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| Tory leadership candidates take part in press gallery hustings but Johnson stays away - live news | Tory leadership candidates take part in press gallery hustings but Johnson stays away - live news |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| And here’s another story from the hustings, filed by the Press Association. | |
| Tory leadership hopefuls Rory Stewart and Sajid Javid believe they have the required number of supporters to survive Tuesday’s second round of voting. | |
| Stewart managed to secure just 19 votes in the first ballot and Javid had 23 - both short of the 33 required to stay in the race after the second vote. | |
| But the pair told journalists at a special hustings in Westminster that they were confident of remaining in the contest to be the next prime minister. | |
| They are a long way short of frontrunner Boris Johnson, who picked up 114 votes last week and has since been boosted by the support of former leadership contender Matt Hancock. | |
| At the hustings, Stewart said he had the necessary 33 backers to make it through the second round of voting in the contest “if they do what they say”. | |
| The international development secretary suggested he was the one to beat Johnson - and accused the former foreign secretary of making different promises to different MPs. | |
| “Who is going to be nimble enough, who has the style, who has the approach, who has the way of dealing with the public... I don’t think the answer is going to be pre-scripted answers,” he said. | |
| Javid, the home secretary, said he was “extremely confident” of getting the required 33 votes. | |
| “I think there is a growing feeling in the party that when we get to the final two we should have a robust debate between two credible change candidates,” he said. | |
| “If we don’t get change, people will vote for change in the form of Jeremy Corbyn.” | |
| Dominic Raab also said he thought he would have enough votes to stay in the contest. | |
| Any candidate getting fewer than 33 votes in the ballot tomorrow will have to drop out. But even if they all hit this threshold, the candidate who comes last will be eliminated anyway. | |
| Here is my colleague Peter Walker’s story about what the Tory election candidates had to say at the press gallery hustings about Donald Trump. | Here is my colleague Peter Walker’s story about what the Tory election candidates had to say at the press gallery hustings about Donald Trump. |
| Hunt defends Trump quoting Katie Hopkins in attack on Sadiq Khan | Hunt defends Trump quoting Katie Hopkins in attack on Sadiq Khan |
| And here is how is story starts. | And here is how is story starts. |
| Jeremy Hunt has vigorously defended Donald Trump for quoting the far-right commentator Katie Hopkins in an attack on the London mayor, Sadiq Khan, as Downing Street declined to condemn the US president’s words. | Jeremy Hunt has vigorously defended Donald Trump for quoting the far-right commentator Katie Hopkins in an attack on the London mayor, Sadiq Khan, as Downing Street declined to condemn the US president’s words. |
| The foreign secretary said that while he would not have used the same words as Trump he would “150% agree” with the overall sentiment. | The foreign secretary said that while he would not have used the same words as Trump he would “150% agree” with the overall sentiment. |
| In contrast, the home secretary, Sajid Javid, said the US president should “stick to domestic politics”. | In contrast, the home secretary, Sajid Javid, said the US president should “stick to domestic politics”. |
| The Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) said the stance of Hunt and No 10 were “shocking” and showed the Conservative party had a serious problem of Islamophobia. | The Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) said the stance of Hunt and No 10 were “shocking” and showed the Conservative party had a serious problem of Islamophobia. |
| Q: Do you have any regrets about how Brexit has unfolded, and your role in it? | Q: Do you have any regrets about how Brexit has unfolded, and your role in it? |
| Gove says triggering article 50 without a clear plan was a mistake. | Gove says triggering article 50 without a clear plan was a mistake. |
| During the referendum campaign he said the UK should not trigger article 50 prematurely. | During the referendum campaign he said the UK should not trigger article 50 prematurely. |
| He says he urged Theresa May to adopt a different view of Brexit. She disagreed. | He says he urged Theresa May to adopt a different view of Brexit. She disagreed. |
| But all the leadership candidates who resigned over May’s deal ended up voting for it on 29 March (the third vote on the agreement). | But all the leadership candidates who resigned over May’s deal ended up voting for it on 29 March (the third vote on the agreement). |
| He says his department is the best prepared for no-deal. | He says his department is the best prepared for no-deal. |
| Gove ends by joking that he looks forward to seeing us all weekly (ie, at his prime ministerial press conferences). | Gove ends by joking that he looks forward to seeing us all weekly (ie, at his prime ministerial press conferences). |
| And that’s it. | And that’s it. |
| I will post reaction and a summary soon. | I will post reaction and a summary soon. |
| Q: How would you respond to claims you are not popular with the uncommitted voters the Tories need to win over? | Q: How would you respond to claims you are not popular with the uncommitted voters the Tories need to win over? |
| Gove says when he took charge of Vote Leave he was behind. But he led the campaign, took on the arguments and won. | Gove says when he took charge of Vote Leave he was behind. But he led the campaign, took on the arguments and won. |
| And he says Robert Hayward, the Tory pollster, has highlighted polling showing he and Jeremy Hunt could win over Lib Dem voters. | And he says Robert Hayward, the Tory pollster, has highlighted polling showing he and Jeremy Hunt could win over Lib Dem voters. |
| Q: Do you think dirty tricks were involved in the cocaine story? | Q: Do you think dirty tricks were involved in the cocaine story? |
| Gove says a brilliant journalist got a story. | Gove says a brilliant journalist got a story. |
| Q: Are you on speaking terms with David Cameron? | Q: Are you on speaking terms with David Cameron? |
