The government won tonight’s opposition day debate on shale gas extraction, but only after confusion around whether it amounted to a vote of confidence or not. Amid scenes of carnage in the Commons, no Tory MPs defied the three-line whip to vote against Labour’s motion but some 40 did abstain. A full list of those
It’s day one of Tory conference and already the drumbeat of rebellion is filling the air. There was much to digest in last week’s mini-Budget but the measure that has attracted the most attention was the eye-catching plan to cut the top rate of tax from 45p to 40p. This morning Michael Gove attacked the
Thank you, conference. It’s great to be here in Liverpool. After all the changes we’ve made, all the hard work we’ve put in, finally we are seeing the results we want. Yes, conference, we can say it at last: Arsenal are top of the league. But before I begin, I want to address something important.
The Spectator is delighted to return to Conservative party conference in Birmingham this year, where we’ll be hosting a packed schedule of entertaining fringe events. Every event includes a free G&T. Make sure to come early to get a seat – or reserve one to jump the queue! Tickets are £5 and all ticket money
Liz Truss, Britain’s new Prime Minister, has appointed her new cabinet. You can find a full list of the comings and goings here. Here’s how all the developments unfolded on an historic day in SW1: 11.44pm – Truss completes her cabinet Isabel Hardman writes… That’s the reshuffle over for tonight, with a full cabinet list published here. The official
Liz Truss will kiss hands with the Queen today and become Britain’s 56th Prime Minister, with a number of Boris Johnson’s ministers not expected to serve in her new government. Already the Home Secretary Priti Patel has signalled she will return to the backbenches, with Nadine Dorries also standing down as Culture Secretary. Below is
Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss were quizzed by Sky News’s Kay Burley and undecided Tory members this evening, with Truss the runaway favourite according to the bookies. Refresh this page for the reaction. 9.30 p.m. – Is this a turning point? Katy Balls writes… Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss faced an audience of undecided Tory members this
Rishi Sunak was interviewed by Andrew Neil on Channel 4 tonight. He was quizzed on inflation, the NHS backlog and more. Liz Truss, the bookies’ favourite, declined to take part in an interview with Neil. 8.50 p.m. – Did Sunak’s gamble pay off? Kate Andrews writes… Rishi Sunak took a major risk tonight, agreeing to a one-on-one interview with
Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss’s second head-to-head debate was suspended after half an hour due to presenter Kate McCann fainting. TalkTV has confirmed she is OK. Refresh this page for further developments. 7.30 p.m. – Sunak and Truss go home Katy Balls writes… The debate is over. The guests are going home. Rishi Sunak outlasted Liz
Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss took part in their first head-to-head since they were confirmed as the final two candidates in the Tory leadership race, clashing on economic policy, China, clothes and their backgrounds. Refresh this page for further developments after the BBC live debate: 10.20 p.m. – Sunak narrowly beats Truss in post-debate poll,
Britain’s next Prime Minister will be either Rishi Sunak or Liz Truss. Refresh this page for the latest developments. 4.45 p.m. – Truss vs Sunak will be a philosophical war Kate Andrews writes… The Tory grassroots have got themselves a real economic debate this summer: Rishi Sunak’s ‘Thatcherite’ economic philosophy vs Liz Truss’s ‘Reaganite’ plans
Kemi Badenoch has been eliminated from the Tory leadership contest. Rishi Sunak came first with 118 Tory MPs backing him; Penny Mordaunt was second on 92; Liz Truss came third on 86. Badenoch was supported by 59 MPs. Refresh this page to read the latest: 5.15 p.m. Where will Kemi’s supporters go now? Now that Kemi Badenoch has been eliminated from the
Only two Tory MPs will make it to the membership for a final election – which is why the number of endorsements matters. On the first round, Rishi Sunak got the support of 88 MPs, followed by Penny Mordaunt on 67, Liz Truss on 50, Kemi Badenoch on 40, Tom Tugendhat on 37 and Suella
The results of the third round of MPs voting to be the next Tory leader are in. 8.55 p.m. Has the Penny dropped? James Forsyth writes… Penny Mordaunt had a mixed night this evening. Her lead over Liz Truss is still in double figures, but she actually polled one fewer vote than she had on
Good evening. The second Conservative leadership debate between Rishi Sunak, Liz Truss, Penny Mordaunt, Kemi Badenoch and Tom Tugendhat has just finished. Below is the full live analysis (please reload the page to get updates): 10.00 p.m. Coffee House Shots 9.00 p.m. Snap poll: the verdict Katy Balls writes… The snap poll verdict is in –
On Friday night the Tory leadership candidates faced-off in the first televised debate of the contest, hosted on Channel 4. The five contenders – Rishi Sunak, Penny Mordaunt, Liz Truss, Kemi Badenoch and Tom Tugendhat – set out their stalls on trust in politics, tax cuts and the NHS ahead of the next round of voting on Monday.
And then there were five. Suella Braverman has been knocked out of the Tory leadership contest after only receiving 27 votes in the second round ballot. She has now backed Truss. Rishi Sunak, Penny Mordaunt, Liz Truss, Kemi Badenoch and Tom Tugendhat remain in the contest. Sunak came top in the second round ballot with 101 votes,
Jeremy Hunt and Nadhim Zahawi are out of the leadership contest after failing to get 30 votes from Tory MPs on Wednesday. Six candidates are now left in the race: Rishi Sunak, Liz Truss, Penny Mordaunt, Tom Tugendhat, Kemi Badenoch and Suella Braverman. Another round of voting takes place tomorrow, with the candidate with the fewest votes knocked
Eight candidates have managed to reach the threshold of 20 nominations from Tory MPs. Rishi Sunak, Liz Truss, Penny Mordaunt, Tom Tugendhat, Kemi Badenoch, Jeremy Hunt, Suella Braverman and Nadhim Zahawi progress to the next stage of the leadership contest, while Sajid Javid and Rehman Chishti have dropped out of the race. The first ballot of Tory
Tory MPs are voting today on who should be their next leader. Candidates need more than 30 votes in order to proceed to the next round but while more than 200 Tories have declared their intentions, over 100 are still yet to say who they have backed. Below are the list of MPs who have