Truss tells Tory MPs: Unite behind me or face defeat to Labour
Liz Truss has told her own Tory backbenchers that they must unite behind her leadership or face electoral wipeout at the hands of Labour.
Number 10 and several cabinet ministers have today come out to warn rebel MPs about Tory disunity, after a party conference marked by vicious infighting and attacks on Truss.
Former cabinet ministers Michael Gove and Grant Shapps spent parts of the four-day conference in Birmingham undermining Truss’ leadership, with the pair helping force a U-turn on the government’s plan to cut the top rate of Income Tax.
There was also a complete breakdown in cabinet discipline just four weeks into her premiership as two members of Truss’ top team hit out against the U-turn, while a further two freestyled on policy.
A series of polls over the past two weeks show the Conservatives trailing Labour by between 25 and 33 points.
In a message to Tory MPs, a Number 10 source told The Telegraph: “Get behind Liz or get the monstrous coalition of Labour and the SNP, that’s the cold hard reality of this.
“The PM has the right plan to get our economy growing again, end years of drift and win in 2024, but she needs time and the full backing of the party. The country and our members don’t want a leadership race or an early general election.”
Close Boris Johnson ally Nadine Dorries has become increasingly critical of Truss’ premiership and has said she does not have a mandate to move toward low-tax libertarian policies.
She told the BBC today: “I am still one of Liz’s biggest supporters, but you have to put that into context… that we are 30 points behind Labour in the polls.
“And if there was a general election tomorrow that would probably mean complete wipeout for the Conservative party.”