So the Final 2 - Liz and Rishi

The whole lot of them disgust me. There needs to be an entire clear out of anyone connected to the Johnson government. We need a breath of fresh air and that probably means a Labour government. I fear for what LizTruss might do to our economy as she dishes out tax cuts funded by even more inflationary borrowing in an attempt to gain power. Sunak would probably do less harm but he is also a Thatcherite which doesn’t give me much comfort. As for Johnson coming back well words fail me. Might as well suggest that sycophant and self seeking Nadine Dorries with her side kick Reese-Mogg.should stand. Why the hell is Johnson still inDowning Street and able to push for his Trumpian return.

I’m not sure you can call someone feisty when she can’t even tell a boor to stop interrupting her.

However, on the matter of her politics, the economist she claims as an adviser, Patrick Minford, has said that her tax proposals mean that interest rates will rise rapidly to 7%. Can you explain how, in the middle of the current cost of living crisis, that will help hard working families from anywhere in the country, or indeed, anyone with stretched finances and a mortgage or other debt?

Would, not should.

Dickens .”it was nadine dories who criticised Sunak abut his expensive suit.but I agree how irrelevant and petty it was. To be honest most of us looking at sunak should just see a bloke in a good suit and shoes, and what would you expect ? Should he pop to m and s ?

And one final thing... since when did Tories have a problem with a person's wealth?

If someone from Labour mentioned expensive suits it would be labelled 'politics of envy' - you too can be rich if you work hard enough!

Hi I watched last nights programme and it reminded me of the junior debating society at school, one person constantly trying to bluster over the other whilst the other had opportunities to be stronger but failed to take these either out of politeness or possibly by failing to notice the opportunities.

I absolutely do not care who "wins" this, it's a disgrace that the system doesn't have a suitably experienced deputy already in place to step in when required as has been mentioned earlier. I think sorting that should be on the list of top priorities.

However, why do people frequently refer to " hard working people from the North" ? North of where - London is North of places located further south. And I know for a fact that there are a lot of hard working people located everywhere.

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But I do not want to hear about their backgrounds or them grinding on about what great guys they are, how they are "down with the kids and the working class", I want to know what they plan to do, and why, backed up with facts.

This media gloss that pushes people into emphasising their personal characteristics and history rather than giving the facts is deeply irritating.

I am not fooled into thinking that either of them understands the plight of "heat or eat" families.

the hard working 'down to earth' families of the North

Such a meaningless cliché - typical politician!

LinFreed

Ps I'm waiting for the rotten eggs about to be thrown at me in response to my recent response from the more Left leaning gransnetters. Don't worry, I'm used to this as a seasoned politicians...bring it on!

How do you view her repeated criticism of her (excellent) Leeds school ? Also the fact that she was educated entirely under conservative governments ! Given where she came from would hardly say she understands down to earth hardworking families from the North.

Please note no rotten eggs , just a question.

We switched off before the end but it seems they never got on to public services - a great pity. What do the candidates propose to do about funding social care, education, the police service to decent levels? And, no, threatening workers’ rights isn’t a solution. Good thing LT wasn’t asked about welfare.

Her move along to becoming a Tory is no problem but her ineptitude is. I’m from a ‘hard working, down to earth family in the north’. I don’t feel she understands or relates to us in any way. She doesn’t seem confident enough to run our local WI, never mind food bank.

Ps I'm waiting for the rotten eggs about to be thrown at me in response to my recent response from the more Left leaning gransnetters. Don't worry, I'm used to this as a seasoned politicians...bring it on!

I agree. I am increasingly impressed with Liz Truss.

She was very controlled last night, whereas Rishi was very nervous and too assertive in his responses...nearly aggressive, which is not appealing in a future leader. I didn't like the way he kept interrupting Liz, which made him look weak and lacking inner confidence.

Her background in coming from.a Left Wing family, shows she has a mind of her own and is capable of insight and change. She understands the hard working 'down to earth' families of the North, who she needs to relate to.

I am still a Tory member and recent local authority councillor in a London council that has gone Labour. I come from a similar background to Liz and see in her a feisty strength that was Thatcher's character. Whatever one thought of Thatcher, she was a conviction politician with a steely nerve ..imo.

