As you may have spotted, there was a spelling blunder on Rishi Sunak's background during the ConservativeHome hustings.

It said "Scan me to join the campiaign".

The mistake was quickly spotted on Twitter, including by the political news website Guido Fawkes.

Sunak's team has since jokingly responded to the gaffe, riffing on their campaign slogan.

Image source, Getty Images

Conservative MPs are currently battling it out to replace Boris Johnson as their leader and our next prime minister - but it is the party's grassroots membership that will get the final say.

So how many Tory members are there?

The Conservatives are the only major UK party not to routinely release membership figures.

A Conservative Party press officer said: "There were 160,000 eligible members during the previous leadership election. There will be more members this time."

What is the average Tory member like?

The average Tory member is "far from being representative of voters as a whole", says Professor Tim Bale, head of Queen Mary University of London and Sussex University Party Members Project.

He says the members are not as ethnically diverse as the general population, and they're heavily concentrated in the south of England.

There are significantly more male members than female, and they're generally better off, he says.

Prof Bale adds: "Although they're not quite as elderly as some imagine - on average they're actually in their late 50s even if four-in-10 are over 65 - they're still relatively old."

Read more here.

At the end of the online hustings, the candidates get to give closing statements:

Liz Truss says we need to continue to "stand up to Putin", as well as deliver the "promises and opportunities of Brexit".

She says has what it takes to defeat Liberal Democrats leader Ed Davey and Labour's Keir Starmer at the next election.

Next, Tom Tugendhat says he will lead the party in a new direction. He says he can defeat SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon, Starmer and Davey.

He says he won't allow the country to be handed over to Labour.

Kemi Badenoch says the party needs a "fresh face". She says her lack of cabinet experience means she doesn't carry the baggage of the decisions the party has made in recent years.

Penny Mordaunt says the party needs to win at the next election and the polling shows they can only achieve this with her as leader.

She asks if the party wants to win the next general election, have a new approach to leadership and restore positive politics, adding: "I do, which is why I am standing in this contest".

Lastly, Rishi Sunak says restoring trust in the Conservatives is needed. He says the party has to seize the opportunities of Brexit, and win a historic fifth term.

He says he is prepared to give everything he has to the nation.

In true interview style, the leadership hopefuls are asked to admit their greatest weakness.

Kemi Badenoch says in the past, her sense of humour has sometimes suggested she's flippant about issues and her jokes may have offended some people. But she adds, she's worked on this and is now very careful about how she uses words because the public need to know politicians are serious and on their side.

Rishi Sunak says he has a reputation for working hard but has learned the perfect should not be the enemy of the good. He adds he's spent many hours getting across the detail, but sometimes that time is better spent elsewhere.

Liz Truss admits being "excessively enthusiastic" in the past, but adds she now realises she should not try to do too much. So she'll focus on "getting the economy going".

Penny Mordaunt quips that her greatest weakness may be her Burmese cats, who may not get on with Larry the Downing Street cat. She adds that she's learned to delegate to be more effective - and the party needs to use all its talents across the Cabinet table; it shouldn't just be about the top job.

Tom Tugendhat says he talks about his time in the Army too much… and then talks about it a bit more, saying it was "incredibly formative". But he says he recognises that many other organisations, businesses and communities do great jobs and can help to restore the country's trust.

The penultimate question is on long running issues with housing supply in the UK, with candidates asked how they would solve the crisis and help more people into home ownership.

Tom Tugendhat acknowledges that housing is a huge problem around the UK and says they need to “look for a Conservative solution”. He says this means investing properly in housing stocks as part of a “new deal for Britain”, adding housing will be a key part of his 10-year plan to make the economy fairer.

Penny Mordaunt criticises the use of targets, arguing they do not “help get housing built”. She says to solve the problem the government must focus on developing "Brownfield sites" – former industrial areas of land no longer in use. Mordaunt adds that part of the problem is a lack of capacity and skills in planning departments and suggests she is a “big fan” of local neighbourhood planning reform.

