Furious MPs have called for watchdogs to probe the BBC’s handling of its televised Tory leadership debate.

They accused the broadcaster of flagrantly breaching its own impartiality rules with a series of appalling blunders.

Its staff failed to properly vet members of the public who put questions to the candidates.

Incredibly, two of the questioners were suspended from their jobs yesterday over hugely offensive social media messages that the BBC apparently failed to spot.

The corporation also chose not to reveal that one of the pair had worked for the Labour Party. And Emily Maitlis, who presented Tuesday’s show, is accused of singling out Boris Johnson for 23 follow-up questions – ten more than any other candidate faced.

Former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith said there was ‘clear bias’ against the Conservatives and regulator Ofcom should be called in. He added: ‘The BBC must apologise and someone must be brought to book. It is appalling.’

A series of vile posts by Abdullah Patel were unearthed last night moments after the BBC debate

Aman Thakar (pictured) who questioned if the candidates had a democratic mandate, has been revealed as a Labour Party council candidate in 2018 in Southwark, and worked at Labour headquarters investigating anti-Semitism

Former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith said there was ‘clear bias’ against the Conservatives and regulator Ofcom should be called in. He added: ‘The BBC must apologise and someone must be brought to book. It is appalling’

A source in Michael Gove’s leadership campaign said it was deeply concerning that the BBC failed to properly vet those asking questions and provided a platform for someone who has spread anti-Semitic messages. The insider added: ‘The BBC should apologise. We are sure Ofcom will take an interest.’

Damian Collins, Tory chairman of the Commons culture committee, said: ‘It is a breach of the editorial guidelines if someone is known to be a Labour Party member and activist, and is being presented as just an ordinary member of the public – I think that is misleading.

BBC producer in charge oversaw Cliff Richard police raid fiasco The executive producer in charge of the debate has sparked headlines before. Jonathan Munro, who is in his 50s, was also responsible for the BBC’s decision to show live footage of the August 2014 police raid on Sir Cliff Richard’s Berkshire home following false historic claims that he had abused a 15-year-old boy at a Christian rally. Coverage of the raid, which included using a helicopter for aerial shots, was overseen by Mr Munro, who was the corporation’s £166,000 head of newsgathering at the time. A High Court judge last year condemned his failure to ‘acknowledge inconsistencies’ while giving evidence at a compensation case against the BBC brought by Sir Cliff following his ordeal. The singer was awarded £210,000 damages plus costs. A BBC insider said that Mr Munro had ‘fallen down the pecking order’ in the news department from two to three since the debacle. Advertisement

‘The BBC should conduct its own review and demonstrate why this was the case, and then Ofcom as the ultimate regulator of the BBC has got the right to question them about that.’

The BBC’s editorial guidelines state that it should ‘make it clear to the audience when contributors are associated with a particular viewpoint’.

It also emerged yesterday that BBC chiefs refused requests from Tory leadership candidates for lecterns to stand behind during the television debate.

The contenders appeared uncomfortable as they sat awkwardly on high stools for the duration of the hour-long showdown on Tuesday evening.

Ahead of the debate, the candidates had asked the BBC for lecterns but were told it was too late to change the set.

However, a source on one of the campaigns last night revealed that as they left the studio they were shocked to discover a line-up of lecterns outside that could have been used.

The source said: ‘The candidates were left bewildered as they looked like an old boy band on stools rather than future prime ministers.’

The BBC is planning to hold a Question Time special with the final two candidates in the last few weeks of the contest, but it is understood this is now in doubt. It also wants them to take part in one-on-one interviews with Andrew Neil.

Both ITV and Sky News have put forward their own proposals for head-to-head debates with the last two contenders. ITV has offered a prime time slot for the programme that will be hosted by Julie Etchingham. Kay Burley will front the Sky News show.

A BBC spokesman last night declined to comment on the request for lecterns.

Abdullah Patel, who probed the contenders on Islamophobia, was yesterday suspended from his job as deputy head of a Muslim primary school over tweets he sent blaming women for rape, praising Jeremy Corbyn and attacking Jews.

