All eyes on tonight’s BBC debate at 9pm. While SW1 takes the train up to Stoke, here’s the day that was…

• Personally quiet today, no doubt spending hours prepping for tonight’s big debate
• However her team at 11 Lord North Street have been launching a relentless briefings barrage against Rishi
  • Accusations he’s too close to China and his record at the Treasury shows this
  • Said she’ll take no lectures from a “Goldman Sachs banker who went to a school for the uber elite”
  • Liz announced a new “investment zones” policy to replace the existing freeports scheme – Sunak’s baby that they say allows “Whitehall to pick the winners and losers”
• Team has briefed Rishi “went slow” on the move to ban Russian energy
• Prominent backer Nadine Dorries attacked Sunak’s £3,500 suit and Gucci loafers, which had Sunak supporter Angela Richardson MP quote tweet her with “FFS Nadine! Muted.”
• Goes into tonight’s debate with Smarkets saying 29% of punters believe she’ll win

• Went in hard against China, a necessity after receiving the tacit backing from the Communist’s propaganda wing Global Times
  • Declared the Chinese Communist Party “the largest threat to Britain and the world’s security and prosperity this century”
  • Attacked Liz for “[rolling] out the red carpet” and turning “a blind eye to China’s nefarious activity and ambitions”.
  • Has announced he’ll close all 30 Confucius Institutes
  • Will launch a new NATO-style international alliance
  • Will protect key British assets from being acquired by Chinese firms
• Volunteered to do a Brillo 1-on-1 interview this Friday on Channel 4
• A poll by Opinium proved a mixed bag, with respondents believing he looks most like a Prime Minister in waiting, is competent, and is a strong leader. On the other hand he scores lowest on ‘Is in touch with ordinary people’, and ‘Has similar views to my own’
• Passed 20,000 signed up supporters

Bookies Odds (Previous in Brackets):

• Liz Truss 4/9 (4/11)
• Rishi Sunak 13/8 (15/8)