Liz Truss says laws should apply across the United Kingdom, adding "that is what being a union is".

She was answering a question from an audience member who says abortion legislation has been "undemocratically and unconstitutionally imposed" on Northern Ireland.

Truss says she disagrees, to applause from the audience.

The 1967 Abortion Act which legalised abortion in many cases in Great Britain never applied to Northern Ireland, which for many years had much stricter laws than the rest of the United Kingdom.

But in 2019 Westminster acted to change the law in Northern Ireland, permitting terminations in all circumstances in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. Beyond that, it also allowed terminations in other cases, including no term limit in cases of fatal fetal abnormality. This is where there is a substantial risk that the fetus would die or, if born, would suffer a severe mental or physical impairment.

There have been several legal challenges to this.

In May, then-Northern Ireland Secretary Brandon Lewis told Stormont's Department of Health it must set up fully-funded services within weeks.

Truss defends the track record of outgoing PM Boris Johnson - to applause from both sides of the room.

She's responding to a questioner who suggests Johnson "continually lied" to the country.

Truss says Johnson was an "excellent" leader.

He "delivered" on Brexit and a Covid vaccine, and he stood up to Vladimir Putin, Truss says.

She says she's "proud" of what he achieved in office.

Truss is asked what measures would she take to bring to an end the "fiasco" in the English Channel, referring to the arrivals of migrants on small boats.

"I fully support the Rwanda scheme and I worked with Priti Patel on it," she says, adding she wants to expand it to more countries.

"It's the right solution... What it means is that there is somewhere people can live and work in the long-term."

"It's a long-term sustainable solution. The problem we have is the ECHR [European Court of Human Rights] trying to overrule the decisions made in Britain."

She would "immediately" legislate to make sure the ECHR can't do that anymore, she says.

Truss, the current foreign secretary, is asked about her stance on China.

Alluding to Beijing’s “assertive” positioning towards Taiwan, Truss says China represents a “deep security concern”.

The UK must not become “strategically dependent” on China in the same way the EU became reliant on Russia, she adds.

China is using debt to build its global influence, she says.

Grainne Connolly
Reporting from the event

Liz Truss has opened the floor to questions and so far members have raised issues including the lack of a functioning government at Stormont, the Northern Ireland Protocol and investment in the Conservatives in Northern Ireland.

So far, the crowd seems receptive to what Truss is saying, with several rounds of applause and claps to her answers.

Members have been keen to ask questions and get involved.

One thing that is clear in the room however, is the lack of women, with the number of men hugely outnumbering them.

The first six questions all came from men.

A member of the audience asks whether Truss will make sure the next secretary of state for Northern Ireland will be accountable to the electorate or will they be another "political landlord"?

The position has never been held by a politician from Northern Ireland or an MP representing a seat in Northern Ireland.

Whoever she appoints will be "based on how good they are" at doing the job, she says. She adds that they will have to deliver the Northern Ireland Protocol bill, the freeport, investment opportunities - "that is what people in Northern Ireland care about and why they will vote Conservative".

"I will make sure the person in that job is the absolute best at delivering for the people of Northern Ireland."

Next, Truss has set out her red lines for the future of trade in Northern Ireland.

She’s responding to a question on which compromises she would allow if the EU proved willing to budge on the Northern Ireland Protocol.

She says she won’t accept anything that “doesn’t deliver on key issues”, adding:

• UK courts must remain the “ultimate arbiters”
• Trade from east to west must remain “free-flowing”
• People of Northern Ireland must enjoy tax benefits delivered by the UK government
• The regulatory system must be “sorted out” so businesses can operate according to UK or EU law depending on where they’re exporting to

It “might take time”, she admits – but “the sooner we start, the sooner we finish”.

The Conservative Party in Northern Ireland "hasn't received the support that it should have done", according to Liz Truss.

Responding to a question from former Northern Ireland party chair Irwin Armstrong, the foreign secretary says she wants Northern Ireland Conservatives to be a key part of her team and to receive the support they need to attract new members.

The party has yet to return a member to the Northern Ireland Assembly.

"We are the Conservative and Unionist Party," Truss tells the audience. "We believe in the union and we need to put our money where our mouth is."

Grainne Connolly
Reporting from the event

There were mixed views among Conservative members ahead of the Tory hustings near Belfast.

Jack Scott says the party needs a clean slate after senior members of the government, including the prime minister, were fined over parties at Downing Street during lockdown.

“I’m feeling optimistic to a degree, I wanted Rishi in the final two but I’m a bit apprehensive about Liz Truss to be honest," he says.

"I think she’s playing up a lot of rhetoric, I think she’s a continuity character of Boris Johnson," he adds.

