UK politics live: Jenrick cuts Badenoch Tory poll lead as Tugendhat won’t guarantee winter fuel reversal
Robert Jenrick has drawn closer to Kemi Badenoch by four points in a head-to-head poll of Conservative members.
Mr Jenrick was almost 20 points behind the former business secretary six weeks ago. However, a new YouGov poll has shown the former immigration minister is beginning to reverse his fate as the annual Conservative Party conference enters its penultimate day.
Some 52 per cent of Tory members preferred Ms Badenoch as Tory leader while 48 per cent backed Mr Jenrick, the poll found.
It comes as fellow Conservative leadership contender Tom Tugendhat declined to commit to reversing Labour’s cuts to winter fuel payments if he becomes leader of the party.
He said he would not “undermine” his promise to restore trust in politics by writing a budget “four years’ out”.
The shadow security minister told LBC: “I’m not going to write a budget for four years’ time. You know that it wouldn’t be honest for me to do so.”
The Independent’s political team will be reporting live throughout the Conservative Party conference in Birmingham.
