Members of the party, which has a majority in the House of Commons, will vote by mail in August to choose a successor to Johnson, who was forced to announce his resignation in early July following a series of scandals in his government, and the result of the vote is expected to appear on the fifth of September.
Opinion polls showed the Foreign Secretary as the frontrunner, and she received strong support Thursday night from Defense Secretary Ben Wallace, who wrote in The Times that Truss’ experience “makes her in the best position to defend the UK in these trying times”.
Although opinion polls showed that Ben Wallace was among the best candidates in the race to succeed Johnson, he backed down three weeks ago, saying he wanted to focus on his current task of “ensuring the security of the country,” according to “AFP”.
In Leeds, northern England, Sunak and Terrace appeared individually at first, and then both underwent, one by one, a question-and-answer session, and therefore no direct confrontation took place between them, and the two worked to convince the audience by presenting their programs.
Both candidates focused on their closeness to the area’s residents, with Terrace stressing that she grew up in Leeds, where her parents still live, while Sunak said he was from a close circle.
Sunak stressed the need to “restore confidence”, in an effort to differentiate himself from Johnson, whose three years at the head of the government were marked by a series of scandals.
In response to a question about whether he had stabbed Johnson “in the back”, Sunak was keen to express his gratitude to the Prime Minister, stressing that it was the differences over economic policy that prompted him to leave the government, and said, “I had no choice.”
The former finance minister emphasized his family’s history, according to which he embodies “conservative values”, describing inflation as “the enemy that impoverishes everyone.”
Regarding his lifestyle, the former banker stressed that it is more than his expensive uniforms, and that what matters is what he “will do for the country”, stressing that he will fight “for every vote”.
He reiterated his refusal to cut taxes before inflation returns to a reasonable level, while Terrace promised to reduce tax pressure “from day one”.
Terrace, for its part, managed to garner attention by touching on topics such as the transport sector, British support for Ukraine, and support for local farmers.
On foreign policy, both foes have pledged to expand support for Ukraine and resist the rise of China, while taking advantage of “Brexit opportunities”.
Both candidates pledged to support Johnson’s agenda to stimulate growth in neglected areas of the UK, including areas around Leeds.
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