London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, Jul 19, 2025

Nicola Sturgeon urges Tories to oust 'lame duck' PM Liz Truss

Nicola Sturgeon urges Tories to oust 'lame duck' PM Liz Truss

Nicola Sturgeon has urged Tory MPs to oust "lame duck" Prime Minister Liz Truss.

The first minister said the Tory leader was "completely out of her depth" after she sacked her chancellor and made a major U-turn on corporation tax.

There have been calls for Ms Truss to resign and a general election to be held amid the turmoil at Westminster.

The prime minister has insisted she is "absolutely determined" to deliver on her leadership promises.

Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross says he still has confidence in Ms Truss and that she should remain in Number 10.

After firing close ally Kwasi Kwarteng as chancellor, Ms Truss held a Downing Street press conference on Friday to announce new economic measures the government hopes will calm the financial markets.

Ms Truss reversed a key policy to scrap the planned rise in corporation tax from 19% to 25%, saying this would raise £18bn a year for a "down payment" on her fiscal plans.

Liz Truss announced changes to her fiscal policy at a Downing Street press conference


Ms Sturgeon said the UK government's heavily criticised mini-budget had already "heaped misery" on the public.

The first minister said: "She had already shown herself to be completely out of her depth as prime minister. As of today she is also a lame duck prime minister.

"The sooner she goes and the sooner people get the chance to get rid of this Tory government, that is doing so much damage, once and for all the better."

The first minister urged Tory MPs to take matters into their own hands if their leader does not resign, adding: "This is beyond a joke.

"It was never funny, but Liz Truss has already, through her own decisions, trashed the economy and heaped misery on people who were already struggling with a cost of living crisis."

During the press conference, which lasted less than 10 minutes, Ms Truss was asked by journalists if she should resign.

In reply, she said she was "absolutely determined to see through what I have promised".

Ms Truss has appointed Jeremy Hunt as her new chancellor.

Speaking after the press conference, Scottish Tory leader Mr Ross said he still had confidence in the prime minister and did not believe she should quit.

"I think it's important that we get behind the prime minister and we focus on the challenges that are affecting people up and down in the country," he said.

He said Ms Truss had "listened" and implemented a plan to stabilise the financial markets.

Douglas Ross says the prime minister has listened to critics


Mr Ross also defended his decision to call for the Scottish government to replicate Ms Truss's widely criticised tax plan – which was presented without an assessment from the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR).

"The plans were for these tax changes to grow the economy and I want to see growth in our economy here in Scotland and across the United Kingdom," he said.

"I expected, and I think many others expected, that the groundwork had been prepared with the markets, with the OBR, and clearly that work had not been done."

The SNP's Westminster leader Ian Blackford told the BBC he believes Ms Truss will "ultimately be removed from office" by her own MPs.

Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar also argued there should now be a general election and that the prime minister has "lost all authority".

"She's clearly now a lame duck prime minister," he said.

Kwasi Kwarteng been removed as the UK's chancellor


"It's clear for everyone to see that her plan has trashed our economy, trashed our pound, put people's mortgages up and that is frankly unforgivable."

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex-Cole Hamilton said: "Enough is enough.

"It started with Boris Johnson failing our country, and now Liz Truss is trashing our economy. It's time for us to have our say in a general election."

Scottish Green co-leader Lorna Slater said: "This has already gone on too long, and far too many people are suffering.

"If Liz Truss wants to emerge with any shred of credibility then it can't just be her chancellor that leaves Downing Street, it must also be her."


'It's time for Liz Truss to go' - Sturgeon


Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
Microsoft, US Lab to Use AI for Faster Nuclear Plant Licensing
Trump Walks Back Talk of Firing Fed Chair Jerome Powell
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Irish Tech Worker Detained 100 days by US Authorities for Overstaying Visa
Dimon Warns on Fed Independence as Trump Administration Eyes Powell’s Succession
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Jeff Bezos Considers Purchasing Condé Nast as a Wedding Gift
Ghislaine Maxwell Says She’s Ready to Testify Before Congress on Epstein’s Criminal Empire
Bal des Pompiers: A Celebration of Community and Firefighter Culture in France
FBI Chief Kash Patel Denies Resignation Speculations Amid Epstein List Controversy
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
Google Secures Windsurf AI Coding Team in $2.4 Billion Licence Deal
Jamie Dimon Warns Europe Is Losing Global Competitiveness and Flags Market Complacency
South African Police Minister Suspended Amid Organised Crime Allegations
Nvidia CEO Claims Chinese Military Reluctance to Use US AI Technology
Hong Kong Advances Digital Asset Strategy to Address Economic Challenges
Australia Rules Out Pre‑commitment of Troops, Reinforces Defence Posture Amid US‑China Tensions
Martha Wells Says Humanity Still Far from True Artificial Intelligence
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
U.S. Resumes Deportations to Third Countries After Supreme Court Ruling
Excavation Begins at Site of Mass Grave for Children at Former Irish Institution
Iranian President Reportedly Injured During Israeli Strike on Secret Facility
EU Delays Retaliatory Tariffs Amid New U.S. Threats on Imports
Trump Defends Attorney General Pam Bondi Amid Epstein Memo Backlash
Renault Shares Drop as CEO Luca de Meo Announces Departure Amid Reports of Move to Kering
Senior Aides for King Charles and Prince Harry Hold Secret Peace Summit
Anti‑Semitism ‘Normalised’ in Middle‑Class Britain, Says Commission Co‑Chair
King Charles Meets David Beckham at Chelsea Flower Show
If the Department is Really About Justice: Ghislaine Maxwell Should Be Freed Now
NYC Candidate Zohran Mamdani’s ‘Antifada’ Remarks Spark National Debate on Political Language and Economic Policy
President Trump Visits Flood-Ravaged Texas, Praises Community Strength and First Responders
From Mystery to Meltdown, Crisis Within the Trump Administration: Epstein Files Ignite A Deepening Rift at the Highest Levels of Government Reveals Chaos, Leaks, and Growing MAGA Backlash
Trump Slams Putin Over War Death Toll, Teases Major Russia Announcement
Reparations argument crushed
Rainmaker CEO Says Cloud Seeding Paused Before Deadly Texas Floods
×