Labour won the Tory leadership debate

That was quite a debate. I’ve never seen senior Tory ministers and MPs lay into each other so publicly. 

Rishi Sunak accused Liz Truss and Penny Mordaunt of being socialists – not a compliment in the Tory lexicon – for being reckless with the public finances. Truss attacked Sunak for raising taxes to record levels. Kemi Badenoch called for unity while attacking more or less everyone for everything. Mordaunt seethed at what she saw as the cheap personal attacks she’s faced in recent days, especially over the trans debate. Tom Tugendhat attacked everyone else for being current or recent members of Boris Johnson’s government.

Given that every candidate said they wouldn’t have Johnson in their cabinet, maybe Tugendhat had a point. But, truthfully, he looked like what he is in terms of votes: the trailing candidate. He has performed eloquently at times in this contest. But tonight he looked deflated, and presumably he will be ejected in tomorrow’s heat.