Liz Truss has played down her lead over rival Rishi Sunak in the Tory fight for PM
It came despite the Foreign Secretary's campaign receiving the backing of key Tory figures in recent days, including Ben Wallace and her former rival Tom Tugendhat.
However, both contenders are continuing to fight for the support of Tory members, flitting across the country to meet voters.Read more:Former Chancellor Rishi Sunak's latest plans in a policy blitz designed to revive his campaign include slashing the number of shuttered shops on Britain's high streets, allowing tougher punishment for graffiti and littering, and expanding police powers to tackle anti-social behaviour.
The latest pledges come on top of the introduction of a £10 fine for patients who miss GP and hospital appointments. Meanwhile, during a campaign stop in Bromley, Ms Truss was asked whether her advantage over Mr Sunak in member surveys meant the contest is hers to lose.She said she was "absolutely delighted" about Mr Tugendhat's support, but described it as "extremely premature" to say whether she would appoint him Foreign Secretary, a job Mr Tugendhat indicated he hoped to get while insisting he had been "promised nothing".
She unveiled a six-point strategy on Saturday "to get Britain's education system back on track", which includes expanding existing academies which are high performing and replacing failing ones with free schools. Ms Truss also pledged to drive up the quality of maths teaching and meet the "target for 90% of primary children to reach the expected standard in literacy and numeracy".
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