There’s a good Larry cartoon. There he is at the Downing Street podium, he’s off if either Truss or Sunak move in, he’s had enough

It's amusing to watch two right wing Tories knock lumps out of each other, but sobering to know that one of these two is to be our PM.

I do hate the way many politicians and Sunak in particular address viewers as though we were schoolchildren, and as for taking his lead on the environment from his own young children, I despair! He was like an aggressive lapdog yapping away and wouldn't shut up.

As for Truss - I really can't summon the energy to say anything.

Joseanne

Funny you should say that, I said on here that Rishi used exactly that same feeble answer about his daughters' interest in the environment in the very first round. They're still at prep school. Surely someone should have advised him not to be quite so simplistic when discussing an important issue. Perhaps he'll bring in his labrador's interests next.

Perhaps he'll bring in his labrador's interests next.

LOL

... and Larry the Downing Street cat - who'll represent him I wonder?

Both Sunak and Truss appear to be unsuccessfully polishing their credentials.

It's not impressive.

It’s difficult not to feel we are all doooooomed.

Neither of them I still confidence they could run the country, operate with respect internationally. I still feel Truss looks I’ll/anxious/overwhelmed. I’m surprised Sunak hasn’t been smacked round the head by the women in his life for all that interrupting, shouting behaviour.

Johnson must be loving this. The petition from activists to have him on the ballot paper reached 10,000. I may morph into my mother and give up politics. Well, her giving up included writing none of the above, I am a Liberal on her ballot paper. We’d moved house (again) so dad drive them back to vote in our previous area. He grumbled affectionately about this wasted vote for the rest of his life

Daisymae

Staggering that Sunaks response to the climate emergency questions was to take the lead from his daughters and recycle. Truss is going to stop the green levy. We're stuffed.

I was replying to Daisymae.

Funny you should say that, I said on here that Rishi used exactly that same feeble answer about his daughters' interest in the environment in the very first round. They're still at prep school. Surely someone should have advised him not to be quite so simplistic when discussing an important issue. Perhaps he'll bring in his labrador's interests next.

I've just read that Truss has admonished Sunak for wearing an expensive suit and loafers and am almost spluttering with anger and despair. Not because I'm a fan of Sunak but because this is the party of the free-market, libertarian ideology - backed by wealthy donors (who probably also wear Gucci) and even wealthier Corporates - those making money hand-over-fistt and stashing it away in tax havens. The 'greed-is-good' party... such hypocrisy!

Is she trying to validate her credentials with the working-class? I hope people aren't fooled by this tactic. She and her party want a small-state... those tax cuts will come at the expense of spending cuts to the services that the average citizen relies on. Benefits will be slashed for the disabled, sick and elderly by the party that this woman wants to lead for goodness' sake!

Frankly, I prefer someone like Sunak who makes no bones about his wealth and doesn't pretend to be a man-of-the-people, than some sanctimonious, posturing fraud like Truss.

Was she as outraged about the Johnson's extraordinarily expensive wallpaper? She's pretending to be shocked by a rich man leading a rich man's party - pure and utter humbug!

Maw I thought Rishi looked like an over excited schoolboy too, certainly during the first half. I'm not sure anyone needs that over the next two years. Trying too hard to be different from Boris, he actually ends up pretty like him.

No, I was not up on my roof on Sunday loosening the screws on my TV aerial so that it would fall down and hang uselessly from its cable - but after a quick peek into last nights TV “debate” I might have been forgiven if I had.
God help us.
Truss couldn’t run a bath and her only virtue to me is that she would hand the country over on a plate to the Opposition come the next election.
Throughout the pandemic I would have thought Rishi a “safe pair of hands” and a relief from babbling Boris, but he does not come over at all well. Grinning maniacally , too bright and chirpy, too patronising. Either he is badly advised and has been told to “lighten up” or else he is over excited.
It will end in tears.

vegansrock

Why do we need this on TV anyway? It’s not as if we get a vote. Just another political broadcast for the ToryKip party.

And that's where Chris Mason was wrong in his introduction, saying he wanted to see which of them was capable of wooing the audience and the electorate. It makes no difference.

Why do we need this on TV anyway? It’s not as if we get a vote. Just another political broadcast for the ToryKip party.