Rishi Sunak has billed himself as the “underdog” in the contest to replace Boris Johnson with just two weeks to go until voting closes in the Tory leadership race.
In a cringeworthy introductory video at a hustings event in Manchester featured images of the ex chancellor holding a bazooka with a voiceover saying: “Britain loves an underdog”.
Later, he insisted to the party faithful: “I will fight until the last day of this contest, and I plan to keep going until the end”.
Despite winning the MPs’ vote in the first round of the Tory leadership contest in July, Liz Truss has emerged as the clear frontrunner in polling of Conservative members.
After branding himself as the “underdog”, Mr Sunak was also asked at the hustings how as a Southampton FC fan how he would get back to winning ways.
“I’m going to be unpopular for saying it here, starting by beating United this weekend,” he said. However, Southampton are not due to play Manchester United until August 27.
Taking aim at Ms Truss’s economic proposals, the former chancellor also said she is pursuing an “enormously risky plan” while inflation is soaring, and accused her of gambling with people’s pensions and savings.
“I don’t think a sound Conservative government should pursue that approach,” he said.
Liz Truss used her speech to attack the Labour mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham, describing him as the “miserablist mayor”.
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As RMT union held more strikes on the rail network, she said: “He doesn’t want cars to come into the city. He doesn’t want people to be able to get on the train to get into work. He’d rather back the militant trade unions.
“He doesn’t want opportunities for people in this city and he has to be defeated.”
The showdown in Manchester came after Ms Truss was accused of showing her “true colours” after it emerged she had called for patients to be charged to see their GP.
An unearthed 40-page report revealed Ms Truss also wanted doctors’ pay to be cut by 10% and the universal child benefit abolished.
She co-wrote the report with six other people when she was deputy director of the Reform think tank.
The document titled ‘Back to Black’ had a section called “Introduce user charges for GPs”, that said: “User charges should be introduced and there should be greater reliance upon other health professionals… for treating less serious ailments”.
Tackled on the plans – after the GB News presenter of the hustings incorrectly stated the date of the document – Ms Truss sidestepped the question and took a jibe at the BBC.
She laughed and said: “I always thought you had high-quality standards at GB News – it’s not the BBC, you actually get your facts right”.
Ms Truss’s campaign earlier attempted to distance the Tory leadership candidate from the paper, with a campaign spokesperson saying: “Co-authoring a document does not mean that someone supports every proposal put forward.
“Liz is focused on her bold economic plan to boost growth, cut taxes and put money back into hardworking people’s pockets.”
Labour deputy leader Angela Rayner said: “Liz Truss’s track record shows her true colours. She is out of touch and out of step with the public.
“The reality of her agenda is devastating cuts that risk national security, punishing patients already facing record waiting times and cutting the pay of frontline workers”.