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 02:33 · Andy Gregory]

Watch: Candidates explain how they would deliver a green economy

Here is what the five Tory leadership candidates said in tonight’s debate about the climate and how to reach the UK’s net-zero goal:

[14 July 2022 23:27 · Lizzie Dearden]

Leadership race looms over police awards

The Police Bravery Awards is taking place tonight in central London, where officers from each force have been nominated for feats including fighting sword and axe-wielding men, chasing suspects after being stabbed, dragging people out of burning buildings and jumping into rivers to save lives.

Priti Patel received nominees at Downing Street earlier today but is not at the awards night, leaving the new policing minister, Tom Pursglove, leading the government delegation.

He told a hotel banquet suite packed with police officers that getting the call offering the policing minister job days ago after the government meltdown was a surprise but he “didn’t have to think for a second” before saying yes.

He was warmly received by officers after they were told both his parents served in the police, and he said taking the new ministerial post was the “honour of his life”.

Mr Pursglove says he hopes to keep his new job in September, although he is backing Liz Truss, who isn’t favoured to win the Tory leadership race.

Yvette Cooper, the shadow home secretary, later appeared on stage to present one of the awards.

She said that whoever wins, it will be a “step forward to have a prime minister who doesn’t break the law”, sparking some cheers, applause and laughter from the gathered police officers.

Earlier in the evening, there was more measured applause for a recorded speech played on large video screens from Boris Johnson, who praised their bravery and pledged the government’s support for police.

[14 July 2022 21:30 · Jane Dalton]

Tugendhat would scrap Channel 4 privatisation

Tom Tugendhat suggested he would scrap the policy of privatising Channel 4 if he won the Tory leadership contest.

He told LBC radio: “I don’t think it’s a good idea - there are many other priorities.”

Mr Tugendhat also said he would not scrap the BBC licence fee.

[14 July 2022 21:05 · Jane Dalton]

Spirits high as aides plot next move in contest

“It felt like more of a victory party than just another Westminster drinks,” said an attendee at the garden gathering.

Penny Mordaunt had reason to celebrate: she’s gone from being branded an outsider to a comfortable second place behind former chancellor Rishi Sunak, writes Anna Isaac.

[14 July 2022 20:40 · Jane Dalton]

Truss accused of ‘black ops’

Liz Truss has been accused of “black ops” in a desperate fight to stay in the leadership race, as an ally hit out at MPs who had pledged to vote for her but broke their promises.

Two leading supporters of the foreign secretary branded Penny Mordaunt unfit to be prime minister, as the contest turned nastier.

Amid the Tory infighting a senior Truss supporter said: “This is the most duplicitous lying electorate you have ever come across.”

[14 July 2022 20:16 · Jane Dalton]

Badenoch disappointed by Braverman move

Kemi Badenoch said she was disappointed that Suella Braverman will back Liz Truss.

She told LBC: “I am disappointed. Suella and I are friends, I’m friends with Tom Tugendhat as well, Rishi and Liz were my senior ministers, so it’s all very close to home.

“We’re all friends, so every time someone supports one person there’s another person that’s been let down. But I’m in it to win it.

“I know people want to support the person that they think is most likely to give them a job, or who has been there the longest, that’s the easy thing to do. The tough thing to do is to take a risk and try something different.”

[14 July 2022 20:05 · Jane Dalton]

Braverman backs Truss

Suella Braverman, who has been eliminated from the leadership race, says she will back Liz Truss for the Tory leadership.

The endorsement of attorney-general Ms Braverman and her backers would bring the foreign secretary to within touching distance of Penny Mordaunt, second-placed in MPs’ voting.

[14 July 2022 19:55 · Jane Dalton]

Government ‘grids to a halt’

Day-to-day governing has “ground to halt” while Boris Johnson‘s new ministers focus their attention on the Tory leadership contest, opposition parties have warned.

The cost-of-living crisis, heavy strain on ambulance services and an extreme heatwave next week are taking second place, it’s claimed. Jon Stone reports:

[14 July 2022 19:15 · Jane Dalton]

Braverman hits out at Mordaunt

Suella Braverman has added to her criticism of Penny Mordaunt on trans rights issues and on whether she is an “authentic Brexiteer”, after being knocked out of the leadership contest.

The attorney-general insisted she has “personal friendships with all of the candidates” but told Radio 4’s PM: “They all have their pros and cons, I’m going to have to weigh everything up - ultimately I was the only authentic Brexiteer, the party has turned me down, I’m going to have to find someone who comes close to what my policy platform was.”

Told that Ms Mordaunt had long supported Brexit, Ms Braverman said: “No, I disagree because I was the only candidate who actually took a stance on Theresa May’s deal.”

Ms Braverman added: “My perception of Penny is she takes a different view to me when it comes to gender ideology and the position of trans. For example, I think she said a trans women is woman. I disagree with that.”

[14 July 2022 18:45 · Jane Dalton]

Councillor facing homelessness under rental rules

A councillor in south London is among those facing being made homeless under England’s laissez faire private renting rules, following a surge eviction notices, writes Jon Stone: