Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss trade economic blows in first head-to-head TV debate

Leadership showdown as both find fault with each other's pledges

HANLEY, ENGLAND - JULY 25: Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss take part in the BBC Leadership debate at Victoria Hall on July 25, 2022 in Hanley, England. Former Chancellor Rishi Sunak and Current Foreign Secretary Liz Truss go head-to-head in the BBC Conservative Leadership debate in their bid to win the contest and become the UK's next Prime Minister. (Photo by Jacob King - WPA Pool / Getty Images)Show less

Rishi Sunak pipped Liz Truss in the first direct TV debate of the Conservative Party leadership race in a series of fired-up clashes, according to a snap poll issued minutes later.

The poll by Opinium, based on a sample of 1,032 voters, found 39 per cent believed Mr Sunak had performed best compared to 38 per cent for Ms Truss.

The pair sought to land knockout blows in criticism of each other's economic plans during the hour-long TV appearance in Stoke, central England.

Mr Sunak hammered the point there was “nothing Conservative” about Ms Truss’s approach and it would give the party “absolutely no chance” of winning the next election.

Ms Truss, the Foreign Secretary, suggested her rival would lead the country into a recession.

She said she would put an economic growth plan in place “immediately” if she became prime minister, along with a temporary moratorium on the green energy levy.

The increase in national insurance would also be reversed, Ms Truss said.

Ms Truss said her plans would see the government start paying down its debt in three years. “This chancellor has raised taxes to the highest rate in 70 years and we’re now predicted a recession," she said. “The truth is in the figures.”

Mr Sunak said he would like to make sure that his government “always” had policies in place to support people through the crisis in the cost of living.

“You’ve promised over £40 billion [$48bn] of unfunded tax cuts — £40bn more borrowing," Mr Sunak said.

“That is the country’s credit card and it’s our children and grandchildren, everyone here’s kids will pick up the tab for that.

“There’s nothing Conservative about it.”

Candidate Rishi Sunak takes part in the BBC Conservative party leadership debate at Victoria Hall in Hanley. Reuters

Ms Truss said no other country was putting up taxes at the moment, something that could tip the UK economy over the recessionary cliff.

"The OECD [Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development] has described Rishi’s policies as contractionary," she said.

“What does contractionary mean? It means it will lead to a recession. We know what happens when there’s a recession.

Mr Sunak spoke over her, saying inflation was a problem in the 1980s and it is a “problem we have now”.

"We need to get a grip on inflation," he said. "If we don’t do that now, it’s going to cost all of you and everybody watching at home far more in the long run.

“Liz, your plans, your own economic adviser has said that will lead to mortgage interest rates going up to 7 per cent.

"Can you imagine what that’s going to do for everyone here and everyone watching? That’s thousands of pounds on their mortgage bill.

“It’s going to tip millions of people into misery and it’s going to mean we have absolutely no chance of winning the next election either.”

Former Cabinet minister David Davis, a supporter of Mr Sunak, said the Truss policy Liz Truss would push the base interest rate to 7 per cent, which he says will result in mortgage rates of up to 10 per cent and destroy the party's appeal with the middle class.

Asked what Mr Sunak has to do to win, Mr Davis told Sky News: “I think you’ve got to win the arguments, and the arguments that matter, which is why the 7 per cent matters.

“That’s why that matters. It’s very important. The Tory Party, generally speaking, is a bit older than average. It’s a little bit more middle class, but not so much these days, but a little bit more middle class.

“It will care about things like their offspring having to face these sorts of interest rates in the future, so that matters.

Candidates Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss at the Conservative Party leadership election hustings at Wembley Arena, London. This was the final hustings attended by Tory Party members who will vote for the new leader and next prime minister. EPA

Liz Truss addresses Conservative Party members at Wembley Arena. AP

Mr Sunak puts forward his case to be leader while speaking at Wembley Arena. Bloomberg

Mr Sunak visits his family's old business, Bassett Pharmacy in Southampton, while on the campaign trail. Reuters

Ms Truss speaks to staff at Condimentum Ltd at the Food Enterprise Park in Norwich. Getty Images

