Boris Johnson and Jeremy Hunt’s Tory leadership battle goes from all-out war into love-in at The Sun’s final debate

TORY leadership rivals Boris Johnson and Jeremy Hunt turned their final showdown into a love-in last night.

The pair, facing off in The Sun/talkRADIO debate, repeatedly backed each other on key issues — with Hunt even promising Boris a top job if he wins the battle for No10.

Mr Johnson tonight promised voters he would not call a disruptive General Election before Brexit as the Tory leadership battle went from all-out war into a love-in.

The odds-on bookies' favourite to succeed Theresa May said such a move would be “height of folly” — and signalled he would wait until 2022 before going to back to polls despite the Tories’ wafer-thin majority.

BoJo added: “I think the people of this country are utterly fed up with politicians coming back to them offering referendums or elections.”

And the race turned from Blue Murder to Blues Brothers as the pair both promised to deliver Brexit, agreed on critical policy positions, swapped jokes and branded Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn “anti-Semitic”.

After weeks of bruising encounters, Jeremy Hunt repeatedly said he “agreed with Boris”, while Boris applauded the Foreign Secretary’s “new found optimism” on Britain’s future outside the EU.

In an outbreak of harmony under the eyes of debate host – Sun Political Editor Tom Newton Dunn:

• They both hit out at Donald Trump for tweeting that four non-white US politicians should leave the country;
• Both insisted England cricket star Ben Stokes should lead the way in a list of gongs for our World Cup heroes;
• BoJo refused to reveal if he’ll bring girlfriend Carrie to No10 with him;
• He insisted only a true believer can deliver Brexit and convince the EU he’s serious;
• Boris had the audience laughing in our London HQ with banter about Love Island’s Amber;
• Mr Hunt appeared to offer Mr Johnson the job of Chancellor;
• Both candidates committed to including at least one woman in their top team;
• The rivals accused Jeremy Corbyn of being personally anti-Semitic;
• They agreed to go for a pint together when the bruising leadership election ends;
• But disagreed over whether to cut the number of immigrants to Britain.

BREXIT BACKING

Insiders believe Mr Johnson is “home and dry” with a week to go until the deadline for Tory voters to have their say in the election.

Addressing the audience of Sun readers in the heart of London, Mr Hunt desperately sought to play up his Brexit credentials by saying he was not fair apart from his rival when it came to delivering Brexit by the new deadline of October 31.

He added: “Both of us want to leave by October 31. Both of us hope Parliament won’t block a No Deal Brexit.”

Mr Hunt joked it would be the perfect birthday present — given he will turn 55 on November 1.

But he insisted Mr Johnson risked an “accidental General Election” by sticking to his “do or die” deadline under which Boris has insisted he will take Britain out unless a deal is signed by the start of November.

But Mr Johnson countered that Mr Hunt’s refusal to stick to a deadline meant Britain could be trapped in the EU for another year.

He said: “I’m hearing that Jeremy might delay for a few days. Well, how many days? Is that three days, is that six days? You’ve said you’d be prepared to wait until Christmas — which Christmas is it?”

Both men committed to handing at least one of the top four jobs in their Cabinet to women days after Work and Pensions Secretary Amber Rudd said she had now “accepted” No Deal had to remain on the table. Asked to guarantee he would award the job of either Chancellor, Home Secretary, Foreign Secretary or Defence Secretary to a woman, Mr Johnson dithered before saying: “I think I’m going to say yes, depending on what you mean by top four.”

But the front-runner refused to say whether he would invite his girlfriend Carrie Symonds to live in No10 if he gets the job. He claimed the public were much more interested in his plans for a post-Brexit Britain than his private life.

He added: “Fighting crime with another 20,000 police officers is a direct relevance or interest to this country than who may or may not live in Downing Street.”

BARBS & BANTER

As he was pressed for an answer, Mr Hunt butted in and saved him. The Foreign Secretary: “He’ll be living with me. I’ll be in No10 and he’ll be in No11.”

Mr Johnson quipped back: “Are you offering me the post of Chancellor? It’s breaking out into outrageous harmony. It’s got to end.”

There were still a few barbed comments on Monday night from the men who had fought an increasingly bitter leadership campaign.

In one swipe, Mr Hunt said: “Boris will put a smile on your face and he does it better than anyone. But if you want the detailed delivery of Brexit you have got to have a plan. People want calm leadership and delivery.”

But it was better-natured than previous clashes and with more agreement. When both agreed that the backstop was not needed to protect the Irish border, Mr Johnson exclaimed: “I like the way Jeremy is talking now — this new spirit of optimism!”

Mr Hunt the offered Mr Johnson the chance to “join my Cabinet”, to which BoJo replied: “I wouldn’t be so impertinent as to use this opportunity to lobby you for a job.”

Mr Johnson said his priority on tax would be raising the level at which people start paying National Insurance contributions — lifting it from the current £8,632 threshold to the personal insurance level of £12,500. He also defended his much-derided pledge to take middle income earners out of the higher rate of income tax by raising the level at which people pay the 40p threshold to £80,000.

Boris said it was “odd there’s been so much controversy” over the policy. He insisted it would lift the incomes of police interceptors, school heads of departments and said “wherever possible people should spend their own money without the deprivations of the taxman”.

Both men defended their privileged upbringing. Boris said the public wouldn’t care “whatever background we come from” as long as Brexit is done. Mr Hunt said the party has “not done enough to show we’ve got the broad background of people”.

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