Mr Patel has also been suspended by the Masjid e Umar mosque in Gloucester.

Aman Thakar, who questioned if the candidates had a democratic mandate, has also been suspended from his law firm Leigh Day after it emerged he said the most harmful part of Hitler's legacy was his 'abuse of nationalism' in a tweet.

He was also unmasked as a Labour HQ worker who was brought in to investigate anti-Semitism. The BBC said it knew that Thakar worked for Labour but failed to explain why they didn't tell viewers.

The corporation also refused to apologise for the Imam's inclusion, insisting the tweets were 'not visible' when they vetted him – however he was tweeting from the account just two days before the debate.

Today another of the questioners, 15-year-old Erin Curtis, who asked the candidates if they would make tough carbon neutral pledges, has revealed that she is part of the Student Climate Network, which organised a mass walk-out of schools in February.

She has warned there would be further strikes unless the government agreed to measures including a Green Deal, in an article for the Guardian.

The series of vile posts by Patel were exposed moments after the programme on BBC One, in which he asked the Tory MPs on their views on Islamophobia and whether they believed 'words have consequences.'

In one tweet Patel appeared to suggest women are to blame for rape, writing: 'Lets make something clear: Generally, men are the predators, but women need to realise this and be smarter.

'It takes 2 to tango, and if you put yourself in that position, don't expect every man to pass up the opportunity to take advantage of you. Don't be alone with a man! '

Patel also showed his support for Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn.

He wrote: 'Vote UKLabour Vote JeremyCorbyn Vote for hopenotfear Vote for TheManyNottheFew. If you vote Tory you deserve all the cuts you get to tbh.'

Others highlighted his anti-Semitic views, with one post featuring a graphic once retweeted by Labour MP Naz Shah that saw her suspended by the Labour party in 2016.

It showed Israel's outline superimposed on to a map of the US under the headline: Solution for Israel-Palestine Conflict - Relocate Israel into United States.'

Alongside the image, he wrote: FOUND THE SOLUTION! America wants to look after Israel? I've got a way to make them neighbours! (Until Israel attack).

In another tweet he wrote: 'Every political figure on Zionist's payroll is scaring the world about Corbyn.

'They don't like him. He seems best suited to tackle them!'

Other tweets referenced the Holocaust, with one post saying: 'How long are the Zionists going to hide behind the Holocaust cry? It was a tragedy, but Gaza today is a repeat of the oppression.'

Another widely-circulated screenshot shows the account, @AbdullahPatel94, saying: 'How long are the Zionists going to hide behind the Holocaust cry?

'It was a tragedy, but Gaza today is a repeat of the oppression.'

Today Patel deleted his Twitter account after the controversial tweets were exposed.

Yakub Patel, Chair of Al-Madani Education Trust which runs Al-Ashraf Primary School in Gloucester, where Patel is a deputy headteacher said he had been suspended.

In a statement, he said: 'Following some of the comments attributed to Mr Patel in the media this morning, the Trust has decided to suspend him from all school duties with immediate effect until a full investigation is carried out.

'The 'school' and 'Trust' do not share the views attributed to him.'

Speaking to BBC Radio Gloucestershire, Patel refused to apologise, but insisted he had a very good relationship with the Jewish community.

He said: 'Those comments were made four or five years ago.

'I would also like to clarify the criticism was about Israel and not a criticism of the Jewish community.

'The Jewish community and I, especially within Gloucestershire, we work very closely together. We actually visited a synagogue just a while ago.'

