THE battle to take over Number 10 has entered its closing stages.
So when is the final head-to-head for Tory leadership contenders Jeremy Hunt and Boris Johnson? Here’s the latest.
Tory leadership challengers Boris Johnson and Jeremy Hunt will go head-to-head tonight for what is expected to be the final time as the race for No 10 enters its closing moments.
The two politicians will take part in a debate, hosted by The Sun and talkRadio, in front of a live studio audience in London.
Their 90 minute-long showdown will be held at The Sun’s HQ, the News Building, overlooking London Bridge, and is being chaired by The Sun’s political editor Tom Newton Dunn.
It could be the last chance to change the course of the battle to succeed Theresa May, say commentators.
The debate will be broadcast live on The Sun Online and across our social media channels as well as TalkRADIO, which will be livestreaming via Twitter, YouTube and Facebook.
You can catch the debate from 7pm.
Boris Johnson remains the clear favourite to enter Downing Street on July 24 but supporters of Jeremy Hunt believe that he is gaining ground.
Aside from taking part in debates, both have attended a series of hustings, with Johnson saying that “only” he will deliver Brexit by October 31, “unite our country” and “defeat Jeremy Corbyn”.
Hunt wrote to fellow Tory members, warning those still confused about their next leader that if they “get this wrong, we risk no Brexit, no Conservative Government and maybe even no Conservative Party.”
It had been thought that most of the ballot papers from the party’s 180,000 grassroots members would have been returned by this stage of the contest.
But reports suggest the votes have been coming in more slowly than expected, which may mean that many members want to see more of the two candidates before making up their minds.
The pair’s last public encounter, in an ITV debate last week, was a spiky affair dominated by the fallout from the leak of the diplomatic dispatches of Britain’s ambassador to the US Sir Kim Darroch criticising Donald Trump’s White House as “dysfunctional” and “inept”.
The following day, Sir Kim resigned amid accusations that Johnson’s lack of support for him in the debate – in contrast to Hunt’s strong backing – had made his position impossible.
The former foreign secretary was angrily denounced by MPs and senior civil servants with claims he had effectively thrown Sir Kim “under the bus”.
The Times reported that should Johnson gain the keys to No 10, one of his first acts would be to reset relations with Donald Trump after he responded to the leaked cables with a furious tirade against Sir Kim and Theresa May.
Johnson was said to to be planning to make an early trip to the US to start laying the groundwork for a post-Brexit trade deal.
Jeremy Hunt told The Sun that only he can be trusted to deliver Brexit.
He attacked Boris Johnson’s evasiveness and lack of detail.
Hunt said: “More than anything, Sun readers deserve a Prime Minister who answers the difficult questions and that’s what I intend to do this evening.
“When it comes to delivering Brexit and stopping Jeremy Corbyn, we need a PM who can be trusted.
“Others promised more money for the NHS on the side of a bus, but I actually delivered it. I’ll do the same with Brexit.”
Boris Johnson told The Sun: “We’ve got to deliver Brexit on October 31 and then focus on delivering a modern Conservative agenda that unites the country – investing in our schools and public services while cutting taxes for working people.
“Only then will we be able to consign Jeremy Corbyn to the dustbin of history.
“He’d be a disaster for Britain.”
