UK Conservative leadership candidates Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak took their campaigns to northern England on Thursday evening.
They are appearing at party hustings in Leeds, Yorkshire, broadcast by LBC and hosted by Nick Ferrari.
It is the first of 12 sessions for Conservative party members to question the candidates looking to become the party’s next leader and, with it, prime minister.
Ms Truss gave a hustings speech loaded with references to Yorkshire, saying her schooling there had taught her grit and straight talking, and promised to channel the spirit of revered Leeds United football manager Don Revie.
The audience of Tory members applauded her speech when she promised to boost Britain's farm exports and improve rail links in the north of England.
Warming up the crowd for Mr Sunak, former Brexit minister David Davis praised him as a "brave man" for having supported Britain's EU exit during the 2016 referendum, making an unspoken contrast with Ms Truss.
Mr Sunak outlined his vision to tackle National Health Service waiting lists, “grip” inflation and “restore trust, rebuild the economy, reunite our country”.
“This campaign has been absolutely brilliant," he said. "I have been having the time of my life over the last week being out and about across the country, talking to all of you, talking to all our members.
“We will cut VAT on fuel. But what I won’t do is embark on a spree borrowing tens and tens of billions of pounds of unfunded promises and put them on the country’s credit card, and pass them on to our children and our grandchildren to pick up the tab.
“That’s not right, that’s not responsible and it’s certainly not Conservative. But of course, once we grip inflation and ensure that mortgage rates don’t rise and cripple people, I’m going to cut taxes.”
He said the next Tory leader would need to appeal to swing voters "in every part of our country" to win the next general election.
"And I believe with all my heart that I am the person, I am the candidate, that gives our party the best opportunity to secure that victory.”
Members were urged to ask positive questions and bring out the strengths of each candidate, amid what has sometimes been a fractious leadership contest.
An audience member caused murmurs by criticising Mr Sunak for having triggered the mutiny that brought down Prime Minister Boris Johnson, saying: "You've stabbed him in the back."
Mr Sunak responded that he had resigned from the government because of differences of opinion with Mr Johnson on the economy and that he was acting on his principles by stepping down.
Ms Truss said the departing Mr Johnson had done a "fantastic job" and suggested he was her favourite of the three prime ministers she has served as a Cabinet minister.
Winning votes in the north of England was key to Mr Johnson’s general election victory but it is not clear how the region — often a Labour stronghold — will vote next time round.
Both candidates have local ties, with Ms Truss is playing up the time she spent in Leeds as a child and Mr Sunak representing the county’s Richmond constituency.
Opinion polls show that Mr Sunak is more attractive to floating voters that can decide general elections, but among the Conservative party members who will decide this contest, Ms Truss is the favoured candidate.
“I grew up in Leeds, I know how poor the transport is and frankly, it's not got much better since I was a teenager getting the bus into Leeds city centre,” Ms Truss said in the city earlier on Thursday.
“What I want to see is really fantastic rail services, better roads so people are able to get into work.”
Asked how she would afford the project, given the vast tax cuts she has pledged, she said: “The taxes that I am cutting are affordable within our budget.
“By creating new low tax investment zones in places like West Yorkshire, by enabling the post-Brexit reforms to take place, unleashing more investment from the city, we will grow the economy faster.
"That will bring in more tax revenue and that will enable us to afford those projects.”
She also promised to “fix the Treasury's funding formula”, if she gets the keys to No 10, to make sure the region gets a “fairer share” of resources.
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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
Mr Sunak is seeking to regain his footing after being accused by allies of Ms Truss that he is “flip-flopping” on fiscal policy.
He pledged to temporarily slash VAT on energy bills despite repeatedly calling Ms Truss's tax-cutting plans “comforting fairy tales”.
Former chief whip Mark Harper, who is backing Mr Sunak, defended the decision to announce his pledge to cut VAT from domestic energy bills for a year at this stage in the race.
“He's announced it because it looks like the energy price cap may rise higher by several hundred pounds than we had thought it would,” Mr Harper told Newsnight.
“And he's always said very consistently that if he needed to do more, he would.
“And he's announced this particular policy now partly so that those people listening to this programme at home will have some peace of mind that, if he were elected prime minister, that actually he is always going to have their back in the same way he did during the pandemic.”
The new party leader, decided by a vote of party members, should be prepared to replace Mr Johnson as prime minister by early September.