A series of posts tweeted by Patel were exposed last night revealing his controversial views

Other tweets from Patel mentioned the Holocaust, writing in one: ow long are the Zionists going to hide behind the Holocaust cry? It was a tragedy, but Gaza today is a repeat of the oppression'

Patel asked Tory leadership candidates about Islamophobia during the debate (pictured) and later tweeted about his disappointment with their 'deluded' responses

Al-Ashraf Primary School is rated 'inadequate' by Ofsted inspectors Al-Ashraf Primary School opened in 2006. It is an independent Muslim day school for boys and girls aged from two to 11 years. The school is operated by the Al-Madani Education Trust, a registered charity that provides educational help and local support in Gloucestershire. The trustees have delegated governance of the school to the governing body. The school is located in the Al-Ashraf Cultural Centre, a three-storey building close to the centre of Gloucester. Most pupils are from Indian, Bangladeshi or Pakistani backgrounds, with smaller numbers from a range of different backgrounds. The school aims to provide national curriculum-based education in keeping with Islamic morals and ethics. Currently, there are 170 boys and girls on roll, which includes children in the Nursery classes. Parents pay £2,000 a year for their children to attend. A 2018 Ofsted report rated the school as 'inadequate' The report into the primary school read: 'Leaders have an over-generous view of the school's effectiveness. 'The trust has not ensured that there are sufficient leadership roles in place. 'As a result, leaders have not been able to maintain the quality of education seen previously. 'The leadership of safeguarding is inadequate. Systems to investigate, record and monitor concerns lack rigour.' Advertisement

Sajid Javid ‏tweeted today: 'The Imam from #BBCOurNextPM debate should practice what he preaches.

'Words do indeed have consequences. That applies to him as much as it does for leaders in public life.'

It came as political blog Guido Fawkes revealed that Aman Thakar, who asked the final question, was a former Labour party council candidate in 2018 in Southwark.

He was seen on last night's show asking the candidates when they would be prepared to call a general election - given the winner of this contest will get into Downing Street without one.

But a source who worked in Labour's complaints department at the time he worked there, says Thakar was brought in by Shami Chakrabarti to help close down cases of anti-Semitism in the party.

Later it emerged that he was suspended by his current employer, Leigh Day Solicitors, following the discovery of a controversial tweet he posted in February.

The tweet read: 'Hitler's abuse of the term nationalism is, to me, a nationalist, the most harmful part of his legacy.'

A Leigh Day spokesman said: 'We can confirm that Aman Thakar is currently a solicitor at Leigh Day in our employment department. We have been made aware of a tweet which we are taking very seriously.

'Mr Thakar has been suspended with immediate effect from the firm whilst we carry out an internal investigation into these matters.'

He has also deleted his tweets, but not before a screenshot of one of his tweets was captured, which read: 'Hitler's abuse of the term nationalism is, to me a nationalist, the most harmful part of his legacy.'

In response to the accusation that the BBC knew of Mr Thakar's links to the Labour Party, BBC Live Political Programmes Editor Rob Burley tweeted: 'There was also self-described Conservative on the programme.'

On the show, Patel appeared to be directing his comments to Boris Johnson, who sparked controversy when he suggested veiled Muslim women looked like 'letter boxes and bank robbers' in a newspaper article.

Boris Johnson (left) lined up alongside Jeremy Hunt (centre), Michael Gove (right), Rory Stewart and Sajid Javid for the hour-long session at the BBC studios in London

Five million people tune into BBC debate The BBC's Tory leadership debate was watched by more than five million viewers, it emerged today. It drew an average of 5.3 million viewers and peaked at 5.7 million. According to the corporation, the hour-long broadcast from 8pm was the 'best performing programme of the night across all channels'. Channel 4's debate on Sunday averaged 1.3 million viewers and peaked at 1.5 million. It included five of the Tory hopefuls, including Dominic Raab who failed to reach the next stage in the voting process yesterday, with an empty lectern left for Mr Johnson who did not participate. It was hosted by Krishnan Guru-Murthy. Sky News had previously announced plans to host a live head-to-head debate with the final two candidates. It will be hosted by Kay Burley, but the date has not yet been announced. It has also been reported ITV News will host its own leadership debate, but details are not yet known. Advertisement

He later criticised Johnson for his response, in which he forgot his name, writing on Twitter 'my name is Abdullah, not Tina … 'our friend from Bristol' and linking to a video of Johnson's answer to him, saying it showed 'Boris at his best (or worst)'.

