Kemi Badenoch and Robert Jenrick squared off in a Tory leadership debate on GB News.
The shadow housing secretary and the ex-immigration both had an opening pitch to the audience of Tory members before taking questions.
They clashed on topics including the UK's membership of the European Convention on Human Rights.
Mr Jenrick insisted Britain needs to quit the European court, but Ms Badenoch described the policy as his "biggest weakness".
It comes as the duo, who are both on the right of the Conservative Party, are battling to win the votes of members, with the result due on November 2.
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Tory leadership hopefuls Kemi Badenoch and Robert Jenrick (Image: GB NEWS)
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yesterday21:20 Katie Harris
Badenoch campaign says she was 'overwhelming winner'
A Kemi Badenoch campaign source said: “The verdict of the GB News audience was clear: Kemi was the overwhelming winner.
"The Conservative Party has to rebuild trust, opposition is our opportunity to do this.
“Chucking out promises won’t work. Kemi took that message to the Tory members tonight and they agreed. Now they must vote for it.”
yesterday21:08 Katie Harris
Jenrick calls for head-to-head debate
Robert Jenrick's team has said "politicians should have policies" after his leadership rival Kemi Badenoch spent much of her pitch to members suggesting that "principles" are a bigger priority.
A spokesman for Mr Jenrick said: "Politicians should have policies - they do matter. None more so than on immigration.
"We won't regain people's trust unless we set out what we'd do differently this time.
"After the comparative performances tonight, the case for a real head-to-head debate is even stronger. Party members deserve to see these candidates debate the big challenges facing our country."
yesterday21:08 Katie Harris
GB News audience backs Badenoch
More members of the GB News audience put up their hands for Kemi Badenoch than Robert Jenrick when asked who they would vote for following the grillings.
yesterday20:55 Katie Harris
Badenoch says Farage would not be welcome in Tories
Kemi Badenoch told the GB News show: “We are a broad church but if somebody says that they want to burn your church down, you don’t let them in.
“Nigel Farage has said he wants to destroy the Conservative Party. He is somebody who I have a lot of respect for, but if I wouldn’t let Keir Starmer or Ed Davey into the Conservative Party, I’m not letting Nigel Farage into the Conservative Party.”
yesterday20:50 Katie Harris
Badenoch hits back at Tory MP over children comment
Kemi Badenoch hit back at Tory MP Sir Christopher Chope's suggestion that she could not lead the party because she was too "preoccupied" with her children.
Asked whether she could be both a mother and a party leader, she told GB News: "Of course you can. I love my children. I have the most beautiful children in the world. I want to spend as much time with them as possible.
"I said to all of you that family was one of my key principles ... family is important. We have to live by our principles.
"I was able to be a great business secretary and trade secretary and equalities minister, effectively doing three jobs while balancing my home life."
Asked what she would say to Sir Christopher, she said: "I might remind him that it isn't always women who have parental responsibilities, men do too."
yesterday20:49 Katie Harris
Badenoch says Jenrick's ECHR plan is 'not the right one'
Asked about Robert Jenrick’s biggest weakness, Kemi Badenoch said: “I’d have to think through very carefully what I say.
"So I think the weakness is in the argument that is made and I know sometimes there is a temptation for us who’ve been ministers to still carry the baggage of the department we’ve come out of.
“I think that the ECHR argument is not the right one. I think that is the biggest weakness. I think that will divide our party, it will mean that the in-fighting and the squabbling will continue. We need to come to a consensus.”
yesterday20:41 Katie Harris
Farage speaks with 'clarity' and 'conviction' - Badenoch
Kemi Badenoch told the GB News Tory leadership debate: "Nigel Farage speaks with clarity, he speaks with conviction. When people hear him speak, they believe that he understands their concerns.
"For a long time, when we were speaking, people just heard this technocratic, managerialist language that didn't mean very much to people.
"It was all policy and no principles, that is why I keep emphasising principles."
yesterday20:31 Katie Harris
Badenoch warns young people are being taught to 'hate' Britain
Asked if she started the culture wars, Kemi Badenoch said: “I don’t think so. I am worried about the way people talk about this country.
