Analysis: Has Liz Truss driven herself into a cul-de-sac?

2 years ago 80
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WATCH: 'Dear ohio dear' - King Charles greets Truss

By Chris Mason, governmental exertion and Ione Wells, governmental correspondent

BBC News

The words of King Charles arsenic helium greeted Liz Truss for what volition soon go to some of them a mean play thing.

It was the chat, oregon audience, the monarch has with the premier curate each week.

So what connected world was the King referring to?

It appears it is thing of a verbal tick of his, an effort to determination a speech connected from pleasantries to the substance of the meeting.

Of course, we'll ne'er cognize for certain.

The camera stopped a fewer seconds later, arsenic the astir discreet of chats a premier curate gets to person decently began.

Rather little discreet, her conversations with her ain MPs.

Ms Truss reminded her backbenchers of the government's assistance with people's vigor bills.

We're told she said she tin "see a mode through".

The question, then, for some, is wherefore the markets are being kept waiting for much than different fortnight, erstwhile they are intelligibly truthful jittery, if she knows the solution.

She besides acknowledged, again, that her presumption of her policies could person been amended truthful what she announced was little of a astonishment to people.

And she accepted that however she'd done things and the consequences of this had near immoderate unhappy.

Sources successful the country said that backbencher Robert Halfon, the Chair of the Education Select Committee and a erstwhile minister, accused the authorities of "trashing bluish collar Conservatism."

He said the Conservative Party's grounds nether David Cameron, Theresa May and Boris Johnson had included things similar boosting apprenticeships and the surviving wage, whereas she had chopped taxation for millionaires and wants to chopped affordable lodging and chopped benefits.

MPs determination accidental helium got a cheer, but Liz Truss looked "shocked" and said helium could travel to talk to her privately.

Grimaces

Afterwards, arsenic MPs filed out, determination were grimaces and gritted teeth, though the Prime Minister herself said it had been "very good."

What happens adjacent is intriguing.

A effect of the battle connected the Prime Minister's authorization astatine her enactment league past week is simply a nervousness successful No 10 and a tendency to beryllium seen to beryllium reaching retired and listening to Conservative MPs.

She did it erstwhile successful nationalist and doubly successful backstage connected Wednesday - astatine Prime Minister's Questions, successful the Commons tearoom afterwards and aboriginal successful the question and reply league with backbenchers.

And this volition proceed adjacent week erstwhile each Tory MP volition person the accidental to spot her successful determination groupings -- to person their accidental connected what she's doing, and, crucially, what the Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng says successful his economical connection 2 weeks connected Monday, 31 October.

And meanwhile, the markets and the state are near to ponder what mightiness hap next, portion 300 positive Conservative MPs trundle successful with their grumbles, hobby horses and priorities.

The authorities appears to person recovered itself inadvertently driving down a cul-de-sac - and doesn't privation to beryllium seen to reverse retired of it.

Remember it has already astatine the precise slightest eased disconnected the pace, with the cancellation of the taxation chopped for the champion paid.

The situation is however to clasp arsenic overmuch arsenic economical and governmental credibility arsenic possible, erstwhile preserving 1 risks the other.

Of course, ministers anticipation this full strategy turns retired not to beryllium a cul-de-sac aft each and aft respective twists and turns, and adventures implicit the writer verge, a way to economical and governmental credibility is found, alongside economical growth.

But close present plentifulness of backseat drivers - wrong the Conservative Party and beyond - are questioning some the navigation and the idiosyncratic down the wheel.

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