During the debate Boris Johnson said he was 'sorry for the offence' his comments had caused, while Michael Gove condemned Islamophobia as 'repugnant' and attacked Jeremy Corbyn for comments he claimed were 'disgusting' and anti-Semitic.

A BBC Spokesperson said today that it had 'carried out background research into the online and social media profiles of all our questioners for last night's debate.'

However, they said that one individual 'reactivated a public twitter account he had previously deactivated whose tweets were not visible during our research period. '

They added: 'Had we been aware of the views he expressed there he would not have been selected.'

After the posts emerged it sparked outrage on social media, as many viewers demanded to know why the BBC had allowed him on the show.

Despite his controversial tweets being unearthed just shortly after the debate on the BBC last night, he was still invited on to speak to Nicky Campbell on Radio Five Live this morning.

Mr Johnson was questioned about his comment when he compared veiled Muslim women to 'letter boxes'

It quickly received a barrage of criticism, and Campbell apologised later on Twitter.

He wrote 'I would like to apologise.

Who was Boris Johnson's Muslim great-grandfather? Boris Johnson's Turkish great-grandfather Ali Kemal with his wife Winifred Boris Johnson highlighted his heritage as he defended himself from accusations of Islamophobia last night. Mr Johnson's great-grandfather was Ali Kemal, a Turkish journalist and politician. Ali Kemal was a pro-democracy campaigner under the Ottoman regime, who fled to the UK to avoid persecution in the early 1900s. He married Winifred Brun, but she died giving birth to their son Wilfred in 1909. Wilfred was the father of Stanley Johnson, who in turn is the parent of the Tory leadership favourite. Ali Kemal later returned to Turkey and served as interior minister, but was killed by a lynch mob in 1922 as the war of independence raged. When Mr Johnson took part in the BBC's Who Do You Think You Are? programme a decade ago, he discovered that his family had changed the children's names to Johnson - Winifred's mother's surname - probably to avoid them being bullied at school. Advertisement

'We had the Imam from the BBC Tory leadership debate on our programme this morning. His social media comments have been extremely disturbing.

'We should have checked. We didn't. I'm sorry.'

Rob Burley, the Editor of BBC Live Political programmes attempted to explain how the Imam was allowed on the show.

He wrote: 'For those wondering how, given his tweets, Abudullah Patel made it onto the debate last night.

'The answer: his Twitter account had been deactivated, his tweets could not be read and his account did not exist when searched for.

'It was AFTER the show that Mr Patel reactivated his account revealing his tweets. We wouldn't have put him on the programme if these were public before broadcast but they were not.

'We also carried out a number of other routine checks which didn't uncover anything untoward.'

He added: 'We were merely thinking the best of him, we had no way of knowing what his tweets said because the account was not visible.'

On the programme last night, the candidates all agreed to launch an investigation into Islamophobia in the Conservative party when prompted by Sajid Javid.

Defending his comments on letter boxes, Johnson said: 'In so far as my words have given offence over the last 20 or 30 years when I have been a journalist and people have taken those words out of my articles and escalated them, of course I am sorry for the offence they have caused.

'But I would just say this to our friend from Bristol. When my Muslim great-grandfather came to this country in fear of his life in 1912, he did so because he knew it was a beacon of generosity and willingness to welcome people from around the world.

Emily Maitlis was accused of losing control of proceedings as the candidates talked over each other amid questions about the format chosen by the BBC

'If I am Prime Minister I will ensure that is the way our country acts and behaves.'

