Image source, EPA

Earlier, Sir Iain Duncan Smith was on Sky News and said the Conservative leadership candidates need to be judged on their achievements in government.

The former Tory leader, a backer of Liz Truss, told Sophy Ridge On Sunday the only one he did not know in terms of their achievements was Penny Mordaunt.

"I don't have any problem with her, I have no issues at all," he insisted.

He continued: "But for me the key thing is we're not electing a leader of the Conservative Party that has two years to build their reputation, we are electing someone who will be prime minister on day one."

Sir Iain said it was vital to know when they had power and authority in government - and what they did with it.

"What were their main beliefs, what did they drive through, what tough decisions did they have to take, and actually they have to sometimes go against their civil servants to get these things done."

If you're just joining us, Tory leadership rivals Tom Tugendhat and Penny Mordaunt have been answering questions on everything from their experience to how they'll fund tax cuts and views on gender self-identification.

Here's a roundup of each interview.

Tugendhat

• Using his lack of government experience as a way to distance himself from Boris Johnson, who he accused of having a "fictional" account of the party gate scandal
• Plans to cut fuel duty by 10p and cut energy bills, so all homes are "heated by Christmas", but refusing to say how he'll fund this
• Big push on ensuring the welfare system works so workers are paid right and can afford to live

Mordaunt

• Admits she will have to borrow money to deal with day to day costs if her plan to raise basic and middle income tax thresholds, in line with inflation, goes ahead. She called her other goal to cut VAT "neutral"
• Challenged on claims she made in 2016 about Turkey potentially joining the EU, and what it'd mean for the UK, but blames "the campaign we were up against"
• Took questions on gender self-identification, saying it's wrong of the media - and her opposers - to focus on this issue. Ultimately, she says she does believe a trans person needs to have diagnosed gender dysphoria to legally change their gender

It's Mordaunt's turn for a round of quickfire questions.

Are there any circumstances under which you would allow another referendum on Scottish independence?

It's a settled question. No.

Are you committed to net zero by 2050?

Yes - but it has to not clobber people and must support levelling up .

Will you privatise Channel 4?

Not a priority for me.

Would you give Boris Johnson a cabinet position?

I don't think he'd be around to serve.

Will you withdraw the UK from the ECHR?

No.

We're at one of Penny Mordaunt's stickiest points - her stance on trans rights and gender self-identification.

Asked if she believes trans people should have to get a diagnosis of gender dysphoria before they can legally change their gender, the Tory MP says she does and insists that's made clear in reports published about her today.

Throwing shade on what she calls "toxic politics", Mordaunt says "we all know what's going on here" and that it's exactly the sort of politics the British people "want to get away from".

Mordaunt goes on to say the "smears" in today's papers are not the way the contest should be handled, adding she wants her campaign to have "integrity".

It comes after leaked government documents, seen by The Sunday Times, suggested Mordaunt favoured removing at least one of the medical requirements needed for a person to transition during her time as equalities minister.

However, a spokesperson for her campaign hit back: "To be clear, on the issue of self ID, leaked documents prove that all ministers in the department wanted to maintain medical involvement, including Penny. Other ministers can back this up."

Mordaunt is asked is asked about the accuracy of comments she made about Turkey in 2016, during the Brexit referendum campaign.

She's played a clip of a BBC interview in 2016. In the clip, she said Turkey was going to join the EU and claims that would mean one million more people coming to the UK.

"Do you accept that was misleading?" Mordaunt asked – given a UK veto on new members joining the EU.

"No," says Mordaunt. "That's a classic example of the campaign we were up against."

She says then PM David Cameron had told Turkey the UK would support its accession to the EU.

"To go back on those undertakings he had given to Turkey - a key Nato ally - would have been crazy," she says.

Pressed on the fact that the UK did have a right to veto within the EU rules, she insists: "We didn't have a veto because we couldn't use the provision in the treaty."

"You're dancing around the detail," says Raworth.

Next, Mordaunt's quizzed on her plans to half the VAT on petrol - from 20% to 10% - and raise basic and middle income tax thresholds in line with inflation. What's the cost?

She claims the first, petrol, is neutral "because you're getting additional revenues into the Exchequer on fuel". The second, she admits, "you'd have to adjust our forecast". She doesn't give more detail than that.

Mordaunt says she's setting out the principles under which she'd govern but not the levels. "This isn't just about what I think," she says, adding it's about the Tory party on the whole.

