Tory leadership debate - live: Boris Johnson challenged on ‘letterbox’ comments, as candidates quizzed on Brexit, tax cuts and climate change

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Who could replace Theresa May as Tory leader?

The remaining Tory leadership candidates have clashed over Brexit, tax cuts and public spending during a heated televised debate that saw Boris Johnson go head-to-head with his rivals for the first time.

The five contenders put forward different plans on Brexit, with Michael Gove and Jeremy Hunt saying they would be willing to delay Britain's departure from the EU in order to secure a deal, while Mr Johnson and Sajid Javid said they would not. Rory Stewart promised never to allow a no-deal Brexit.

Mr Stewart also attacked his rivals for making promises he said they could not deliver, including on tax cuts. But they returned fire, with Mr Gove pushing him on his plan for public services.

Mr Johnson apologised for the offence caused by his previous comments about Muslim women but insisted they had been unfairly “escalated”, while Mr Hunt defended saying he agreed with the “sentiment” of Donald Trump's tweets about Sadiq Khan.

The debate followed the second round of voting by Tory MPs, which resulted in Dominic Raab being eliminated after failing to meet the threshold of 33 votes. Mr Johnson maintained a huge lead and Mr Stewart also increased his support, but Mr Javid only narrowly scraped through to Wednesday's third round.

See how the day unfolded below:

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Key Points

• Boris Johnson tops second ballot of Tory MPs, with Dominic Raab eliminated 
• Sajid Javid says Rory Stewart is 'taking some support from all candidates'
• Andrea Leadsom announces she is backing Boris Johnson
• Labour fined £1,750 for inaccurate donations and spending reports
• Rory Stewart says 'there would never be no deal' if he wins
• Boris Johnson dodges 'letterbox' debate question

[18 June 2019 08:57 · Samuel Osborne]

Good morning and welcome to The Independent's coverage of the second bout of the contest to select Britain's next prime minister.

Candidates need to gain at least 33 votes from MPs to remain in the race to reach the final run-off, which will see some 160,000 Tory members select the next prime minister.

[18 June 2019 09:04 · Samuel Osborne]

Former leadership contender Andrea Leadsom has announced she is backing Boris Johnson to become the next prime minister.

[18 June 2019 09:18 · Samuel Osborne]

Meanwhile, Sajid Javid has said Rory Stewart is "taking some support from all candidates" and accused him of "effectively telling us that we should remain in the EU".

Mr Javid told the BBC's Today programme: "I think he's effectively telling us that we should remain in the EU and there is a small constituency amongst my colleagues that would rather remain than leave, and I think that is part of the challenge that we have to deal with.

"And so I think up to a point Rory can attract that support but it's not going to get us any further."

Mr Stewart then tweeted: "I'm sure Sajid didn't mean that. He knows how fiercely and passionately we have both campaigned to get the withdrawal agreement through - and how although I - like he - voted Remain, we have fought together sincerely as fellow Cabinet Ministers for a moderate and pragmatic Brexit."

[18 June 2019 09:36 · Samuel Osborne]

Mr Javid said he is "less Homer's Iliad and more Homer Simpson" in the race to become the next prime minister.

He warned that the Tory leadership race risked looking like a debate at the Oxford Union if the final candidates are all from similar backgrounds - unlike Mr Javid who was educated at a comprehensive school.

"I may have been culture secretary but I don't have the oratory of Cicero, it's less Homer's Iliad and more Homer Simpson. But I try my best to connect and I think it's very important as a modern Conservative Party that we reach out to those modern audiences," he told Today.

And he said: "If we end up in a situation where the final two, three, four even are people from similar backgrounds with similar life experiences and it will look like a debate at the Oxford Union and I just don't think that's healthy for the Tory Party."

[18 June 2019 09:45 · Samuel Osborne]

The Labour Party has been fined a total of £1,750 for inaccurate quarterly donations reports and an inaccurate spending return for the last general election, the Electoral Commission has said.

The elections watchdog said Jeremy Corbyn's party paid the four penalties on 13 June.

The Conservative Party in Wakefield received a £200 fine for the late delivery of its 2017 statement of accounts, which it paid on 23 May.

Commenting on the fines to the Labour Party, Louise Edwards, director of regulation, said: "The reporting requirements are clear, so it is always disappointing when parties - especially well-resourced ones - fail to provide accurate reports.

"It is vital that voters are given an opportunity to see full, accurate data on where parties' money comes from and how it is spent at elections.

"The Commission will continue to enforce these requirements on all parties and campaigners to ensure that voters have the information they need."

[18 June 2019 10:02 · Samuel Osborne]

Liam Gallagher has suggested he could become the next prime minister, demanding "the keys to No 10" to "sort out this pile of s***".

The former Oasis star tweeted: "WHY ME? WHY NOT."

"ParLIAMent c'mon you know," he added.

[18 June 2019 10:18 · Samuel Osborne]

Rory Stewart's campaign was boosted by the backing of Cabinet Office minister and de facto deputy prime minister David Lidington.

The international development secretary only secured 19 votes in the first round of voting, but is trying to position himself as the "change" candidate who can defeat Mr Johnson in the July run-off.

Andrew Woodcock has the full story: 

[18 June 2019 10:40 · Samuel Osborne]

Rory Stewart has compared his campaign to Jeremy Corbyn's takeover of the Labour Party. The leadership hopeful also said he could not reveal whether he had ever been a government spy. Rob Merrick has the story:

[18 June 2019 10:54 · Samuel Osborne]

Mr Stewart is trying to position himself as the "change" candidate who can defeat Mr Johnson in the July run-off.

He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme he has "no problem" being the "stop Boris" candidate, and that he would "love" to go against Mr Johnson in the final two.

"I have no problem with that, and I would love to go against him in the final two in order to give members the chance to choose whether they want Boris's Brexit or mine."

[18 June 2019 11:01 · Samuel Osborne]

The backing for Mr Stewart led to reports that Michael Gove, the environment secretary, was trying to present Mr Stewart as a "polarising" candidate who would promote "blue-on-blue" Tory infighting if he made the final run-off.