Friday 14 October 2022 08:52 PM Half of Britons think Liz Truss was right to sack Chancellor but just 14% ... trends now
As Liz Truss faces mounting fury from the Tories tonight, a snap poll by YouGov has shown half of Britons think she was right to sack former Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng - but just 14 percent have faith in replacement Jeremy Hunt.
The poll showed 49 percent of Britons think the Prime Minster was right to sack Kwasi Kwarteng, matched by 51 percent of those who voted for the Conservatives at the 2019 general election.
Overall among Britons, just 16 percent say that the decision was the wrong one.
Despite media briefings as early as 8am this morning that the Chancellor had the PM's full support, Mr Kwarteng cut his trip to the US a day short to fly back to the UK, and was sacked by Ms Truss almost as soon as he arrived back in London.
Pressure has been mounting for days for Liz Truss to take action after the markets went into turmoil over the Chancellor's unfunded mini-budget announcement.
In a major U-turn and noticeably short press conference this afternoon Truss announced that the government has reversed its policy to scrap the planned rise in corporation tax from 19 percent to 25 percent in April 2023.
But she was only on the stage for eight minutes and took just four questions from the media before walking out of the room.
Liz Truss did a solo press conference at Downing Street today but only stayed for eight minutes before abruptly walking out, answering just four media questions
It came after she had fired her former Chancellor, Kwasi Kwarteng, but later thanked him for 'his decision' to depart
Former Health and Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt has replaced Mr Kwarteng - but just 14 percent of Britons think he will do a good job
YouGov found that six in ten Britons support the corporation tax freeze U-turn with just 15 percent opposed.
Support for the U-turn is also high among 2019 Conservative voters at 57 percent with around one in five opposed to it.
Almost immediately after Mr Kwarteng had been sacked, it was announced that Jeremy Hunt would replace him as the new Chancellor of the Exchequer.
Former foreign secretary and two-time failed leadership contender Mr Hunt is making a shock return as a 'safe pair of hands' to take over No11.
Two in five Brits think that he will do a bad job as Chancellor with just 14 percent expecting him to do a good job.
But the polling found that almost half of the public don't know. Although Mr Hunt is seen as a safe choice among some Conservatives, he has been out of headline roles in the Cabinet for some time.
Even among 2019 Conservative voters, just one in five think Mr Hunt will do a good job.
Barely a month into her premiership, Ms Truss fronted a make-or-break press conference today to abandon plans to keep corporation tax at 19p, rather than hiking it to 25p in April.
She said she had made a 'difficult' decision for 'economic security' and 'in the national interest', but argued that her 'mission' to reduce taxes remained.
'We will get through this storm,' she said. 'The mission remains the same.. but ultimately we have to make sure we have economic stability.'
Under fierce fire from journalists, Ms Truss refused to apologise for 'trashing' the Tories' reputation - before abruptly walking out after eight minutes and just four questions.
She is under fierce criticism among members of her own party after sacking Mr Kwarteng, when he followed her vision she herself set out in the Tory leadership contest.
In a letter, Mr Kwarteng confirmed he had been 'asked to stand aside' rather than quitting - and suggested he still believes that the tax-cuts should go ahead. After
