Conservative leadership: How will the next prime minister deal with possible Tory flashpoints?

In a month, Liz Truss or Rishi Sunak will be prime minister.

The two contenders for the job of PM and Conservative leader are setting out their policies and visions for the job daily.

But what about policies which often split opinion among Conservative party members – who, of course, are key to winning this contest.

We’ve been looking at some potential flashpoints and contested policies from the last general election manifesto.

The manifesto promised 300,000 new homes every year by the middle of the decade. But after some well publicised rows on planning, Boris Johnson had gone cold on the idea.

Now, it’s clear both candidates would abandon the target.

Rishi Sunak’s team say he doesn’t believe in arbitrary or top-down numbers. He wants to deliver progress on delivering more homes but believe the government should work with councils to develop local plans supported by communities.

Liz Truss has also criticised top-down planning targets set in Whitehall. She wants reforms to the planning system to make it simpler and faster to build homes, but only if communities want them.

The opening of new grammar schools in England is banned – but current ones can be expanded. Both candidates have spoken about support for grammars, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they’d change the law.

Rishi Sunak told a hustings in July that he supported grammar schools. But his team have clarified that he doesn’t mean opening new ones – instead he back “expanding existing grammar schools in local areas which are wholly-selective.”

Liz Truss hasn’t said explicitly that she would change the law to allow new grammars. But she has hinted at it, saying she wants them to available to everyone. She said: “I want people around the country to have the choice that we have to be able to send our daughters to a grammar school.”

Grammar schools are controversial, and the last manifesto did not mention them. Some argue they lift standards, but others are worried selective education is discriminatory.

Both candidates are committed to legislation which would allow ministers in London to override the Northern Ireland protocol. The EU argues this would break international law – but the UK government has argued it wouldn’t because of the need to protect the Good Friday Agreement.

We asked both candidates if they would continue with steel subsidies, which are also contrary to international trade rules. Team Sunak has pledged to support the industry, Team Truss says key sectors must be competitive.

This was a significant – but controversial – piece of legislation which was progressing through Parliament. But it ran out of time to pass under Boris Johnson and it’ll now be up to the next prime minister to decide what happens.

Rishi Sunak is committing to looking again at one of the most controversial parts – referring to legal but harmful content. As prime minister, he would revisit it and “make sure that the approach it right”. He is said to want to avoid the bill venturing into suppressing freedom of speech.

Liz Truss is understood to support the bill in principle – but also to want to balance freedom of speech with keeping people safe online. Her team has not said if there are specific elements she would change.

For years, the government wanted to get net migration to under 100,000. That target was dropped for the 2019 manifesto and neither candidate has suggested they would bring it back.

The 2019 manifesto talked about backing the increased use of stop and search in England.

Rishi Sunak has said he supports making it easier for the police to stop and search convicted criminals.

Liz Truss’s team didn’t respond to our request for details.

The Conservatives said at the last general election that they would end automatic halfway release from prison for those convicted of a serious crimes. Ministers have had their powers beefed up since then, to stop the early release for offenders seen as a dangers to the public.

Rishi Sunak wants to look at expanding stopping automatic early release to cover a wider range of offences. He also wants ministers to have a veto on the release of serious offenders.

Liz Truss’s team didn’t respond.

Neither candidate would give us a yes or no answer.

Team Sunak said any application would be reviewed by ministers and it was for the airport to make the business case.

Team Truss didn’t respond.

There was a row earlier this year when the government abandoned plans to ban the import of fur and foie gras – as it had promised in its manifesto. The policy was unpopular with some cabinet ministers.

Rishi Sunak did say would work with MPs on animal welfare – including a Trophy Hunt Bill, which was also promised in the manifesto.

Team Truss didn’t respond.

Rishi Sunak has no plans to make changes to the Hunting Act which was passed in 2004.

When asked whether she would repeal the Hunting Act or not, Ms Truss said that “opening that Pandora’s box could possibly make the situation worse for people who enjoy country sports”.