Tom Tugendhat, the backbench MP who has made it to the shortlist to be the next Conservative leader, took a veiled swipe at front-runner Rishi Sunak's refusal to pledge an increase in defence spending.
It was announced on Tuesday evening that Mr Tugendhat, the Arabic-speaking army veteran who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, will join seven other contenders on the ballot paper as Tory MPs begin voting on Wednesday to elect a successor to Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
Mr Tugendhat has pledged to spend 3 per cent of gross domestic product — a measure of the size of the economy — on defence and security.
Under plans set out by Mr Johnson, the UK is set to spend 2.5 per cent by the end of the decade, well above the current Nato commitment of 2 per cent, but the issue has become an important factor in a Tory leadership race taking place while war rages between Russia and western-backed Ukraine.
While refusing to single out Mr Sunak by name, Mr Tugendhat was critical of the former chancellor's refusal to commit to an increased defence spending target but said the contest must not degenerate into “petty politics”.
He said it should be a “battle of ideas” rather than a “knife fight in a phone box”.
Former chancellor Mr Sunak said he viewed the Nato target as a “floor and not a ceiling” and noted that spending was set to rise to 2.5 per cent “over time”. He refused to put “arbitrary targets” on what he would spend as prime minister.
But Commons Foreign Affairs Committee chairman Mr Tugendhat told reporters at Westminster: “We will never put the safety of our country in doubt because of bean counters and spreadsheets.
“Security always comes before spreadsheets.”
Asked if he was taking aim at Mr Sunak, he said: “I’m not going to name any names, it’s absolutely up to you to look quite hard at where people are talking about different things and see where people are putting their targets.”
Mr Tugendhat insisted he was confident about his chances in the contest, with support from a range of opinions within the Tory party.
“I’m here to serve the country, I’m not here to serve anything else,” he said
“I’m here to bring a return of service to the United Kingdom – the government serving the people, the Conservative Party serving its members.
“Because this is not about petty politics, this is not some sort of a game. This isn’t just some sort of knife fight in a phone box.
“This is a battle of ideas that is actually going to determine the future of our country.”
In a 16-minute speech, the former army officer argued on Tuesday that he should become the next prime minister because Britain needs a leader with “a renewed sense of mission”.
Before politics, Mr Tugendhat gained extensive military experience serving operational tours in Iraq and Afghanistan between 2005 and 2009, as well as being an aide to the head of the British Army.
His speech was laced with military references, frequently using the word “retreat” when describing the state of Britain and Mr Johnson’s government.
“We have retreated into the pettiness of a politics that is more about personality than principle,” he said. “We have retreated into division when we desperately need unity. When the moment demanded service, we delivered scandal.
“I cannot accept retreat."
Meanwhile, Mr Sunak has said that he would run the economy like Margaret Thatcher if he was elected as the next prime minister of the country.
The former chancellor told The Telegraph newspaper of his economic vision as he clashed with other contenders for refusing to promise immediate tax cuts.
“You have to earn what you spend,” he said in his first campaign interview.
Mr Sunak insisted that he would take a more responsible approach to tax cuts.
“We will cut taxes and we will do it responsibly," he said. "That’s my economic approach. I would describe it as common-sense Thatcherism. I believe that’s what she would have done.”
Mr Sunak also links Mrs Thatcher’s economic thinking with his own upbringing.
“If you read her speeches — and I’ve quoted her and [former Tory chancellor] Nigel Lawson in other lectures I’ve given — her approach to these things was to make sure that as a nation you have to earn what you spend.
“She talked about the person at home with their family budget. She talked about that really powerfully. That resonated with me, because that’s how I was brought up.
“My mum was a small businesswoman, she was a chemist. I worked in my mum’s small chemist in Southampton.
"I did my mum’s books, that was part of my job. I also did payroll and accounts every week and every month.”
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
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Gulf Men's League final
Dubai Hurricanes 24-12 Abu Dhabi Harlequins
Fifa Club World Cup quarter-final
Esperance de Tunis 0
Al Ain 3 (Ahmed 02’, El Shahat 17’, Al Ahbabi 60’)
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
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Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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China
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UAE
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Japan
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Norway
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Canada
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Singapore
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Australia
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Men's football draw
Group A: UAE, Spain, South Africa, Jamaica
Group B: Bangladesh, Serbia, Korea
Group C: Bharat, Denmark, Kenya, USA
Group D: Oman, Austria, Rwanda
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
David Haye record
Total fights: 32
Wins: 28
Wins by KO: 26
Losses: 4
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
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MATCH INFO
Manchester United v Everton
Where: Old Trafford, Manchester
When: Sunday, kick-off 7pm (UAE)
How to watch: Live on BeIN Sports 11HD
if you go
The flights
Etihad and Emirates fly direct to Kolkata from Dh1,504 and Dh1,450 return including taxes, respectively. The flight takes four hours 30 minutes outbound and 5 hours 30 minute returning.
The trains
Numerous trains link Kolkata and Murshidabad but the daily early morning Hazarduari Express (3’ 52”) is the fastest and most convenient; this service also stops in Plassey. The return train departs Murshidabad late afternoon. Though just about feasible as a day trip, staying overnight is recommended.
The hotels
Mursidabad’s hotels are less than modest but Berhampore, 11km south, offers more accommodation and facilities (and the Hazarduari Express also pauses here). Try Hotel The Fame, with an array of rooms from doubles at Rs1,596/Dh90 to a ‘grand presidential suite’ at Rs7,854/Dh443.
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Sun jukebox
Rufus Thomas, Bear Cat (The Answer to Hound Dog) (1953)
This rip-off of Leiber/Stoller’s early rock stomper brought a lawsuit against Phillips and necessitated Presley’s premature sale to RCA.
Elvis Presley, Mystery Train (1955)
The B-side of Presley’s final single for Sun bops with a drummer-less groove.
Johnny Cash and the Tennessee Two, Folsom Prison Blues (1955)
Originally recorded for Sun, Cash’s signature tune was performed for inmates of the titular prison 13 years later.
Carl Perkins, Blue Suede Shoes (1956)
Within a month of Sun’s February release Elvis had his version out on RCA.
Roy Orbison, Ooby Dooby (1956)
An essential piece of irreverent juvenilia from Orbison.
Jerry Lee Lewis, Great Balls of Fire (1957)
Lee’s trademark anthem is one of the era’s best-remembered – and best-selling – songs.
Tips to keep your car cool
- Place a sun reflector in your windshield when not driving
- Park in shaded or covered areas
- Add tint to windows
- Wrap your car to change the exterior colour
- Pick light interiors - choose colours such as beige and cream for seats and dashboard furniture
- Avoid leather interiors as these absorb more heat
ICC Awards for 2021
MEN
Cricketer of the Year – Shaheen Afridi (Pakistan)
T20 Cricketer of the Year – Mohammad Rizwan (Pakistan)
ODI Cricketer of the Year – Babar Azam (Pakistan)
Test Cricketer of the Year – Joe Root (England)
WOMEN
Cricketer of the Year – Smriti Mandhana (India)
ODI Cricketer of the Year – Lizelle Lee (South Africa)
T20 Cricketer of the Year – Tammy Beaumont (England)
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh825,900
On sale: Now
