‘Lost the plot’: Liz Truss’s constituents give damning verdict on premiership so far
Liz Truss has cancelled a planned visit to a factory where she had been due to take questions from the media amid continuing uncertainty over her future.
The prime minister was scheduled to visit an electronics manufacturer but No 10 said the event was axed because she had “government businesses” to attend to, but declined to comment further.
It came as another Conservative MP publicly called on Ms Truss to quit over September’s disastrous mini-Budget, which sparked chaos in the financial markets.
William Wragg, who is vice chairman of the influential committee of Tory backbenchers, confirmed to the House of Commons earlier that he had submitted a no confidence letter to 1992 Committee chair Sir Graham Brady.
He told MPs he would like to vote with Labour to ban fracking because he is opposed to it.
However, because the vote is being treated as a “confidence motion” in Ms Truss’s embattled , he decided not to because he would lose the whip and his letter of no confidence in the PM would “fall”.
Will Jeremy Hunt put the environment at the core of his economic policy?
The UK’s fourth chancellor in four months differs from his three predecessors in that he is a so-called “green Tory”, by dint of his membership of the Conservative Environment Network.
This group of backbench MPs supports government action to reduce emissions, invest in the green economy and reach the 2050 net zero target.
As a serving minister, Mr Hunt is no longer eligible to be part of the group’s caucus, but is now listed on the CEN website as an alumnus.
Our enviornment correspondent Harry Cockburn reports:
‘Green Tory’ Jeremy Hunt’s climate credentials as Liz Truss pushes for more fracking
Analysis: The Chancellor, a prominent ‘green tory’, recently spoke of the ‘vital’ need to decarbonise economy. Is this still his focus?
The Conservatives are waging a war on nature – it must stop
I hope the new chancellor will send an urgent note to Jacob Rees-Mogg, asking him to scrap his proposed Retained EU Law Bill – or, at the very least, to kick it into the long grass, writes Stanley Johnson.
Read Stanley’s full piece here:
Liz Truss aides ‘pretended her relatives had died’ to get her out of going on TV
Staffer claims only ‘minor people like aunts and cousins’ were killed off
Treasury encouraging soft stance on China, Sir Iain Duncan Smith says
Sir Iain Duncan Smith has hit out at the Treasury for encouraging successive governments to take a soft stance on China.
The former Tory leader claimed the Treasury was “very resistant to any kind of change”, but said the “message is getting home to the government”.
“We have to push them harder,” he added.
“This is a wake-up call for them that we have got to go further and harder.”
Home Office admits it is illegally housing unaccompanied child asylum seekers in hotels
The Home Office has admitted that housing unaccompanied child asylum seekers in hotels is illegal but has no concrete plans to end the practice, a watchdog has revealed.
Official documents show that the government identified over a year ago that the policy amounted to the creation of unregulated children’s homes, which ministers banned in February 2021.
Our home affairs editor Lizzie Dearden reports:
Home Office admits illegally housing unaccompanied child asylum seekers in hotels
‘We are running [unregulated] children’s homes and committing a criminal offence,’ internal documents say
Truss aides ‘pretended her relatives had died’ to excuse her from TV
Liz Truss’s aides would concoct stories about family members dying to get the then-minister out of television appearances, it has been claimed.
A former political journalist who worked for the new prime minister when she was justice secretary said: “She didn’t like the media, so we used to spend quite a lot of time making up excuses and killing off minor members of her family so she didn’t have to go on Question Time.”
Jon Stone reports:
Liz Truss aides ‘pretended her relatives had died’ to get her out of going on TV
Prime minister did not like doing media, it is claimed
Tories will be out of power for 100 years, predicts ex-Lib Dem leader
The prime minister is ensuring that the Conservatives will be out of power for a century, according to Tim Farron, former leader of the Lib Dems, of which Ms Truss was once a member.
PM pulls out of planned visit and questions
Liz Truss has pulled out of a scheduled visit this afternoon – two hours after telling MPs: “I’m a fighter not a quitter.”
No 10 has not given a reason for the last-minute cancellation of the trip to an electronics manufacturer specialising in defence and aerospace technology.
She had been expected to take questions from broadcasters during the visit.
Vice-chair of 1922 group lodges letter of no confidence in PM
A Conservative MP has revealed he has lodged a letter of no confidence in the Prime Minister with chairman of the 1922 committee of backbench MPs Sir Graham Brady.
William Wragg, who is vice-chairman of the group, said he would like to vote with Labour on the fracking motion, but he would not because then his letter would not be counted.
He told MPs: “If I vote as I would wish, then I would lose the whip. I would no longer be vice-chair of the 1922 committee.
“I would no longer maintain a position as a chair of one of the select committees of the House.
“And indeed, because of that, my letter lodged with my honourable friend, the member for Altrincham and Sale West, would fall, and I wish to maintain that letter with my honourable friend.”
Full report:
‘Personally ashamed’ Tory MP submits letter of no confidence in Liz Truss
William Wragg told MPs he would like to vote with Labour to ban fracking because he is opposed to it
Great British Railways plan ‘delayed’ as Liz Truss pulls transport bill
The government’s plan to create a new body to run Britain’s railways has been delayed, the transport secretary has announced.
Anne-Marie Trevelyan said a planned transport bill that would legislate to set up Great British Railways (GBR) would not go ahead in this parliamentary session.
Our policy correspondent Jon Stone reports:
Great British Railways plan ‘delayed’ as Liz Truss pulls transport bill
New body was set to run Britain’s railways from early 2024 but no legislation now due this session
Liz Truss is now Labour’s greatest asset. She must be protected at all costs
If she fouls up at Prime Minister’s Questions, then she’s out; if not, then she just staggers on, limping on as a caretaker towards her inevitable demise, writes Sean O’Grady.
Read Sean’s full piece here:
Truss is Labour’s greatest asset. She must be protected at all costs | Sean O’Grady
If she fouls up at Prime Minister’s Questions, then she’s out; if not, then she just staggers on, limping on as a caretaker towards her inevitable demise