A Rishi Sunak supporter at a hustings event in Norfolk. PA

Mr Sunak greets people at a leadership hustings in Manchester. Bloomberg

Ms Truss poses for a selfie with a supporter as she arrives for the event in Manchester. Getty

Rishi Sunak looks through the sights of an anti-tank missile launcher, supplied to Ukraine, during a visit to the Thales Defence System plant in Belfast, Northern Ireland. AP

Liz Truss at a Conservative Party leadership campaign event in Belfast. Getty

Liz Truss meets supporters before a hustings in Perth, Scotland. Getty

Rishi Sunak speaks during a campaign visit to Cluny Castle in Inverurie, Scotland. Getty

Police hold back protesters outside Perth Concert Hall, Scotland, where Conservative leadership candidates Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak were speaking. PA

A mural showing the two leadership contestants appears on a wall in Belfast, Northern Ireland. AP

Rishi Sunak during a visit to St John's Wood Synagogue, north London. PA

Liz Truss at the Conservative Party leadership election hustings in Cheltenham. EPA

Rishi Sunak during a hustings event in Cheltenham. Reuters

Liz Truss speaks to scientists during a campaign visit to a life sciences laboratory at Alderley Park in Manchester. PA

Rishi Sunak during a campaign hustings in Darlington, England. Bloomberg

Liz Truss meets party members before she speaks at the Darlington campaign hustings. Getty

Rishi Sunak arrives for the Darlington hustings. Getty

Liz Truss plays pool during a visit to the Onside Future Youth Zone in London. Reuters

Rishi Sunak looks at a book with Teddy Openshaw, 4, as his father, Henry, looks on after a Conservative leadership campaign event in Ribble Valley, Lancashire, England. Getty

Liz Truss plays table tennis with former Conservative party leader Iain Duncan Smith during a visit to the Onside Future Youth Zone in London. Reuters

Liz Truss with supporters at a campaign event in Solihull, England. Reuters

Rishi Sunak attends a campaign event held by his party in Bexhill, England. Reuters

A protester is removed as Ms Truss speaks during the Conservative Party leadership hustings in Eastbourne. Bloomberg

Mr Sunak speaks at an event in Edinburgh. PA

Ms Truss leaves the hall in Exeter, south-west England, after her speech to a Conservative Party membership hustings. Getty

Mr Sunak speaks at the University of Exeter in south-west England. AP

A supporter of Ms Truss at a Conservative Party hustings in Exeter, south-west England. Getty

Ms Truss at a hustings event at the Pavilion conference centre at Elland Road in Leeds. PA

Mr Sunak in Salisbury watching a screening of the Uefa Women's Euro 2022 final between England and Germany at Wembley stadium. England won 2-1 in extra time. PA

Ms Truss before the Uefa Women's Euro 2022 final at Wembley stadium in London. AFP

Mr Sunak meets Tory members at Fontwell Park Racecourse. Reuters

Ms Truss at an event in Dereham, Norfolk. AFP

Mr Sunak in Ropley, near Winchester, Hampshire. PA

Ms Truss speaks as Conservative Member of Parliament Tom Tugendhat looks on at a Conservative Party leadership campaign event at Biggin Hill Airport. Getty

Ms Truss on the campaign trail in Woodford Green, on the outskirts of London. Reuters

Mr Sunak at a Conservative Party hustings event in Leeds. AFP

Ms Truss speaks at the hustings event in Leeds. AFP

Sunak and Truss-themed souvenirs at a stand during the Leeds hustings event. Reuters

Ms Truss, and her mother, Patricia, arrive for the hustings event. Getty

Ms Truss poses with supporters in Morley, England. Getty

Mr Sunak delivers a speech during a campaign event in Newmarket. AFP

Ms Truss and Jake Berry, MP for Rossendale and Darwen, during a visit to a broadband interchange company in Leeds. PA

Mr Sunak answers questions as he takes part in the hustings in Leeds. AFP

Ms Truss speaks at an event at a private house with members of the Conservative Party in Woodford Green. PA

Ms Truss and Mr Sunak pose for a picture before a BBC leadership debate at Victoria Hall in Hanley. Getty

Ms Truss addresses Mr Sunak during the televised debate. Getty

Mr Sunak, with daughters Krishna and Anushka, and wife Akshata Murthy, during a visit to Vaculug tyre specialists at Gonerby Hill Foot, Grantham. PA

