Into the arena: London loves Rishi but Liz victory looms

Wembley witness 12th and final Tory leadership race husting where multicultural Tories chant for former chancellor to become prime minister

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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

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  Liz Truss addresses Conservative Party members at Wembley Arena. AP

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

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

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

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

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

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

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  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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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  Rishi Sunak during a hustings event in Cheltenham. Reuters

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

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

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

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  Rishi Sunak arrives for the Darlington hustings. Getty

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

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  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

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  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

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

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

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

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  Mr Sunak speaks at an event in Edinburgh. PA

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

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

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

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

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  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

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

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  Mr Sunak meets Tory members at Fontwell Park Racecourse. Reuters

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  Ms Truss at an event in Dereham, Norfolk. AFP

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  Mr Sunak in Ropley, near Winchester, Hampshire. PA

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

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

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

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  Ms Truss speaks at the hustings event in Leeds. AFP

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

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

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  Ms Truss poses with supporters in Morley, England. Getty

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

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

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

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

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

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  Ms Truss addresses Mr Sunak during the televised debate. Getty

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

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  Ms Truss speaks to people while campaigning in Marden. Getty

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  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

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  Mr Sunak outside his campaign office in central London. EPA

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  Ms Truss outside Downing Street in London. Reuters

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

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  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

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

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

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

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

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

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  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

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  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

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

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  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

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

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  Mr Tugendhat speaking at the launch of his campaign. PA

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

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

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

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

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  Mr Javid mops his brow while launching his campaign. Getty

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

The chants of “Rishi, Rishi” rang out across Wembley Arena as the suited candidate seeking to become Britain’s next prime minister bounced on to the stage.

Fans stood and applauded, placards proclaiming “Ready for Rishi” waved vigorously as Mr Sunak raised his arms repeating “thanks” nine times before the crowd finally fell silent.

Somewhere in the wings of the auditorium was Liz Truss, who, if she was not watching a television monitor, would certainly have heard the cheers, much louder than the measured applause she had received a few minutes earlier.

Hers had been an assured but low-key performance, perhaps mindful that every poll and political pundit predicts a resounding victory for her.

Were they right? Had the polls got it dreadfully wrong?

Michael Gove, Rishi Sunak's wife Akshata Murthy and mother Usha Sunak at Wembley Arena. PA

“That was at least five times the support that Liz got,” a Conservative member remarked to The National. “But you’d expect that in London …”

The heady moment of excitement was rapidly replaced with a more sober assessment. The National was sitting between the member, an ethnic Asian man, and another of African heritage. This was a multicultural and metropolitan audience, somewhat different to that of the Tory shires.

But numbering 6,000 the gathering was a hefty chunk of the estimated 160,000 members whose votes will be counted once the deadline of 5pm on Friday has passed.

The winner will then be announced in London shortly after midday on Monday. Despite the late surge for Mr Sunak, it is still likely to be Ms Truss, the no-nonsense Yorkshirewoman who has won the support of grassroot rural Tories with her promises of tax cuts and a smaller state.

Rishi’s people

There could still be a major surprise with a late surge for the underdog. The vast majority of members The National spoke to late on Wednesday night either favoured Mr Sunak or were undecided.

Having met the former chancellor several times, Mahendra Pankhania, 64, was impressed. “He's a terrific guy and an ideal prime minister.” But he did not think Mr Sunak would ultimately succeed. “There are other factors at play, including the colour of his skin, I’m sorry to say. There's also a tinge of jealousy at his success at such a young age. But Rishi is disciplined, selfless and he makes a constant effort. He's got faith and that creates faith in people around him.”

Payal Patel, 43, believed Mr Sunak was “very clear on the economic side” and “what he's proposing makes a lot more sense” than Ms Truss. “I don't have faith in her in terms of economics, her plan is too different to Mr Sunak.”

Fund manager Graham Matthews, 55, was among those undecided. “We need sensible policies on the economy and I certainly don't believe in the concept that you can borrow your way out of everything, so from an economic perspective I would probably go for Rishi.”

Rishi Sunak meets supporters at Wembley Arena. AP

So how could Liz Truss earn his vote? “Probably some recognition that if we do borrow heavily that's going to lead to higher inflation and higher interest rates,” he said.

Even Truss-supporter Rab Hashem was taken in, calling Mr Sunak “a very impressive performer”. But he then said Mr Sunak was “not fit to be leader because he has just too many attack points for the next general election”. Ms Truss had much more of a “common touch”, being state school educated.

Most astonishing was a Conservative member who said he might vote for Labour’s Sir Keir Starmer if he was on the ballot.

“I don't think there’s a great choice,” said property developer Alex, 63, who declined to give his last name.

