying they should be excluded if they are not prepared to love Britain – see 8.50am).
But then she appeared to suggest to an interviewer that maternity pay was excessive and, as the backlash mounted, she resorted to issuing two successive statements claiming she had been misreported. In the second statement, via video, she claimed she was not fazed by the row – but she looked as though she was. (See 5.32pm.)
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Sunak urges Tories to abandon backbiting and squabbling
Rishi Sunak ended his speech to Tory members with an appeal for unity.
I do want to finish with one final ask of all of you. Whoever wins this contest, give them your backing.
We must end the division, the backbiting, the squabbling. We mustn’t nurse old grudges, but build new friendships.
We must always remember what unites us, rather than obsessing about where we might differ.
Because we when we turn in on ourselves, we lose, and the country ends up with a Labour government.
And you don’t need somebody else to buy you a pair of designer glasses to see that the shine is coming off Keir Starmer already.
People can see Labour weren’t frank with them at the election, that Labour still believe that Whitehall knows better than you, that Labour are making the wrong choices for our country.
But if we Conservatives are going to get back into office so that we can once more deliver for the British people, then our new leader is going to need your support.
Sunak’s comments reflect the fact that backbiting and feuding have been a constant theme of Tory politics in recent years. YouGov polling out today says voters think the party is preoccupied with itself (see 1.04pm). But arguably, Sunak suffered less from infighting than other leaders. He was the only PM of the last four who was not forced out by Tory MPs.
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