The third Conservative TV debate has been cancelled after two frontrunners, Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss, pulled out.
Sky’s debate was due to take place tonight, after ITV and Channel 4 hosted similar debates in the past few days with the final five candidates to replace Boris Johnson.
In the past few minutes, Sky has updated to say that it can not proceed with the debate without Sunak, the former Chancellor, and Truss, the Foreign Secretary, taking part.
Sky News said it will update more shortly.
The pair are considered two of the frontrunners and Sunak currently leads the race in terms of MPs. By the end of this week, only two candidates will be left to vye for the leadership and become Prime Minister, with a new person in place by September 5.
Penny Mordaunt, one of Sunak and Truss’s main rivals, told The Guardian: “It’s shame some colleagues cannot find a way to debate one another in a civil way. Throughout this contest, [Penny] has never dodged media or shied away from broadcast interviews and debates – people deserve to hear from their leaders.”