Boris comes under fire from ALL sides as he finally breaks cover in chaotic Tory leadership TV debate Boris Johnson was hammered over his Iran blunder, Muslim veil jibes and tax cuts for the wealthy in a bad-tempered and chaotic TV debate last night - but vowed he will take Britain out of the EU by Halloween. The former foreign secretary came under fire from all sides as he lined up alongside Rory Stewart, Jeremy Hunt, Michael Gove and Sajid Javid for the hour-long session at the BBC studios in London. But no clear winner emerged, with viewers enraged at the way the candidates dodged questions, as well as the bizarre format set by the corporation. Buoyed by topping the ballot of MPs earlier, Mr Johnson kicked off proceedings by setting out his stall on Brexit, insisting the UK must leave the EU by the end of October. 'We must come out on the 31st October because otherwise I am afraid we face a catastrophic loss of confidence in politics,' he said. 'We have already kicked the can down the road twice and I think the British people are getting thoroughly fed up.' The exchanges quickly descended into furious squabbling, with presenter Emily Maitlis struggling to keep control as Mr Hunt and Mr Gove insisted they were ready to push the schedule back if a 'few more days' were needed to finalise a deal with the EU. Mr Stewart, who removed his tie as the debate heated up, accused his colleagues of 'staring at the wall' rather than walking through the 'door' - which was to support the deal Mrs May had already thrashed out over two years. 'Let's get on with it,' he said, adding that No Deal was 'not possible'. Advertisement

After being reminded of the Imam's name, Mr Johnson added: 'In respect to what our friend said, of course I think my Muslim great-grandfather would have been astonished to find his great-grandson had become foreign secretary and an MP, but he would have been very proud.'

Host Emily Maitlis also challenged Mr Johnson on his remarks, adding he had been 'careless with his words.'

In reponse, Patel tweeted last night: 'What I got as a response was nothing short of disappointing and deluded: '@BorisJohnson forgot my name, spoke about his G grandfather and about Iran.

'Gove used the opportunity to have a dig at @jeremycorbyn...'

Jeremy Hunt was also forced to backtrack after previously saying he agreed with a tweet Donald Trump had posted which called London 'Londonistan.'

'What I said was I agreed with his sentiment that Sadiq Khan had been a useless London Mayor when it comes to tackling knife crime,' he told the BBC debate.

Mr Hunt said he was married to an immigrant and had three half-Chinese children.

'When they go to school they look different to the other kids. You know the best thing about this country is it doesn't matter at all.'

Mr Javid, whose parents were Muslim immigrants who settled in Bristol, agreed that 'words do have consequences' and added that Abdullah was right to be concerned about growing anti-Muslim sentiment in this country.

The debate came hours after Dominic Raab was eliminated from the contest in the second round of votes. Mr Johnson topped the second ballot, confirming his status as the favourite to replace Theresa May in Downing Street.

Mr Gove was in third place on 41 votes, while Mr Stewart was on 37.

Candidates needed 33 votes to remain in the race - the exact number picked up by Mr Javid.

A BBC spokesman said: 'Last night's debate saw, for the first time, all the remaining prime ministerial candidates put on the spot, answering a range of public questions.

'A background in politics doesn't disqualify anyone from taking part in a debate show. Last night's questioners held a range of political views and we did not specify these views nor their backgrounds although some chose to do so themselves.

'The last questioner on the debate is a solicitor who was seconded by his law firm to the Labour Party in the past, rather than being a Labour 'staffer'. He is a Labour supporter and once stood as a councillor.'

