And at the end of the first of 12 Conservative Party contests between now and August 31, the Foreign Secretary can bask in the warm glow of a double boost to her leadership campaign. First, the evidence from these stalkings – which took place in Leeds – confirmed that party members overwhelmingly support her rather than Mr Sunak, with many of the campaigners accusing the former chancellor of “stabbing Boris Johnson in the back”. Politics Hub: Tories accuse Sunak of ‘backstabbing the Prime Minister’ as Truss takes on awkward question about monarchy And secondly, half an hour after the rallies ended, Ms Truss received a massive boost in her campaign to support Ben Wallace, seen as campaigners’ favorite for the top job just a few weeks ago. Moreover, to make his support for the secretary of state even sweeter, the defense secretary – whose support was coveted by both candidates – attacked Mr Sunak for resigning and causing Mr Johnson’s downfall. Wallace said he could not afford to leave because he was responsible for the security of the country. And he raised the question of what would have happened if the markets had crashed on the day the chancellor resigned. Like the best sporting contests, this Tory game was a game of two halves: first speeches and then questions from a raucous and sometimes highly critical audience made up largely of raw Yorkshire campaigners. Use Chrome browser for more accessible video player 2:45 “You stabbed Boris Johnson in the back” Mr. Sunak’s opening speech was flat and short on details and failed to win appreciation from the audience while he was speaking and was only greeted with polite and slightly muted applause when he finished. Ms Truss, on the other hand, was greeted with applause at several points during her speech, for example when she promised a Tube and Northern Powerhouse rail link for Leeds, help for Yorkshire rhubarb farmers and support for Ukraine. In his speech, Mr Sunak seemed to be asking for trouble when he spoke of trust and honesty. And sure enough, he was later confronted by a member of the audience – and host Nick Ferrari – about his allegations of infidelity with Mr Johnson. In fact, when Mr Ferrari pointed out that 14,000 people wanted Mr Johnson on the leadership ballot, the audience cheered and applauded. However, Mr. Sunak did better in the Q&A than in his speech. Use Chrome browser for more accessible video player 0:46 Doris: “Johnson was removed in a coup” Also Read: What Happens Now Only Rishi Sunak And Liz Truss Are In The Contest? Audiences loved his promise to bring back high schools and his tough talk on illegal immigration and asylum. And when Ms Truss was challenged about her earlier comments about the comprehensive school she attended in Leeds – “evidence”, Mr Ferrari said – she appeared embarrassed. But it was a rare setback. The vast majority of audience members Sky News spoke to were strongly in favor of Ms Truss as the next party leader. And then, to cap off a highly productive night for her, came Mr. Wallace’s approval.
