He was applauded by the crowd of more than 1,000 Tories at Mr Johnson’s bid to be on the ballot alongside his former chancellor and rival Liz Truss. But Mr Sunak denied betraying the Prime Minister while under the grill at the event in Leeds. Instead, he said he resigned because of differences over economic policy. Taking questions separately on stage at the city’s Centenary Pavilion, both Mr Sunak and Ms Truss named Margaret Thatcher as their favorite prime minister. But taking inspiration from the surroundings – next door to Elland Road, the home of Leeds United Football Club – Ms Truss also named another divisive figure from the 1970s as a guide: she said she would govern “in the spirit of Don Revie”. The late former Leeds and England manager was famous for his hard-nosed win-at-all-costs approach to the game and once said “you can’t come second”. Liz Truss speaking at the Leeds hustings (Getty) In perhaps the most dramatic moment of the two hours, Mr Sunak was confronted by a Tory named Matthew, from West Yorkshire, who told him: “You’re a good salesman and you have a lot of strong qualities, but a lot of people still support Boris Johnson, who consistently made it through treacherous waters. “A lot of people unfortunately see that you stabbed him in the back. He is the man who made you a superior politician. And some people don’t want to see that at No 10.” Mr Sunak responded by saying it had become clear – while trying to make a joint speech with his then boss – that there was a “significant difference of opinion” between the pair on the country’s economic direction. “There’s no way the prime minister and chancellor can’t be joined at the hip on economic policy, particularly at a time when the economy is facing real challenges,” he said. “So I was left with no other choice.” He insisted he was “well-placed to bring the party back, because I’ve already gathered support from across the party.” Both contenders made excellent play with their local ties. Mr Sunak said becoming MP for Richmond, North Yorkshire, in 2015 was “the greatest honor of my life”, while Ms Truss spoke of her teenage years in Leeds saying she remembered buying her first record – Whitney Houston – in town. In an apparent nod to the controversy she sparked earlier in the contest when she appeared to disparage her old school Roundhay, she joked: ‘I hope there aren’t any of my teachers in the audience. And if there are, I’m really, really sorry.” But he later doubled down on the claim that students there had been let down. “I’m not claiming it was a sink school,” he said. “It was a medium container at the time. What I am saying is that on average, under the auspices of Leeds City Council, there were too many children who could leave school without the education they needed. The teaching was piecemeal… so there were children who fell into giftedness.” In an apparent attempt to create a contrast to her shapely and well-groomed rival, Ms Truss boasted of her “focus, determination and directness” and added: “That, my friends, I think we need now. Downing Street.” He received particular applause for promising to build the Northern Powerhouse Rail – a line linking Leeds, Bradford and Manchester – and acknowledging the fact that Leeds is the largest city in western Europe without a public transport system. In a surprise admission, he said the government was wrong to close schools during the Covid-19 pandemic. “I think it’s done a lot of damage to kids,” he noted. For his part, Mr Sunak called for reforms to school systems and a focus on “educational excellence” by bringing back secondary schools if elected. “It’s not about throwing more money at the problem, it’s about reforming the system to get better results. And I would do the same with education,” he said. And he dealt one of his harshest blows at Mrs Truss’ plans for £30 billion in direct tax cuts, which he sees as inflationary. While he says the plans are fully costed, he described them as “a spree – borrowing tens and tens of billions of pounds for unfunded promises”. He added: “I will fight hard for the argument that we should not mortgage our children’s and grandchildren’s futures to make our lives easier today.” Asked about illegal immigration, he suggested that trade with some countries should depend on them agreeing to take back asylum seekers rejected by the UK. “We should make foreign policy linked to people taking back failed asylum seekers,” he said. “If we’re going to trade with countries on a preferential basis, if we’re going to give aid to countries, they really shouldn’t be refusing to take back asylum seekers.” He said he would continue the current plan to send failed asylum seekers to Rwanda. Mr Sunak also defended wearing expensive clothes while on the campaign trail, saying: “It’s not about the shoes I’m wearing or the suit I’m wearing, it’s about what I can do for this country.” Reactions after the event appeared mixed. Amanda Carter, a councilor at Leeds City Council, said she felt Mr Sunak had defied this. “Nothing fazes Rishi,” he said. “He can work under pressure and, in a cost-of-living crisis, that’s exactly what we need.” But Elena Rose Bunbury – a member of the Leeds-based New Conservatives – said that while she was not sure who would get her vote, she was impressed by Ms Truss’ composure. “She was very kind, very responsive, she responded well to the audience,” he said.
