London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Dec 05, 2025

I'll lead Tories into next election, says embattled Liz Truss

I'll lead Tories into next election, says embattled Liz Truss

Liz Truss has insisted she will lead the Tories into the next general election, despite U-turns leaving her battling to salvage her authority.

The PM apologised for making mistakes, after the new chancellor Jeremy Hunt junked almost all of her tax-cutting plans to stabilise market turmoil.

She added her month-old premiership "hasn't been perfect," but she had "fixed" mistakes.

And she said it would have been "irresponsible" not to change course.

In an interview with the BBC, she said she was still committed to boosting UK economic growth, but acknowledged it would now take longer to achieve.

"I remain committed to the vision, but we will have to deliver that in a different way," she said.

It comes after a dramatic day at Westminster, after Mr Hunt announced nearly all the tax cuts announced at last month's mini-budget would be scrapped.

The decision has been welcomed by investors, but has left Ms Truss's economic agenda in tatters only weeks into her time in No 10.

In her interview, Ms Truss said she accepted responsibility for going "too far, too fast" - and she wanted to "say sorry for the mistakes that have been made".

She added she remained committed to a "low tax, high growth economy" - but preserving economic stability was now the "priority".

"I do think it is the mark of an honest politician who does say 'yes, I've made a mistake. I've addressed that mistake. And now we need to deliver for people'.

"It would have been completely irresponsible for me not to act in the national interest in the way I have."

Shadow Treasury minister James Murray said the PM's apology "after weeks of blaming everyone else" would not "undo the damage" caused by her mini-budget.

"No sorry can change the fact that this crisis was made in Downing Street but is being paid for by working people," he added.

Liz Truss sat in the Commons for half an hour as Mr Hunt outlined the U-turns to MPs


Earlier, Ms Truss watched on as Mr Hunt delivered a Commons statement to explain to MPs why the economic strategy, outlined last month by Kwasi Kwarteng, was being torn up.

The chancellor warned "decisions of eye-watering difficulty" on tax and spending remain ahead of an economic statement on 31 October, when he will give further details of a plan to reduce the UK's debt burden.

He said further windfall taxes on energy companies - a policy repeatedly rubbished by Ms Truss during her Tory leadership campaign - could not be ruled out, along with changes to the pension triple lock.

Ms Truss refused a Labour request to explain the U-turns to MPs herself before Mr Hunt's statement, with Commons leader Penny Mordaunt saying she had been "detained on urgent business".

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer accused the PM of leaving an "utter vacuum" in government, while one of his MPs jibed she had been "cowering under a desk".

In total, £32bn of the £45bn in tax cuts announced at last month's mini-budget have now been ditched, including plans to cut the basic rate of income tax from 20p to 19p from April.

Cuts to dividend taxes and VAT-free shopping for international tourists have also been scrapped, along with a freeze on alcohol duty rates.


Leadership threats


The government's energy support package, a policy repeatedly championed by Ms Truss in defence of her premiership, will also be scaled back after six months.

The reversals have prompted some Tory MPs to talk privately about how Ms Truss could be ejected from office, despite party rules preventing a formal leadership challenge for a year.

Tactics reportedly under consideration include submitting no-confidence letters in a bid to force party bosses into a rule change, or changing the rules to allow MPs to bypass party members and pick a new leader themselves.

However, there is little agreement over who should take over from Ms Truss if she is removed.

Five of her own MPs have called publicly on her to resign, with others briefing journalists that they think her time in office is up.

Ms Truss has been holding meetings with her cabinet ministers and backbench MPs, as she tries to reassure her party of her grip on power.

She also met Sir Graham Brady, who chairs the committee that decides the Tory party rulebook.

The committee's treasurer has confirmed a rule change is possible, but suggested "probably 60-70%" of the party's MPs would have to support the move.


