It’s down to the final two in the race to become the next Prime Minister and Conservative Party leader.

And amid a welter of promises and pledges, what do the two candidates say about some of the priorities and issues that affect Kent? Political Editor Paul Francis reports.

Immigration: A totemic issue for the Conservative party and one that has proved a hard nut to crack.

Promises that Brexit would give the UK control back over its borders have not been exactly aligned with the daily images of thousands of would-be asylum seekers arriving on Kent shores.

In a significant move, the government has announced it will be flying migrants to Rwanda to have their applications processed.

Both candidates say they will continue with the policy.

Here’s what they say:

Rishi Sunak: Has made much of his personal experience of being brought to the UK by his parents and how it benefited him.

Has struck a fairly firm stance on the government's new policy of processing would-be asylum seekers in Rwanda.

However, there have been reports that as Chancellor, he tried to block the policy on the grounds of the predicted costs of £120 million.

Has said it is important that the government has policies on both controlled and uncontrolled immigration.

Quote: “It is absolutely critical that we have control of our borders, and I say that as the child and grandchild of immigrants. This country has a proud record of welcoming people but it is also vital that we are in control of who's coming here.”

Liz Truss: There have been reports that she has privately indicated to MPs that she would seek to expand the government’s policy on sending people seeking asylum to Rwanda to other countries including Turkey.

It's a policy in limbo because of a court challenge.

According to government figures, 28,526 people made the journey in 2021 – compared to 8,410 who arrived in 2020.

Quote: “It is really important that we establish the principle and break the business model of these appalling people smugglers who are trading in misery.

"It is important that we sort this issue out which has caused untold misery, including people dying in the English Channel.”

House building: With tens of thousands of new homes in the pipeline for Kent, concerns over house-building targets and the threat of concreting over the Garden of England are a key issue.

At the same time as communities rise up to campaign about over-development, the issue of affordable housing has also led to both promising to introduce initiatives for first-time buyers.

Liz Truss: Has said she would “abolish the topdown Whitehall-inspired Stalinist housing targets”.

She has outlined plans that would make it easier and quicker for developers to build on brownfield land in “opportunity areas”.

She backs the introduction of a zonal planning system, an idea that received huge backlash from Conservative MPs when it was included in 2020’s Planning White Paper.

During the campaign, she said: “We won’t have successful planning policy if we don’t have the support of all of the Conservative Party.

"I don’t want another planning war like we’ve had before.

"It’s very important that we have policies that have local consent.”

Rishi Sunak: Has not said much on the issue during the campaign other than stating during one of the debates that: “We’re all Conservatives and we believe in homeownership but getting consent for the number of homes we need is a challenge.”

However, in the Autumn budget last year, he confirmed £1.8 billion would be spent on developing 1,500 hectares of brownfield land for one million new homes and £11.5bn investment through the Affordable Homes Programme.

Operation Brock: Despite the adverse publicity surrounding the government’s much-maligned scheme to keep traffic moving on the M20 via a contra-flow system, neither candidate has put forward alternative solutions to the scheme.

Op Brock has recently been re-activated ahead of the school summer holiday in anticipation of increased traffic and delays at the Channel ports.

It is, however, one issue that candidates can be certain to be quizzed about when hustings meetings take place over the next five weeks.

Climate change and zero emission targets: Increasingly important issue with spiralling energy costs facing households and controversy over the introduction of a green tax levy.

Could alternative sources help resolve the energy crisis?

Liz Truss: Has committed to a temporary moratorium on the green energy levy, a subsidy for renewable energy schemes that would cut £153 from energy bills.

Wants decisions on whether fracking – the controversial method of shale gas extraction - should take place to be made by local communities.

She said: “On the subject of fracking, I think it depends on the local area, and whether there is support in the local area for it.

"But I certainly think we need to be doing all we can to lower the cost of energy for consumers.”

Rishi Sunak: Has made no comment on the green levy and whether it would be suspended or scrapped.

But he has stepped in on the issue of windfarms and a previous government plan to make it easier for companies to get permission.

According to his team, plans to make it easier for companies would be scrapped.

“In recognition of the distress and disruption that onshore windfarms can often cause, Rishi has also promised to scrap plans to relax the ban on onshore windfarms in England, providing certainty to rural communities,” it said.

Grammar schools: Something of an article of faith for many Conservatives, successive leaders have largely indicated that they have no intention of abolishing the 164 schools that remain fully selective, including 30 in the county.

At the same time, however, neither candidate has indicated they intend to bring in legislation to permit new ones, although it was reported that Boris Johnson was considering a way in which the ban might be lifted.