Liz Truss’ authority left in tatters as sacked Suella Braverman savages her ‘mistakes’ in day of political mayhem
LIZ Truss saw her government collapse around her yesterday as she sacked her Home Secretary and her Chief Whip tried to quit.
Ousted Suella Braverman hit back to brand the PM “not serious” and accuse her of living in political la la land.
Ms Truss’s authority was draining away last night amid an astonishing Commons dust-up over fracking and another U-turn over scrapping the pension triple lock.
Onlookers told how an ashen-faced PM scuttled through the Commons as her MPs heckled “It’s a disgrace” and “Shambles” as they passed her.
And Brexit supremo Lord Frost demanded: “Liz Truss must leave as soon as possible.
“Her successor, whoever it is, must be capable, competent and able to communicate effectively.
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“She just can’t stay in office for one very obvious reason: she campaigned against the policies she is now implementing.”
In a day of Westminster fireworks, the PM appointed Grant Shapps to her Cabinet less than six weeks after firing him.
And she suspended her closest political adviser over claims he briefed against her enemies.
Yesterday afternoon, the PM was mocked at PMQs hours after inflation hit 10.1 per cent.
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After a barrage of calls to resign, Ms Truss feebly told MPs, “I’m a fighter, not a quitter”, but was jeered by the opposition.
She fired Ms Braverman as they fell out about relaxing rules to allow thousands more visas so the care sector and farming can recruit foreign workers.
Sources described the pair as having a 90-minute shouting match.
Ms Truss demanded Ms Braverman resign after the latter accidentally emailed classified files to a pal.
Huge 'concerns'
After quitting, Ms Braverman said she had huge “concerns about the direction of the government”, including breaking manifesto promises on small boats.
She wrote: “The business of government relies on people accepting responsibility for their mistakes.
“Pretending we haven’t made mistakes, carrying on as if everyone can’t see that we have made them, and hoping that things will magically come right is not serious politics.
"It is obvious to everyone that we are going through a tumultuous time.
“Not only have we broken key pledges that were promised to our voters, but I have had serious concerns about this government’s commitment to honouring manifesto commitments, such as reducing overall migration numbers and stopping illegal migration, particularly the dangerous small boats crossings.”
Later, during farcical scenes in the Commons the Government U-turned on a threat to strip the whip from Conservative MPs if they backed a fracking ban.
Allegations of bullying were then levelled at senior Cabinet figures including the Deputy PM Therese Coffey and the whips over “physically manhandling” wavering MPs through the division lobbies.
Deputy chief whip Craig Whittaker had issued a “100 per cent hard” three-line whip, meaning any Tory MP who rebelled could be thrown out of the parliamentary party.
But Climate minister Graham Stuart stoked confusion by telling the Commons minutes before the vote that “quite clearly this is not a confidence vote”.
In the fallout, MPs say they heard Chief Whip Wendy Morton declare she was resigning and Mr Whittaker say: “I am f***ing furious and I don’t give a f*** any more.”
Not only have we broken key pledges that were promised to our voters, but I have had serious concerns about this government’s commitment to honouring manifesto commitments.
Suella Braverman
However, Downing Street confirmed that both Ms Morton and Mr Whittaker remained in post.
Tory backbencher Sir Charles Walker said: “I’ve really not seen anything like tonight. I just think the whole thing is extraordinary.”
He said he was leaving Parliament voluntarily at the next election, adding: “Unless we get our act together and behave like grown-ups, I’m afraid many of my colleagues, perhaps 200, will be leaving at the behest of their electorate.”
It came as Ms Truss attempted to reshuffle her top team in the wake of Ms Braverman’s sacking.
Just days after appointing Jeremy Hunt as Chancellor, Ms Truss turned to another key Rishi Sunak backer Grant Shapps. Mr Shapps spent Tory conference agitating against Ms Truss’s leadership and even said it could be time for her to quit over the bungled mini Budget.
Arriving at the Home Office, Mr Shapps told reporters: “I accept that the Government has obviously had a very difficult period.
“Jeremy Hunt has done a great job settling issues in relation to that mini Budget.”
Bizarrely, the PM reportedly hopes that Ms Braverman will return to the Cabinet.
Northern Ireland minister Steve Baker told Times Radio last night: “I did speak with No10 and they invited me to say that the Prime Minister would like to be able to reappoint Suella in the new year.” Meanwhile a top adviser to Ms Truss, Jason Stein, was suspended after he was blamed for vicious briefings against Sajid Javid and Michael Gove.
Mr Stein was said to be behind insider briefings against MPs, including labelling former Cabinet minister Mr Javid as “s**t”.
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Mr Stein, who once advised Prince Andrew, is understood to be facing a probe by the Cabinet Office’s propriety and ethics unit.
The Sun understands Mr Javid had been set to raise the issue at PMQs but backed down after cutting a deal for Stein’s suspension.
HOW CHAOS UNFOLDED
7am: Foreign Secretary James Cleverly tells Sky News he understands why people are “frustrated” with Liz Truss, but warns Tory colleagues against “defenestrating” another PM.
9.30am: Tory MPs lash out at Jeremy Hunt after he refuses to guarantee the pension triple lock is safe.
11am: Tory MPs are told the evening’s vote on fracking — triggered by Labour — will also serve as a confidence motion in the PM.
12pm: Truss puts on an average show at PMQs and shuts down rumours of scrapping the triple lock.
1.50pm: One of the PM’s top advisers, Jason Stein, is suspended after being blamed for vicious briefings against Sajid Javid and Michael Gove. He is said to have labelled ex- minister Mr Javid as “s**t”.
2pm: The PM cancels a scheduled visit to a manufacturing plant.
4.30pm: Suella Braverman sacked as Home Secretary after an “accidental” national security leak.
5pm: Ms Braverman lashes out at the PM in a scathing resignation letter.
6pm: Grant Shapps is appointed Home Secretary.
7pm: Minister Graham Stuart causes confusion as he announces in the Commons that the Labour fracking vote is no longer a confidence vote in the PM. Tory MPs say they have no idea what’s going on or what they should do.
7.15pm: Wendy Morton tries to resign as Chief Whip as all hell breaks loose in the Commons. At least one MP is manhandled into the voting lobby.
9.50pm: Downing Street states Ms Morton and her deputy Craig Whittaker are still in post.