“One seems to have a good head on his shoulders in relation to what's going on and the other one has a good head on her shoulders in terms of how to get it done. I can't really decide so I thought I'd hear them tonight. I'm genuinely not very happy about it all and if Keir Starmer was a bit more to the right, then I’d vote for him. The Conservatives just seem to be in a race to the bottom.”

Into the Arena

It has also been a long leadership race. After a string of Cabinet resignations in early July, including Mr Sunak’s, it finally became clear to Boris Johnson that his premiership was untenable.

His resignation on July 7 triggered a Conservative leadership election that at least shone a light on some capable figures, such as Kemi Badenoch and Tom Tugendhat. But ultimately the election among MPs threw up the two candidates always predicted to get through to the final pairing.

After two months of campaigning, there was still energy in their step as they took to their last of 12 political hustings across Britain.

The Tories recognise that it has been a divisive campaign and, before introducing Ms Truss into the arena, former leader Iain Duncan Smith urged unity. “Disunity leaves political parties in the wilderness for a long, long time,” he warned, alluding to the 13 years his party was kept out of power from 1997.

In Liz we Truss

Ms Truss’s initial speech echoed much of what she had said before on cutting taxes. Only the later prodding by LBC host Nick Ferrari appeared to jerk her into life.

Given her rival’s support in the arena, could there be a “90th minute surprise” he asked.

She appeared to baulk at the question and, perhaps unnerved by her rival's support, made a series of pledges that could well prove troubling in the months to come.

Would she introduce tax increases, Mr Ferrari twice asked. “Yes, no new taxes,” she responded, to applause.

Liz Truss on stage in London. Bloomberg

Would she get rid of smart motorways, allegedly to blame for several fatalities, an audience member asked. Yes, she would.

But she failed to take the red meat on offer when asked if she would keep her British-made armoured Jaguar car or go with the police recommendation of a German Audi. She would be more focused on governing “than the car I’m in”.

A windfall tax on energy companies? Absolutely not. Energy rationing? No.

Would she keep the £100,000 golden wallpaper infamously purchased by the Johnsons for the Downing Street flat? Yes. And the £500 kitchen tablecloth? “I am from Yorkshire so I do believe in value for money,” she said to her loudest cheer. “I don’t think I will have time to think about wallpaper.”

Her first foreign trip, she confirmed, would be to Ukraine. “President Zelenskyy is an inspiration,” she said breathlessly.

Rishi’s arena

Unlike his rival, Mr Sunak stayed on his feet while answering questions, a technique that engaged with the audience.

He defended the energy windfall tax he imposed earlier this year. “When energy companies make billions of pounds profit because of a war, that’s not right”. He also did not rule out energy rationing.

He did argue that his economics would get inflation down from its current 10 per cent. “I can guarantee inflation will fall far faster with my plan than anyone else’s.”

Rishi Sunak addresses the crowd at Wembley Arena. Bloomberg

Watched by his parents and wife, emotion almost overwhelmed him when he admitted that the past two years as chancellor had meant “I was not present in my wife’s or daughters’ lives”.

But it had meant he was able to set up the Covid-19 furlough scheme that had “saved 10 million jobs”.

That remark was followed by more applause, chants of “Rishi” and a waving off-stage departure more akin to a US presidential exit.

The winner is …

It has been an exhausting campaign for both. In America an incumbent president is given nearly three months to regain strength and consider policies after the gruelling election race before assuming office.

The next British prime minister will have just over a day to recuperate and reflect before the journey to Balmoral on Tuesday afternoon to be appointed by the queen then return to Downing Street to select their government to tackle the impending economic crisis.

“They will hit the ground running,” said one observer at Wembley. “But it will be with a punch to the face.”

Boris Johnson's final week in office - in pictures

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  Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson poses with Sea Cadets during a visit to BAE systems in Barrow-in-Furness. PA

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  Mr Johnson views an armed response vehicle during a visit with members of Thames Valley Police at Milton Keynes Police Station. Getty Images

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  Mr Johnson and Britain's Home Secretary Priti Patel meet newly-recruited officers at Milton Keynes Police Station. AFP

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  Mr Johnson and Ms Patel are shown the Critical Incident Desk during their visit with members of Thames Valley Police. AFP

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  Mr Johnson on the scene following a drugs-related raid by Metropolitan Police officers in West Norwood, London. AP

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  Mr Johnson with Stephen House, acting commissioner of the Metropolitan Police service, during a visit to a police station in London. Getty Images

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  Mr Johnson leaves the area following the raid in West Norwood. AP

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  Mr Johnson meets Vimala, a police horse, during a visit to a Metropolitan Police station in London. AFP

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  Mr Johnson gives a thumbs-up during a visit to Henbury Farm in north Dorset, where Wessex Internet are laying fibre optics. Getty Images

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  Mr Johnson and Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries in a mole plough during the visit to Henbury Farm. Getty Images

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  Mr Johnson and Ms Dorries sit in the cabin of the plough. PA