Adar Poonawalla cheers for Rishi Sunak

Sunak claimed he was the only candidate capable of winning the general election, which is scheduled for the next 18 months, as part of his initial effort to win over grassroots supporters. However, polls indicate that party members favour the more right-wing Liz Truss, so he faces an uphill battle.

“We’ve got a really positive message to take out to all our members now — crucially, who is the best person to beat Keir Starmer and the Labour Party at the next election?” he wrote in the Daily Telegraph. “I believe I’m the only candidate who can do that.”

As the two began their six-week campaign, Truss, one of the front-runners to become the next UK prime minister, criticised Rishi Sunak for his tax practices as finance minister.

The foreign minister wrote in the Daily Mail that “we have been going in the wrong direction on tax, with the tax burden at its highest in 70 years”.

She pledged to stop the green tax on energy bills and reverse recent increases. As the UK fights to repair its public finances following the coronavirus pandemic and amid spiralling inflation, Sunak oversaw the tax increases and has accused those proposing reduction of “fantasy economics”.

After the final round of voting among Conservative MPs on July 20, the two made it to the final run-off to try to win over almost 200,000 party members. The final outcome is expected by September 5.

The fight has already turned personal during televised debates, but Sunak seemingly called for a truce on Thursday, writing that “I like and respect” Truss.

The pair will lobby members face-to-face for the first time on Thursday, before a dozen hustings across the country over the next few weeks.

(With agency inputs)

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