"We are teaching young people to hate this country. I am telling you now this is a dangerous thing.
“We are teaching young people to see difference instead of the shared identity we all have which is being British. I will always defend this.
"When people use the term ‘culture wars’ this is a dog-whistle to try to detract the Right."
yesterday20:27 Katie Harris
Badenoch says leaving ECHR is 'not a silver bullet'
Asked about the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), the Tory leadership hopeful said: “If we need to leave the ECHR in order to control migration then we should leave it but it’s not a silver bullet. It’s not even the most radical thing we can do."
yesterday20:25 Katie Harris
Badenoch takes swipe at Jenrick over ECHR
Kemi Badenoch took a swipe at rival Robert Jenrick over his calls for the UK to leave the European Convention on Human Rights.
She said: "No one else has done more on Brexit than I did. When I voted Leave I did so because I believe in the project of the UK and I did everything as a minister to make it succeed.
"There are lots of people who call themselves Leavers now because they want to have a referendum on something different. Let’s stay on the Brexit opportunities and use that to deliver something different.”
yesterday20:24 Katie Harris
Badenoch defends bonfire of EU laws
The former business secretary defended her actions on retained EU laws after thousands were kept on the UK's statute book.
She said: "What about laws on product safety, I wasn’t going to get rid of those, was I? I was against a bonfire of regulations for the sake of it.
"I used to code, you don’t just delete everything and then hope for the best, that is not smart. I removed more than 2,000 regulations."
yesterday20:23 Katie Harris
Badenoch says Brexit has been a partial success
Kemi Badenoch told the audience: "Some of it has been a success but some of it has not because we are far too scared to take advantage of the opportunities.
“Signing trade deals, yes, cooperating with countries across the countries, yes, but also looking at how we can have smarter regulation.
"One of the reasons why Brexit has not been as much of a success as it should be is we didn’t start with a plan.”
Ms Badenoch added that "everything now is blamed on Brexit" when other countries are facing similar problems.
yesterday20:20 Katie Harris
Badenoch insists she 'defends other people from bullies'
Asked about reports that she was difficult to work with, Kemi Badenoch told GB News: "I am somebody who defends other people from bullies.
"The people who are causing the problems are the ones that I got out of the department. Of course, they run to the Guardian to tell lies about me, but I know that what I did was right.
"There was never any issues in my department. I delivered when we had difficult issues like the Post Office scandal, for example."
She added: "I don't like fighting. I don't look for fights. But if someone brings a fight to Conservatives, I will fight for us, I will fight for our values."
The Tory leadership hopeful was referring to an article which reported officials had accused her of creating an intimidating atmosphere in the government department she used to run.
yesterday20:09 Katie Harris
Badenoch insists policies will come
Kemi Badenoch was pressed on why voters should trust her with her lack of policies in comparison to rival Robert Jenrick.
She said: “They can trust me because I have a record of delivery. I delivered the biggest trade deal that we have had since we left the EU. I delivered strong championing of Conservative values when lots of vulnerable women and children were attacked. I am someone who you know delivers, I am someone who you know has a strong track record. So you can trust me.
“The policies will come. But we can’t do that now after we’ve had a whole few years of in-fighting and squabbling. I am not here just to impose what’s in my head on everyone in this party. I want us to build a consensus first, so I’m asking you to trust me because of how I worked.”
yesterday20:07 Katie Harris
Badenoch says 'broken system is going to need an engineer to fix it'
Kemi Badenoch said she is an "engineer" who can fix the "broken system" in her opening address.
The leadership hopeful told the GB News debate: "This broken system is going to need an engineer to fix it. I am an engineer.
"But I cannot fix it without your help, that is why I'm asking for your support today. Together, we can do this. Together, we can fix the system that is broken. Together, we can renew."
Kemi Badenoch gives her speech to the GB News show (Image: GB NEWS)
yesterday20:05 Katie Harris
Badenoch urges Tories to use time in opposition 'wisely'
Making her pitch, Tory leadership candidate Kemi Badenoch said: "This is not a general election, we had one of those already and we lost. This leadership contest is not a test of who can make the biggest promises. It is about character, it is about conviction.
