London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Sunday, Mar 08, 2026

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
UK Dentists Returned £1.3 Billion to Government as Shift Toward Private Care Accelerates
Expert Warns UK Must Build Emergency Food Stockpiles to Prepare for Climate Shocks or War
UK Plans Charter Flight to Evacuate British Nationals from Gulf as Regional Conflict Disrupts Air Travel
Families of Zimbabwe’s Liberation Fighters Call on Britain to Help Locate Skulls Taken During Colonial War
Iran’s Ambassador Warns Britain to ‘Be Very Careful’ Over Deeper Role in Expanding Middle East War
UK Military Leadership Defends Britain’s Defensive Role in Expanding Middle East Conflict
Four U.S. Strategic Bombers Arrive in Britain as Iran War Intensifies
Soham Murderer Ian Huntley Dies After Violent Attack in High-Security Prison
UK Lawmakers and Experts Condemn Scale of Overseas Human Remains Held in British Museums
Royal Navy Aircraft Carrier HMS Prince of Wales Placed on Standby for Potential Deployment
United Kingdom Confirms U.S. Military Using British Bases for Operations Targeting Iranian Missile Sites
Starmer Defends UK Role in Iran Conflict After Renewed Criticism from President Trump
Blue Owl Reveals £36 Million Exposure After Collapse of UK Lender Serving Wealthy Clients
UK Asylum Reform Plan Triggers Fierce Debate Over Border Control and Humanitarian Impact
US Stealth Bombers Head to UK Base as Trump Issues Stark Warning to Iran
UK Deputy Prime Minister Says Legal Case Could Exist for British Strikes on Iranian Missile Sites
Investigators Link Mysterious Parcel Fires Across Europe to Russian Intelligence Operation
Debate Intensifies Over Britain’s Legal Justification for US Military Operations Launched From UK Bases
Britain Faces Heightened Energy Price Risks as Iran-Linked Tensions Threaten Global Oil and Gas Supplies
British Counter-Terror Police Arrest Four Suspected of Spying on Jewish Community for Iran
Axel Springer Agrees $770 Million Deal to Acquire Britain’s Daily Telegraph
Iceland Supermarket Drops Trademark Challenge Against Icelandic Government in Long-Running Naming Dispute
UK Defence Secretary Visits Cyprus Following Scrutiny of Britain’s Response to Drone Attacks
Questions Grow Over Britain’s Military Readiness as Response to Iran Conflict Draws Scrutiny
UK Offers Failed Asylum Seeker Families Up to Forty Thousand Pounds to Leave Voluntarily
Saharan Dust Could Bring ‘Blood Rain’ to Parts of the UK as Weather Systems Shift
UK Deploys Additional Typhoon Fighter Jets to Qatar and Helicopters to Cyprus Amid Rising Middle East Tensions
Experts Urge Britain to Accelerate Renewable Energy Push as Global Conflicts Drive Up Costs
British Public Shows Strong Reluctance to Join Wider War in Iran
First UK Evacuation Flight Departs Middle East After Lengthy Delay
United Kingdom Imposes New Visa Requirements on Travelers from St. Lucia and Nicaragua
Iran Conflict Strains U.S.–U.K. Alliance as Trump and Starmer Clash Over Military Strategy
UK Interest Rates Could Rise Above Four Percent Again if Energy Shock Continues, Think Tank Warns
Starmer Defends Britain’s Iran Strategy as Badenoch Urges Stronger Military Support
Labour MP Says She Saw No Sign Husband Broke Law After Arrest in China Espionage Investigation
UK Jobless Rate Overtakes Italy’s for First Time in Years as Labour Market Weakens
United Kingdom Suspends Student Visas for Four Countries in Unprecedented Immigration Move
Campaigners Warn UK Student Visa Ban Could Push Migrants Toward Dangerous Channel Crossings
First U.K. Charter Flight for Stranded Nationals Set to Depart Oman Amid Middle East Crisis
France and United Kingdom Deploy Warships to Eastern Mediterranean as Middle East Conflict Escalates
U.K. Arrests Three Men Including Lawmaker’s Partner in Suspected China Espionage Investigation
Trump Says UK–US ‘Special Relationship’ Is Diminished Amid Middle East Dispute
UK Economic Forecasts Face Fresh Strain from Middle East Conflict and Rising Energy Costs
UK Reaffirms Close US Ties After Trump’s Public Criticism
Reeves Stresses Stability and Fiscal Discipline in UK Budget Update as Growth Outlook Shifts
UK Deploys Royal Navy Destroyer HMS Dragon to Cyprus After Drone Strike on RAF Base
Green Party Surges Past Labour in New UK Poll as Traditional Party Support Crumbles
Majority of Britons Oppose U.S. Use of UK Military Bases in Iran Conflict
UK Intensifies Evacuation Efforts from Oman, Working with Airlines to Boost Flight Capacity
Trump Condemns UK and Spain in Unusually Sharp Rift Over Iran Military Action
×