BBC sets date for Andrew Neil to quiz Conservative leadership rivals Johnson and Hunt

Andrew Neil will quiz Boris Johnson and Jeremy Hunt, the final two candidates in the Conservative leadership race, in a special programme to air on BBC One next week.

The Andrew Neil Interviews: Jeremy Hunt & Boris Johnson will broadcast at 7pm on Friday 12 July with Neil conducting two consecutive 30-minute interviews with the two men vying for Number 10.

BBC director of news Fran Unsworth said: “Andrew Neil is one of the best political interviewers on television.

“He’ll be questioning the two candidates on behalf of audiences up and down the country, including the Conservative Party members who are voting for their next leader.

“Their decision will, of course, affect all of us, so we think it’s strongly in the public interest that we put the two candidates and their policy ambitions to the test.”

Earlier this week, Hunt branded the BBC’s plans to host a Question Time special with both men just six days before voting closes on 22 July as an “absolute joke”, warning most members would have already voted.

Tory members eligible to vote for the party’s next leader, who will replace Theresa May as Prime Minister, are expected to receive their ballot papers between 6 and 8 July.

The public broadcaster said it had to fit the date around the candidates’ other commitments and argued it is important they both “speak to the whole of the UK”.

Johnson and Hunt are still due to participate in a TV debate hosted by Julie Etchingham for ITV News on 9 July, which will also air after Conservative members receive their voting slips.

Johnson and Hunt have both already been quizzed by BBC political editor Laura Kuenssberg and taken part in a debate hosted by Newsnight’s Emily Maitlis during the leadership race.

Johnson was represented by an empty lectern after he was the only candidate to snub a 90-minute Channel 4 debate hosted by Krishnan Guru-Murthy when seven MPs were still in the race.

Sky News was forced to cancel plans for a debate due to take place last week after Johnson refused to show up.

Picture: BBC