Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss traded blows in the first head-to-head TV debate as the Tory leadership contest descended into acrimony.
The PM hopefuls clashed over tax and the economy, China and the environment in a bad-tempered debate where Mr Sunak was accused of "mansplaining" and presenter Sophie Raworth had to intervene to let Ms Truss get her point across.
Tory grandees have urged both candidates to tone down the personal attacks, which have been branded "trivial and silly" amid fears the slanging match is only helping Labour.
But the blue-on-blue warfare showed no sign of abating in last night's debate.
Ex-Chancellor Mr Sunak is battling to make up ground in the six-week race to secure the support of 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 39% believed Mr Sunak had performed best compared to 38% for Ms Truss.
But crucially, Tory voters polled preferred Ms Truss. 47% of Conservatives backed the Foreign Secretary compared to 38% for Mr Sunak.
So who was the winner in last night's debate (apart from Labour)?
RISHI SUNAK
High points
The ex-Chancellor was confident on the economy and he was prepared to attack Ms Truss repeatedly on her "unfunded" tax cuts plan, which he warned would "tip millions into misery".
He branded her plans a "short term sugar rush" and made a pitch to Tory voters as the sensible guardian of the public finances.
Mr Sunak cited his pandemic record in the Treasury and repeatedly held Ms Truss' feet to the fire over the holes in her economic plans.
He landed a blow when he hit back about his rivals' Remainer past - positioning himself as the only Brexiteer in the contest.
Low points
Mr Sunak went on the attack but his aggressive interruptions went down badly.
At times he came across shouty and his repeated interjections forced presenter Sophie Raworth to intervene to let Ms Truss speak.
His performance drew accusations of mansplaining from Truss allies. A spokesman for Ms Truss said he was "not fit for office" and accused him of "shouty private school behaviour" - a tag he'll be keen to shake off.
He was also forced to defend his immense wealth again.
Mr Sunak rated Boris Johnson 10/10 as PM for delivering on Brexit but then said he wouldn't let Mr Johnson serve in his Cabinet.
5/10
LIZ TRUSS
High points
The Foreign Secretary was less wooden than in previous debates and came across as calm in the face of Mr Sunak's repeated attacks, which are likely to have gone down badly with the public.
She said she would "act immediately" on energy bills help and offered detail - she would reverse the national insurance hike and pause the green energy levy.
Ms Truss accused her rival of "scaremongering" on the economy and rebuffed his attacks on her tax plans.
She was confident on her hawkish approach to China and put Mr Sunak on the spot by claiming he did not want to stand up to Beijing when they were in Government together.
Ms Truss also appeared generous by offering Mr Sunak a job in her Cabinet.
Low points
Ms Truss was repeatedly attacked on the damage her tax-cutting plans could do to the economy and at times struggled under Mr Sunak's intense questioning.
The ex-Chancellor's attack on her Brexit credentials show she remains vulnerable there and will have to hope that her bullish stance with Brussels since becoming Foreign Secretary cancels out her support for the EU in 2016.
She failed to disown her supporter Nadine Dorries' attacks on Mr Sunak's expensive taste in clothes.
And she had to defend her failure to resign from Mr Johnson's Government again - which she said was done because she wanted to ensure stability as the war in Ukraine continues.
6/10
