UK: Senior ministers call on Conservatives to unite behind PM Liz Truss

Over the weekend, senior British ministers called on their fellow members of the ruling Conservative Party to come together and support Prime Minister Liz Truss. The ministers explained that internal disagreements would lead to the opposition Labour Party taking power by the 2024 elections.

Senior British ministers on Sunday called for members of the Conservative Party to come together and support Truss as her administration seeks credibility after they were forced to walk back their decision to scrap the country’s highest rate of income tax.

The party’s annual conference last week was also plagued by division and unrest among members of the party, with recent opinion polls being in favor of the opposition Labour Party.

“Those plotting against the prime minister are helping to usher in a Labour government. Conservative MPs should be supporting our party leader, not working against her. Division will only result in drift, delay, and defeat,” said senior Cabinet Office Minister Nadhim Zahawi in a piece for the Mail on Sunday.

“As a party, we must unite around her now,” said Interior Minister Suella Braverman in a piece for the Sun.

Zahawi was among the senior ministers to write pieces for a Sunday news outlet to call for unity and support for Truss ahead of parliament’s return on Tuesday.

Truss is also facing pressure over whether to limit increases in some benefit payments to less than inflation as she looks for ways to fund her economic growth plan that involves tax cuts. Several lawmakers called the plan inappropriate as millions of families in the country are struggling with the rising costs of food and energy.

Zahawi also shared on Twitter that the country is “extremely unlikely” to plan power cuts during the coming winter months. Zahawi’s comments come as the National Grid has warned of blackouts if it cannot import more energy.

“It’s extremely unlikely, but it’s only right that we plan for every scenario. But all I would say is we have a buffer,” said Zahawi on Sky News Sunday. “So I’m confident that come Christmas, come the cold weather, we will continue to be in that resilient place.”