By Stefan Boscia
A senior cabinet minister has been forced to say that Liz Truss is “not under a desk”, after refusing to face questions in the House of Commons.
Leader of the House of Commons Penny Mordaunt answered an Urgent Question in parliament today from Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer, instead of the Prime Minister.
Starmer said that Truss is “scared of her own shadow” as she avoids scrutiny for today’s decision to overturn her entire economic plan.
New chancellor Jeremy Hunt is being called the “de facto Prime Minister”, including by some Tory MPs, after he set a completely new economic direction for the government.
He today announced that “almost all” of Truss’ tax cuts would be cancelled in a bid to reduce government borrowing and to calm financial markets.
Mordaunt said “I don’t think there’s been a coup” and that “the Prime Minister is not under a desk … I can assure the House that with regret she is not here for a very good reason.”
“The decision taken by our Prime Minister would have been a very tough one, politically and personally, yet she has taken it and she has done so because it is manifestly in the national interest that she did,” Mordaunt said.
Starmer said: “Hiding away, dodging questions, scared of her own shadow. The lady is not for turning … up.
“How can Britain get the stability it needs, when all the Government offers is grotesque chaos? How can Britain get the stability it needs, when instead of leadership we have this utter vacuum?
Truss has now been forced to ditch almost all of her economic policy promises from the Tory leadership contest and is in serious danger of becoming the shortest ever serving Prime Minister.
Tory MP Tobias Ellwood told Sky News after the statement that this was the “worst crisis since Suez”, while Angela Richardson became the fourth backbencher to publicly call for Truss to be ousted.
A new poll from Redfield & Wilton today gave Labour a 36-point lead over the Tories – the largest poll lead recorded by any party in more than 25 years.
The Prime Minister will host cabinet ministers for a Number 10 reception tonight and hold more meetings this week to try and shore up her position.
Rishi Sunak supporters are also planning a series of meetings this week, with some of the ex-chancellor’s allies trying to rally support for a leadership change.
Mordaunt and Ben Wallace have also been talked up as potential candidates to take over, however there is no clear unanimous choice.
Senior Tory MPs have said there would need to be a “coronation” of one MP who is chosen to take over in order to avoid another drawn-out leadership contest.
Guildford MP Angela Richardson became the fourth Tory to publicly call for Truss to resign yesterday.
She told The Telegraph that it’s “better for the party and for the country to have a change in leadership at the top”.
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