Tory Leadership contest: members apprehensive!

Sky News 

Tory leadership contest: Voting closes within hours - and some party members are feeling apprehensive.

It's just two days until the new prime minister is revealed - but Tory members say they aren't sure if either Rishi Sunak or Liz Truss are up for the job.

 by Faye Brown

Political reporter @fayebrownjourno

Friday 2 September 2022 07:10, UK

It's just a few hours until voting closes in the Conservative leadership contest - bringing an end to a long and bitter summer of campaigning.

 Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss have spent the past six weeks battling it out to persuade Tory members that they have what it takes to run the party - and the country - after Boris Johnson resigned.

Image:John Strafford wants the Conservative party to be more democratic

'I doubt I will pick either'

John Strafford, 79, went a step further and said the party needs "radical change or risk going down the tubes".

He said he wants to see the party become more democratic, saying he did not like Boris Johnson but members should have had a say in his fate.

And the Kemi Badenoch supporter said he would have liked to have seen four candidates make it to the final stage for members to choose from.

"I doubt if I will pick either of them," he said of the final two candidates.

Mr Strafford's wife Caroline said - despite being the underdog in the competition - she felt Mr Sunak performed better.

"I think Boris Johnson was a disastrous prime minister," she said.

"[Rishi Sunak] is better placed to deal with the cost-of-living crisis.