Sky News has cancelled the event on Tuesday, saying Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss declined to take part.
Along with fellow contenders Tom Tugendhat and Kemi Badenoch, the trio had been invited to take part in a live debate on Sky News on Tuesday.
A source in Ms Mordaunt's campaign said she hoped there would be "ample opportunity" for media scrutiny later in the contest, adding: "MPs aren't just picking a new leader, but picking the nation's new PM."Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss in particular have been willing to knock lumps out of each other. But this has not been a friendly exchange of ideas so far. It's felt more like a battle for the future of the Tory Party.
Speaking on LBC radio, she accused Ms Mordaunt of focusing on her leadership bid for the last few months, leaving other ministers to "pick up the pieces" of her departmental work.
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