Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak ‘mad’ for ‘airing dirty linen in public’ says DUP MP Sammy Wilson ahead of Northern Ireland leadership hustings

East Antrim MP Sammy Wilson was speaking ahead of an election leadership hustings event due to take place today in Belfast.

Mr Wilson, speaking to the News Letter, said he would be hoping to hear from the two prime ministerial hopefuls about their plans to deal with the Northern Ireland Protocol.

He also praised both candidates, stressing that they are “accomplished” figures but described the way the leadership election has been handled as “mad”.

“I think the Conservative Party has taken leave of their senses in conducting their leadership election in the way that they have done,” the senior DUP figure said.

“They are washing their dirty linen in public, gutting each other in public, and highlighting the faults of each other in public.

“They have denigrated the achievements that each of the candidates have made, as if they were a pair of useless individuals.”

Mr Wilson added: “I think it’s mad. If you listen to Liz Truss you would think that Rishi has never done anything good in his life, and if you listen to Rishi you’d think she has never done anything good in her life.”

Asked if he had been impressed by either candidate, the DUP MP said: “Actually, they are both quite accomplished politicians. I’m just making the general point that when the general public don’t have a vote on who is going to win, why do they feel the need to have this public discussion.”

Asked what he would like to hear from the leadership hopefuls during today’s appearance, Mr Wilson said: “What I’m looking for from the hustings event is what either of the two candidates are going to do about the protocol.

“Do they recognise the damage that it is causing? Are they prepared to take the steps, the difficult decisions that are required, to undo that damage?

“That means taking on the European Union, not being afraid of their threats of a trade war etcetera, and acting unilaterally if they cannot get the EU to come to a sensible negotiating position. That’s the first thing I want to hear from them.”

He also said he hoped to hear from the leading Tories about their response to the ongoing cost-of-living crisis.

“The second thing, and almost equally important, is what they are going to do to tackle the rampant inflation which is now taking hold in the economy,” the East Antrim MP said.

“Also, what are they going to do to alleviate the cost-of-living difficulties that people are having?”

Yesterday, Ms Truss rejected “sticking plaster” approaches to tackle the cost-of-living crisis, as she appeared to dismiss Labour’s £29 billion plan to target soaring energy costs.

The Tory leadership frontrunner, speaking to reporters in Scotland ahead of the latest round of hustings in Perth, reiterated her plan to cut taxes for households.

Labour boss Sir Keir Starmer had proposed a costed £29 billion plan to stop energy bills rising this winter.