Own goal! Rishi Sunak gets football teams mixed up in awkward pun-turned-gaffe at Tory hustings after ‘napping between events’ and branding himself ‘underdog’ in race against frontrunner Liz Truss

• Rishi Sunak admits he’s ‘underdog’ in Tory leadership contest against Liz Truss
• Former chancellor tonight commits another gaffe as he mixes up football teams
• Blunder comes as both he and Foreign Secretary speak at Manchester hustings

Rishi Sunak tonight confessed he is the ‘underdog’ in the Tory leadership contest – as the former chancellor committed another gaffe in his bid to become prime minister.

At the latest Conservative hustings event in Manchester, Mr Sunak acknowledged he is lagging behind Foreign Secretary Liz Truss in the race to enter Downing Street.

A new campaign video released this evening by Mr Sunak’s team admitted their candidate was ‘the underdog’ – although the ex-Cabinet minister later declared he would ‘fight to the last day of this contest’.

Asked at the hustings event how, as a Southampton football club fan, he could get back to ‘winning ways’ in the battle to become Boris Johnson’s replacement, Mr Sunak attempted to make light of his woes.

But his effort at friendly banter with the Manchester audience saw him blunder in his football knowledge.

‘I’m going to be unpopular for saying it here – starting by beating United this weekend!,’ Mr Sunak told the event.

It was quickly noted how Southampton are not due to play Manchester United until 27th August and would, in fact, be playing Leicester City this weekend.

Mr Sunak’s own goal came just two days after he was mocked for claiming to always enjoy a McDonald’s breakfast wrap when out with his daughters – despite the item having not been on sale since March 2020.

Yet, the former chancellor’s campaign was handed a boost tonight when Michael Gove backed him to be the next Conservative leader.

The former Levelling Up secretary, who was sacked by Mr Johnson last month, accused Ms Truss of taking a ‘holiday from reality’ with her vow to tackle the cost-of-living crisis by prioritising tax cuts.

Rishi Sunak’s new campaign video featured footage of him appearing to take a nap between events

At the latest Conservative hustings event in Manchester, Mr Sunak appeared to acknowledge he is lagging far behind Foreign Secretary Liz Truss

Ms Truss is widely viewed as the frontrunner in the Tory leadership contest with pollsters expecting her to become the new PM

The new campaign video released by Mr Sunak’s team this evening appeared to be a last-gasp effort to get Tory members to vote for him over Ms Truss.

‘They say beware the underdog, because an underdog has nothing to lose,’ the video declared.

‘An underdog fights for every inch. They work harder, stay longer, think smarter. Underdogs don’t give up.’

The video also featured footage of Mr Sunak on the campaign trail, including one shot of him appearing to take a nap between campaigning events.

But, despite Mr Sunak’s team now openly admitting he is trailing Ms Truss, the former chancellor was insistent he would not be pulling out the leadership contest early.

‘I have been out and about, as you saw in that video, across the country,’ he said.

‘I’ve spoken to thousands of our members… and wherever I’m going, I find that my message is resonating.

‘I’m winning the argument about tackling inflation, about being responsible with our borrowing, about actually supporting vulnerable people this autumn and winter.’

He added: ‘I will fight to the last day of this contest and I plan to keep going until the end.’

Liz Truss met with supporters of her Tory leadership campaign ahead of tonight’s hustings event in Manchester

Rishi Sunak attended tonight’s hustings after speaking at an event organised by the National Farmer’s Union (NFU) in Warwickshire earlier in the day

About 100 protesters had greeted Tory party members as they arrived for this evening’s hustings at Manchester Central convention centre.

Chants of ‘Tory scum off our streets’ and ‘Tories out, refugees in’ were shouted at members of the public as they queued to get in.

Tonight’s event in Manchester was the ninth of 12 official hustings being held for Tory members across the UK, as they decide who to vote for between Ms Truss or Mr Sunak as their new party leader.

The Conservative leadership election will conclude in less than three weeks’ time – on 5th September – when either Ms Truss or Mr Sunak will be announced as Boris Johnson’s replacement.

The winning candidate is set to formally take over as PM on 6th September.

Ahead of tonight’s event, Ms Truss was attacked by her rival for declining to attend a hustings organised by the National Farmer’s Union (NFU) in Warwickshire.

Mr Sunak did attend the event and promised to lead the ‘most pro-farming and pro-countryside government this country has seen in decades’.

His team claimed Ms Truss’s absence ‘raises questions about her willingness to listen to the needs of farmers and the wider food industry’.

But it was later confirmed the Foreign Secretary will take part in a Zoom event with the NFU on 1st September.

Ms Truss has also come under fire from Labour after a controversial report she co-authored in 2009, when she was deputy director of the Reform think tank, was unearthed.

In the document, entitled ‘Back to Black’, the seven authors – including Ms Truss – recommended cutting £28 billion in a year by charging patients to see their GP and reducing the pay of registrars, consultants, GPs and managers by 10 per cent.

The report also called for the abolition of universal child benefit, the removal of the winter fuel payment, and the axing of several major military procurement projects including the Royal Navy’s planned aircraft carriers HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales – which were described as ‘inappropriate defence projects’.

Tonight’s event in Manchester was the ninth of 12 official hustings being held for Tory members across the UK

Either Ms Truss or Mr Sunak will be announced as Boris Johnson’s replacement in less than three weeks’ time – on 5th September

Polls have consistently put Ms Truss as the favourite to win the leadership race, with an elections guru saying he would be ‘extraordinarily surprised’ if she does not enter No10

Labour said Ms Truss’s report from 13 years ago revealed her ‘true colours’ and that ‘the reality of her agenda is devastating cuts’.

But the Foreign Secretary’s campaign attempted to distance the Tory leadership candidate from the paper.

A spokesperson said: ‘Co-authoring a document does not mean that someone supports every proposal put forward.

‘Liz is focused on her bold economic plan to boost growth, cut taxes and put money back into hardworking people’s pockets.’

Polls have consistently put Ms Truss as the clear favourite to win the Tory leadership race, with elections guru Sir John Curtice saying he would be ‘extraordinarily surprised’ if she does not enter Downing Street.

He told The Times that the Foreign Secretary ‘would have to foul up in some spectacular fashion’ for her rival Mr Sunak to beat her.

But one of Mr Sunak’s key supporters, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps, this morning suggested the former chancellor could spring a Brexit-style surprise, after many pollsters predicted Leave would not win the EU referendum in 2016.

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