Ms Truss speaks to people while campaigning in Marden. Getty

Ms Truss celebrates after being named, along with Mr Sunak, one of the final two candidates in the race to become the UK's next prime minister. PA

Mr Sunak outside his campaign office in central London. EPA

Ms Truss outside Downing Street in London. Reuters

Rishi Sunak meets Conservative Party members and activists, in Teesport, Redcar. Reuters

Conservative leadership candidates Mr Sunak, Ms Truss, Kemi Badenoch, presenter Julie Etchingham, Tom Tugendhat and Penny Mordaunt during 'Britain's Next Prime Minister: The ITV Debate' in London. EPA

Ms Badenoch arrives at Here East studios in Stratford, east London, before a live television debate. PA

Mr Sunak arrives at a London event to launch his campaign to be the next Conservative Party leader and UK prime minister. Reuters

Mr Tugendhat appears on the BBC One current affairs programme, 'Sunday Morning'. PA

Ms Badenoch, Ms Mordaunt, Mr Sunak, Ms Truss and Mr Tugendhat before the live television debate. PA

Ms Mordaunt arrives for the launch of her Conservative leadership campaign at the Cinnamon Club in Westminster. PA

Ms Truss speaks at the launch event for her campaign to become the next leader of the Tory Party and Britain's prime minister, in London. EPA

Chancellor of the Exchequer Nadhim Zahawi, one of the candidates who has been knocked out of the race, giving a speech at the Churchill War Rooms. PA

Former leadership candidate Jeremy Hunt appearing on the BBC One current affairs programme, 'Sunday Morning'. PA

Sajid Javid attending the launch of his campaign to be Conservative Party leader and prime minister, at the Cinnamon Club in London. He has since been knocked out of the contest. PA

Rehman Chishti is interviewed after announcing his bid to become the next prime minister. Mr Chishti is no longer in the race. Getty

Mr Tugendhat speaking at the launch of his campaign. PA

Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries and Conservative MP Iain Duncan Smith arrive for the Truss campaign launch event. Getty

Former leadership candidate Attorney General Suella Braverman at the Churchill War Rooms in central London. PA

Supporters of Mr Sunak wait for his arrival ahead of the campaign launch. Bloomberg

Mr Tugendhat makes a speech at the launch of his campaign. PA

Mr Javid mops his brow while launching his campaign. Getty

Ms Truss leaves for work after her announcement that she would be running for the leadership of the Conservative Party. Getty

In a rare sign of harmony, both candidates said they would want the other to be involved in their government.

But allies of Ms Truss were reported to have said Mr Sunak had demonstrated “aggressive mansplaining and shouty private school behaviour” during the debate.

Ms Truss described herself as “naturally a thrifty person” when asked about ways to help tackle climate change.

She said she would not give Mr Sunak fashion advice, describing him as a “very well-dressed man”, when asked about criticism made by Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries about his expensive taste in clothing.

Ms Truss was also asked about her suggestion that her comprehensive school background would make her a better prime minister.

Mr Sunak said he was “certainly not going to apologise” for his parents working hard to send him to a private school.

“Winchester is a very, very good school, and I would love people from right across the country to have the opportunity to go to a school like that,” Ms Truss said.

The studio audience in Stoke was made up entirely of people who voted Conservative at the last general election and applauded more often for Mr Sunak.

Snapback Boris?

With postal ballots set to arrive on Tory members’ doorsteps by August 5, Mr Sunak was under pressure to use the BBC debate and another hosted by TalkTV and The Sun on Tuesday to make an early breakthrough.

Meanwhile, Lord Cruddas of Shoreditch, a former Conservative Party treasurer, has said that current Prime Minister Boris Johnson “does not want to resign”.

He said the comments were made to him by Mr Johnson over lunch at Chequers on Friday.

The peer is running a campaign to give Conservative Party members a vote on whether to accept Mr Johnson’s resignation as leader.

Mr Johnson decided to resign after losing the confidence of his MPs.

Downing Street responded by insisting he will leave the post when a new leader is chosen in September.

“The prime minister has resigned as party leader and set out his intention to stand down as PM when the new leader is in place,” a spokeswoman said.