London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Jul 31, 2025

Tory MPs turn on Liz Truss after turbulent day

Tory MPs turn on Liz Truss after turbulent day

Liz Truss is facing a backlash from Conservative MPs after firing her chancellor and announcing a second U-turn on a major economic policy.

One former minister told the BBC: "we cannot go on like this indefinitely".

Another Tory MP said the party was in a "state of despair" after the PM's Downing Street news conference.

Truss supporter Christopher Chope said "time will tell" if she had done enough to secure her position but those plotting to remove her were "hyenas".

Sir Christopher said: "We can't possibly force another prime minister out of office, we've just got to calm down and try to give the prime minister our support."

On Friday, Ms Truss sacked her chancellor, Kwasi Kwarteng, and reversed a key policy to scrap the planned rise in corporation tax from 19% to 25%. The statement marks the second major U-turn on the mini-budget after Ms Truss cancelled her plan to scrap the top rate of income tax earlier this month.

The U-turn on corporation tax is "going to be damaging to the prospects for growth" and is "totally inconsistent" with what she said during the campaign, Sir Christopher said.

Conservative MP for Coalville, Andrew Bridgen, said he thinks "there'll be a challenge to Truss in the next few weeks".

Mr Bridgen, who backed Rishi Sunak to be leader, said: "Dissatisfaction is so high in the parliamentary party.

"Removing Kwasi Kwarteng when he implemented the policies she asked him to do won't engender loyalty to her."

On a day of fast-moving political developments:

*  Mr Kwarteng cut short a visit to the US to hold talks with the prime minister

*  By early Friday afternoon, Mr Kwarteng had been sacked as chancellor

*  In a letter to the PM, Mr Kwarteng said Ms Truss's economic vision was "right" for the country

*  Responding, Ms Truss said she was "deeply sorry" to lose him and thanked him for putting "the national interest first" by standing down

*  Government borrowing costs rose and the pound's value fell after the PM's latest U-turn

*  Some economists warned that the latest developments might not be enough to restore the UK's credibility

*  Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon called for a general election, saying Ms Truss is "unfit to hold the office of prime minister"

Privately many Conservative MPs admit they have gone through despondency and into despair over the past 24 hours.

By going back on her promise to cut taxes she has now alienated some of those who backed her in the leadership contest for her "bold" approach.

It is not hard to find Tory MPs who think her time is up.

One former backer told the BBC Ms Truss had "appointed her successor," by bringing in Jeremy Hunt as chancellor. "Sadly I think that hastened her demise," the Conservative MP said.

Another MP called Ms Truss's news conference "a mega-disaster". They said: "She will have to resign - she is worse than Corbyn."

Mr Kwarteng cut short a US trip to hold talks with the prime minister in Downing Street, where he was asked to resign


Ms Truss insisted she would stay on as prime minister to see through her "mission" to get the economy growing.

"I'm absolutely determined to see through what I promised - to deliver a higher growth, more prosperous United Kingdom to see us through the storm we face," Ms Truss said.

The eight-minute news conference came after a dramatic day in which the prime minister fired Mr Kwarteng after he returned early from a US summit.

But as we witnessed with Boris Johnson, if a prime minister wants to cling to power, it can be difficult to remove them.

It took the mass resignation of dozens of ministers to persuade him to resign.

Members of Ms Truss's cabinet are not in open revolt. Many allies have been tweeting support for her and the new chancellor, Mr Hunt.

Former chancellor Nadhim Zahawi tweeted: "It's time to get Britain moving. We are determined to grow the economy, eliminate the Covid backlog and protect people from Putin's energy warfare."

In a tweet, Deputy Prime Minister Therese Coffey - a close ally of Ms Truss - said the prime minister was "right to act now to ensure our country's economic stability".

And Business and Energy Secretary Jacob Rees-Mogg tweeted: "As a government, we must now get on and deliver the pro-growth reforms that will lay the foundations for our future prosperity."

The prime minister said she and Jeremy Hunt shared the same vision for the country


The Liberal Democrats and the SNP have called for a general election, while shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves said a new government led by Labour is "what this country needs".

But Ms Truss has ruled out a general election until 2024 and with the government's large majority in Parliament the opposition would find it very difficult to trigger one.

On 23 September, Mr Kwarteng unveiled a so-called mini-budget to deliver the prime minister's vision, announcing the biggest package of tax cuts in decades.

But the mini-budget spooked financial markets and sparked a revolt among Tory MPs, who urged the prime minister to drop parts of her economic plan to shore up the UK's finances.

Many in the parliamentary Conservative party think they have to avoid another drawn-out leadership contest where Tory members have the final say.

Firstly, it requires others to put their personal ambitions to one side for the greater good. It also requires discipline - something that has been in short supply in Conservative ranks since the turbulent days of Theresa May's premiership.

The idea cropping up most is a joint ticket with former chancellor Rishi Sunak and Penny Mordaunt. But after 12 years in power, under four different leaders, there are many old scores to settle in the Tory Party.

Several of Mr Johnson's supporters would do anything to stop Mr Sunak from taking over.

One told the BBC such a move would lead to a split in the party and he would stand himself to prevent a coronation. He said: "The only unity we'd end up with is the unity of the grave. The question is do we jump in now or step back."

It is possible the appointment of her new chancellor has bought some time but a leader with diminishing authority will struggle to bring this fractious party together.


WATCH: Watch Liz Truss answer questions on how she can stay on as PM now


Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Former Judge Charged After Drunk Driving Crash Kills Comedian in Brazil
Jeff Bezos hasn’t paid a dollar in taxes for decades. He makes billions and pays $0 in taxes, LEGALLY
China Increases Use of Exit Bans Amid Rising U.S. Tensions
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Procter & Gamble to Raise U.S. Prices to Offset One‑Billion‑Dollar Tariff Cost
House Republicans Move to Defund OECD Over Global Tax Dispute
Botswana Seeks Controlling Stake in De Beers as Anglo American Prepares Exit
Trump Administration Proposes Repeal of Obama‑Era Endangerment Finding, Dismantling Regulatory Basis for CO₂ Emissions Limits
France Opens Criminal Investigation into X Over Algorithm Manipulation Allegations
A family has been arrested in the UK for displaying the British flag
Mel Gibson refuses to work with Robert De Niro, saying, "Keep that woke clown away from me."
Trump Steamrolls EU in Landmark Trade Win: US–EU Trade Deal Imposes 15% Tariff on European Imports
ChatGPT CEO Sam Altman says people share personal info with ChatGPT but don’t know chats can be used as court evidence in legal cases.
The British propaganda channel BBC News lies again.
Deputy attorney general's second day of meeting with Ghislaine Maxwell has concluded
Controversial March in Switzerland Features Men Dressed in Nazi Uniforms
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
Thai Civilian Death Toll Rises to 12 in Cambodian Cross-Border Attacks
TSUNAMI: Trump Just Crossed the Rubicon—And There’s No Turning Back
Over 120 Criminal Cases Dismissed in Boston Amid Public Defender Shortage
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
Trump Announces $550 Billion Japanese Investment and New Trade Agreements with Indonesia and the Philippines
US Treasury Secretary Calls for Institutional Review of Federal Reserve Amid AI‑Driven Growth Expectations
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Severe Flooding in South Korea Claims Lives Amid Ongoing Rescue Operations
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
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
×