Image source, PA Media

The British people are "crying out" for a modern and united Conservative Party, Liz Truss continues.

The foreign secretary says the public want a Tory Party ready with the courage of its convictions to deliver on the promises it has made.

Rounding up her leadership pitch, she says: "Together, we will continue to defy the voices of decline, and stand tall on the world stage.

"So let's get on and deliver for our great country like never before."

Tom Tugendhat, who's a former soldier, is also asked whether he would continue supporting Ukraine against Russia's invasion in the same way that Boris Johnson has been doing so, if he were to become PM.

He says that high energy and food costs can be traced directly to the war in Ukraine.

"We do need to make sure President Zelensky and his people win this war," he says.

"The soil being fought over is not ours so our job as the British government has to be to put Zelensky in the strongest position of negotiation against Vladimir Putin."

He says the war in Ukraine wouldn't have happened "had we not backed down against Afghanistan".

"If you show weakness somewhere, you show it everywhere and enemies test you."

Back over at Tom Tugendhat's camp, he's been answering a range of journalists' questions, including one about the price of fuel.

In the last few weeks and months, he says, he has noticed the car is getting more expensive to use, and it's hurting people: "It's really an issue for all of us."

He says prices can be lowered in the short term, helping people save, and then a green levy and investment in green technology can be looked at in the long term.

He says the issue is not just for the UK alone; if we don't have a long-term energy plan, we will find ourselves more dependent [on outside sources], he adds.

Net zero is about security, he adds, saying you need to have a stable energy price.

“Net zero is important. We keep talking about net zero as a cost. I’m not going to deny there are costs in it. But there are also benefits.”

Image source, Reuters

Truss says she would level with the British public that the economy "will not get back on track overnight".

But she adds she was confident, that as prime minister, she could secure an upward trajectory for the British economy by 2024 by working "as a team and focusing on delivery, delivery, delivery".

The foreign secretary promises to "put money back in people's pockets... and help squeezed families".

The top line of Truss's speech was heavily trailed - and here it is.

The foreign secretary says she didn't come from a traditional Conservative background, growing up in Paisley in Scotland's Renfrewshire, and attending a comprehensive school in Leeds.

She says "too much talent went to waste" at her school, and now she wants the UK to be an "aspiration nation".

Defining that much-heard phrase "levelling up", she says everyone should have the same opportunity, regardless of their background or where they live.

"That is what levelling up is in a Conservative way," she says.

Image source, Reuters

With the warm-up act over, Liz Truss is now on her feet, and says "it is time to be bold".

Launching her campaign, she told supporters the country was at "a critical moment" with "huge challenges" post-Covid and in the throes of Putin's war in Ukraine.

She said as prime minister she would be able to "fight for freedom at home and around the world".

"I can lead... I can make tough decisions and get things done."

Meanwhile, a short distance away, Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng is introducing Foreign Secretary Liz Truss as she lays out her vision for a UK under her premiership.

In front of a banner reading "delivery, trust, vision", Kwarteng says Truss is a "true blue, tax-cutting Conservative", who has an "unmatched" track record of delivery.

The next election will be about the economy, he says, and Truss is ready to deliver "radical change" from day one.

Just a reminder - she finished third in the first round of votes in Westminster last night, so has some ground to make up if she’s to get to the final two.

Conservative leadership candidate Tom Tugendhat is holding a Q&A event with journalists in Westminster.

He begins by saying that he started this race a few days ago because "we're going through a trust deficit in our politics - we certainly have an issue with the credibility of our government.

"I ran on our ticket to have a clean start and that's what we still need," he says.

He says that despite the "rumours some of you have been spreading, I'm still in this fight".

"If you're asking for peoples' trust and credibility in you to lead the country then you need to be open."

Image source, EPA

Lord Frost, the former chief Brexit negotiator, said he has "grave reservations" about Penny Mordaunt becoming the next prime minister.

Mordaunt, who came second to Rishi Sunak in last night's vote, is now considered to be the the chief threat to Sunak, especially given her popularity among Tory Party members who will have the final say.

