Tory leadership race - live: Mordaunt criticised for supporting homeopathy on NHS

Foreign secretary vows to axe tax hike and national insurance rise

‘Borrowing your way out of inflation is a fairytale’: Sunak and Truss clash over economy plan

Tory leadership hopeful Penny Mordaunt has been criticised for her support of homeopathy on the NHS.

Homeopathy is a treatment based on using diluted amounts of natural substances, but is not currently funded by the NHS due to its “lack of effectiveness”.

Ms Mordaunt has advocated the practice according to an analysis of her parliamentary record and past comments, and was one of 16 supporters of a motion in the House of Commons criticising the British Medical Association for withdrawing NHS support for homeopathy, in June 2010.

Meanwhile, Liz Truss has pledged that families could receive tax breaks of up to £2,500 to help them take time out of work to look after children or other family members.

Ms Truss has promised a radical overhaul of the taxation system if she gets into Downing Street that would also include ditching green levies on energy bills and reversing an increase to national insurance.

It comes after the five contenders to become the UK’s next prime minister clashed over tax cuts and Boris Johnson’s honesty in a debate on Friday night.

A snap Opinium poll found 36 per cent of viewers believed Tom Tugendhat performed best – while just 10 per cent of Tory voters said the same of Ms Truss.

Key points

• Penny Mordaunt under fire for support of homeopathy
• Truss promises £2,500 tax break for families
• Snap poll puts Tugendhat as clear winner of debate – as Truss stumbles
• Mordaunt says rivals fear her the most and she is not scared of becoming PM
• Truss campaign not involved in ‘black ops’ onslaught against Mordaunt, Shapps insists
• Lord Frost calls on Kemi Badenoch to withdraw and back Truss
• Who is backing whom in race to replace Boris Johnson?

[15 July 2022 16:54 · Jane Dalton]

Russia must take responsibility for Briton’s suspected death, says Truss

Foreign Secretary Liz Truss has demanded that Moscow bear “full responsibility” over the reported death of a British aid volunteer detained by Russian-backed separatists in Ukraine.

Paul Urey, 45, died in captivity on Sunday, according to the human-rights ombudsperson for the Moscow-supported leadership in Donetsk.

His mother, Linda, expressed her anger, branding the separatists “murderers”.

Russian ambassador to the UK Andrei Kelin was summoned to the Foreign Office to face questioning over what happened to Mr Urey, who was detained near the Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia in April.

Ms Truss said: “Russia must bear the full responsibility for this.

“Paul Urey was captured while undertaking humanitarian work. He was in Ukraine to try and help the Ukrainian people in the face of the unprovoked Russian invasion.

“The Russian government and its proxies are continuing to commit atrocities. Those responsible will be held to accountable. My thoughts are with Mr Urey’s family and friends at this horrendous time.”

[15 July 2022 16:49 · Jane Dalton]

Please back Truss, Braverman asks supporters

Suella Braverman has issued a direct appeal to her supportersto rally behind Liz Truss.

The Attorney General, who was eliminated in the second round of voting on Thursday, said that out of the remaining candidates coming from the right of the party, Ms Truss is best-placed to make it into the final ballot of party members.

She heaped praise on Kemi Badenoch, the former equalities minister, describing her as a “great woman” who could do a fantastic job as prime minister one day.

But she said Ms Truss, who has been in the Cabinet for eight years, is ready to take the reins of power and would not need to “learn on the job”.

“Kemi is a great woman and a friend. She could do a fantastic job as PM one day but we need to look realistically at the numbers,” she said.

“Liz and Kemi are not both going to make it into the final two. So a decision needs to be made to back one of them. The one we should back, I’d argue, is the one who can get to the final round. Liz can, Kemi cannot.”

[15 July 2022 16:44 · Jane Dalton]

Westminster tying itself in knots over trans rights, says Mordaunt

Penny Mordaunt says Westminster is “tying itself in knots” over the issue of trans rights.

Asked by Sky News if trans women are women, Ms Mordaunt said: “Some people who are born male will go through a process to transition into another gender and they are issued a legal document in their new gender.