"I think the party needs a clean sweep and the country after Partygate, we need a clean slate from Johnson-ism.”

Image source, Reuters

Truss now takes questions from the public.

She is asked about the fact that she did not mention the ongoing stalemate in Stormont in her speech, and what she is going to do to fix it.

"This is exactly what I've been working on with the Northern Ireland Protocol bill," Truss says. "Until we sort this issue out, we're not going to get Stormont back up and running. I've been in discussions with all the parties in Northern Ireland and I'm determined to make it happen."

"We will see power sharing restored in Northern Ireland," she adds.

Truss is applauded for a section of her opening address in which she says she’s “very clear a woman is a woman”.

She vows to protect single-sex spaces, domestic violence shelters and women’s rights.

She concludes her remarks by saying she will also protect “our precious United Kingdom”, working alongside Northern Ireland Conservatives.

Image source, Getty Images

Liz Truss says the Northern Ireland Protocol is undermining the Good Friday Agreement, the peace deal which underpins the power-sharing government in Belfast.

Part of the UK-EU Brexit deal, the protocol keeps Northern Ireland aligned with the EU single market for goods to keep an open Irish border, however, it has in turn led to some trade disruption across the Irish Sea.

The foreign secretary says the situation cannot be allowed to drift.

"We need to make sure it is fixed," she tells the audience.

Liz Truss is first up.

She starts her opening address by describing herself as a "child of the union" and stating that the union is "one of the key assets of this country".

"We're not just neighbours - we're family... and I never, ever want to see family split up," she says.

"Ever since I've been a minister in this government, I've worked on behalf of the people of Northern Ireland," she says.

"I've been to the Balmoral show, I've promoted our fantastic farm products from Northern Ireland around the world and as trade secretary struck trade deals to benefit the businesses and consumers here in Northern Ireland," she adds.

Peter Booth, chairman of the National Conservative Convention, starts by urging Tory members to keep their questions not just "searching" but also "positive".

He stresses the need for party unity after the leadership race is over.

Grainne Connolly
Reporting from the event

Matthew Robinson, chairman of the Northern Ireland Conservatives, says he is thinking of voting for Liz Truss.

“I think this is very exciting for membership and a great opportunity for members so they can put questions to the candidates," he says.

“I’m going to make a final decision shortly but I like what I’ve heard from the Truss camp."

He also has a number of key issues he feels need to be addressed.

"Certainly the protocol, we’ve got a war in Ukraine, we need to stimulate the economy in the face of the cost of living challenges," he says

"But Northern Ireland faces huge challenges with the collapse of the Executive."

Grainne Connolly
Reporting from the event

While we wait for the candidates to appear, let's hear from some people attending the hustings, such as Holly. She is a Rishi Sunak supporter at the moment but says she’s waiting until after today to make her final decision.

“I think the primary issue is tackling the cost of living," she says.

“They would need to deliver a plan on how they’re going to crack down on inflation, I think everything is still very much in the air.”

The hustings event on the Culloden estate, near Belfast, is now getting under way.

We're expecting Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak to be grilled by Tory members on topics including the Northern Ireland Protocol and Brexit, as well as the cost of living.

Stick with us as we bring you live updates.

Jayne McCormack
NI political correspondent, reporting from Belfast

Northern Ireland has barely got a mention in this campaign but very shortly all that will change.

About 600 people here will have a vote in who gets the keys to Number 10 next month and they want to ensure their voices are heard.

Make no mistake, there is risk for both candidates here - Northern Ireland Tories while small in number and sometimes overlooked, will not hold back.

Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak have focused the bulk of their campaigns on the cost of living crisis and while it is bound to crop up again, attention will also turn to the Northern Ireland Protocol and restoring power-sharing at Stormont.

Some local Tories are also not happy with how the government has at times courted the Democratic Unionist Party and may want to unleash some of that pent-up frustration during today’s event.

Image source, Reuters

Rishi Sunak has been heavily outspending his rival Liz Truss when it comes to campaign advertising on Facebook.

The former chancellor has spent £23,810 since 16 July, compared to the £6,590 forked out by Truss's team, according to data from Facebook's advert library.

In keeping with what is understood to be the age profile of Conservative members, data shows both candidates have generally targeted older users.

A spokesperson for Sunak's campaign called online advertising an effective tool with the "potential to reach millions of people every week".

Image source, Pacemaker

Belfast is known for its murals and for producing world champion boxers, but an unlikely combination has appeared in the city's Cathedral Quarter.

Artist Ciaran Gallagher has depicted candidates Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak preparing for battle in the ring.

And we'll be hearing from them in a few minutes - stick with us for the highlights and analysis.