British broadcaster Sky News has cancelled its scheduled Conservative leadership debate after frontrunners Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss declined to take part after televised hustings descended into public slanging matches.
Sky News cancelled Tuesday evening's event with a day's notice after sources in Sunak's camp suggested he will only do further TV confrontations if he succeeds in making it to the final two candidates.
Team Truss argued they are focused on behind-closed-doors hustings to win the support of Conservative MPs, who want to whittling down the contenders two two by the end of the week.
A statement from Sky News read: "Tuesday evening's live television debate on Sky News between the Conservative Party leadership candidates has been cancelled.
"Two of the three candidates currently leading in the MPs' ballots - Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss - have confirmed to Sky News that they do not want to take part. Conservative MPs are said to be concerned about the damage the debates are doing to the image of the Conservative Party, exposing disagreements and splits within the party. Both are very welcome to take part in future Sky News televised debates."
The second televised debate, held on Sunday by ITV, saw Sunak engage in furious exchanges with both Foreign Secretary Truss and trade minister Penny Mordaunt, who completes the trio of frontrunners vying to succeed Boris Johnson as prime minister.
Sunak, the former chancellor accused Truss of peddling "something-for-nothing" economics after she said he was choking off growth by raising taxes to their highest level in 70 years.
Truss's team said the foreign secretary will participate in any TV contest that all the other candidates sign up to.
