Monday 3 October 2022 11:15 PM Liz Truss under pressure from top Tories over screeching late-night reversal on ... trends now
Liz Truss was under fire from senior Tories last night for caving in over tax cuts.
Her shock decision to abandon plans to scrap the top rate of income tax alarmed supporters worried about her determination to pursue the rest of her radical programme.
The Prime Minister’s critics, including Michael Gove, seized on the climbdown over the 45p rate and immediately started targeting other parts of her agenda, such as capping a rise in benefit payments.
‘Her position is such that she really can’t afford to make any more mistakes,’ said a former minister who backed her leadership bid. ‘She has basically used up all her nine lives in one fell swoop.’
Liz Truss was under fire from senior Tories last night for caving in over tax cuts
A Cabinet source also voiced disquiet, saying: ‘The trouble with U-turns is that every time you make one you get weaker.
‘Boris had too many U-turns, Theresa had far too many. We are trying to do some very difficult things and we cannot afford many more.’
Kwasi Kwarteng formally dropped the plan to scrap the 45p tax rate – paid by workers on more than £150,000 – yesterday morning, less than 24 hours after the PM had insisted she was ‘absolutely committed’ to it.
The Chancellor took responsibility for the change of direction, saying ministers had ‘got it wrong’. He added: ‘I’m listening, and I get it, and in a spirit of contrition and humility I have said “actually this doesn’t make sense, we won’t go ahead with the abolition of the rate”.’
Kwasi Kwarteng formally dropped the plan to scrap the 45p tax rate – paid by workers on more than £150,000 – yesterday morning, less than 24 hours after the PM had insisted she was ‘absolutely committed’ to it
Miss Truss yesterday said the issue had become ‘a distraction from our mission to get Britain moving’.
In an LBC interview to be broadcast this morning, the PM was asked six times to rule out further U-turns but would only say: ‘I’m determined to carry on with this growth package.’
Mark Littlewood of the Institute of Economic Affairs, which backed the tax cut, acknowledged it had become ‘a political hot potato’ but voiced concern over it being dropped. He said: ‘Of course, it will raise the question that the next time Kwasi Kwarteng makes an announcement that Grant Shapps and Michael Gove don’t like, does that announcement stick? You always worry about that when you see a U-turn. I’ve known Liz Truss for many years and I can’t think of another time where she’s changed her mind on anything, anything at all.’