Who asked the questions in BBC Tory leader debate? Imam Abdullah Patel in Bristol Shortly after his question aired, it was revealed that the imam has been suspended from his job as deputy head of a Muslim primary school and the Masjid e Umar mosque over tweets he sent blaming women for rape and attacking Jews. In another tweet he wrote: 'Every political figure on Zionist's payroll is scaring the world about Corbyn.' Today Patel deleted his Twitter account after the controversial tweets were exposed. The series of vile posts by Patel were exposed moments after the programme on BBC One, in which he asked the Tory MPs on their views on Islamophobia and whether they believed 'words have consequences.' Speaking to BBC Radio Gloucestershire, Patel refused to apologise, but insisted he had a very good relationship with the Jewish community. He asked: 'I am the imam of a mosque and I see first-hand the everyday impact of Islamophobic rhetoric on my community. 'Do the candidates agree that words have consequences?' Erin Curtis in Glasgow She asked: 'On behalf of youth strikers all over the UK I'd like to ask can you promise that the environment will be your top priority if elected? Will you commit to net zero carbon emissions by 2025?' Erin Curtis, aged 15, later revealed that she is part of the Student Climate Network, which organised a mass walk-out of schools in February. The schoolgirl has warned there would be further strikes unless the government agreed to measures including a Green Deal, in an article for the Guardian. Lee from Norwich He asked: 'As a lifelong Conservative voter I voted for the Brexit party in the recent European elections. 'My question to you all is can you guarantee that you will be able to get your Brexit plan through Parliament by the 31st of October. Carmella from Southampton She asked: 'My question as a mother of three with a husband in the property industry is if we have a No Deal my husband could lose his job and my children face an uncertain future. 'Why are you even contemplating a No Deal Brexit?' Aman Thakar in London After his question, it was revealed the former Labour worker had been suspended from his job at a law firm over a tweet about Adolf Hitler. The tweet, posted in February, read: 'Hitler's abuse of the term nationalism is, to me, a nationalist, the most harmful part of his legacy.' Critics quickly pointed out today that Hitler's legacy included the killing of six million Jews and triggering the Second World War. Solicitors Leigh Day said he had been suspended from his role in its employment department while it carried out an investigation. The BBC said it knew that Thakar worked for Labour but failed to explain why they didn't tell viewers. The failure for BBC to tell the audience could be in breach of their own impartiality rules He asked: 'In the event that you become Prime Minister, you're only going to be voted on by your parliamentary colleagues and 100,000 Conservative Party members. 'And you have no mandate from the people. So, in the event that you become Prime Minister, when will you do the right thing and call a general election?' Tina in Tunbridge Wells She asked: 'I have fostered more than 10 children over 27 years despite the support from my local authority I now struggle to get appropriate mental health services, special educational needs support and even doctors' appointments. What are you going to do for vulnerable children.' Mark in Belfast He asked: 'I grew up during the Troubles and I have seen how a free and open border to the Republic of Ireland has helped secure both piece but support trade and development. 'Can the candidates explain how they will solve the issue of the Irish border, a subject many people here see as Theresa May's downfall.' James in Oxford He asked: 'I used to be a Conservative voter but now consider myself party-less. I have reluctantly voted for the Brexit Party. 'My question to all of you is what is your plan to lift the tax burden on the working classes?' Advertisement

Tory also-rans squabble over who should QUIT leader battle: Rory Stewart says he can 'test' favourite Boris but Gove insists HE is 'in it to win it' - as eliminated Raab throws support behind Johnson

Tory also-rans were squabbling over who should face Boris Johnson today - with Rory Stewart and Michael Gove bickering over who should quit the leadership race.

The International Development Secretary declared he was in talks with Mr Gove about 'combining forces', saying he was determined the front runner should face a 'test' in the head-to-head.

Pooling their support could wreck the chances of Jeremy Hunt, who is currently in second place.

But the pair immediately clashed over who should the candidate should be to go forward to the next round. Mr Gove secured four votes more than Mr Stewart in the ballot last night, and there is no sign he is ready to make way. Mr Stewart also admitted he 'struggled' in a BBC TV debate last night, at one point bizarrely ripping his tie off.

A source on the Gove campaign said: 'We are in it to win it and we would obviously welcome the support of any candidate that wanted to drop out and support us.'

The bold move came as tension builds in the Tory leadership battle, with Mr Johnson - who is celebrating his 55th birthday - adding more MPs to his huge list of 126 supporters after Brexiteer Dominic Raab was knocked out yesterday.

Mr Raab had 30 votes, and pledged his support for Mr Johnson today saying he was the 'only man to deliver Brexit on time'. His close allies Nadhim Zahawi and Andrea Jenkyns have also declared for Mr Johnson as he moves towards a seemingly inevitable victory.

But the battle for second place is still raging, with Conservative MPs due to cast ballots again this evening as they whittle down the field of candidates.

Earlier, Mr Hunt swiped that he has no idea what Mr Johnson 'believes' on Brexit today - after the front runner tightened his grip on Downing Street.

