The Tory leadership campaign is embroiled in more dirty tricks allegations today as MPs and campaigners are accused of playing votes to their candidates’ advantage.
In the run-up to the last round of voting by politicians, there were proposals today that supporters of Rishi Sunak could have been right Liz Truss play it safe Kemi Badenoch was eliminated.
The former Equal Opportunities Minister is considered the favorite of the base toriescame last in the fourth round of voting last night.
In head-to-head polls, she beat all other competitors when she made the last two.
But supporters of Tom Tugendhat, who was eliminated before her, expressed surprise that the number of MPs appeared to be moving from the One Nation candidate to far-right Liz Truss and Penny Mordaunt.
The Foreign Secretary received 15 votes on Tuesday to win the support of 86 Tory MPs.
Ms Mordaunt increased her stake by 10 to 92, while Mr Sunak gained an extra three votes to take it to 118, just short of the number that effectively guaranteed him entry into the final stages.
But a supporter of Tugendhat said the Times: “From my conversations, the maximum number of people supporting Liz from our team was seven MPs. There’s something very, very strange going on.’
Team Sunak has denied claims that they are playing the system to manipulate who he faces in party member runoffs.
It came as supporters of Liz Truss urged rival camps not to “borrow” votes to influence Tory leadership elections.
And Ms Mordaunt was criticized for retweeting a columnist who said voting for her rivals would “murder” the Conservative Party – after previously claiming she was running a “clean campaign”.
Ahead of the last round of politicians’ voting today, there were suggestions that Rishi Sunak supporters could have voted for Liz Truss to ensure Kemi Badenoch was eliminated
Ahead of today’s politicians’ final round of voting, there were suggestions that Rishi Sunak supporters could have voted for Liz Truss to ensure Kemi Badenoch (right) is eliminated
Supporters of Tom Tugendhat, who was eliminated earlier, expressed surprise at the number of MPs who appeared to have shifted from the One Nation candidate to far-right Liz Truss (pictured) and Penny Mordaunt.
Ms Truss and Penny Mordaunt battle to win over Kemi Badenoch’s supporters after she is eliminated from the competition, meeting frontrunner Rishi Sunak in the runoff.
The Foreign Secretary received a surge of support in the penultimate ballot, putting her within reach of Ms Mordaunt as the party’s right seems to be consolidating around her.
Mrs Truss gave a warning last night Rishi Sunak against “dirty backroom deals”.
But her supporters fear the former chancellor’s team could try to ‘fix’ the final vote today to ensure he doesn’t face a Tory right-wing candidate in the runoff decided by party members.
The momentum of their latest result now sees their favorite taking on Mr Sunak in a head-to-head contest to win a vote from Conservative members, with that result to be announced on September 5.
Her supporters pointed to a YouGov poll showing she would beat Mr Sunak – head to head – by a comfortable margin of 54:35.
Ms Truss got 15 votes on Tuesday to order support from 86 Tory MPs after 31 votes were freed a day earlier by the elimination of Tom Tugendhat.
Ms Mordaunt increased her stake by 10 to 92, while Mr Sunak gained an extra three votes to take it to 118, just short of the number that effectively guaranteed him entry into the final stages.
Ms Badenoch finished last in the vote with 59 votes, with it being believed Ms Truss is more likely to receive a significant number of those votes than Ms Mordaunt.
A former minister also suggested that Mr Sunak, whom he supports, would rather face Miss Mordaunt. “Rishi vs. Liz will be the most feared match,” said Chris Skidmore. “It will be a battle for ideas, a battle of personalities.”
An ally of Miss Truss said her team is working flat out to secure every vote, adding: “The Tory party is fed up with macho politics in dirty backroom deals. We don’t want to see that again tomorrow.”
Another source said Miss Truss is “in the driver’s seat” although “there is still work to be done”.
Yesterday’s vote left underdog Kemi Badenoch as a potential kingmaker after she was KO’d. Rival candidates fought for crucial support from their 59 supporters.
Ms Badenoch is on the Tory right and the Foreign Secretary’s team believe at least 22 of her supporters are sympathetic to the Miss Truss cause.
In an early sign of success, Defense Secretary Leo Docherty made the switch from Ms Badenoch to Miss Truss last night, saying: “I have seen firsthand her deep experience and sound judgment and I know she has a credible plan.”
A former minister suggested Mr Sunak would rather face Miss Mordaunt in the final round of the competition to become the next Tory leader
Mr Sunak’s team has denied accusations that they are plotting “dirty backroom deals” to squeeze Miss Truss out and get Miss Mordaunt into the finals head-to-head
A spokesman for the Truss campaign said: “Now is the time for the party to unite behind a candidate who will govern in a conservative manner and who has shown he can deliver time and time again.
“Liz has a bold new economic agenda that will address the cost of living crisis immediately, spur economic growth and continue to lead the global fight for freedom in Ukraine.”
However, the contest has been overshadowed by fears it could be undermined by “vote-bending” between opposing teams, with suspicion centered on Mr Sunak’s campaign aide Gavin Williamson. Mr Sunak’s team deny underhanded tactics – and insist Sir Gavin has no formal role.
But senior Tories said yesterday Mr Sunak’s supporters were making a “concerted effort” to block the foreign secretary’s chances.
Tory MP Steve Baker, a supporter of Truss, said he believes individual MPs “occasionally vote tactically – which they are entitled to” rather than deal.
Another Conservative MP said: “I think there is a concerted effort to ensure that Rishi does not face Liz in the final.”
But former Cabinet Secretary David Davis accused Mr Sunak of helping Miss Truss to wring Miss Mordaunt out.
“There has clearly been some voice transmissions, presumably from Rishi to Liz,” he told LBC radio. “Rishi just redistributed some. He has his four or five main whips that he has in a boiler room to reassign. He wants to fight Liz because she is the person who will lose the debate with him.’
A Sunak-supporting MP denied wrongdoing and said: “We encourage any colleague who wants Rishi to win to vote for him.”
Yesterday’s result left the competition finely balanced, with Mr Sunak gaining just three supporters after the moderate Tom Tugendhat’s votes were redistributed. That put him at 118, well ahead of Miss Mordaunt, who rallied votes to rise to 92 while Miss Truss closed the gap to 86.
Former Tugendhat supporter Anne-Marie Trevelyan, the international trade minister, backed Ms. Truss.