Kemi Badenoch notes she has been a housing minister for a while and characterises the UK’s housing problems as being caused by a lack of supply. She also criticises housing targets, arguing more investment is needed in infrastructure and facilities around new developments, like roads and access to GPs and schools. Badenoch adds there are also issues with “developer oligopolies” where large building firms make homes that “people do not want to live in”. She also argues they need to solve the problem of buy-to-let and second homes crowding local people out of access to housing.

Liz Truss says its vitally important we give the opportunity of home ownership and that she has concerns over the “growing age where people can afford to own their own home. She says the government has so far taken a “one size fits all approach” and different localised policies are needed around the country. Truss finishes her answer buy saying they won’t have a successful planning policy without the support of the whole Tory party and adds that local consent is key to all developments.

Rishi Sunak says the Conservative party believes in home ownership and helping people fulfil their dream, which isn’t accessible to many at the moment. He agrees that local consent is important and investment should focus on developing brownfield land. Sunak also says the government should look at “modular building” – where homes are built flat-pack style and constructed on site. He adds that “small and medium sized builders have disappeared” and must be tempted back, as well as proposing reform to land rules which allow big firms to hold onto empty land rather than develop on it immediately.

A question for the candidates on defence and security. Lee asks what they will do to stand up to Vladimir Putin and support Ukraine.

Penny Mordaunt says the Russian leader "has to fail" and there can be no compromise with Russia. Her expertise in this area is well known, she says, highlighting her 12-year naval career. She adds that she is able to "spot opportunities in particular situations", and says one was missed by failing to keep a presence in Afghanistan.

Kemi Badenoch says the threats to the UK are "numerous and existential" and we need to be strong and not pushed around. She says she will be able to do that and believes in strong defence and continuing support Ukraine. Losing that war would be significant for the UK in future years, she adds.

Tom Tugendhat focuses on his long army career and his combat knowledge, having fought in Afghanistan. We need to go further, he says, and force Putin to realise he will lose by increasing weapons supplies and support to Ukrainians and upping the UK's support of Nato and allies. If we are not able to defend ourselves we will find prices rise, he warns.

Rishi Sunak says the UK has always been an "enormous force for good in the world" and insists he takes defence spending seriously. He refers to the fact he made sure as chancellor that the MoD was guaranteed extra funding during the Covid pandemic in 2020, saying it was the biggest uplift in defence spending since the end of the Cold War. He says he would continue to increase defence spending and takes a "threat-based approach to it".

Liz Truss says as foreign secretary she personally made sure with colleagues around the world that there is "no compromise" with Russia. "We've led the free world in standing up to Putin and supporting Ukraine in their hour of need," she says. She says we need to supply more weapons and impose more sanctions, adding that it is unacceptable European countries are still buying gas and oil from Russia, funding Putin's war machine. "We don't spend enough on defence," she says.

The candidates are being asked about how they plan to alleviate pressures stemming from the cost of living crisis.

Kemi Badenoch says she’s not promising large tax cuts but is looking at fuel duty and thinks there is headroom to cut duties there.

She also says she plans to bring forward universal credit and pension credit uplift.

Next is Tom Tugendhat, who says he plans to reduce energy costs by working with our neighbours to lower prices. He points out that some European countries are heavily reliant on Russian energy, which has pushed up costs. He adds that an energy resilience plan is needed before Christmas.

Penny Mordaunt says she has not made commitments to cutting tax levels, but plans limited support measures, such as reducing VAT paid at the pump.

On energy, she says she will look at the standing charge and the structure in which bills are put together.

Liz Truss says we need to start putting money back into people’s pockets and reverse the national insurance rise, branding it as a "mistake".

She says she wants to introduce a temporary moratorium on the green levy and avoid corporation tax hikes.

She says the public sector needs to grow slower than the private sector, and that regulatory reform is needed.

Rishi Sunak says inflation is the most pressing issue. He says he will responsibly deliver tax cuts once the government has a grip on inflation, comparing his approach to Margaret Thatcher.