But Frost - who is touted to re-enter government in the coming months - told Talk TV he would "not feel able to serve in a ministerial role" under Mordaunt, suggesting she was neither "fully accountable or visible" when she was "notionally" his deputy in Brexit negotiations last year.

He claimed Mordaunt "did not master the necessary detail" nor had she proved capable of delivering "tough messages to the EU" when the pair worked together - adding that he had ultimately felt compelled to ask Boris Johnson to move her on, such were her limitations.

The ex-cabinet minister said he had still not made up his mind as to who he would vote for, but the next PM needed "to do things differently".

Image source, Reuters

Former Chancellor Rishi Sunak has been the candidate to beat so far, coming top in Wednesday's round of voting.

He was interviewed on BBC Radio 4's Today programme earlier – let's take a look at the key moments:

• Sunak said his wealth and background didn't stop him from understanding the issues of hard-pressed households, saying he judges people on their character, not their bank accounts

• He defended his plan to avoid cutting taxes immediately, saying inflation was the "enemy" which needed tackling as it makes everybody poorer
• Taking aim at his rivals, he said he doesn't cut taxes to win elections, but wins elections to cut taxes
• Asked about a leadership website set up using his name last year, he said he first decided he couldn't remain part of Boris Johnson's government only "when he resigned"
• He will keep the Rwanda policy which plans to send some asylum seekers to the east African nation to claim asylum there
• He refused to guarantee his former rival Nadhim Zahawi - who replaced him as chancellor - would stay in the post if he were PM, only saying he would draw on "all the talents of our party"

Sunak quite uncomfortable under direct scrutinypublished at 09:09 British Summer Time 14 July 2022

09:09 BST 14 July 2022

Chris Mason
Political editor

Rishi Sunak seemed quite uncomfortable under direct scrutiny on Radio 4's Today programme just now, ducking several questions.

The central challenge he faces - and also his pitch - is he has the political challenge of being accountable for his time as chancellor – and therefore his closeness to Boris Johnson.

He's faced lots of criticism from within his own party, from other candidates, on the question of tax.

But the former chancellor says he wins elections to cut taxes, not cuts taxes to win elections.

Another point his campaign are keen to make is they say he's best placed to beat Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer in a general election, relative to the other candidates.

There's also polling evidence, though, that suggests quite a few of the others up against Sunak would be able to beat him.

Next to Rishi Sunak's economic priorities.

The first is to tackle inflation, he says. It makes everybody poorer, and if not tackled now will cost families more in the long run, especially with mortgages, he says.

"I will get taxes down in this parliament, but I'm going to do so responsibly. I don't cut taxes to win elections, I win elections to cut taxes."

Rishi Sunak is also asked about a leadership website using his name that was set up last year – had he thought seriously about resigning then?

"What people want now is to look forward," the former chancellor says, not answering the question directly.

Asked again about when he decided that he couldn't remain part of Boris Johnson's set-up, and believed it was going seriously wrong, he says: "When I resigned. It was not an easy decision. It wasn't a decision I took lightly."

Former Chancellor Rishi Sunak, who came top in Wednesday's round of voting, has been talking to BBC Radio 4's Today programme this morning.

He's asked whether he is able to relate to the economic struggles that many people experience.

"I don’t judge people by their bank accounts, I judge them by their character, and I think people can judge me by my actions over the past couple of years. Whenever I've needed to step in to support people, I have, and furlough is a fantastic example of that.

"I believe in hard work and aspiration, that's my story - if I'm PM, then I'll be making the case for that with vigour.

"Beyond character, you can judge me by my actions," he says, citing support payments currently being made to vulnerable people.

"When the pandemic hit, I understood full well the impact it could have on millions of people.

"In a matter of weeks, I put together and delivered the furlough scheme - I'm really proud of that achievement, " he says.

Image source, EPA

Penny Mordaunt came second in Wednesday's round of voting for the Tory leadership, with 67 votes from Tory MPs.

And today, one of her supporters - George Freeman MP - has been on BBC Radio 4's Today programme in an effort to cement her position.

