A glum-looking Defence Secretary Grant Shapps suffered a ‘Portillo Moment’ as he was defeated by Labour in Welwyn Hatfield by around 3,000 votes.

Although the Prime Minister is expected to hold his own seat, a number of his Cabinet members are staring down the barrel of defeat.

The Reform UK leader told an ITV general election debate that ‘we should encourage people to have children’, while he also backed greater tax relief for married couples.

The Leader of the House of Commons pushed Conservative claims that voting for Reform UK on 4 July would make it easier for Sir Keir Starmer to become PM.

MAILONLINE RECAP: Get a full recap as the Conservatives, Labour, SNP, Liberal Democrats, Greens, Reform and Plaid Cymru faced off in seven-way debate live on BBC

The race to become the next Tory leader is the political equivalent of the proverbial duck: serene on the surface, but with frantic paddling beneath the water.

Penny Mordaunt triggered a Cabinet row over defence spending yesterday after warning that the Royal Navy must ‘keep pace’ with Russia and China.

CONSERVATIVE PARTY CONFERENCE 2023 LIVEBLOG – Follow MailOnline’s liveblog for updates as the gathering concludes in Manchester with a speech from Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.

MAILONLINE LIVE BLOG: Get all the latest news and updates on the latest Tory leadership race to become Britain’s new Prime Minister on October 21, 2022.

STEPHANIE DAVIES-ARAI: Penny Mordaunt claims that, as Minister for Women and Equalities, she was ‘challenging the trans orthodoxy with real concern’. She was doing nothing of the sort.