It’s down to the final two in the race to be the next Conservative leader and therefore Prime Minister – or could it be three?
There are moves behind the scenes to put deposed PM Boris Johnson on the ballot paper that will go to the 160,000 Tory members early next month!
But, according to our traders at least, that’s a long-shot, with Johnson 500/1 at Betfred to keep the keys for Number 10.
The two men reportedly leading the petition to include Johnson alongside ex-Chancellor Rishi Sunak and Foreign Secretary Liz Truss on the ballot are Lord Cruddas – a self-made billionaire and major donor to the party – and former MEP David Campbell Bannerman.
The two definite leadership candidates, who have made it through four rounds of MPs voting, are amazingly close in the betting, with Truss leading the way at 4/6 to land the top job – while Sunak isn’t too far behind at 6/5.
Betfred report some huge bets on the duo, with five figures being wagered in Greater London and in the two candidates’ constituencies.
Penny Mordaunt was the latest and final candidate to be eliminated on Wednesday, with Truss overtaking her with 113 votes behind Sunak whose final tally was 137.
So, it’s clearly all to play for ahead of the first televised debate between the pair in Stoke on Monday.
The economy is certain to dominate affairs, with Truss accusing Sunak of over-the-top taxing of the nation and pledging to battle back against inflation with tax cuts.
Meanwhile Johnson, who has reportedly won the support of over 4,000 Tory members signing a petition for him to be in the running, used his farewell speech in the House of Commons to quote the Terminator’s classic line: “Hasta la vista, baby!”
He also had a swipe at Sunak, saying major projects would not have been built “if we’d always listened to the Treasury.”
