London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Jun 02, 2025

Coming crisis could soon undo any Tory truce on Trussonomics

Coming crisis could soon undo any Tory truce on Trussonomics

Analysis: there are deep divisions among the party’s MPs about the leadership frontrunner’s spending promises
Liz Truss as prime minister will have to appeal to three very different constituencies. The first is Conservative members, a target audience that has been enthused by talk of tax cuts for both individuals and businesses, as well as cuts to Whitehall waste and a war against “woke”.

When she turns to face the wider electorate, that message will need to change considerably but – in between now and then – there is another constituency that will be crucial: agitated and sceptical Conservative MPs.

If she wins, Truss will enter Downing Street with support from fewer MPs than her rival Rishi Sunak, though she has racked up high-profile endorsements from ambitious ministers since it became clear she was the frontrunner.

There are deep divisions among Tory MPs about “Trussonomics”, the plans to spend billions more, risk inflationary tax cuts, and cancel the rise in national insurance that had been earmarked to tackle the NHS backlog and ultimately go towards fixing social care.

Few Tory MPs are against the principle of tax cuts; Boris Johnson was lobbied hard to reduce taxes, which are at their highest in 70 years. Ultimately that was the reason cited for Sunak’s split with the prime minister.

But there is also an influential wing of the party, including some of its newer MPs and those in marginal constituencies, that will find it hard to stomach a prime minister who has announced plans to cancel corporation tax rises but will not commit to direct help with people’s fuel bills when they rise again by almost £1,400.

Those MPs in red wall seats such as Jacob Young and Ric Holden, as well as longer-serving MPs such as Rob Halfon who is one of the party’s best at articulating on behalf of working-class voters, are likely to be concerned in the autumn if Truss is not prepared to intervene to help the most vulnerable in particular, whether via universal credit or further council tax deductions.

There are also those in the One Nation wing of the party likely to be disconcerted by the spending promises on tax cuts when all the Treasury’s fiscal headroom may be wiped out. Those MPs are particularly concerned that Labour is polling better on the economy than the Conservatives, a surefire signal among the noise that the Tories are putting perhaps their most important asset in a general election at risk.

Truss may well be able to survive party divisions on the issue until next year, particularly as the Conservatives are likely to get a healthy poll bounce, which could spook Labour and give her some breathing space.

But the seriousness of this crisis and its predicted longevity means those fundamental divisions within the party are unlikely to be kept at bay for long. Quiet doubts many in the party have about Truss’s vision and capabilities, which led so few to back her in the early stages of the leadership contest, could then grow louder.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Ukraine Executes Long-Range Drone Strikes on Russian Airbases
Conservative Karol Nawrocki wins Poland’s presidential election
Study Identifies Potential Radicalization Risk Among Over One Million Muslims in Germany
Good news: Annalena Baerbock Elected President of the UN General Assembly
Apple Appeals EU Law Over User Data Sharing Requirements
South Africa: "First Black Bank" Collapses after Being Looted by Owners
Poland will now withdraw from the EU migration pact after pro-Trump nationalist wins Election
"That's Disgusting, Don’t Say It Again": The Trump Joke That Made the President Boil
Trump Cancels NASA Nominee Over Democratic Donations
Paris Saint-Germain's Greatest Triumph Is Football’s Lowest Point
OnlyFans for Sale: From Lockdown Lifeline to Eight-Billion-Dollar Empire
Mayor’s Security Officer Implicated | Shocking New Details Emerge in NYC Kidnapping Case
Hegseth Warns of Potential Chinese Military Action Against Taiwan
OPEC+ Agrees to Increase Oil Output for Third Consecutive Month
Jamie Dimon Warns U.S. Bond Market Faces Pressure from Rising Debt
Turkey Detains Istanbul Officials Amid Anti-Corruption Crackdown
Taylor Swift Gains Ownership of Her First Six Albums
Bangkok Ranked World's Top City for Remote Work in 2025
Satirical Sketch Sparks Political Spouse Feud in South Korea
Indonesia Quarry Collapse Leaves Multiple Dead and Missing
South Korean Election Video Pulled Amid Misogyny Outcry
Asian Economies Shift Away from US Dollar Amid Trade Tensions
Netflix Investigates Allegations of On-Set Mistreatment in K-Drama Production
US Defence Chief Reaffirms Strong Ties with Singapore Amid Regional Tensions
Vietnam Faces Strategic Dilemma Over China's Mekong River Projects
Malaysia's First AI Preacher Sparks Debate on Islamic Principles
White House Press Secretary Criticizes Harvard Funding, Advocates for Vocational Training
France to Implement Nationwide Smoking Ban in Outdoor Spaces Frequented by Children
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
Russia's Fossil Fuel Revenues Approach €900 Billion Since Ukraine Invasion
U.S. Justice Department Reduces American Bar Association's Role in Judicial Nominations
U.S. Department of Energy Unveils 'Doudna' Supercomputer to Advance AI Research
U.S. SEC Dismisses Lawsuit Against Binance Amid Regulatory Shift
Alcohol Industry Faces Increased Scrutiny Amid Health Concerns
Italy Faces Population Decline Amid Youth Emigration
U.S. Goods Imports Plunge Nearly 20% Amid Tariff Disruptions
OpenAI Faces Competition from Cheaper AI Rivals
Foreign Tax Provision in U.S. Budget Bill Alarms Investors
Trump Accuses China of Violating Trade Agreement
Gerry Adams Wins Libel Case Against BBC
Russia Accuses Serbia of Supplying Arms to Ukraine
EU Central Bank Pushes to Replace US Dollar with Euro as World’s Main Currency
Chinese Woman Dies After Being Forced to Visit Bank Despite Critical Illness
President Trump Grants Full Pardons to Reality TV Stars Todd and Julie Chrisley
Texas Enacts App Store Accountability Act Mandating Age Verification
U.S. Health Secretary Ends Select COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations
Vatican Calls for Sustainable Tourism in 2025 Message
Trump Warns Putin Is 'Playing with Fire' Amid Escalating Ukraine Conflict
India and Pakistan Engage Trump-Linked Lobbyists to Influence U.S. Policy
U.S. Halts New Student Visa Interviews Amid Enhanced Security Measures
×