Today’s political headlines includes Johnson allies telling vanity candidates to withdraw, Johnson under pressure over TV debates, Umunna joining Lib Dems and the Mirror’s Grenfell, Never Again campaign.\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n
Johnson allies tell \u2018vanity candidates\u2019 to withdraw from contest Johnson under pressure over TV debates Umunna joins Lib Dems Mirror<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0launches \u2018Grenfell, Never Again\u2019 campaign Major attacks leadership candidates over proroguing Raab claims he\u2019s the candidate most feared by the EU IoD warns businesses aren\u2019t prepared for October Brexit Hammond tells candidates to promise to keep national debt falling
\n<\/strong>The Daily Telegraph<\/em>\u00a0reports<\/a>\u00a0that supporters of Boris Johnson are calling on \u2018vanity candidates\u2019 to pull out of the Conservative leadership election after seven of the ten candidates got through the first round, but Johnson secured 114 votes, ahead of Jeremy Hunt who had 71 fewer than him. Matt Hancock is apparently considering withdrawing and endorsing Sajid Javid.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>According<\/a>\u00a0to\u00a0The Times<\/em>, Boris Johnson is under pressure to appear in television debates as all the other candidates did agree to. In a joint statement they said that debates would \u2018shape and define\u2019 their visions for the UK, while a spokesman for Johnson said that he was in talks with Channel 4. David Gauke, who supports Rory Stewart, said that if candidates \u2018have something to hide they should not be running\u2019.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>The Times<\/em>\u00a0reports<\/a>\u00a0that Chukka Umunna has joined the Liberal Democrats, saying that he was \u2018wrong\u2019 when he thought that a new party could succeed and had \u2018vastly underestimated the importance of having an infrastructure\u2019. He called on others to follow him and \u2018to grab the chance to fundamentally change the system for ever now\u2019. Lib Dem leader Vince Cable\u00a0added<\/a>\u00a0that he was in talks with other MPs about possible defections.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>The\u00a0Daily Mirror<\/em>\u00a0has launched<\/a>\u00a0a \u2018Grenfell, Never Again\u2019 campaign, marking two years after the fire at Grenfell Tower. It says that \u2018tens of thousands of people are still living in unsafe buildings, families are still waiting to the rehoused and fire service funding has been cut\u2019 and calls for the removal of risky cladding, sprinkler fitment, fire service cuts to be reversed and an independent body to oversee it, and an independent tenants\u2019 rights regulator.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>The Guardian<\/em>\u00a0says<\/a>\u00a0that Sir John Major has \u2018launched a blistering assault\u2019 on the Tory candidates who have suggested that Parliament could be prorogued in order to ensure a no-deal Brexit. He accused them of \u2018hypocrisy on a gold-plated standard\u2019 and said that it was \u2018fundamentally unconstitutional\u2019. It\u00a0adds<\/a>\u00a0that Rory Stewart has said that he would set up an \u2018alternative parliament\u2019 if Boris Johnson were to prorogue Parliament.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>The Daily Telegraph<\/em>\u00a0says<\/a>\u00a0Dominic Raab has claimed that he is the Tory leadership contender who the EU would fear the most, telling the paper that as Prime Minister he would focus on those earning \u00a315,000 a year, not those earning \u00a350,000 a year. He denied having a \u2018short temper\u2019 and said he couldn\u2019t speak about the NDA involving a former colleague.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>The\u00a0Financial Times<\/em>\u00a0reports<\/a>\u00a0that the Institute of Directors has warned that businesses have not made much progress in preparing for Brexit in October despite the growing probability of a no-deal Brexit. It calls on them to step up their preparations as they \u2018cannot afford to put their faith in politicians to produce a Brexit resolution\u2019.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>The Sun<\/em>\u00a0reports<\/a>\u00a0that Philip Hammond has written to the Conservative leadership candidates to ask them to commit to keeping the national debt falling, warning that failing to do so would risk losing the distinction between his party\u2019s \u2018fiscal responsibility\u2019 and Labour\u2019s \u2018reckless promises\u2019.<\/p>\n