Penny Mordaunt was attacked by rivals to the Tory leadership for her tax and spending plans, along with her track record on transgender issues, as the remaining contenders faced off 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 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, who wants to revise Ms Mordaunt to get a place in the party members’ final ballot, insisted that she ran a “completely positive” campaign.
Nevertheless, she joined Ms. Badenoch in questioning the Secretary of International Trade’s report on her track record of gender self-identification at the evening’s first flashpoint.
Ms Mordaunt said that although she had consulted on the Gender Recognition Act, she was never in favor 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 switched legally “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 being pushed at the time were self-identification.
“So I don’t understand how that would have changed unless someone else did it in the meantime,” she said.
“I didn’t work with Penny, but I understood that the previous minister who had filled the part wanted self-ID, and that was something I turned around with Liz.”
Mrs Mordaunt replied, “That is not correct and this will all be laid down 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 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 to grips with inflation, and that should be everyone’s priority because it 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’ll 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 is responsible right now to start with an unfunded torrent of loans and more debt, that will only make inflation worse, it will make the problem longer,” he said.
“Borrowing your way out of inflation isn’t a plan, it’s a fairy tale.”
Mrs. Truss replied, “I think it’s wrong to raise taxes.”
Previously, 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 answered – only among the candidates – the question of whether Boris Johnson was an ‘honest man’ with the single word ‘No’.
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