"We are not in government any more, it doesn't matter what our policies are we cannot deliver them. we are in opposition so let's use that time wisely.
“Let’s not make the same mistake that the Labour Party made, making lots of promises, waiting around until the other side lose. You can see where that’s got them.
"What we need to do is come up with a plan based on our principles, Conservative principles, principles that unite everyone in this room and those watching at home."
yesterday20:01 Katie Harris
Badenoch now up
It is Kemi Badenoch's turn for a grilling on GB New's Tory leadership show.
yesterday19:52 Katie Harris
Jenrick insists Farage is 'rattled'
Robert Jenrick said: "I think Nigel Farage is rattled, he's talking about me a lot now. He doesn't want someone to lead this party with my track record, someone who has credibility on immigration and someone who has my policies.
"He knows that that will put him out of business. I want to retire him.”
yesterday19:47 Katie Harris
Jenrick declines to give Badenoch's biggest weakness
Robert Jenrick refused to criticise his opponent when asked what Kemi Badenoch's biggest weakness is.
He said: “I’m not going to say that. I really like Kemi, she is a friend of mine, she is a great Conservative and she is a fantastic family woman. I love Kemi. We’re not here to criticise our opponents.”
He also slapped down veteran Tory MP Sir Christopher Chope’s claims that Mrs Badenoch is too “preoccupied with her children”.
Mr Jenrick said: “I’ve got three kids myself so I think he was wrong, he was definitely wrong. Kemi and I both have three children, she’s a great mum, I’d like to think I’m a great dad. We’ll both be able to balance this, whoever leads this party forward.”
yesterday19:43 Katie Harris
Jenrick wants Britain to be 'grammar school of the world' on migration
Robert Jenrick warned the Conservatives will not return to power if they do not get a grip on the issue of migration.
He said: “I don’t just want to be at the Despatch Box screaming at Keir Starmer, I want to beat Keir Starmer. I want to get us back into government.”
The Tory leadership contestant added that he wanted Britain to be “the grammar school of the world” on migration.
He said: “It’s not a reflection on them, they’re good people, but we’re a small country, I worry that we are a divided nation.
"I want us to have a sense of unity and togetherness and it is impossible to successfully integrate 1.2 million people a year into this country. That’s why we’ve got to fix this.”
yesterday19:35 Katie Harris
Jenrick calls for foreign offenders to be deported
The Tory leadership candidate told the audience: "I do think we should be building more prisons. I want us to be looking up more hyper-prolific criminals. We should be building more prisons, keeping the public safe as a result.
“I think we can build prisons faster than we have in the past but the thing we have to do first is get the 10,000 foreign national offenders out of our prisons, that would be a good start.”
yesterday19:34 Katie Harris
'Police have to enforce our existing laws without fear or favour'
Asked if he would ban pro-Palestine marches in London, Robert Jenrick said: “No one should feel unsafe on the streets of our capital city. That is wrong.
"I’ve said on the streets of London in Whitehall on the day after October 7 when we held a vigil is that a Britain without its Jewish community is not Britain.
“Of course I believe in freedom of speech and the right to protest. There were people valorising Hamas and Hezbollah, there were people beaming a genocidal slogan onto Big Ben.
"The police have to enforce our existing laws without fear or favour. They must never allow worry about community relations to stop them tackling people who valorise terrorism.”
yesterday19:29 Katie Harris
Jenrick pressed on how to win back Reform and Lib Dem voters
Robert Jenrick said: "I don't think our country is quite as divided as some people say.
"I don't think this leadership election is just about left or right. What I'm interested in is the common ground of British politics. Those are the issues that most people care about."
He said the Tories would win back voters if they have "serious policies" on immigration, the NHS and the economy.
yesterday19:28 Katie Harris
Jenrick admits Tories need to do more for young people
He said: “We need more people like you frankly in the party and we need more young people supporting us. There’s even a terrifying statistic that one in six of our voters won’t be alive at the next election.
“But on a serious note we’ve got to do more haven’t we? I think it’d be good if we looked fresher and younger and more energetic as a party.
“But young people are not fools. We’ve got to give them a compelling vision... When we cut taxes let’s do it for working-age people like you.
