Tory Backbenchers ‘Openly Plotting’ How to Put Truss Gov’t ‘Out of Its Misery’, Report Says

Last week’s YouGov poll revealed that at least 73% of respondents now have an unfavorable impression of British Prime Minister Liz Truss. The survey came amid a political backlash against the UK government, which revealed its mini-budget last month to tackle the cost of living crisis.

UK Prime Minister Liz Truss is facing a new threat of revolt emanating from Tory backbenchers after she said that she is "absolutely" not planning public spending cuts.

Speaking at a meeting of the 1922 Committee on Wednesday, critics including Robert Halfon, the chairman of the House of Commons’ education panel, accused the PM of abandoning Conservative values and questioned her decision-making ability.

He spoke as many Conservative backbenchers stood up in the Commons to urge the government to reconsider its tax policies.

MP for High Peak Robert Largan said that “the Conservative Party stands for low taxes but also for fiscal responsibility and sound money. Given that the Prime Minister has just said that there will not be public sector spending cuts, can I ask if the government are considering deferring any of the tax measures recently announced by the Chancellor [Kwasi Kwarteng]?”

The British news outlet i has meanwhile cited an unnamed MP as saying that it was “a worse 1922 meeting than any under [former UK Prime Minister] Theresa May."

Describing the gathering as “brutal”, the source claimed that the MPs are “openly plotting how to put this government out of its misery.”

Mel Stride, chair of the Treasury committee, for his part tweeted that the Chancellor had to show “a clear change in tack.”

“Given the clear government position expressed today on protecting public spending, there is an emerging question. Whether any plan that does not now include at least some element of further row back on the tax package can actually satisfy the markets,” Stride noted.

The remarks followed Labor leader Keir Starmer asking Truss during Prime Minister's Questions if she stood by her pledge, made during her leadership election, that she is “not planning public spending reductions.”

She said, “Absolutely. What we will make sure is that over the medium term the debt is falling. But we will do that not by cutting public spending but by making sure we spend public money well.”

The PM’s spokesperson in turn warned that there would be "difficult decisions" for the government regarding public spending, and that Chancellor Kwarteng would announce measures “in due course”. Kwarteng previously pledged that the government's economic plan would be outlined on October 31 and accompanied by an assessment by the independent Office for Budget Responsibility.

Answering questions from MPs on the economy later on Wednesday, Chief Secretary to the Treasury Chris Philp stressed that there would be "no real term cuts" in public spending.

Thus came after UK Home Secretary Suella Braverman accused Conservative Party rebels last week of trying to stage a coup and “undermine” Truss “in an unprofessional way” following the government’s U-turn on its mini-budget plan to scrap a 45% income tax rate for top earners.

An array of backbench MPs, including Simon Hoare and Steve Double, made it clear at the time that they had been standing by their constituents in opposing the abolition of the 45% income tax rate.

“Doing what we believe to be right for our constituents is not ‘a coup’ or unprofessional. It’s called doing our job as backbench MPs. If this is the approach the cabinet take, we’re in for a bumpy time,” Double argued, while Hoare insisted that “representing one’s constituents is not a coup.”

The remarks were preceded by Truss telling Sky News that there was “absolutely no shame” in the government's U-turn on abolishing the highest rate of income tax. She claimed that scrapping the 45% rate paid on income over £150,000 per year showed that the government was listening to ordinary peoples' concerns.

Kwarteng conceded in his speech during the Conservative Party Conference in early October that his mini-budget, which was announced on September 23, had caused "a little turbulence," adding that the government will forge a new deal to help ensure economic growth in the country.

The chancellor unveiling the mini-budget triggered a backlash from Conservative MPs amid ensuing financial turmoil, the pound plunging to a record low since 1971 and mortgage lenders pulling a spate of key deals.