Downing Street has insisted that Liz Truss remains in charge of the government, amid speculation that chancellor Jeremy Hunt has become the true power behind the throne.
The statement came amid growing calls from her own MPs for Ms Truss to stand down as prime minister, as well as behind-the-scenes discussions on how to force her out if she will not go voluntarily.
The prime minister’s official spokesperson denied suggestions that Ms Truss had been “forced” by her chancellor to accept the reversal of the bulk of her mini-Budget, insisting the decision was made jointly by the pair in discussions over the weekend.
Reports have suggested that Mr Hunt would take a “chief executive” role in the government, with responsibility for day-to-day decisions, while Ms Truss will be more of a “chairman” with oversight duties.
But when the PM’s spokesperson was asked if this was in fact the arrangement now in place, he told a Downing Street media briefing on Monday: “No. I would characterise it as prime minister and chancellor.”
And challenged directly to say who is now running the country, the PM’s spokesperson said: “The prime minister.”
Ms Truss chaired an unscheduled political meeting of cabinet by video call this morning to brief colleagues on the U-turns to be announced by Mr Hunt an hour later.
She will this evening address a meeting of the One Nation caucus of moderate Tory MPs before hosting a reception for cabinet ministers in 10 Downing Street.
Her spokesperson said she wanted to continue to “engage” with Conservative MPs ahead of the medium-term fiscal plan announcement on 31 October.
Despite public calls from four of her MPs for her to quit, and near-open revolt among Tories behind the scenes at Westminster, the spokesperson insisted Ms Truss was providing “stability of leadership”.
He said that she “stands by” the economic policies behind the mini-Budget, but now acknowledges that the 23 September programme went “too far and too fast” in putting them into immediate effect
“The prime minister is listening to the public,” the spokesperson told reporters.
“She is listening to advice on the markets, she is listening to her colleagues and she is making the necessary difficult decisions to change our approach so that we can provide the economic stability and indeed maintain that stability of leadership which is important.”
Pressed on whether she accepted she had a credibility problem, the spokesman said: “The prime minister is demonstrating that she is able to make the difficult decisions necessary to provide the leadership for this country.”
In a tweet about an hour after the chancellor’s statement, Ms Truss herself said: “The British people rightly want stability, which is why we are addressing the serious challenges we face in worsening economic conditions.
“We have taken action to chart a new course for growth that supports and delivers for people across the United Kingdom.”
Pressed on what is left for Ms Truss to deliver on given the ripping up of her leadership campaign promises, her spokesperson said the PM and her new chancellor “agree that it’s vitally important” that she delivers on her “going for growth” mission, including investment zones and boosting the UK’s energy supply.
“There is a raft of work that the government is delivering on and the prime minister is leading on,” he said.
