UK leadership debate cut short as presenter faints

LONDON • A live debate between the two candidates vying to succeed Mr Boris Johnson as British prime minister came to a dramatic end when the presenter fainted.

Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, the bookmakers' favourite to win the Conservative Party leadership election, and former finance minister Rishi Sunak had been sparring over their plans for 30 minutes when there was a loud crash in the studio.

It occurred while the camera was on Ms Truss in the debate hosted by Talk TV and The Sun newspaper. She held her hands to her face and said, "Oh my God", before the broadcast was cut.

Talk TV said its presenter Kate McCann had fainted.

"Although she is fine, the medical advice was that we shouldn't continue with the debate," Talk TV said on Twitter. "We apologise to our viewers and listeners."

Both Ms Truss and Mr Sunak later sent messages on Twitter wishing Ms McCann well.

Tuesday's debate was the second head-to-head tussle between the two contenders.

A YouGov poll of Conservative Party members, who will ultimately decide on the next leader, found 50 per cent thought Ms Truss performed the best in the first clash on Monday, with 39 per cent backing Mr Sunak. They also saw Ms Truss as more in touch with ordinary people, more likeable and more trustworthy.

Mr Sunak edged her by 43 per cent to 42 per cent on who was the most prime ministerial.

The winner of the election, which will be decided by a ballot of the fewer than 200,000 Conservative members, will be announced on Sept 5.

Before the premature end, Ms Truss and Mr Sunak had again clashed over their tax and spending plans and what they would do to address a cost of living crisis, in what has become an increasingly hostile competition to become prime minister.

Ms Truss says Mr Sunak's emphasis on balancing government books and raising tax on businesses would tip the economy into recession. "I do think it is morally wrong at this moment when families are struggling to pay for their food, that we have put up taxes on ordinary people when we said we wouldn't in our manifesto and when we didn't need to do so," she said.

Mr Sunak had argued that money from tax rises he brought in was necessary to pay for extra spending on healthcare. But he changed tack yesterday, and in a bid to revive his chances to win the leadership race pledged to temporarily scrap taxes on energy bills paid by households to ease the cost of living crisis.

REUTERS