Liz Truss apologises for "mistakes made"


Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
UK Inquiry Finds Putin ‘Morally Responsible’ for 2018 Novichok Death — London Imposes Broad Sanctions on GRU
India backs down on plan to mandate government “Sanchar Saathi” app on all smartphones
King Charles Welcomes German President Steinmeier to UK in First State Visit by Berlin in 27 Years
UK Plans Major Cutback to Jury Trials as Crown Court Backlog Nears 80,000
UK Government to Significantly Limit Jury Trials in England and Wales
U.S. and U.K. Seal Drug-Pricing Deal: Britain Agrees to Pay More, U.S. Lifts Tariffs
UK Postpones Decision Yet Again on China’s Proposed Mega-Embassy in London
Head of UK Budget Watchdog Resigns After Premature Leak of Reeves’ Budget Report
Car-sharing giant Zipcar to exit UK market by end of 2025
Reports of Widespread Drone Deployment Raise Privacy and Security Questions in the UK
UK Signals Security Concerns Over China While Pursuing Stronger Trade Links
Google warns of AI “irrationality” just as Gemini 3 launch rattles markets
Top Consultancies Freeze Starting Salaries as AI Threatens ‘Pyramid’ Model
Macron Says Washington Pressuring EU to Delay Enforcement of Digital-Regulation Probes Against Meta, TikTok and X
UK’s DragonFire Laser Downs High-Speed Drones as £316m Deal Speeds Naval Deployment
UK Chancellor Rejects Claims She Misled Public on Fiscal Outlook Ahead of Budget
Starmer Defends Autumn Budget as Finance Chief Faces Accusations of Misleading Public Finances
EU Firms Struggle with 3,000-Hour Paperwork Load — While Automakers Fear De Facto 2030 Petrol Car Ban
White House launches ‘Hall of Shame’ site to publicly condemn media outlets for alleged bias
UK Budget’s New EV Mileage Tax Undercuts Case for Plug-In Hybrids
UK Government Launches National Inquiry into ‘Grooming Gangs’ After US Warning and Rising Public Outcry
Taylor Swift Extends U.K. Chart Reign as ‘The Fate of Ophelia’ Hits Six Weeks at No. 1
250 Still Missing in the Massive Fire, 94 Killed. One Day After the Disaster: Survivor Rescued on the 16th Floor
Trump: National Guard Soldier Who Was Shot in Washington Has Died; Second Soldier Fighting for His Life
UK Chancellor Reeves Defends Tax Rises as Essential to Reduce Child Poverty and Stabilise Public Finances
No Evidence Found for Claim That UK Schools Are Shifting to Teaching American English
European Powers Urge Israel to Halt West Bank Settler Violence Amid Surge in Attacks
"I Would Have Given Her a Kidney": She Lent Bezos’s Ex-Wife $1,000 — and Received Millions in Return
European States Approve First-ever Military-Grade Surveillance Network via ESA
UK to Slash Key Pension Tax Perk, Targeting High Earners Under New Budget
UK Government Announces £150 Annual Cut to Household Energy Bills Through Levy Reforms
UK Court Hears Challenge to Ban on Palestine Action as Critics Decry Heavy-Handed Measures
Investors Rush Into UK Gilts and Sterling After Budget Eases Fiscal Concerns
UK to Raise Online Betting Taxes by £1.1 Billion Under New Budget — Firms Warn of Fallout
Lamine Yamal? The ‘Heir to Messi’ Lost to Barcelona — and the Kingdom Is in a Frenzy
Warner Music Group Drops Suit Against Suno, Launches Licensed AI-Music Deal
HP to Cut up to 6,000 Jobs Globally as It Ramps Up AI Integration
MediaWorld Sold iPad Air for €15 — Then Asked Customers to Return Them or Pay More
UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer Promises ‘Full-Time’ Education for All Children as School Attendance Slips
UK Extends Sugar Tax to Sweetened Milkshakes and Lattes in 2028 Health Push
UK Government Backs £49 Billion Plan for Heathrow Third Runway and Expansion
UK Gambling Firms Report £1bn Surge in Annual Profits as Pressure Mounts for Higher Betting Taxes
UK Shares Advance Ahead of Budget as Financials and Consumer Staples Lead Gains
Domino’s UK CEO Andrew Rennie Steps Down Amid Strategic Reset
UK Economy Stalls as Reeves Faces First Budget Test
UK Economy’s Weak Start Adds Pressure on Prime Minister Starmer
UK Government Acknowledges Billionaire Exodus Amid Tax Rise Concerns
UK Budget 2025: Markets Brace as Chancellor Faces Fiscal Tightrope
UK Unveils Strategic Plan to Secure Critical Mineral Supply Chains
UK Taskforce Calls for Radical Reset of Nuclear Regulation to Cut Costs and Accelerate Build
×