THE Tory leadership contest became even uglier today after Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries was told to “wind her neck in” by ministers for criticising Rishi Sunak’s integrity.

Ms Dorries discussed the cost of his clothes in an article she wrote in the Mail on Sunday.

She said that she may have gone too far when she previously compared the former chancellor’s £3,500 suit with £4.50 earrings worn by Liz Truss, who Ms Dorries is backing to be Prime Minister.

“The fact is, I was criticising Rishi’s complete lack of self-awareness for wearing such expensive clothes on a visit to one of the most socially deprived towns in the north of England,” Ms Dorries said in the article.

“I wanted to highlight Rishi’s misguided sartorial style in order to alert Tory members not to be taken in by appearances in the way that happened to many of us who served with the chancellor in Cabinet,” she added.

The Culture Secretary, who has been a fierce supporter of outgoing PM Boris Johnson, accused Mr Sunak of betrayal and retweeted a picture of Marcus Brutus stabbing Julius Caesar in the back with the faces of Mr Sunak and Mr Johnson edited over the image.

Ministers criticised Ms Dorries — whose role includes online safety — for sharing the “dangerous” image, which comes 10 months after Tory David Amess was stabbed to death in his constituency.

Influential Tory members including Tom Tugendhat and Defence Secretary Ben Wallace have backed Ms Truss’s campaign.

But the Foreign Secretary has moved away from claims she has a clear lead over Mr Sunak in the leadership contest, calling it a “very, very close race.”

And allies of Mr Sunak have said “there’s everything to play for.”

The news come as SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford criticised the two candidates for prioritising internal squabbles while remaining silent on the cost-of-living crisis, which he called “shameful.”

Last week, experts predicted that the average energy bill for January 2023 could be £500.

Mr Blackford said: “We need more targeted support and we need it now.

“The Tory government has numerous options in its toolbox, such as reinstating the universal credit uplift and increasing it to £25, uprating benefits as the Scottish government has done, and bringing in a real living wage to ensure those on the lowest incomes can at least afford the basics.

“It could also increase the energy bill grant for those on the lowest incomes.

“The Tories are making a political choice, they are choosing not to,” he added.