The two remaining Conservative leadeship contenders open their wider campaign today. Party members are expected to have received postal ballots by August 5 (and reportedly will also be able to vote electronically). The ballot closes on September 2.
During this period of over six weeks, there will be plenty of time to revist the Parliamentary ballots; write about the campaigns of the candidates who were unsuccessful, especially Penny Mordaunt, Kemi Badenoch and Tom Tugendhat; analyse the credentials of Sunak and Truss; interview the candidates, cover the hustings – and more.
But it might be most useful this morning simply to list the main policy pledges that Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss have made to date. Public First has an excellent tracker which does so and I draw on it extensively below.
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Brexit & Europe
Rishi Sunak
- Committed to reforming all EU law and bureaucracy still on the statute book by the time of the next General Election (Daily Telegraph 16/07)
Liz Truss
- Would seek reform of the European Convention of Human Rights, but prepared to leave (The Sun 13/07)
Civil Service & Shape of Government
Rishi Sunak
- Re-establish a separate Department of Energy and create a new Energy Security Committee (Daily Telegraph 19/07)
Liz Truss
- “Long term plan to bring down the size of the state” to grow private sector faster than public sector (Daily Telegraph 11/07)
- Would review mandate agreed between Government and Bank of England on inflation (Daily Telegraph 17/07)
Climate Change & Energy
Rishi Sunak
- Would commit to Net Zero 2050 target (1992 Hustings 13/07)
- Committed to Conservative Environment Network pledge card (Twitter 15/07)
- Keep the ban on building any new onshore windfarms – but start a massive expansion in offshore wind (Daily Telegraph 19/07
- Introduce a legal target to make Britain energy self-sufficient by 2045 (Daily Telegraph 19/07)
- Re-establish a separate Department of Energy and create a new Energy Security Committee tasked with reforming the market to cut future bills (Daily Telegraph 19/07)
Liz Truss
- Temporary moratorium on the green energy levy (Spectator 13/07)
- Would commit to Net Zero 2050 target (1992 hustings 13/07)
- Committed to Conservative Environment Network pledge card (Twitter 15/07)
- Would review ban on fracking (Daily Telegraph 17/07)
- Develop a stronger British biodiversity target and move away from EU’s habitat directive (Guardian 18/07)
Cost of Living
Liz Truss
Crime and Policing
Rishi Sunak
- Would create a new criminal offence for facilitating abuse by grooming gangs, and for taking pictures down women’s tops (“downblousing”). Would also introduce extended sentences for criminals who refuse to attend court to receive their sentences. (Daily Telegraph 19/07)
Culture & Sport
Rishi Sunak
- Would scrap BBC licence fee in future (Politico London Playbook 13/07)
- Would implement all ten recommendations of the Crouch review of football in time for the World Cup (The Sun 20/07)
Devolution
Rishi Sunak
- Committed to Northern Research Group pledge card (Twitter 14/07)
Liz Truss
- Committed to Northern Research Group pledge card (Twitter 14/07)
Education & Childcare
Liz Truss
Foreign Affairs & Trade
Liz Truss
Health and Social Care
Rishi Sunak
- Speed up clinical trials approval process, creating a streamlined signle approval service for UK clinical trials (Daily Telegraph 16/07)
Immigration
Rishi Sunak
Liz Truss
- “Completely agrees” with Rwanda policy and further reforms are needed (Campaign Launch Speech 14/07)
Housing & Infrastructure
Rishi Sunak
- Would scrap EU Solvency II rules to help investors put money into infrastructure assets (Daily Telegraph 16/07)
- Improve country’s housing stock, particularly energy efficiency (Guardian 18/07)
Liz Truss
- New low planning zones in key areas of the UK with clearer planning rules (Spectator 13/07).
- Would scrap local authority housing targets and replace with tax and regulatory incentives for firms to build new homes
- (Daily Telegraph 17/07)
Identity politics & Culture Wars
Rishi Sunak
- Pledged a “manifesto for women’s rights”: including opposing biological men being allowed to compete against women in sport and guidance for schools on teaching issues of sex and gender (Daily Mail 9/7)
Tax, the economy and growth
Rishi Sunak
- Tax cuts must wait until public finances have improved, the Corporation Tax rise should be implemented from April, income tax cuts should have priority. (Campaign Video 8/07).
Liz Truss
- Would reverse the planned rise in Corporation Tax (ConHome Hustings 15/07)
- Reverse national insurance increase and “cut taxes from day one” (Daily Telegraph 11/07); “on day one”, a new Budget and new Spending Review (Campaign Launch Speech, 14/07).
- Review taxation of families to ensure people aren’t penalised for taking time out to care for children/elderly relatives (Campaign Launch Speech 14/07).
Levelling Up
Rishi Sunak
- Pledged his support for Ben Houchen’s five-point plan for levelling up (Chronicle Live 16/07)
- Committed to Northern Research Group pledge card (Twitter 14/07)
Liz Truss
- Low tax zones with lower businesses rates and fewer planning restrictions to encourage investment in left behind areas (The Times 14/07)
- Amend the Levelling Up Bill to replace centralised targets with tax cuts and reduced red tape in “opportunity zones” which make it easier and quicker for developers to build on brownfield land in those areas. (Daily Telegraph 17/07)
- Committed to Northern Research Group pledge card (Twitter 14/07)
Technology & Digital
Rishi Sunak
Liz Truss
- Overhaul EU Solvency II rules to allow pensions fund to invest in high tech start ups (Daily Telegraph 17/07)
Welfare & Pensions
Liz Truss