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It’s Liz Truss day in Westminster as the former prime minister’s new book, Ten Years to Save the West, is released unto the world.
Following the account’s serialisation in the Daily Mail, Truss’ exhaustive promotional tour has come to a head in recent days with a series of publicity interviews. In these, the former PM has set out a fresh political stall, informed by her disastrous 49 days in Downing Street and the many enemies made along the way.
So far, Liz Truss has called for the UK to leave the European Court of Human Rights, for Bank of England governor Andrew Bailey to be sacked — and for the abolition of the Supreme Court, Human Rights Act, United Nations, Environment Agency and Natural England (but not the monarchy as the teenage Truss would have it).
In simple terms, Truss is attempting to establish herself as the lead figure on the Conservative right by signalling her libertarian credentials. It’s all with both eyes firmly fixed on the leadership election likely to come after the next general election.
Fortunately for the limelight-loving ex-PM, she will have another opportunity to make waves later today as MPs debate the government’s smoking ban proposals. Earlier this year, Truss called on the government to reverse the “profoundly unconservative policy”. (As it happens, another former PM, Boris Johnson, referred to the policy as “absolutely nuts” in a speaking event last week).
Conservative parliamentarians have been granted a free vote on the legislation, and several — including senior ministers — are expected to oppose it. More on this story here.
It means Truss is likely to be one of several big beasts to rebel over the proposals — including, according to reports this afternoon, leader of the House of Commons Penny Mordaunt and business and trade secretary Kemi Badenoch. It is surely no accident that both Mordaunt and Badenoch are spoken of as likely contenders in a future Conservative leadership contest (voting against the government today is certainly one way prospective candidates can endear themselves to the Tory grassroots).
But my featured article today is on the broader ramifications of Liz Truss’ recurrent interventions and why they are, after all, revealing of a deep structural crisis for the prime minister. Read my initial thoughts below — or dive straight into the full article here.
Lunchtime briefing
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Lunchtime soundbite
‘I issued an order from the mayor to ban the “National Conservatism Conference” event to guarantee public safety. In Etterbeek, Brussels City and Saint-Josse, the far-right is not welcome’
— The National Conservatism Conference will be shut down in Brussels, local officials have said. Reform UK honorary president Nigel Farage and former home secretary Suella Braverman had been due to speak at the conference, alongside Hungarian leader Viktor Orbán.
Now try this
‘Liz Truss on Trump, Brexit and … fleas? 9 things we learned reading her new book’
Politico reads the new tome by Britain’s shortest-serving prime minister so you don’t have to.
‘Jamie Driscoll predicts ‘big upset’ for Labour in North East mayoral race’
North of Tyne mayor Jamie Driscoll speaks to PoliticsHome’s Sienna Rodgers about quitting the Labour Party and why he is confident of winning the North East mayoral race as an independent
‘Liz Truss’s memoir exposes one fatal flaw on the path to becoming prime minister’
The Independent’s John Rentoul argues Truss’ premiership is a warning that the constitutional rupture of allowing people outside parliament to choose party leaders should be repaired.
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