Johnson promises to take part in debate on Tuesday but is unlikely to join leadership rivals in Sunday evening’s debate.Pressure is building on Johnson to take part in TV debates; Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt accused him of “hiding away”
Johnson made clear he’s unlikely to participate in the first televised debate on Channel 4 on Sunday, saying debates with many candidates can be “cacophonous,” and that the best time to hold a debate is after the second round of voting on Tuesday – when at least one more candidate will be eliminated.Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond warned Conservative candidates seeking to succeed Theresa May not to undermine the party’s “hard-won reputation for fiscal responsibility,” and said the U.
“All the contestants should be in the TV debates; I think that there should be scrutiny,” Hancock said. “It isn’t just to be the leader of the Conservative Party, it’s to be the next prime minister — and so that scrutiny is important.” Hancock’s decision comes after he received 20 votes in the first-round ballot of Tory MPs on Thursday. Candidates need 33 votes to make it through the second round next week.Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt, who came second in Thursday’s ballot, said Boris Johnson should take part in televised leadership debates to allow proper scrutiny. He referred to wartime leader Winston Churchill — about whom the front-runner has written a book — as he urged him to be more open.