Tory leadership race: Liz Truss cancelled interview with BBC's Nick Robinson is the trend, not the exception

Liz Truss has cancelled a BBC One interview with Nick Robinson in a trend that should concern those who value accountability.

The foreign secretary claimed she could no longer spare the time for the one-on-one programme, but failed to explain what she’d be doing instead.

In its statement, the BBC said: "We regret that it has not been possible to do an in-depth interview with both candidates, despite having reached agreement to do so."

Now there may be good cause for this. Ms Truss is after all a minister, but it does not so much set a precedent as continue an unhealthy trend for democracy.

Liz Truss pulled out of an interview with the BBC's Nick Robinson.

We know Ms Truss will win – that has been clear for some time. But we still don’t know her approach to the cost-of-living crisis.

Her rival, former chancellor Rishi Sunak, has already done his interview. It means a man who will not decide Britain’s future has been interviewed, but not the actual next prime minister.

His team accused her of "avoiding scrutiny", adding that pulling out of the interview suggested she "doesn't have a plan at all" or it "falls far short of the challenges we face this winter".

Labour meanwhile claimed it was due to a lack of “serious answers” to the challenges facing the UK.

This is also not the first time the frontrunner has swerved scrutiny, previously turning down an interview with former BBC broadcaster Andrew Neil.

Boris Johnson did the same. Doing so has seemingly opened the floodgates for leaders to avoid answering questions they do not have answers to.

While Ms Truss has yet to hide in a fridge like Mr Johnson, it does not suggest the senior minister has a plan to deal with the energy crisis, let alone talk about it.

This, of course, comes just days after the Tory party denied media publisher Joe Politics access to its hustings, citing its negative coverage of the party.

There are burning questions facing the Government, with the nation confronting bills that many householders cannot afford by October.

Facing those queries is part of governing, but it appears Ms Truss has decided with the race in the bag, there is no rush to find an answer.