Liz Truss faces climbdown on benefits as Cabinet ministers rally round

Ministers scrambled to shore up Liz Truss‘s position today amid claims she is set for another climbdown over plans for a real-terms benefits cut.

A host of Cabinet stalwarts have been deployed to rally support for the PM, with warnings that the Tories face election catastrophe unless they unite.

After a party conference blighted by infighting, Suella Braverman, Nadhim Zahawi, Penny Mordaunt and Environment Secretary Ranil Jayawardena all penned articles backing Ms Truss.

In interviews this morning, Mr Zahawi warned that the government must focus on delivering its policies. ‘Delay is our biggest enemy,’ he told Sky News. ‘Dither and delay will end in defeat.’ 

A No 10 source said the ‘cold hard reality’ is the party must ‘get behind Liz’ or wind up with a ‘monstrous coalition of Labour and the SNP’.

However, there is growing speculation that Ms Truss is going to need to perform another U-turn on welfare handouts. 

The premier has been indicating that she wants to increase benefits in line with wages rather than inflation in April, but Ms Mordaunt openly opposed the idea last week and even otherwise loyal ministers are alarmed.

Some are planning to ambush Ms Truss when Cabinet meets on Tuesday, according to The Sunday Times. Labour stirred the pot today by suggesting that Conservative MPs have already been ‘reaching out’ to discuss how they can block a below-inflation benefits increase. 

The chaos came against the backdrop of more dire polls for the Tories. Opinium found Labour leading by 21 points – the highest ever recorded by the firm. Ms Truss’s personal approval rating was minus 47. 

Ministers scrambled to shore up Liz Truss’s position today amid claims she is set for another climbdown over plans for a real-terms benefits cut. The PM is pictured at a European summit in Prague on Thursday

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Opinium found Labour leading by 21 points – the highest ever recorded by the firm

In interviews this morning, Nadhim Zahawi warned that the government must focus on delivering its policies

Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng has been forced to deny claims he put the PM’s chances of survival at ‘only 40-60’ last week following the volte face on abolishing the top rate of tax.

Former Cabinet minister Michael Gove has been branded ‘sadistic’ after he spearheaded the revolt at conference. 

And as manoeuvring gathers pace, ex-transport secretary Grant Shapps – another rebel ringleader – is said to be touting himself as a caretaker prime minister.

Ms Braverman fueled the issues in Birmingham last week by expressing ‘disappointment’ at the 45p tax rate staying, reviving the goal of getting immigration down below 100,000 a year, and saying she wanted Britain to leave the European Convention on Human Rights – which is not government policy.

But writing in The Sun On Sunday she warned against ‘splits and fallout’.

She wrote: ‘Those working with Labour to undermine our Prime Minister are putting the Conservatives’ chance of victory at the next election in real danger.

‘So the choice for my colleagues and for us is as party is simple: Back Liz or get Keir Starmer, hand-in-hand with Nicola Sturgeon.’

In an article for the Mail On Sunday, Mr Zahawi admitted the Government did not get the ‘whole package right’ when it came to its plan for growth, with a nod to the climbdown on the 45 per cent rate for earnings over £150,000.

But he drew a line under the affair, writing: ‘Another big decision, done.’

‘That is the mark of the Prime Minister’s leadership,’ he said.

‘She listened and decided to focus on what matters most: the bulk of our plan to get Britain moving.’

He insisted that ‘now is the time’ for the Tories to rally behind Ms Truss, warning that the alternative – a Labour government ‘propped up’ by the SNP – is ‘beyond concerning’.

‘We cannot allow the keys of the Kingdom to be allowed to fall into their hands,’ he said.

‘That is why my fellow Conservatives need to hold our nerve.’

Mr Zahawi said Tory MPs should be supporting their leader, not ‘working against her’, as he cautioned ‘division will only result in drift, delay and defeat’.

He also tried to cool the temperature on the benefits row, saying Ms Truss ‘will always be on the side of helping the most vulnerable’.

‘Liz Truss will always be on the side of helping the most vulnerable,’ he said.

‘No decisions have been made on the benefits uprating.’

Ms Mordaunt, who publicly supported increasing benefits in line with inflation, also warned against a divide within party ranks.

Writing in The Sunday Telegraph, she said Ms Truss had ‘acknowledged mistakes were made’ with the mini-budget and ‘acted’ accordingly.

‘Anyone can wave to the cameras. Anyone can be all things to all people. That’s the easy bit,’ Ms Mordaunt said.

‘You measure leaders when they are in the ring dazzled by the media lights taking punch after punch and taking the hard decisions required.

‘All my colleagues have a part to play in delivering for the British people. We need all talents helping our nation now. Division will only play into the hands of those who would take our country in the wrong direction.’

Mr Jayawardena delivered a similar message in his own piece for The Sunday Express, saying colleagues must ‘get behind’ the PM and ‘deliver, deliver, deliver’.

Grant Shapps (left) is said to have been touting himself as a caretaker PM. Michael Gove (right at Tory conference last week) has been branded ‘sadistic’ for heading a revolt 

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Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng has been forced to deny claims he put the PM’s chances of survival at ‘only 40-60’ last week following the volte face on abolishing the top rate of tax

‘A failure to do so will result in a coalition of chaos – a Labour government, propped up by the SNP and the Lib Dems,’ he said.

‘We need to back Liz Truss – or get Keir Starmer in Nicola Sturgeon’s pocket.’

As the civil war rages, Boris Johnson is said to be ‘full of energy’ and showing ‘absolutely zero bitterness’ after the toppling of his premiership.

Former culture secretary Nadine Dorries, who chose to return to the backbenches when Ms Truss took the reins at No 10, said the ex-PM was ‘swinging a cricket bat’ when she went to see him earlier this week.

He ‘hadn’t even watched’ Ms Truss’s speech to the Conservative Party conference, Ms Dorries said, and seemed ‘happy and very relaxed’.

The ex-minister has also criticised the Government’s current trajectory, warning Ms Truss has made ‘big mistakes’ in her first few weeks in office and suggesting the Tories risk losing the next election unless the PM changes course.

Writing in the Mail on Sunday, Ms Dorries said Ms Truss should bring big beasts such as Mr Shapps and Steve Barclay back into Cabinet, even though they supported Rishi Sunak in the leadership contest.  

‘We also need a U-turn on the announcements affecting animal welfare. Why say you are going to relax the ban on foie gras, a ‘delicacy’ that involves the cruel force-feeding of geese? Or on the live export of animals? Many of our voters actually like animals,’ she wrote.