This was an entertaining watch tonight after a bbq and lubricating drink.
Here is a brief analysis.
Sunak lost nothing in this debate. Rather he might have bolstered his position as one of the more experienced and reasonable candidates in the race. Like him or not, he had the strongest showing.
Mordaunt appeared tamed by the occasion. Whilst she might do well under less pressure, here she struggled to put forth her best relatable self. If she were willing to put more distance between her and Johnson, it might also have helped her case. She would also have done well to have developed a stronger grasp of all the issues on the current political agenda.
Truss appeared robotic as she is often accused. She made plausible arguments and presented herself forcefully however, a dash of personality would have curried her more favour and made her case more appealing.
Badenoch occupied the position Mordaunt should have occupied – relatable, straight-shooting, happy to level with the public. Her lack of experience however, showed—particularly on the economy where she opted for generalities over specific policy detail. A strong showing from which she should only gain.
Tugendhat was on message and on-brand, carefully appealing to his military credentials, however overdoing it on the intonation and tone of voice thereby coming across more pretentious than genuine. His lack of experience also showed however his overall performance should only bolster his position.
Overall those with cabinet experience presented more strongly than those without when it came to arguments on the issues of the day. However they lost out to the less experienced in relatability except for Sunak who managed to somewhat fire on both cylinders.
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