Penny Mordaunt – I’m being smeared over self-ID claims

No Conservative party leadership race is ever without drama. With the first TV debate now under their belt, the five candidates are fending off scrutiny not just from the opposition and the media, but from each other. One of the biggest rifts from Friday’s debate was when Penny Mordaunt denied that she had ever been in favour of self-identification for transgender people while she was equalities minister. Her rivals, Kemi Badenoch and Liz Truss, suggested this was not true, and leaked documents reported in the Sunday Times today appear to back this up. Speaking to the BBC’s Sophie Raworth, Mordaunt sought to defend her record:

The UK could not have stopped Turkey joining the EU

Raworth also bought up a claim made by Mordaunt during the 2016 Brexit referendum. On the Marr programme, Mordaunt had argued that the UK did not have the power to veto Turkish accession to the European Union:

Suella Braverman – Penny Mordaunt is woke

Suella Braverman told Times Radio’s Carole Walker that she believes Penny Mordaunt is ‘woke’ over her previous stance on self-identification for trans people. The Attorney General, now backing Liz Truss, said ‘we should call it out for what it is’. Read more on Braverman and Mordaunt’s trans row here.

“My view of Penny is that she is woke.”

Former runner for Conservative Party leadership @SuellaBraverman tells @carolewalkercw she disagrees with Penny Mordaunt’s view on “trans ideology, gender ideology and the definition of a woman.” pic.twitter.com/UiD19gRMmR

— Times Radio (@TimesRadio) July 17, 2022

Iain Duncan Smith – Sunak has failed to control inflation

Interviewed by Sophy Ridge, the former Conservative leader Iain Duncan Smith, who is backing Foreign Secretary Liz Truss for the top job, took aim at Rishi’s Sunak’s policies to control inflation:

“The chancellor signed off on the extra money that was printed.”@MPIainDS suggests Rishi Sunak “fuelled” inflation by allowing the Bank of England to ramp up money printing during the pandemic.#Ridge: https://t.co/ZoMhCmTrtv pic.twitter.com/p14k5O7iC6

— Sophy Ridge on Sunday & The Take (@RidgeOnSunday) July 17, 2022

Dominic Raab – You can’t borrow your way out of inflation

The Deputy Prime Minister, who is a confirmed Sunak supporter, put the case in favour:

“You can’t borrow your way out of an inflation crisis.”

Deputy Prime Minister @DominicRaab defends Tory leadership contender Rishi Sunak’s economic record.#Ridge: https://t.co/ZoMhCmTrtv

📺 Sky 501, Virgin 602, Freeview 233 and YouTube pic.twitter.com/iwFdm1LXdQ

— Sophy Ridge on Sunday & The Take (@RidgeOnSunday) July 17, 2022

I wasn’t winking at Angela Rayner

Rabb also cleared up who he was winking at, during his last outing at the despatch box at Prime Minister’s Questions:

‘Who were you winking at?’ – @SophyRidgeSky@DominicRaab says the infamous wink was directed at Labour’s Ian Murray in #PMQs a few weeks ago, not Angela Rayner… #Ridge: https://t.co/ZoMhCmTrtv

📺 Sky 501, Virgin 602, Freeview 233 and YouTube pic.twitter.com/c41NvTG69k

— Sophy Ridge on Sunday & The Take (@RidgeOnSunday) July 17, 2022

Bridget Phillipson – Labour isn’t scared

And finally, Ridge asked the Shadow Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson for her take on which of the five candidates Labour has the most to fear from:

‘What Tory leadership candidate would you be most worried about fighting in a general election?’ – #Ridge

Labour’s @bphillipsonMP: “I’m not worried about any of them.”https://t.co/ZoMhCmTrtv

📺 Sky 501, Virgin 602, Freeview 233 and YouTube pic.twitter.com/iYyQ2YsGT2

— Sophy Ridge on Sunday & The Take (@RidgeOnSunday) July 17, 2022