“They are not biological women like me, but the law recognises them in their new gender and that’s very simple and straightforward. And Westminster is tying itself in knots over it.”

Asked whether trans women can be legally women, she said: “Legally but not biologically. And we are not equivalent in that respect. And I mean, people should look at my record on this. I was raising, for example, the issue of trans people competing against women in sport many years ago.”

[15 July 2022 16:36 · Jane Dalton]

No 10 cannot say if Boris Johnson will join heatwave meeting as he ‘prepares for Chequers party’

Boris Johnson‘s spokesperson was on Friday unable to say whether the prime minister would take part an emergency Cobra meeting about the extreme heatwave about to hit the UK.

The prime minister is working from his country mansion of Chequers, where he is reportedly set to host a “thank you” party for supporters over the weekend, writes Jon Stone:

[15 July 2022 15:45 · Joe Middleton]

Who do you think will win the Tory leadership race? Have your say

The Tory leadership hopefuls have been whittled down to five and are preparing for two live televised debates before another vote on Monday.

And we want to know who you think is going to win the contest to be party leader and therefore our next prime minister.

Let us know by clicking the link below and voting in the poll.

[15 July 2022 15:30 · Joe Middleton]

Starmer meets with Scholz to discuss Brexit and Ukraine

Sir Keir Starmer has discussed Brexit and Ukraine with the chancellor of Germany.

The Labour leader met Olaf Scholz for private talks at the headquarters of his left-wing Social Democrat Party (SPD) in Berlin on Friday.

The meeting was said by Labour to have been about building relationships with Germany after Brexit and Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.

The party also said Sir Keir wanted to talk about Labour’s hopes of winning the next general election, plans for Britain and Germany to work more closely together economically, and taking advantage of a move towards environmental sustainability.

The meeting came ahead of an expected confidence vote in the House of Commons on Monday which could see a general election triggered.

Speaking afterwards, Sir Keir said his talks with the Chancellor demonstrated a “contrast” between his party and the Conservatives.

He said: “We don’t fear any of the candidates because the change that the United Kingdom needs is not a change at the top of the Conservative Party.

“We’ve already had 12 years of failure from the Conservative Party. The change we need, the fresh start we need for Britain is a change of Government and therefore I don’t fear any of these leaders.

“And the contrast between them squabbling like cats in a bag, making ludicrous spending commitments, and the Labour Party - united, ready for election, me here speaking to Chancellor Scholtz about how we develop relations between our parties, how we grow our economies, big issues such as Ukraine - the contrast between the two parties has never been starker than it is now.”

PA

[15 July 2022 15:15 · Joe Middleton]

BBC Question Time: Labour MP Chris Bryant scolds Bin Afolami

[15 July 2022 15:01 · Joe Middleton]

Braverman urges supporters to get behind Truss

Suella Braverman has written to her supporters urging them to get behind Liz Truss.

The Attorney General wrote: “Other MPs and activists will make up their own minds who to support. Nobody can order them who to support and nor should they. But for those who want to support Kemi, I would say just this.

“Kemi is a great woman and a friend. She could do a fantastic job as PM one day but we need to look realistically at the numbers.

“Liz and Kemi are not both going to make it into the final two. So, a decision needs to be made to back one of them. The one we should back, I’d argue, is the one who can get to the final round: Liz can, Kemi cannot.

“Liz is undeniably the better-placed candidate to get to the voluntary party round and fight there for the things that all three of us believe.”

PA

[15 July 2022 14:50 · Joe Middleton]

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[15 July 2022 14:41 · Joe Middleton]

Liz Truss has announced she would scrap a planned multibillion pound hike in corporation tax if she wins the race to succeed Boris Johnson in No 10.

The foreign secretary, who has previously vowed to cut taxes from “day one” if she wins the Tory leadership contest, also said there would be a “temporary moratorium” on the green energy levy.

Earlier this week, the cabinet minister revealed she would reverse April’s national insurance hike, insisting she had fought against the policy in Mr Johnson’s government.

Ashley Cowburn reports.