The campaign to win support from Tory grassroots starts now for Boris Johnson and Jeremy Hunt.

The battle to become Prime Minister will see the final two face a gruelling series of 16 hustings across the UK, starting in Birmingham on Saturday, and continuing up and down the country over the next month.

And the campaign has kicked off with unexpected drama after Foreign Office Minister Mark Field ejected a climate change protester from a late-night speech by the Chancellor.

There will be awkward questions for Foreign Secretary Mr Hunt, who is Mr Field’s boss, and when contacted by the Press Association responded with a text saying “sorry can’t talk now”.

This is horrific. Conservative Foreign Office Minister Mark Field violently grabs a woman as she protests about climate change at the bankers’ banquet.

This appears to be assault. He must be immediately suspended or sacked. Due to Violence agains

The incident has led to calls for Mr Field to be “suspended or sacked” for “violence against women” from shadow women’s secretary Dawn Butler.

Mr Hunt has previously cultivated a reputation as a statesmanlike and slightly dull operator and this lack of drama was part of the reason MPs narrowly handed him a two-vote victory over his rival Michael Gove.

Admitting he was the underdog to clear favourite Mr Johnson, Mr Hunt nevertheless claimed: “We are going to give Boris the fight of his life”.

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