The Foreign Secretary delivered a stinging assault on Mr Johnson for lacking 'judgement' - suggesting he had not 'thought through' his position.

Mr Stewart and Sajid Javid are both trying to avoid being the next to be kicked out.

Boris Johnson was accosted by a pack of waiting journalists - and a chicken - as he left his London home this morning

Rory Stewart (pictured being interviewed on Sky News today) revealed he is in talks with Michael Gove about 'combining forces', saying he was determined the front runner should face a 'test' in the head-to-head

Mr Gove secured four votes more than Mr Stewart in the ballot last night, and there is no sign he is ready to make way

Mr Stewart and Sajid Javid (pictured on ITV's GMB programme today) are both trying to avoid being the next to be kicked out of the Tory contest tonight

The BBC TV debate quickly descended into furious squabbling, with presenter Emily Maitlis struggling to keep control

Interviewed on Sky News today, Mr Stewart said: 'I feel it would be great to get into that final two, to persuade Sajid and Michael and Jeremy to join forces with me so that we can make sensible, reasonable arguments to keep our party together and keep our country together.'

Asked if he was ready to quit and back someone else, Mr Stewart said: 'This is the problem. It is always the problem of politician's egos.

'I would say to them that I am massively out polling them with all the key target groups we need, with 18 to 45 year-olds, with Scotland, with London, and we have to think about how to win an election.'

Sources on Mr Stewart's campaign said: 'Any team that gets combined, Rory wants to lead it.'

The Tory leadership candidates will be hoping to improve on their performance in last night's second round of voting (pictured) when MPs return to the ballot box today

Mr Johnson's team is breathing a sigh of relief after he emerged relatively unscathed from the TV debate last night, despite being hammered over his Iran blunder, Muslim veil jibes and tax cuts for the wealthy.

The former foreign secretary came under fire from all sides as he lined up alongside second-placed Jeremy Hunt, Michael Gove, Mr Stewart and Mr Javid Javid for the hour-long session at the BBC studios in London.

But no clear winner emerged, with viewers enraged at the way the candidates dodged questions, as well as the bizarre format set by the corporation.

The BBC is also facing a crisis over allowing an Imam to ask a question who has previous on social media blaming women for rape, praising Corbyn and attacking Jews.

Mr Johnson took the opportunity to set out his stall on Brexit, insisting the UK must leave the EU by the end of October.

'We must come out on the 31st October because otherwise I am afraid we face a catastrophic loss of confidence in politics,' he said.

'We have already kicked the can down the road twice and I think the British people are getting thoroughly fed up.'

He did fail to raise his hand when presenter Emily Maitlis asked the hopefuls to signal whether they would guarantee Brexit by October 31 - although aides insisted his position was clear.

Boris Johnson (pictured during the TV debate last night) is adding more MPs to his huge list of 126 supporters after Dominic Raab was knocked out of Tory leadership the contest yesterday

Mr Hunt tried to capitalise on the apparent wavering today, telling BBC Radio 4's Today programme: 'Well, I am not entirely sure what he believes on this, having listened to him last night.

'You have to think these things through because prime ministers have to make these judgments.'

Mr Hunt said he was best placed to cut a deal with Brussels on Brexit, implying that Mr Johnson would not be 'trusted' by Brussels.

'We need a negotiator,' he said. 'A negotiator has to have three qualities. The first is it has to be someone the other side trust, because you don't do a deal with somebody you don't trust.

'Secondly, it has got to be someone who doesn't blink.

'And thirdly, it has got to be somebody who is prepared to walk away.

'Now, the danger is that if we choose the wrong person now, we will have no trust, no negotiation, no deal, and possibly, if we have an election, no Brexit.'

The debate exchanges quickly descended into furious squabbling, with Maitlis struggling to keep control.

Mr Stewart, who bizarrely removed his tie as the row heated up, accused his colleagues of 'staring at the wall' rather than walking through the 'door' - which was to support the deal Mrs May had already thrashed out over two years. 'Let's get on with it,' he said, adding that No Deal was 'not possible'.