“When we invest let’s do it for things that young people care about. And yes it does go back to home ownership and housing. Let’s build things beautifully, let’s build them in our big cities, the opposite of what Labour are doing frankly. But we’ve got to be the party of home ownership once again.”
yesterday19:25 Katie Harris
Brexit is 'unfinished revolution' - Jenrick
Asked about the UK's exit from the EU, Robert Jenrick said: "I think there are fantastic opportunities for this country that flow from Brexit. I don't think we've seized all of them right now."
He added that Brexit is an "unfinished revolution" as he warned Sir Keir Starmer would drag Britain back to Brussels.
yesterday19:22 Katie Harris
Jenrick calls for 3% defence spending
Asked what measures he would take to strengthen deterrents against China, Russia and Iran, Robert Jenrick said: "It begins by spending more on our Armed Forces. I want to get to 3% of GDP on defence.
"Let’s take that money from our international aid budget and let’s spend it on our Armed Forces."
yesterday19:18 Katie Harris
Jenrick says taxes are too high
Asked by an audience member for his vision for the economy and drive investment into the UK, Mr Jenrick highlighted his background in business.
He went on: "We've got to ensure we help people off welfare and into work. I want to ensure we have cheap and reliable energy by building new nuclear power stations and saying that gas is here to stay.
"We've got to get building again so that businesses can succeed. And I also think that taxes are too high."
yesterday19:17 Katie Harris
Jenrick denies he is 'generic candidate'
Asked if he was a “generic candidate”, Mr Jenrick said: “Well I don’t know about that.
"The polling, almost all the polls, show that I am the best-placed candidate to bring back the Reform voters, the Liberal Democrat voters and the voters who have gone to the Labour Party.”
yesterday19:13 Katie Harris
I want to be the next PM, says Jenrick
Mr Jenrick was asked in the first audience question how the Tories could restore trust.
He said: “I joined this party aged 16 in Wolverhampton after the 1997 election. There were not many 16-year-old Conservatives in Wolverhampton in 1997, but I’ve been a Conservative ever since and this party matters to me.
“I want to see it back in government and the way to do that is to make sure we get serious again, that we tackle the big issues facing this country, and I think that does begin with migration.”
Mr Jenrick said: “If we don’t get back the millions of voters we’ve lost to Reform, we’re never going to be able to govern again... I want to be the next prime minister and that means the party has to get serious.”
yesterday19:13 Katie Harris
Jenrick concludes speech
Ending his five-minute pitch, the Tory leadership candidate said: "It’s two clear choices, remain or leave, cap or no cap. I’m for leaving the ECHR, I’m for capping migration.
“If we do those things we can win again. We can earn a hearing from the public on all the other things that we care about.
“So I say let’s get serious on migration. We can return to government and we can deliver for the people of this country once more.”
Robert Jenrick makes his pitch to the audience of Tory members (Image: GB NEWS)
yesterday19:11 Katie Harris
Jenrick: It's 'leave or remain' on ECHR
Robert Jenrick told the GB News audience: “We’ve got to ensure that once again we are trusted on immigration and I know how to do that.
“It begins by ensuring that we end the drama, we end the excuses, and we just get serious on this issue. And the first topic of course is illegal migration. And on that the real choice facing our country is on the European Convention on Human Rights. This foreign court creates an arsenal of laws which prevents us from removing foreign terrorists and criminals and illegal migrants.
“If we don’t detain and deport people within days we’ll never be able to stop the boats. And if we don’t do that then we will keep on losing. We can’t reform the European court. It requires the unanimous approval of 46 member states. But if we leave then we can write a British Bill of Rights and we can ensure that we bring the insanity to an end.
“So there’s a clear choice here. It’s leave or remain and I’m for leave. And on the millions of people who come into our country legally, we can continue as we have - pressure on housing, public services, cohesion - or we can get Parliament to set a cap on legal migration and ensure that we bring down the numbers. It’s another clear choice, it’s a cap or no cap, and I’m for capping migration.”
yesterday19:07 Katie Harris
Jenrick turns to immigration
Robert Jenrick said not getting a grip on immigration is to blame for the Tories' current state.