Pushed on whether she'll borrow more money to deal with the cuts she's outlining, Mordaunt stresses she won't be taking additional revenue off people - but she would borrow to deal with "day to day costs".

"There's lots of headroom to do this," she says, stressing she's the "only" candidate who's set out modest policies to avoid over-promising.

It's Penny Mordaunt's turn to face a grilling by Sophie Raworth. The first question is on energy bills and predictions they'll increase to more than £3,000 by October.

The trade minister says her priority is to serve the British people, even if they aren't the ones picking the next prime minister.

Mordaunt says she's set out her priorities but argues there's a need for realism - energy bills can only come down after a "proper fiscal event" is carried out, she says, adding the Tory leadership contest is not that event.

"What we do need to do is look at the issues that are terrifying people and we also have to look at the things that are adding additional costs onto bills," she adds.

Tugendhat faces a round of quickfire questions.

Would you intervene if China invade Taiwan?

I would definitely support our Japanese, Indonesian and Philippine allies.

Would you leave the European Convention on Human Rights?

No.

Will you build the whole of HS2?

Yes.

Are you fully committed by net zero by 2050?

Fully committed. What I need now is the policy and the planning, and nobody has set it up yet.

Would you privatise Channel 4?

No

Would you allow another referendum on Scottish independence?

It's a generational decision - a generation hasn't passed.

Would you work for a prime minster who has broken the law?

Well I haven't worked for this one.

Does the next PM have to come from outside Johnson's cabinet?

We need a clean start.

There's more from Tom Tugendhat now, who's been asked about his tax pledges.

Asked how he plans to fund a reversal of the National Insurance tax hike, as well as bringing down the fuel duty, the leadership hopeful says he and his team have costed all their plans to be within "the £30bn that the OBR says is remaining".

Challenged as to whether this figure - known as headroom - is reliable, Tugendhat argues it is.

He rubbishes claims it's irresponsible to rely on it and says he's focused on making sure people can afford everything they want to - including "bread" in some instances.

There's a question on the cost of living crisis, specifically rising energy bills.

Tom Tugendhat says fuel "underpins so much of our economy" and talks about reducing fuel duty by 10p from what it is now.

"We need heat by Christmas," he says, adding the welfare reforms he's suggesting will help with that.

Pushed to outline how much he'll give to families struggling to pay bills, Tugendhat says as prime minister he'll make sure the welfare system works to ensure workers are paid enough to get by.

He also says Universal Credit needs to be improved, which he'd oversee.

Tugendhat is asked what he believes Boris Johnson has been dishonest about, after Tugendhat singled himself out from his rivals by saying he did not think the PM was honest during the first TV leadership debate.

He says Johnson's accounts of what happened during Partygate were "more fictional than reality".

But he insists the government has achieved many things, including getting Brexit done and introducing levelling up.

"We can build on the successes of this government," he says.

Tom Tugendhat's up first, and there's a question about his experience considering he's never served in a government position.

The former Army officer immediately defends his experience, listing examples of his judgement such as when he warned of the dangers of Vladimir Putin a long time ago.

Pushed on whether it's a good or bad thing he has no attachment to Boris Johnson - or any cabinet - Tugendhat suggests it's a positive thing both for the country and its voters.

"Conservative values really matter and if we go back over old ground, Labour will win the next election," he says in an apparent dig to problems in the current government.

Image source, Getty Images

We're close to hearing from two Tory leadership hopefuls, who are on the BBC's Sunday Morning programme.

Penny Mordaunt, who at the end of last week was the bookmakers' favourite, will talk to Sophie Raworth following an intense morning of media scrutiny about her record on gender self-identification.

Tom Tugendhat will also be interviewed fresh off a victory in Friday's televised debate, which a snap poll found he won.

The programme's on now, we'll bring you live updates from each interview when they're on air.

Image source, Reuters

Commitments to tackling climate change haven't featured as heavily in this Tory leadership race as some would've liked - most notably, COP26 President Alok Sharma.

The government's climate tsar has described the issue as being "absolutely" one of "leadership" and accused some of the candidates of being “lukewarm” on net zero in the contest.

"Anyone aspiring to lead our country needs to demonstrate that they take this issue incredibly seriously," he tells the Observer, external in a frank interview. "I want to see candidates very proactively set out their support for our net zero agenda for green growth."

All of the leadership candidates - except Kemi Badenoch, who's called net zero "unilateral economic disarmament" - have technically committed to the UK’s legislated target of reaching net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. But there are doubts over whether they'd actually push through the policies needed. You can read where each contender stands on the issue here.