| Gove says Cameron is in private life now. He says he will not comment on their relationship. But he is looking forward to reading Cameron’s book. He says the public needs to hear more from Cameron. | Gove says Cameron is in private life now. He says he will not comment on their relationship. But he is looking forward to reading Cameron’s book. He says the public needs to hear more from Cameron. |
| Q: Would you have monthly press conferences as PM? | Q: Would you have monthly press conferences as PM? |
| Why so few, says Gove. | Why so few, says Gove. |
| Q: Weekly? | Q: Weekly? |
| Why not? | Why not? |
| Q; What would you do about Jeremy Corbyn? | Q; What would you do about Jeremy Corbyn? |
| Gove says he would fight against Corbyn on behalf of the dispossessed. He says Corbyn is more happy speaking up on behalf of Iran than on behalf of the working class. | Gove says he would fight against Corbyn on behalf of the dispossessed. He says Corbyn is more happy speaking up on behalf of Iran than on behalf of the working class. |
| Q: Given how Brexit has turned out, do you think it would have been better if you had lost? | Q: Given how Brexit has turned out, do you think it would have been better if you had lost? |
| Gove says he never thinks it is good to lose a campaign he is involved in. | Gove says he never thinks it is good to lose a campaign he is involved in. |
| Q: What do you think of the fact you are not now seen as proper Brexiter by some? | Q: What do you think of the fact you are not now seen as proper Brexiter by some? |
| Gove says he discussed this with his mum recently. She said, given all he has done, of course he was a proper Brexiter. He thinks his mum knows best. | Gove says he discussed this with his mum recently. She said, given all he has done, of course he was a proper Brexiter. He thinks his mum knows best. |
| Q: How would you reduce the wealth gap between the north and the south? | Q: How would you reduce the wealth gap between the north and the south? |
| Gove says he would improve transport infrastructure in the north, midlands and south west. | Gove says he would improve transport infrastructure in the north, midlands and south west. |
| And he would also ensure that people can retrain in mid-career. | And he would also ensure that people can retrain in mid-career. |
| Q: Apart from cocaine, have you taken any other illegal drugs? | Q: Apart from cocaine, have you taken any other illegal drugs? |
| Gove says he has already answered questions on this. | Gove says he has already answered questions on this. |
| Q: Three years ago you thought Boris Johnson was not fit to be PM. What has he done in the last three years to change your mind? | Q: Three years ago you thought Boris Johnson was not fit to be PM. What has he done in the last three years to change your mind? |
| Gove says he thinks Johnson would be a good PM, but that he would be a better one. | Gove says he thinks Johnson would be a good PM, but that he would be a better one. |
| Q: What did you think of President Trump’s anti-Khan tweet? | Q: What did you think of President Trump’s anti-Khan tweet? |
| Gove says it is always a mistake to retweet something from Katie Hopkins. | Gove says it is always a mistake to retweet something from Katie Hopkins. |
| Gove says one of his first trips as PM would be a visit to Angela Merkel in Berlin. | Gove says one of his first trips as PM would be a visit to Angela Merkel in Berlin. |
| Q: [From Owen Bennett, who has written the Gove biography with the cocaine revelation] What do you say to the allegation that, in pursuing Brexit, you are putting the interests of the Aberdeen fishing industry above the interests of the City? | Q: [From Owen Bennett, who has written the Gove biography with the cocaine revelation] What do you say to the allegation that, in pursuing Brexit, you are putting the interests of the Aberdeen fishing industry above the interests of the City? |
| Gove congratulates Bennett on his book. He jokes about getting a share of the royalties. | Gove congratulates Bennett on his book. He jokes about getting a share of the royalties. |
| He says it is not just Aberdeen that is opposed to the CFP; it is the whole country. | He says it is not just Aberdeen that is opposed to the CFP; it is the whole country. |
| Q: Will you sign up to Philip Hammond’s pledge to keep debt falling if you become PM? | Q: Will you sign up to Philip Hammond’s pledge to keep debt falling if you become PM? |
| Yes, says Gove. | Yes, says Gove. |
| Q: What do you think of the suggestion that Johnson supporters might vote to keep you off the final ballot? | Q: What do you think of the suggestion that Johnson supporters might vote to keep you off the final ballot? |
| Gove says the idea that Tory MPs are duplicitous is wholly new one to him. | Gove says the idea that Tory MPs are duplicitous is wholly new one to him. |
| This gets probably the first laugh of the session. | This gets probably the first laugh of the session. |
| Q: Do you still think the Good Friday agreement was a mistake? | Q: Do you still think the Good Friday agreement was a mistake? |
| Gove says he was critical of the way the Blair government approached the peace process. But he is glad for what the peace process has achieved. | Gove says he was critical of the way the Blair government approached the peace process. But he is glad for what the peace process has achieved. |
| Q: What do you say to Brexiter who think Brexit must happen by 31 October because the referendum trumps parliament? | Q: What do you say to Brexiter who think Brexit must happen by 31 October because the referendum trumps parliament? |
| Gove says we live in a parliamentary democracy, and we must accept that. | Gove says we live in a parliamentary democracy, and we must accept that. |
| Q: Would you attempt to change the definition of a hard border in the joint report of December 2017? | Q: Would you attempt to change the definition of a hard border in the joint report of December 2017? |
| No, says Gove. He says he would look for other ways of avoiding the backstop. He thinks there is no candidate in the race who understands the politics of Ireland better than he does. | No, says Gove. He says he would look for other ways of avoiding the backstop. He thinks there is no candidate in the race who understands the politics of Ireland better than he does. |
| Q: Why have you changed your approach to Boris Johnson? | Q: Why have you changed your approach to Boris Johnson? |
| Gove says he has won increased support over this weekend. | Gove says he has won increased support over this weekend. |
| The Tories need someone who can be PM from day one. He thinks he is pre-eminently qualified, he says. | The Tories need someone who can be PM from day one. He thinks he is pre-eminently qualified, he says. |