Tory leadership race - live: Mordaunt criticised for supporting homeopathy on NHS
Foreign secretary vows to axe tax hike and national insurance rise
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Your support makes all the difference.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.
Watch: Candidates explain how they would deliver a green economy
Here is what the five Tory leadership candidates said in tonight’s debate about the climate and how to reach the UK’s net-zero goal:
Leadership race looms over police awards
The Police Bravery Awards is taking place tonight in central London, where officers from each force have been nominated for feats including fighting sword and axe-wielding men, chasing suspects after being stabbed, dragging people out of burning buildings and jumping into rivers to save lives.
Priti Patel received nominees at Downing Street earlier today but is not at the awards night, leaving the new policing minister, Tom Pursglove, leading the government delegation.
He told a hotel banquet suite packed with police officers that getting the call offering the policing minister job days ago after the government meltdown was a surprise but he “didn’t have to think for a second” before saying yes.
He was warmly received by officers after they were told both his parents served in the police, and he said taking the new ministerial post was the “honour of his life”.
Mr Pursglove says he hopes to keep his new job in September, although he is backing Liz Truss, who isn’t favoured to win the Tory leadership race.
Yvette Cooper, the shadow home secretary, later appeared on stage to present one of the awards.
She said that whoever wins, it will be a “step forward to have a prime minister who doesn’t break the law”, sparking some cheers, applause and laughter from the gathered police officers.
Earlier in the evening, there was more measured applause for a recorded speech played on large video screens from Boris Johnson, who praised their bravery and pledged the government’s support for police.
Tugendhat would scrap Channel 4 privatisation
Tom Tugendhat suggested he would scrap the policy of privatising Channel 4 if he won the Tory leadership contest.
He told LBC radio: “I don’t think it’s a good idea - there are many other priorities.”
Mr Tugendhat also said he would not scrap the BBC licence fee.
Spirits high as aides plot next move in contest
“It felt like more of a victory party than just another Westminster drinks,” said an attendee at the garden gathering.
Penny Mordaunt had reason to celebrate: she’s gone from being branded an outsider to a comfortable second place behind former chancellor Rishi Sunak, writes Anna Isaac.
A party for Penny as Tory leadership contest heats up
Anna Isaac on the mood inside the Tory leadership battle
Truss accused of ‘black ops’
Liz Truss has been accused of “black ops” in a desperate fight to stay in the leadership race, as an ally hit out at MPs who had pledged to vote for her but broke their promises.
Two leading supporters of the foreign secretary branded Penny Mordaunt unfit to be prime minister, as the contest turned nastier.
Amid the Tory infighting a senior Truss supporter said: “This is the most duplicitous lying electorate you have ever come across.”
Liz Truss accused of ‘black ops’ as fight to stay in Tory leadership race begins
Allies brand Penny Mordaunt unfit to be prime minister – and hit out at MPs who have broken pledges to vote for struggling foreign secretary
Badenoch disappointed by Braverman move
Kemi Badenoch said she was disappointed that Suella Braverman will back Liz Truss.
She told LBC: “I am disappointed. Suella and I are friends, I’m friends with Tom Tugendhat as well, Rishi and Liz were my senior ministers, so it’s all very close to home.
“We’re all friends, so every time someone supports one person there’s another person that’s been let down. But I’m in it to win it.
“I know people want to support the person that they think is most likely to give them a job, or who has been there the longest, that’s the easy thing to do. The tough thing to do is to take a risk and try something different.”
Braverman backs Truss
Suella Braverman, who has been eliminated from the leadership race, says she will back Liz Truss for the Tory leadership.
The endorsement of attorney-general Ms Braverman and her backers would bring the foreign secretary to within touching distance of Penny Mordaunt, second-placed in MPs’ voting.
Government ‘grids to a halt’
Day-to-day governing has “ground to halt” while Boris Johnson‘s new ministers focus their attention on the Tory leadership contest, opposition parties have warned.
The cost-of-living crisis, heavy strain on ambulance services and an extreme heatwave next week are taking second place, it’s claimed. Jon Stone reports:
Government ‘grids to a halt’ as Tory ministers focus on leadership contest
A cost-of-living crisis, huge pressures on ambulance services, and extreme weather are not the main priority in Westminster
Braverman hits out at Mordaunt
Suella Braverman has added to her criticism of Penny Mordaunt on trans rights issues and on whether she is an “authentic Brexiteer”, after being knocked out of the leadership contest.
The attorney-general insisted she has “personal friendships with all of the candidates” but told Radio 4’s PM: “They all have their pros and cons, I’m going to have to weigh everything up - ultimately I was the only authentic Brexiteer, the party has turned me down, I’m going to have to find someone who comes close to what my policy platform was.”
Told that Ms Mordaunt had long supported Brexit, Ms Braverman said: “No, I disagree because I was the only candidate who actually took a stance on Theresa May’s deal.”
Ms Braverman added: “My perception of Penny is she takes a different view to me when it comes to gender ideology and the position of trans. For example, I think she said a trans women is woman. I disagree with that.”
Councillor facing homelessness under rental rules
A councillor in south London is among those facing being made homeless under England’s laissez faire private renting rules, following a surge eviction notices, writes Jon Stone:
Councillor facing homelessness because of weak protections for renters
Government had promised to scrap section 21 evictions but is yet to act
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