On energy, he says the government needs to improve communication on the support the public is receiving.

He adds his government will focus on employment by making sure people have the skills they need for better paid jobs.

The first question to the five candidates in the online hustings - that is currently under way - is from David. He asks how they would reunite the party and win back the country's trust.

Rishi Sunak says trust starts with being honest about the challenges the country is facing and not promising things that can't be delivered. He says he's best placed to do this and to beat Keir Starmer in the next general election.

Penny Mordaunt says the party has to pull together and use all its talents for the sake of the country. She says "mudslinging" will prevent the Tories building a team and delivering much-needed improvements in public services. She adds that she'd also modernise Whitehall.

Kemi Badenoch says trust is about keeping promises and delivering on the party's manifesto. Multiple U-turns are "incredibly damaging", she adds. She says the party needs to move on from Brexit, and needs to show it has higher standards than everyone else.

Tom Tugendhat says restoring trust is about a "clean start" and he represents that. He also promises to deliver change for the whole country and to empower people.

Liz Truss says all Conservatives believe in a successful UK and in tackling the cost of living crisis. She wants to create opportunities with a "forward-looking, positive" economic agenda. She repeats that she has always delivered in government.

David Brown
Visual Journalism Team

Betting odds on the candidates have shifted again in the last 24 hours.

Here's how they look now:

Image source, .

Whilst Penny Mordaunt still leads the betting, Liz Truss has moved up into second place.

Rishi Sunak, who led in the five days following Boris Johnson's resignation, is now in third.

Kemi Badenoch and Tom Tugendhat are trailing.

Image source, Conservative Home

Last up, it's Rishi Sunak.

He wants to get straight to the point, he says: these are not normal circumstances and we need to restore trust and rebuild our economy.

And he wants to do something that's never been done before - win a fifth term in office. The threat from Labour and the SNP is real, he says, and he is the best person to help beat Keir Starmer.

He says he wants to draw on all wings of the party to form a government, because we have to turn a corner - past Covid, inflation, delay and disruption, towards hope.

He finishes by saying he believes, with all his heart, that the Tories can do better.

Image source, Conservative Home

Penny Mordaunt says the leadership hopefuls should remain focused on issues that matter to people, like the cost of living and improving access to NHS services.

She says her aims are to build a modern economy with a focus on growth and tax policy.

Mordaunt adds the government needs to focus on things that will "really help us level up" and deliver "excellence in public services".

Image source, Conservative Home

Now it's Kemi Badenoch's turn and she says her campaign is "from the heart".

She points out she has been a member of the Tory party for nearly 20 years and highlights her various positions within government.

She says she has "beaten six current or former cabinet ministers" in the leadership race already and insists her political message is cutting through.

She says she has the courage and conviction to win the next election.

Image source, Conservative Home

Speaking at the ConservativeHome hustings, Tom Tugendhat says the Conservative Party needs a “clean start”.

“This isn’t about us today, it’s about you, the communities you lead”, he says, addressing his fellow party members.

Tugendhat says the Conservative Party needs to choose a leader who will take opposition parties to task.

He insists the party can "restore pride", adding: "I’m ready to serve, ready to lead."

Image source, Conservative Home

The hustings begins with the candidates making opening statements. First up is Foreign Secretary Liz Truss.

She speaks about going to school in Leeds, where she says too many children were let down by a lack of opportunity. She says she wants a country where everyone can succeed regardless of where they come from - an "aspiration nation".

Truss says there have been two decades of low growth, now there's an economic crisis and bold policies are needed.

She promises to cut taxes, control spending, diverge from EU regulations, and create investment zones to "level up in a Conservative way".

Truss adds she's ready for the job from day one - because she has a record of delivering: dozens of trade deals, standing up to Vladimir Putin and putting right the Northern Ireland Protocol.

Ahead of tonight's first TV debate, the Conservative Home, external website is hosting the first public hustings of the campaign. It's just getting under way.

Hustings are a meeting at which candidates in an election address potential voters.

