BBC To Host Conservative Party Leader Debate With Final Two On Monday After Securing Commitment From All Remaining Candidates In Race To Replace Boris Johnson

The BBC will host a Conservative Party Leader debate on Monday with the remaining two candidates to replace Boris Johnson, as the final four commit to taking part in the wake of tonight’s Sky News cancelation. A second one-on-one interview will be conducted by Nick Robinson with each of the candidates individually.

Sophie Raworth, who has been standing in for Andrew Marr on Sunday mornings, will present the debate, which will be between two of former Chancellor Rishi Sunak, Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, Trade Minister Penny Mordaunt or Equalities Minister Kemi Badenoch.

The BBC stressed that all four have committed after frontrunners Sunak and Truss pulled out of tonight’s Sky debate, leading to its cancellation. Similar debates have taken place on ITV and Channel 4 in the past few days.

Jonathan Munro, Interim Director of BBC News & Current Affairs, said: “We’re delighted to be offering BBC audiences the chance to be part of this pivotal moment in politics and hear, first hand, from the final two candidates as they compete to succeed Boris Johnson as Prime Minister.”

By the end of this week, the four remaining candidates will be down to two after another two rounds of voting from MPs. The final two will then have the whole summer to debate and win over Conservative Party members, who will vote on September 5.

The winner of that contest will become Prime Minister.