enny mordaunt has been attacked by rivals to the Tory leadership for her tax and spending plans and her track record on transgender issues as the remaining contenders pitted against each other in the first TV debate.
The Minister of International Trade was accused by the former Chancellor Rishi Sunak from promising billions in tax cuts that would only fuel inflation.
Liz Truss and Kemi Badenoch said she had pursued a policy of gender self-identification when she was responsible for equality issues — something she vehemently denied.
Appearing before a Channel 4 studio audience, Ms Mordaunt said the attacks showed she was the candidate to beat after taking an unexpectedly strong second place in the first two rounds of voting by MPs.
“I take it as a great compliment that no one wants to compete with me,” she said.
Ms Truss, the secretary of state who wants to review Ms Mordaunt to get a place in the party members’ final ballot, insisted that she was campaigning “completely positive.”
She nevertheless joined Mrs. Badenoch in questioning Mrs. Mordaunt’s record of her record of gender self-identification on the evening’s first flashpoint.
She said that although she had consulted on the Gender Recognition Act, she was never a supporter of self-identification.
“I can’t imagine why people don’t understand what I’m saying and have been spitting this issue out for weeks and weeks,” she said.
“I’m a woman, I’m a biological woman in every cell of my body,” she said, adding that a man who had legally transitioned “wasn’t the same as me.”
Ms Badenoch, who took over as Equal Opportunities Minister in 2020, said she found her account “difficult” to accept, as the policies pushed at the time were self-identification.
“So I don’t understand how that would have changed unless someone else did it in between,” she said.
“I didn’t work with Penny, but I understood that the previous minister who had filled the role wanted self-ID, and that was something I turned around with Liz.”
Ms Mordaunt replied: “That is not correct and this will all be documented in the government.”
Mrs. Badenoch replied, “It is certain.”
She was supported by Ms Truss, who is responsible for equality in addition to foreign policy, who also said there was a plan to make progress on self-identification,
“What I did is I changed the outcome of that work so that we could make the process easier and friendlier, but didn’t go further with self-ID, which I think is the right position,” she said.
Ms Mordaunt subsequently came under fire from Rishi Sunak after she said her economic platform was not based on “tax and expenditure” but on “growth and competition”.
The former chancellor said the campaign promises she made to cut VAT on fuel and raise income tax thresholds would cost £15 billion.
“Even the pledges you’ve made are double-digit billions of pounds,” he told her.
“The best way to help everyone, the best way to make sure they have money in their pockets, is to get a handle on inflation, and that should be everyone’s priority because that will erode everyone’s standard of living.”
Ms Mordaunt replied: “Two things, Rishi, that you didn’t realize – that is, I know you know people will need more help this fall, but actually people need help now and you will have to do something about taxation .
“Next April, we will be one of the most uncompetitive countries in terms of our tax competitiveness. That may not happen.”
Mr Sunak, who topped the first two polls, also attacked Ms Truss – who he also promised tax cuts – after she blamed rising inflation on the Bank of England.
“I don’t think it’s responsible at this point to start borrowing and putting on even more debt. That will only make inflation worse and prolong the problem,” he said.
“Borrowing your way out of inflation isn’t a plan, it’s a fairy tale.”
Mrs. Truss replied, “I think it is wrong to levy taxes.”
Earlier, Tom Tugendhat tried to make a virtue of being the only candidate in the race with no ministerial experience.
“We need a break from the Johnson years. That’s why I’m here. We need to make sure we can trust our politicians,” he said.
He received applause from the public when he – only among the candidates – answered the question of whether Boris Johnson was an “honest man” with the single word “No”.