Who won the Tory leader debate? It feels like ‘moral failure’ Liz Truss already has
“Good evening, Madam Prime Minister!”, a Scottish Tory told Liz Truss.
She held up her hands in mock protest. “Please, please, don’t get ahead of yourself!”. An afterthought: “Don’t let me get ahead of myself.”
Her grin was the most revealing moment of last night’s hustings in Perth. Most people think she’s won, and just maybe, so does she.
That means the pressure’s off spelling out cash help with energy bills for disabled Brits or benefit claimants. None came.
The pressure’s off her leaked remarks about British workers needing “more graft”. “I don’t know what you’re quoting there,” she breezed, despite her own team commenting on them hours earlier.
And ever loyal, she’s let the pressure off her predecessor – who many Tories believe should never have been removed.
“I don’t agree that Boris Johnson misled Parliament,” she said, “Boris did a great job as Prime Minister.”
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When you’re winning, nothing seems to matter quite as much. Rishi Sunak complained her current plan to offer tax cuts, not “handouts”, risks millions “being tipped into destitution”.
It “would be a moral failure” and “I don’t think the British people would ever forgive us”, he stormed.
But this kind of friendly fire – imagine (well, remember) what it’d be like in Labour – felt like water off a duck’s back for jolly Liz Truss.
“You’re going to choose the next Chancellor, so you can tell them what you want!” said host Colin Mackay, exasperated with the lack of detail. “You’re saying vote for me and see what you get!”
“I can assure you that’s not the way my government would work,” she replied. And the audience let the pressure off, backing her with applause.
This Tory leadership campaign has been – and still is – the most bitterly fought in years, and the winner is not guaranteed.
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But it’s beginning to settle into a rhythm. I remember covering Theresa May’s 2017 election campaign, when she memorised her stump speech so firmly I could recite it in unison with her, under my breath.
Our new candidates for PM aren’t quite that “strong and stable”. But they are certainly trotting out the hits.
One of the biggest cheers of the night was for Liz Truss proclaiming herself unafraid to say “a woman is a woman”.
“I want to take on this lefty woke culture, that seems to want to cancel our history, our values and our women!” added Rishi Sunak.
(One wonders if his strong independent multi-millionaire wife, or indeed female members of his team, agree they are “ours”.)
They’re also beginning to know their audience. Truss seemed to fare better with the Scottish Tories than Sunak on independence.
While he dodged ruling out a second referendum (admitting we live in, er, a “democracy”), she vowed to “ignore” calls for a new vote. Again, applause.
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There’s a problem with knowing your audience, though.
Every now and then they’re reminded of the real audience that will exist straight after 160,000 Tories choose the next PM.
And no, I’m not just talking about the protesters shouting “scum” outside the venue.
In a rare moment, Rishi Sunak was questioned by the voice of the minority – in his own party, certainly – on the Rwanda plan.
She called it an “inhuman and inhumane” way of treating asylum seekers in who were “wretched”.
“With the greatest respect, I’m going to have to say I disagree with you,” he said. Immediately before answering, he was smiling.
Like Liz Truss, perhaps it’s water off a duck’s back for now. It’s one voice of criticism in a large room. The pressure’s off.
But in 20 days, one of them will be running the country. The pressure won’t be off then.
