Snap verdict on ITV debate: a win for Hunt that may not matter - live news

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9.56pm BST

This is what political journalists and commentators are saying about the debate on Twitter.

Generally, the view seems to be that Jeremy Hunt did well, but not well enough to make a difference.

I'd say @Jeremy_Hunt won that. He took a risk in attacking @BorisJohnson so repeatedly but Johnson looked rattled, especially when pressed on why his first policy announcement was to cut taxes for high earners. That said Johnson's pledge to deliver Brexit by 31 October...

No game changing moment so a good night for Boris Johnson despite Hunt presssing him hard throughout the debate

Half time. I'd say they were evenly matched in round one. But big point of difference. Hunt won't prorogue parliament while Johnson won't rule it out. Perhaps this is what Conservative party members want, but what about the wider public? A PM that would suspend parliament?

It's shifting in the room now. Johnson seems to have lost the audience over his refusal to answer on whether he'll back our ambassador or not. I suspect lots of people are very angry about Trump's treatment of our current PM and our ambo. #ITVDebate

Both sides in spin room are claiming victory but Hunt had edge in 2nd half. Rattled Johnson on tax cuts & clearly won room on his spirited defence of our ambo and PM as Johnson blustered and dodged. You can see why Team Johnson chose to delay all of this until ballot papers out

Snap verdict; Boris Johnson had the 1st half hour, but Jeremy Hunt finished strongly and Boris J's refusal to answer a single question is a problem.

I suspect Boris Johnson will still win, but I will say this; I can't recall anyone becoming PM having given so little idea as to how he will actually respond to the challenges he will really face.

Watching Brexit part of #ITVDebate I thought Jeremy Hunt came across better, less hectoring, more assured than Boris Johnson. But both talking pie in the sky on Brexit negotiations, although Johnson is worse.

Winners of the debate
1 Julie Etchingham
2= Boris Johnson (bravura, occasionally chaotic but no gaffe that will unseat him)
2= Jeremy Hunt (spiky and well prepared with ambush quotes but no game changing moment)
4 The public (another hour of our lives we won't get back)
5 The BBC

Conclusion on #ITVDebate: Jeremy Hunt performed well - better on detail and showed enthusiasm. But it wasn't a game changer, so the Boris Johnson juggernaut goes on. Notably the whole tone was set by Boris' humour, not Hunt's policy detail. The audience didn't seem to care.

Excellent on the whistle-take on the debate by @patrickkmaguire: https://t.co/aJom07mbPQ

The foreign secretary gave a spirited, combative performance, and Johnson spent much of the hour on the ropes and visibly rattled as a result.

But does it stand any chance of translating into a shock victory? For the answer, look to Johnson's reply to the final question of the debate: what qualities did the candidates most admire in their opponent?

A better debate for Jeremy Hunt than for Boris Johnson as Hunt kept exposing Boris' refusal to answer questions - but most Tory members will have voted by now, so probably too late for it to make any difference anyway #ITVDebate #ToryLeadership @BBCRadioLondon

Suspect hunt won't be upset with that perfomance but he needed a game changer. Not sure about that 45 min ranty bit not sure Johnson will be dented much. Got through relatively unscathed.

Hunt won that debate.
Boris started well then blew it by descending into bluster, obfuscation & question-avoidance.
Hunt grew in confidence, answered questions & rattled his opponent.
All expertly moderated by @julieetchitv & directed by @errongordon. #ITVDebate

Some takeaways;
-Gloves came off. Hunt landed a few blows, but no knockout. Johnson fought back
-Johnson wouldn't promise to quit if doesn't deliver Brexit by Oct
-No clarity on how long Hunt would extend
- Hunt pledged to keep US ambassador, Johnson didn't

Boris won on style. Hunt won on substance. #ITVDebate

In summary: Boris doesn't answer questions, Hunt gives answers no one wants to hear. #itvdebate

9.22pm BST

In the early stages of the Tory leadership contest the Boris Johnson camp concluded that Michael Gove would pose more of a threat than Jeremy Hunt in the final stage of the contest, and it is widely assumed at Westminster that this assessment resulted in Team Johnson lending Hunt the votes he need to beat Gove by just two in the MPs' ballot. The calculation was that Gove would be more brutal in debate. After tonight, that's not looking such a good judgment because Hunt was more assertive than we've seen him before, challenging Johnson repeatedly on specifics. Judged on these skirmishes, Hunt won the debate handsomely. He came over as better briefed and more forensic, and there were several moments in the debate where Johnson found bluster and bonhomie a poor substitute for arguments.

That said, given what all the polling is telling us about the Conservative membership, it would have taken a Titanic disaster for Johnson start throwing away large numbers of votes amongst the (possibly few) Tory members who have not already returned the ballot papers that went out by post last week. Johnson sounded glib and cavalier, but it would be impossible to have been involved in Conservative politics and not to have noticed that he's like that already. Also, Johnson did better in the second half than in the first half - fighting Hunt to a draw on tax, to my ears, and deflating Hunt a bit by making him admit that his "keep Kim Darroch" pledge only lasted until Christmas.