Penny Mordaunt, who has the second-largest number of donors in the leadership race, said she wouldn’t take any tax liabilities during the race because it wasn’t the right place to do it.
She has faced criticism for her transposition, which she has said: is doomed to fail.
The former defense secretary said allies of Mrs Truss have denied involvement in a “black ops” campaign against her as the race to replace Boris Johnson is underway. gets more and more bitter.
Dame Maria Miller, a financier of Mrs. Mordaunt, said questions about trans rights and identity should not be part of the “political struggle”.
David Davis says that if you want a true Conservative Prime Minister, Mrs Mordaunt passes with flying colors.
funding threat
Meanwhile, Tory donor Lord Cruddas has: threatened to cut party funding if the match becomes a parliamentary coronation.
The billionaire City financier, who has given more than £3.5 million to the Conservatives and £1.5 million to the Vote Leave campaign, told the Telegraph he’s considering closing his wallet for the party for the first time since he started donating in 2010.
Here’s a reminder of the rules of the match.
Lord Cruddas, who was forced to defend last year that he donated £500,000 to the party just three days after being admitted to the House of Lords, said he wanted Boris Johnson to stay on as prime minister.
Other major donors are also starting to reveal what they want to win.
Alternative guide
The first Tory leadership debate will take place tonight on Channel 4 at 7.30pm, with further debates will be hosted in the next few days.
But to say we have a “famous five” might be a tall order, given the name and facial recognition of at least three of them.
They are Sunak, Truss, Mordaunt, Tugendhat and Badenoch. Or, since this appears to be a full-name contest, it’s Rishi, Liz, Penny, Tom, and Kemi.
Three women, two people of color, a typical chic dude named Tom – it’s certainly a diverse crowd, but to the half-hearted onlooker, they’re still all Tory MPs who seem vaguely indistinguishable.
So who has the best hair or the worst habit?
As the candidates prepare for the viewing audience, Guy Kelly offers a alternative guide to the Tory leadership race. Follow tonight’s television debate in our live blog.
Commentary and analysis
Around the world: British aid worker in captivity dies
A British aid worker detained in Ukraine by Russian-backed separatists and accused of being a mercenary died in their custody. Paul Urey, 45, was accused of “mercenary activities” by Moscow-backed rebels in the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR). In the meantime, satellite and ground images reveal a sharp increase in burials in Russian-occupied areas of Ukraine, according to a report released today. At least 1,700 new graves were dug at the Starokrymske cemetery in Mariupol between May 12 and June 29, the non-governmental Center for Information Resilience has claimed. Yet the Hungarian Prime Minister has warned the EU has “shot himself in the lungs” and threatens to destroy its own economy by maintaining sanctions against Russia for its invasion.
Friday interview
‘We have to be competitive and replace big players’