Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak, the remaining contenders in the race to become the next leader of the Conservative Party and prime minister of the UK, faced off against each other Wednesday in the final debate before the winner is announced next week.
The debate was held at Wembley Arena in north-west London and witnessed Sunak and Truss tussle over issues surrounding taxes, energy and the cost of living.
Truss, the foreign secretary and frontrunner of the leadership contest, ruled out offering energy rationing to support struggling families in the coming winter despite a worsening cost of living crisis that has seen inflation skyrocket and wages plummet.
Asked by moderator and radio show host Nick Ferrari whether she would rule out energy rationing, Truss responded by saying: “I do rule that out. Yes.”
On the issue of introducing new windfall tax impositions, Truss said “yes, no new taxes” when asked if she would implement new tax policies as incumbent Boris Johnson did in 2019.
Rishi Sunak, the former chancellor of the exchequer and self-described underdog of the race, took a more cautious approach when it came to addressing the crisis, warning that “we shouldn’t rule anything out.”
“The challenges we face with this crisis are significant. Many European countries are looking at how we can all optimize our energy usage. That is a sensible thing for us to be doing as a country,” Sunak said.
Sunak’s approach is reminiscent of the one taken by the French government after it warned that energy rationing may need to be implemented following Russia’s cutting off of gas supplies in reaction to international sanctions over its war against Ukraine.
Under the UK government’s “worst-case scenario,” businesses and households could face electricity blackouts in the coming winter over growing uncertainty surrounding power supplies.
On Sept. 5, the Conservative Party membership will select a new leader of the party as well as the new prime minister of the UK.
-AA