Asked whether he'd resign if candidates continued to be "lukewarm", Sharma wouldn't give a straight answer. Eventually, he said: "I don't rule anything out and I don't rule anything in."

Dominic Raab says the UK needs "serious" and "credible" suggestions when it's put to him that other leadership candidates - notably Penny Mordaunt - are saying their suggested tax cuts can be self-funding.

On Mordaunt's favourability in polls in the last week, Raab goes back to Rishi Sunak's ability to win votes at a general election.

"He's the only one that can win," Raab says, before being reminded this isn't a general election.

He carries on, repeating that people from the north and the south of England can see Sunak is "the only one" who'll be able to win votes.

Image source, Sky News

More from Raab now, who claims "whether it's blue wall or red wall seats", Rishi Sunak is the candidate who can win votes.

On Sunak's economic policy, which Raab says speaks for itself, Sophy Ridge suggests Sunak's claims he believes in low taxes don't add up when looking at his record. The deputy PM says the pandemic is to blame for this.

"You can't borrow your way out of inflation," Raab says, adding Sunak is the "only" candidate coming up with a long term plan to get the UK out of its current cost of living crisis.

Deputy PM Dominic Raab is speaking to Sky News' Sophy Ridge on Sunday, where he says he was loyal to Boris Johnson until the very end.

He says he didn't want a leadership race but respects the parliamentary party, which ultimately lost confidence in Johnson.

Asked how the current PM has been in recent weeks, after resigning, Raab says his boss was - and remains - "magnanimous" and remains committed to getting the job as leader done.

Raab also says he disagrees with people who suggest he's disloyal to Johnson by backing former chancellor Rishi Sunak. "He's far and away the candidate to beat [Labour leader] Sir Keir Starmer," Raab adds of Sunak.

The Conservative leadership battle continues to dominate many front pages. The Telegraph - along with the Express and the Independent - focuses on Rishi Sunak's pledge, external to scrap or reform EU laws. Writing in the paper, the former chancellor says we must "seize the opportunities" of Brexit.

The four other candidates also write articles for the Telegraph - with Kemi Badenoch pledging to control immigration, external and Tom Tugendhat promising to build more homes. Liz Truss says she wants to cut taxes and red tape and Penny Mordaunt says she will continue the UK's support for Ukraine, external.

The Mail on Sunday and the Sunday Times highlight a leaked document, external which they say suggests Ms Mordaunt previously backed moves to allow gender self-identification for transgender people. Ms Mordaunt - a former Equalities Minister - has denied the papers' claims.

In its editorial, the Sunday Times says the five contenders appear to have few firm ideas for fixing the gargantuan problems Britain faces. "The weak field of runners and riders", it adds, "betrays a government exhausted after 12 years in power".

The Observer describes the contest as "squalid" and "parochial". It says whoever the party picks will have no democratic mandate for their platform and policies.

There's still a long way to go before we'll know who's replacing Boris Johnson – but we're down to the last few days for Tory MPs to decide which two candidates will make it onto the final shortlist.

Here's what we can expect before then:

Monday 18 July – Third round of voting by Tory MPs with results at 20:00 BST

Tuesday 19 July – Fourth round of voting, as well as the third TV debate on Sky News

Wednesday 20 July – Final round of voting takes place, leaving two rivals to go head-to-head for the top job

Hustings for members of the Conservative Party will then be held around the country – starting from Friday 22 July.

The winner will be announced on Monday 5 September after a postal ballot, completed by less than 200,000 Tory party members.

Image source, .

As we mentioned, this morning's political programmes are full to the brim with both Tory leadership hopefuls and their backers. Here's how it's looking:

08:30 Over on Sky News, Sophy Ridge will grill deputy PM Dominic Raab - who's supporting Rishi Sunak - former Tory leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith, who's in for Team Truss and Lee Rowley for Kemi Badenoch.

09:00 BST The BBC's Sunday Morning will see Tom Tugendhat and Penny Mordaunt interviewed by Sophie Raworth. Tugendhat won Friday's TV debate, according to a snap poll, external. Up until that debate at least, it was Mordaunt who had the momentum though, with many commentators suggesting the final ballot might be her against Sunak.

19:00 All five Tory MPs left in the race to become the party's next leader - and the UK's prime minister - will take part in their second televised debate. It'll be hosted by ITV and will last an hour.