Dorries attacks Truss for ‘throwing Chancellor under the bus’
Liz Truss admits she didn’t discuss scrapping top rate with cabinet
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Nadine Dorries accused Liz Truss of “throwing the Chancellor under a bus” as she attacked the Prime Minister for distancing herself from the Government’s tax cuts. The former Cabinet minister, who was vehemently loyal to Ms Truss in the Conservative party leadership election, said there was a need for things to “improve and settle down from now” after three weeks of turmoil. Tory MPs have been deeply divided ever since the Government’s so-called mini-budget was announced 10 days ago.
Support for the Conservatives plummeted in the polls after the markets panicked following the Chancellor’s tax-cutting measures.
There has been anger among MPs after the Government announced it was scrapping the 45p tax rate levied on the highest earners.
But speaking this morning Ms Truss appeared to suggest the plan was her Chancellor’s idea.
Ms Truss admitted the Cabinet had not been asked about the 45p tax rate being axed in advance.
“No, no, we didn’t. It was a decision the Chancellor made,” she told the BBC’s Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg.
Reacting with fury, Ms Dorries said: “One of Boris Johnson’s faults was that he could sometimes be too loyal and he got that.
“However, there is a balance and throwing your Chancellor under a bus on the first day of conference really isn’t it.
“Fingers crossed things improve and settle down from now.”
Ms Truss admitted to making mistakes over the measures announced earlier this month but said she remained certain it was the right course to take.
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“I do want to say to people I understand their worries about what has happened this week,” she said.
“I do stand by the package we announced and I stand by the fact we announced it quickly, because we had to act.
“But I do accept we should have laid the ground better.
“I have learnt from that and I will make sure that in future we do a better job of laying the ground.”
She added: “We’re not living in a perfect world, we’re living in a very difficult world where governments around the world are making tough decisions.
“And I believe it was the right decision to increase borrowing this winter.”
Ms Truss’s energy package and tax cuts were paid for by £105billion of extra borrowing.
She said she wanted to “reassure people that we have a clear plan” to deal with inflation, the energy crisis, and to save the country from recession.
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