Pair indicated they would not take part in programme after bruising exchanges in earlier debates
After Sky News cancelled the debate a spokesperson for Mordaunt said: “It’s a shame some colleagues cannot find a way to debate one another in a civil way.” That quote was later deleted, with the spokesperson instead saying Mordaunt “hopes there will be ample opportunity for such scrutiny later in the contest”.
“Understandably, perhaps, now it’s clear, Penny has for the last few months spent some of her time focused on preparing her leadership campaign, for which I have utmost respect – that’s how this system works,” Trevelyan told LBC. After Monday’s vote, two further votes among Tory MPs, on Tuesday and Wednesday, will whittle the contest down to a final two, with the new leader then being decided by a ballot of party members, the result of which is due to be announced on 5 September.
Mordaunt said “too many chancellors have had too many fiscal rules that they have then had to ditch because they weren’t able to meet them”, prompting Sunak to reply: “Literally Jeremy Corbyn didn’t think that was the right approach.”