Tory leadership race today: Putin and cost of living soar during members’ hustings

Referring to Ukraine, Ms Mordaunt warned of the need to warn people that the war would exacerbate their problems, citing her experience in defence.

Ms Badenoch said: “I understand more than anyone how important it is that we stand against Putin.” She has shown that she will not let the government be pushed around, she added.

Calling for more defense spending, former soldier Tugendhat said Britain must increase supplies and support to Ukraine, including helping Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania and restoring confidence in our allies.

Mr Sunak said as Chancellor he made an exception for the Defense Ministry during Covid to increase spending by the most since the end of the Cold War.

Citing the government’s background on measures against Russia, Ms Truss said she had made sure there was no compromise on Ukraine’s borders. But Britain should send more arms and impose more sanctions on President Putin. “I don’t think we’re spending enough on defense,” she said, calling for spending to increase to 3 percent of GDP.

Tax simplification wouldn’t cost the Treasury but would help remove a burden, Penny Mordaunt says when candidates were asked about the cost of living crisis.

Ms. Truss said she would reverse the Social Security increase earmarked for welfare and not increase the corporate income tax.

Blaming inflation, Mr Sunak said it was important to bring it down before tax cuts and to reward hard work by reducing income taxes.

In the longer term, Britain needs to consider more renewable energy sources and home insulation.

The best way is to get people off welfare and into work, he said.

Asked how to restore trust in the party, Ms Badenoch said keeping promises is key.

Having multiple U-turns as a government is incredibly damaging, she said, and it’s time to stop calling yourself Leavers and Remainers.

It meant apologizing to the Tories “for all the things we did at Westminster that let so many of you down,” she added.

Ms Mordaunt said she wanted a positive competition without a mud fight.

Mr. Tugendhat talked about empowering people and giving them back control.

Ms. Truss said she will build a team that shows critical momentum.

Rishi Sunak says the hustings it took the party to win a historic fifth term and warns the SNP threat is real.

“I think I’m the best person to beat Keir Starmer,” he said.

But he also spoke of tax cuts once “we got our house in order” – but later he wanted Britain to be a world leader in technology and innovation, with better infrastructure, safer roads and more affordable housing.

“I want us all to feel like we’ve turned a corner,” he said – past Covid and inflation – towards hope.

Speaking of hope and retraining, he added he wants to draw on all wings of the party because the challenges are enormous.

Penny Mordaunt says candidates need to pay attention to what people want.

Delivering meant modernizing Whitehall, building a modern economy and focusing on growth, innovation and incentives, she said.

“We also need to focus on things that will help us level up,” she said, but that shouldn’t be limited by treasure troves.

Tax decisions are best made at a tax event this fall, she added.

“We need a return to conservative politics – to self-reliance, with empowered citizens.”

Kemi Badenoch told the Hustings that unlike others, “I don’t promise anything without being able to deliver”.

Outlining her experience, she said she only decided to compete in the race seven days ago, but she has one message that has caught on.

Tom Tugendhat told the Hustings Britain needs a leader who will confront Labor and take on the SNP.

“We can only do it if we restore confidence in our government,” he said.

At the moment, foreign crises are coming with the cost of living crisis because trust is breaking.

Citing Margaret Thatcher and Winston Churchill, he said the Tories were ready to serve and he was ready to achieve electoral victories by rising, making change and restoring pride to the country.

Liz Truss has spoken of Britain having a major new economic plan, cutting taxes, encouraging investment and controlling public spending.

She said she would set up investment zones across the country and let farmers produce food without regulation.

At a Hustings event for all five leaders, she said she opposed Vladimir Putin.

“I’m the Prime Minister … who can deliver on the ground from day one and make the difference,” she said. It’s not inevitable that Keir Starmer would win the next election, she added.

Downing Street did not deny that Boris Johnson was throwing a party for supporters at Checkers over the weekend.

Asked about the reports, a No 10 spokesman said: “As usual, all political events would be for my political colleagues, it would not be a question for me, but I have confirmed that the Prime Minister will be in Checkers at the weekend. ”

Most Ukrainian refugees in the UK say they don’t have enough money to feed themselves and their families for the next three months, a new poll shows.

Data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) also shows that people who arrived in the UK after fleeing Putin’s invasion have had difficulty accessing healthcare.

The survey of 3,412 people on both the Ukraine Families program and the Homes for Ukraine program found that 37 percent said they have enough money to support themselves and their loved ones for the next three months – indicating that nearly two third do not do this.