Liz Truss has only been in office for around 40 days. But the days of the British Prime Minister could already be numbered. They reportedly want to get rid of more than 100 Conservative MPs. An old acquaintance is already being traded as a successor.
British Prime Minister Liz Truss may face a vote of no confidence later this week, according to British media reports. More than 100 MPs from the ruling Conservative Party are ready to overthrow Truss, the Daily Mail reported, citing people familiar with the matter.
MPs want to urge Conservative Party committee chair Graham Brady to tell Truss "their time is up" or change party rules to allow for an immediate vote of confidence. Graham is expected to resist, arguing that Truss and newly appointed Treasury Secretary Jeremy Hunt deserve a chance to lay out economic strategy in the Oct. 31 budget debate, the report said.
Reportedly, opponents of Truss's possible successor include former Treasury Secretary Rishi Sunak, who ran against Truss for the leadership of the Tory Party, and Conservative Penny Mordaunt. British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace could also be a compromise candidate, the Sunday Mirror reported.
Tory MP Robert Halfon, who backed Sunak's candidacy, compared Truss and ousted Finance Minister Kwasi Kwarteng to "libertarian jihadists" engaged in "ultra-market liberal experiments." He told the Sky News broadcaster that after the poll numbers had plummeted, it was inevitable that his party colleagues would talk about what to do about it.
After only 40 days in office, Truss is fighting for her political survival. She is the successor to Boris Johnson, who had to vacate his post as prime minister after numerous scandals. She had prevailed in the Conservative Party with promises of tax cuts and much stronger economic growth. However, the government's debt-financed tax plans have led to turbulence on the capital markets.
She listened and understood, Truss wrote in an article in the Sun on Sunday newspaper on Sunday. "We cannot pave the way to a low-tax, high-growth economy without gaining market confidence in our commitment to a strong currency," she said.
To appease investors, Truss' new Treasury Secretary Hunt warned that taxes could even be increased. On Saturday he announced "difficult decisions" to correct the economic plans. A finance minister "cannot control the markets," Hunt told Sky News. But he could show "that we can finance our projects through taxes and expenses." All ministries would have to hold back on spending, said Hunt, who spoke publicly for the first time since his appointment. Some taxes "won't come down as fast as people would like. Some taxes will go up."
"Mistakes" were made in the budget plans. The Prime Minister admitted those mistakes, which is why he's here, Hunt said. At the same time, he made it clear that he shared the "fundamentals" of their economic project. On Sunday, Hunt met with Truss at their country home to finalize the new budget.
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, criticized Truss' economic policy in an interview with the "Guardian". The spiritual leader of the Anglican Church said he was "deeply skeptical" that tax cuts for the rich would benefit anyone else. On Saturday, US President Joe Biden expressed similar criticism, calling Truss's tax cut plans a "mistake".