Sajid Javid (left) put in a strong performance as he desperately fights to keep his campaign for No10 on track. But Mr Stewart (right) seemed to be slightly disengaged at times despite his surge in the second ballot

Under intense attack from all his rivals, Mr Johnson appeared to back off his plans to hand a £10billion tax cut to higher earners. He said the idea would merely start a 'debate' and be part of a wider 'package'.

He was also challenged on his handling of the case of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe - the British mother held prisoner in Iran - while foreign secretary, as well as previous remarks comparing Muslim women in veils to 'bank robbers' and 'letter boxes'. Mr Johnson said he was sorry if anything he had written over '25-30 years when I was a journalist' had caused offence.

And he blustered when a questioner demanded to know whether he would fulfil his previous vow to 'lie down in front of bulldozers' to stop Heathrow airport expansion going ahead.

Mr Stewart admitted after the debate that he had 'struggled', saying he found the format 'frustrating' and felt like they were in an 'alternate reality'. He is now scrambling to hold on to the momentum he had built up by surging from just 19 votes in the first round to 37 in the second.

By contrast, Mr Javid was seen as putting on a strong performance, and toughened his stance on Brexit. He will be hoping to pick up some support from the 30 MPs who had supported Mr Raab.

The BBC said the debate was watched by more than five million viewers.

It drew an average of 5.3 million viewers and peaked at 5.7 million. According to the corporation, the hour-long broadcast from 8pm was the 'best performing programme of the night across all channels'.

Channel 4's debate on Sunday averaged 1.3 million viewers and peaked at 1.5 million.

It included five of the Tory hopefuls, including Dominic Raab who failed to reach the next stage in the voting process yesterday, with an empty lectern left for Mr Johnson who did not participate.

It was hosted by Krishnan Guru-Murthy.

Sky News had previously announced plans to host a live head-to-head debate with the final two candidates. It will be hosted by Kay Burley, but the date has not yet been announced.

It has also been reported ITV News will host its own leadership debate, but details are not yet known.

Mr Raab (pictured at Parliament this week) had 30 votes, and his close ally Nadhim Zahawi and Andrea Jenkyns are among those declaring for Mr Johnson as he moves towards a seemingly inevitable victory

Who were the winners and losers from the bad-tempered Tory leader showdown? By JACK DOYLE, Associate Editor BORIS JOHNSON Best moment: Emphatic on Brexit. We must leave on October 31 or else the public will 'look on us with increasing mystification'. Worst moment: Grilled over his blunder on Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe while Foreign Secretary. Claimed his words 'didn't make a difference' to her sentence. Verdict: Endured a few dicey moments when pressed by Emily Maitlis. No clear catastrophic blunder which could derail his campaign. Up or down? No change JEREMY HUNT Best moment: Brutal barb at Rory Stewart for rejecting No Deal outright. 'You're the no Brexit candidate.' Worst moment: Invoking his mixed-race children in an attempt to divert from a question about Donald Trump. Verdict: Belatedly turned his fire on his biggest threat, Rory Stewart, but struggled to cut through. Up or down? Down RORY STEWART Best moment: Branded the social care system a 'disgrace' and a 'scandal'. 'It's the great unfinished revolution in our society.' Worst moment: Ostentatiously taking off his tie and stretching. Bizarre. Verdict: A bad night. Coming under fire from other candidates for the first time, he struggled. Has the Rory bubble burst? Up or down? Down MICHAEL GOVE Best moment: Took apart Rory Stewart's Brexit plan with a single line. 'We can't simply re-present the same old cold porridge and ask people to say that's what they want.' Worst moment: Struggled to explain his policy of scrapping VAT and replacing it with a sales tax. Verdict: Articulate, intelligent and impassioned. Had a good night, but will it turn the dial? Up or down? Up SAJID JAVID Best moment: Hammered Rory Stewart on his failure to criticise President Trump. Worst moment: Trying to explain how money would solve Brexit problems at the Irish border. Verdict: Comfortably had the best night. More composed, coherent and passionate than before. But is it too late? Up or down? Up Advertisement