He added that the party would "never be in government again" unless they won back voters who stayed home or switched to Reform UK at the 2024 election.
He said: "In towns across our country right now, like the ones that I grew up in Wolverhampton and the town I represent in Nottinghamshire, there are hotels that should be full of tourists but instead are full of illegal migrants and this is just the tip of the iceberg. When I was minister for immigration I saw things that made me angry.
“But I know how to fix this. Immigration is not just another issue amongst many. It is the issue which explains why our party is where it is right now.
"It’s the reason that we lost four million of our people to Reform at the general election and millions more who decided to stay at home.
"You know who those people are whose trust we lost. And we’ve got to get them back. If we don’t get them back home to our party, we’ll never be in government again.”
yesterday19:05 Katie Harris
Jenrick makes opening pitch
Addressing the audience of Conservative members, Robert Jenrick opened by saying: “Like most of you I’ve been a Conservative all my life in the good times and the bad.
"I’ve always believed that this party is our country’s best hope. So we’ve got to pick ourselves up and dust ourselves down.
“We’ve got to end the drama, end the excuses, and just deliver for our country. By growing our economy, by fixing our NHS, by strengthening our Armed Forces.
"But friends, if we want to do any of those things, if we want to get our party back in business, we’ve got to begin by delivering on immigration."
yesterday19:02 Katie Harris
Hustings kicks off
GB News's political editor Christoper Hope has opened Decision Time: The Race to Lead.
yesterday18:58 Katie Harris
Badenoch to set out 'bold vision for renewal'
Kemi Badenoch's Renewal 2030 campaign wrote on X: "Don’t miss Kemi Badenoch set out her bold vision for renewal live on GB News!"
\ud83d\udea8 TORY LEADERSHIP DEBATE TONIGHT \ud83d\udea8
Don\u2019t miss @KemiBadenoch set out her bold vision for renewal LIVE on @GBNews!
\u23f0 TONIGHT @ 7PM
\ud83d\udcfa Freeview 236 | Sky 512 | Virgin 604
Get ready \ud83d\udd25 #VoteKemi pic.twitter.com/X1yo7Z6pin
\u2014 Renewal2030 (@renewal2030) October 17, 2024
yesterday18:56 Katie Harris
Jenrick 'driven by conviction'
Tory leadership hopeful Robert Jenrick tweeted: "Catch me at 7pm tonight on GB News!
"Hear why I’m ready to lead the Conservatives - leadership committed to change, driven by conviction. This is one you don’t want to miss!"
\u23f0 Catch me at 7pm tonight on GB News!
Hear why I\u2019m ready to lead the @Conservatives - leadership committed to change, driven by conviction.
This is one you don\u2019t want to miss! pic.twitter.com/2GCHGXRwX5
\u2014 Robert Jenrick (@RobertJenrick) October 17, 2024
yesterday18:47 Katie Harris
Jenrick to go first
Robert Jenrick has chosen to go first in the leadership programme after winning the coin toss.
He will be followed by Kemi Badenoch, who is considered to be the narrow favourite in the contest.
.@ChristopherHope tosses a coin to decide if Robert Jenrick or Kemi Badenoch will go first in tonight\u2019s GB News event, Decision Time: The Race to Lead.
Tune in tonight from 7pm, only on GB News.
\ud83d\udd13 Become a GB News Member: https://t.co/mNsRsGC8ef pic.twitter.com/PqGKoZtUQL
\u2014 GB News (@GBNEWS) October 17, 2024
yesterday18:33 Katie Harris
When is the new Tory leader announced?
Conservative members have until October 31 to vote for Ms Badenoch and Mr Jenrick, who were picked by MPs as the final two candidates in the race to replace Rishi Sunak.
The result of the leadership race will be announced on November 2.
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yesterday18:25 Katie Harris
Show starts at 7pm
The Tory leadership show, Decision Time: The Race To Lead, kicks off on GB News at 7pm.
Kemi Badenoch and Robert Jenrick will get a five-minute opening pitch to the audience of Tory members before taking questions separately.
The programme will be hosted by the channel's political editor Christopher Hope.
It will be followed by a reaction show, hosted by Patrick Christys, featuring a panel of experts from across the political spectrum.
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