RIP Michael J. (Mikey) O'Connor
Search
07 Sept 2025
Search
07 Sept 2025
Please allow ads as they help fund our trusted local news content.
Kindly add us to your ad blocker whitelist.
If you want further access to Ireland's best local journalism, consider contributing and/or subscribing to our free daily Newsletter .
Support our mission and join our community now.
To continue reading this article, you can subscribe for as little as €0.50 per week which will also give you access to all of our premium content and archived articles!
Alternatively, you can pay €0.50 per article, capped at €1 per day.
Thank you for supporting Ireland's best local journalism!
The Tory leadership race is hotting up, with Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak pulling out all the stops as they go for the top job in politics.
Having fought off their competitors this week, the final two candidates are each set to try and persuade Conservative party members that they should be the one to become the next prime minister.
Both face a number of debates in the coming weeks.
Here is a timetable for the rest of the leadership contest.
– July onwards: Hustings are to take place around the country over the summer to help party members determine their choice for the new Conservative leader.
Bob Blackman, joint executive secretary of the 1922 Committee, said it was a “condition of nomination” for candidates to agree that they would contest the ballot of party members if they reached the final two.
This is to avoid a situation as in 2016, when Dame Andrea Leadsom dropped out, handing the leadership unchallenged to Theresa May before party members were given the opportunity to vote.
– July 23: Mr Sunak visits the Lincolnshire town of Grantham, stressing his Thatcherite credentials in a speech in the hometown of the former Conservative prime minister.
Meanwhile, Ms Truss meets Conservative members at association events in Kent.
– July 25: BBC debate, Our Next Prime Minister, takes place at 9pm, in front of an audience in Stoke-on-Trent.
– July 26: The Sun’s Showdown: The Fight for No10 airs on the Sun website and TalkTV at 6pm, in front of a studio audience.
– August 4: Sky News hosts a debate featuring questions from a studio audience live from 8pm on Sky News channel 501, across Sky News’ digital channels and streamed on YouTube.
– August 5: The expected deadline for Tory members to receive postal ballots.
– September 5: New Conservative leader announced. The new prime minister will be announced when MPs return to Westminster from their summer break.
– September 6: Boris Johnson to quit as Prime Minister to allow his successor to take over.
Subscribe or register today to discover more from DonegalLive.ie
Buy the e-paper of the Donegal Democrat, Donegal People's Press, Donegal Post and Inish Times here for instant access to Donegal's premier news titles.
Keep up with the latest news from Donegal with our daily newsletter featuring the most important stories of the day delivered to your inbox every evening at 5pm.
This publication supports the work of the Press Council of Ireland and Office of the Press Ombudsman, and our staff operate within the Code of Practice of the Press Council. You can obtain a copy of the Code, or contact the Council, at www.presscouncil.ie, Lo-call 1800 208 080 or email: info@presscouncil.ie.
