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 14:36 · Joe Middleton]

Mordaunt tells members ‘you can only win with me’ at next GE

Penny Mordaunt has told Tory grassroots members that the polling shows she is the only leadership candidate who will be able to defeat Labour at a General Election.

She told the online hustings: “In every poll in our party and in the country I top it. I win against Keir Starmer in London.

“I poll the highest in both Red Wall and Blue Wall seats. I lead with women, with young people and I also have the best reach in Scotland.”

[15 July 2022 14:14 · Joe Middleton]

Mordaunt jokes her weakness is ‘Burmese cats'

Asked what her weakness is at the online hustings hosted by Conservative Home Penny Mordaunt joked it was Burmese cats.

She admitted bringing her four moggies to No 10 might cause some problems with Larry, who has served as chief mouser at Downing Street since 2011.

[15 July 2022 13:50 · Jane Dalton]

Candidates call for more defence spending

On Ukraine, Ms Mordaunt warned of the need to warn people that the war would exacerbate problems they face, and cited her experience in defence.

Ms Badenoch said: “I more than anyone understand how important it is we stand up to Putin.” She had shown she wouldn’t let the government be pushed around, she added.

Former soldier Mr Tugendhat called for more defence spending, saying the UK needed to increase supplies and support to Ukraine, including supporting Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania and rebuilding trust with our allies.

Mr Sunak said as chancellor, during Covid, he made an exception for the Ministry of Defence to give the biggest increase in spending since the end of the Cold War.

Ms Truss cited the government’s background on action against Russia, saying she had ensured there was no compromise on Ukraine’s borders. But the UK should send more weapons and put more sanctions on President Putin. “I don’t think we do spend enough on defence,” she said, calling for spending to rise to 3 per cent of GDP.

[15 July 2022 13:36 · Jane Dalton]

Ways to tackle cost-of-living crisis

Simplifying tax would not cost the Treasury but would help remove a burden, Penny Mordaunt says, as the candidates are asked about the cost-of-living crisis.

Ms Truss said she would reverse the National Insurance rise, earmarked for social care, and would not hike corporation tax.

Mr Sunak, blaming inflation, said bringing it down before tax cuts was the important thing, as well as rewarding hard work by cutting income tax.

In the long term, the UK needed to look at more renewable energy sources and home insulation.

The best way was to get people off welfare and into work, he said.

[15 July 2022 13:26 · Jane Dalton]

Say sorry for Westminster blunders that let you down - Badenoch

Asked about how to restore trust in the party, Ms Badenoch said honouring promises was key.

Having multiple U-turns as a government was incredibly damaging, she said, and it was time to stop calling themselves Leavers and Remainers.

It meant saying sorry to Tories “for all the things we have done in Westminster that have let so many of you down”, she added.

Ms Mordaunt said she wanted a positive contest without mudslinging.

Mr Tugendhat talked of empowering people and giving them back control.

Ms Truss said she would build a team that showed vital momentum.

(Conservative Home)

[15 July 2022 13:18 · Jane Dalton]

Sunak: I’m best placed to beat Starmer

Rishi Sunak tells the hustings the party needed to win a historic fifth term, warning the threat from the SNP was real.

“I believe I’m the best-placed person to beat Keir Starmer,” he said.

But he also talked of deliveing tax cuts once “we’ve got our house in order” - but later he wanted the UK to lead the world in technology and innovation, with better infrastructure, safer streets and more affordable housing.

“I want all of us to feel like we have turned a corner,” he said - past Covid and inflation - towards hope.

Talking of people having hope and retraining, he added that he wanted to draw on all wings of the party because the challenges were enormous.

[15 July 2022 13:14 · Jane Dalton]

Mordaunt: Focus on growth and levelling up

Penny Mordaunt says candidates must take note of what people want.

Delivering meant modernising Whitehall, building a modern economy and focusing on growth and innovation and incentives, she said.

“We also need to focus on things that will help us level up,” she said but that shouldn’t be limited by Treasury coffers.

Decisions on tax are best taken at a fiscal event this autumn, she added.

“We need a return to Conservative policies - to confidence, with capable citizens.”

[15 July 2022 13:11 · Jane Dalton]

Badenoch: I can deliver, unlike others

Kemi Badenoch told the hustings that unlike others, “I don’t promise without being able to deliver”.

Outlining her experience, she said she only decided to enter the race seven days ago but she had a message that was cutting through.

[15 July 2022 13:09 · Jane Dalton]

Tugendhat: We must restore trust

Tom Tugendhat told the hustings that the UK needed a leader to take Labour to task and take on the SNP.

“We can only do it if we restore trust in our government,” he said.

At the moment, with the cost-of-living crisis and crises abroad were coming home to roost, he said, because trust is collapsing.

Citing Margaret Thatcher and Winston Churchill, he said the Tories were ready to serve, and he was ready to deliver election wins by levelling up, delivering change and restoring pride in the country.

[15 July 2022 13:06 · Jane Dalton]

Truss calls for new economic plan with investment zones

Liz Truss has talked of the UK having a major new economic plan, cutting taxes, encouraging investment and controlling public spending.

She said she would set up investment zones around the country, and let farmers produce food without regulation.

Speaking at a hustings event for all five leadership candidates, she said she had stood up to Vladimir Putin.

“I’m the PM... who can deliver on the ground from day one and make that difference,” she said. It’s not inevitable Keir Starmer would win the next election, she added.