MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 18th July, 2022) The Sky news broadcaster on Monday canceled the third round of tv debates among the candidates to become next leader of the UK Conservative Party and prime minister, after ex-Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak and Foreign Secretary Liz Truss refused to participate amid the party's concerns that internal disagreements are made public.
The third TV debate was set to be hosted by Sky News anchor Kay Burley on Tuesday evening.
Conservative lawmakers are concerned about "the damage" the debates are causing to the party's image as they expose splits and disagreements, Sky News said.
The other five candidates are not averse to public debates, the broadcaster said.
A source from the team of Tom Tugendhat, the chairman of the lower house's Foreign Affairs Select Committee, was quoted as saying that he has "never stepped away from public scrutiny" and that "given candidates are putting themselves forward to hold the greatest office in the land they should subject themselves to a similar level of scrutiny. If not through debates then in other formats."
Last week, five candidates made it to the third round of the race to become the head of the Conservative Party and the next UK prime minister. Those include Sunak (101 votes), Minister of State for Trade Policy Penny Mordaunt (83), Truss (64), former Minister of State for Equalities Kemi Badenoch (49), and Tugendhat (32).
Outgoing UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced his resignation on June 7 and will remain caretaker prime minister until a replacement is elected. He survived a no-confidence vote in June over violating COVID-19 rules but stepped down only after multiple members of his cabinet had resigned over a controversial appointment.