Editor of Conservative Home Paul Goodman will put questions from people who have registered for the online event to the five candidates remaining: Rishi Sunak, Penny Mordaunt, Liz Truss, Kemi Badenoch and Tom Tugendhat.

Image source, Shuttershock/Reuters

Backers of Foreign Secretary Liz Truss have attacked Tory leadership rival Penny Mordaunt.

Former Brexit Minister Lord Frost says Mordaunt did not "master the detail that was necessary" and ex-party leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith questioned her level of experience.

Speaking about Mordaunt, another Truss supporter, Julian Knight, tells BBC 5 live: "We don't need an accidental prime minister."

But Mordaunt's supporters insisted she is ready to become prime minister.

Mordaunt tells Sky News , externalher rival candidates are trying to stop her getting into the final round because "they don’t want to run against me".

"Anyone going for this job needs to be tested and scrutinised. You'll see from my campaign that I'm not engaging in any of that," she adds.

Image source, PA Media

The Tory leadership battle is following a strict timetable of events, culminating in a decision on the final two contestants next week:

• Friday 15 July - the first TV debate will take place on Channel 4 at 19:30
• Sunday 17 July – the second debate hosted by ITV at 19:00
• Monday 18 July – third round of voting, with results expected at 20:00; lowest performing candidate eliminated
• Tuesday 19 July – fourth round of voting; third TV debate, hosted by Sky News
• Wednesday 20 July – final round of voting to determine which two MPs will go head-to-head for leadership

A postal ballot of Conservative Party members will then decide the winner, with the final result announced on 5 September, when Johnson will leave office.

Where does the contest go from here?published at 12:17 British Summer Time 15 July 2022

12:17 BST 15 July 2022

Chris Mason
Political editor

Each time, the electorate in the leadership contest – 358 Conservative MPs - stays the same, but the ballot paper changes.

MP support has a sell-by date - the point at which the candidate you have backed gets knocked out.

Then it's on to Plan B.

The candidates have been whittled down to five, ahead of more voting next week.

But before then there are TV debates, with their capacity to catapult or crush the reputation of the participants.

The frontrunners have everything to lose. The outsiders everything to gain.

So, with the colossal caveat inserted that some zinger of a thing might happen that revolutionises everything, let's explore the state of play right now.

The working assumption is Sunak is likely to snaffle one of the two golden tickets to the final run off. But what about the contest for the other spot?

Team Truss think the "natural ceiling" of her parliamentary support is higher than Penny Mordaunt's, despite being beaten by her twice.

But Mordaunt has surprised many already and may do so yet again; her team have the effervescence and confidence that their candidate has a freshness, breadth and capacity to communicate none of her rivals have.

Read more from Chris Mason here

Image source, Reuters

Yesterday, Attorney General Suella Braverman was eliminated from the race for Tory leadership having received the least number of votes from MPs.

Overnight Braverman gave her backing to Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, giving a boost to Truss’s chances of making the final two. The BBC understands most of the 27 Tory MPs who voted for Braverman in round two are expected to do the same.

It is widely assumed that ether Truss or Penny Mordaunt will face Rishi Sunak in the final contest.

Backers of the foreign secretary have attacked Mordaunt, citing her lack of experience – compared to Truss’s extensive political career in senior roles within the party.

But Mordaunt's supporters insist she is ready to become PM.

Thanks for joining our live politics coverage – ahead of the first TV debate between the Tory rivals hoping to replace Boris Johnson.

Five candidates remain in the race following yesterday's round of voting. Former chancellor Rishi Sunak leads the pack, followed closely by Penny Mordaunt. Foreign Secretary Liz Truss also made the top three.

Kemi Badenoch and Tom Tugendhat complete the list of candidates – all of whom will take part in a televised debate tonight on Channel 4 at 19:30 BST.

And before that, there's an online hustings at 13:00 BST, hosted by the website Conservative Home

There's another TV debate on Sunday evening on ITV – before voting among Tory MPs begins again on Monday.