"In order to deal with the scale of the crisis we face, [the] post-pandemic shutdown of the world economy, fired up huge global inflation pressures, the war in Ukraine, we need a balanced package," he says.

"She set out a three-point plan: firstly, an emergency budget, the targeted tax cuts for those really struggling with the cost of living, and for those small businesses, the job creators."

The other two elements of her plan are raising the basic and middle earner income tax thresholds in line with inflation, and a long-term plan to drive productivity up, he says. She has also promised to cut VAT on fuel.

Huge tax cuts for the well-off is not what is appropriate at the moment, he adds: "What people need is help to get on, deal with the cost of living, but also start companies, grow, create jobs."

Former leadership candidate Jeremy Hunt has given his backing to Rishi Sunak, after being eliminated from the race in the first round of voting.

Hunt told the BBC that the former chancellor was "one of the most decent, straight people" he had met in British politics.

Reflecting on his own defeat, Hunt said he lacked the “momentum” to succeed.

The former health secretary did not secure the needed 30 votes to progress to today’s second-round vote and was knocked out of the race alongside Chancellor Nadhim Zahawi.

Asked why he was supporting Sunak, he said he believed the former chancellor was someone of "formidable ability” and had been “thinking about the right thing to do for our economy, for families up and down the country, very hard over the last two years".

Image source, UK Parliament

Former Levelling Up Minister Kemi Badenoch received 40 votes in the first round of voting for the Tory leadership, coming fourth behind Rishi Sunak, Penny Mordaunt and Liz Truss.

Lee Rowley, her campaign manager, says her campaign caught attention because she "is saying something different", and that the party needs "some change".

Badenoch concentrates on certain issues, including cultural issues, but is she a broad enough candidate?

"She's got absolutely broad views on everything, and it starts from the principle that government should do some things well, but not lots of things badly, and we've got to have a set of principles which we apply in government," he tells BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

"She has a range of policies which will all be set out over the coming days."

She has promised tax cuts and low regulation, while being critical of net zero emissions target in her leadership bid

"What Kemi is trying to say on a range of issues is: 'We've got to go back to the basics... what are we trying to do, are we doing it right?'," he adds.

Image source, Reuters

Foreign Secretary Liz Truss is to set out her pitch to become the next prime minister today.

Like several Tory MPs going for the position, Truss has pledged to cut taxes. But she's aiming to "level up in a Conservative way" while carrying forward her leadership.

The foreign secretary has the support of Boris Johnson loyalists Jacob Rees-Mogg and Nadine Dorries, as she bids for success in the Tory leadership race.

Truss secured her place in the next round of the contest, with the third-highest number of votes in the first ballot of Tory MPs on Wednesday.

She fell shortly behind Rishi Sunak and Penny Mordaunt.

Her backers have criticised the former chancellor Rishi Sunak of "economically damaging policies". They've been accused of running a campaign to damage Sunak's image.

During her campaign speech today, Truss will lay out her economic plan, which includes: reversing April's National Insurance hike, lowering corporation tax and enacting supply-side reforms.

Read more.

Image source, .

Rishi Sunak, Penny Mordaunt, Liz Truss, Kemi Badenoch, Tom Tugendhat and Suella Braverman have all qualified for the second round of voting.

So today, 358 Tory MPs will vote again, with a result expected sometime in the afternoon. From now on, there’s no minimum threshold of votes. Instead the candidate who finishes sixth will be eliminated.

In theory, the process will then continue with Conservative MPs voting daily from next Monday - and a single candidate eliminated each time - until just two are left.

The final decision on who will replace Boris Johnson as prime minister will then go to the party's membership. It’s thought there are about 200,000 members.

The winner will be announced on 5 September.

In reality though, we might see the days of MPs’ votes curtailed as candidates drop out or merge campaigns.

Good morning and welcome to our live page as Tory MPs prepare to vote in round two of the contest to be leader of the Conservative Party and next prime minister.

Conservative MPs will vote again this afternoon with the result of the ballot expected around 17:00.

We'll bring you live updates and analysis throughout the day.