A treasury minister will warn Theresa May she must be bolder on economic reform, like Margaret Thatcher, if Tories are to win next election
Liz Truss will say in Washington DC tomorrow that the PM should be bold like Mrs Thatcher and that she should be speaking about 'freedom, aspiration, success', sparking party leadership speculation
THERESA May must get out of the bunker and embrace sweeping economic reform if the Tories are to win the next election, Liz Truss will declare today.
The Treasury Minister will slam the Government’s “defensive” stance and argue for more radical policies instead of “apologising for backing enterprise.”
And she will warn: “We need to talk about freedom, aspiration, success.”
Her explosive speech in Washington DC is set to ignite a fresh bout of Tory leadership speculation, with Ms Truss tipped to run in a future contest.
Speaking at the free market Cato Institute, Ms Truss will insist that defenders of capitalism have “been on the back foot” since the financial crash in 2008, leading to a left wing surge.
And she will say silence from fans of capitalism has let “radical leftist economic agendas” seize “the vacated pitch.”
Instead she will say the Conservatives need to offer “a modern American dream” to voters back in Britain and return to “being the party of aspiration”.
And she will add that “economic dynamism” around home owning and good jobs is needed to turn around Tory fortunes.
Ms Truss will say her speech is a “clarion call to the West” to “get our economic mojo back – and stop apologising for backing enterprise.”
“Ten years after the crash, it’s time to shop being defensive and face our critics head on.”
And the top Tory will urge the Prime Minister to be more bold and radical like Maggie Thatcher, saying: “I know we can win this argument, because we have won this argument before.”
“In the 1980s, Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan’s economic policies were blasted by the opposition.
They were called evil and jeered in the street.
“But they were unashamed of what they did and were prepared to take criticism to do what was right.”
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Ms Truss’s speech, titled “Markets for Millennials: Freedom, Wealth and Opportunity”, comes after months of speculation that the Chief Secretary of the Treasury is eyeing a tilt at No10.
She has become a popular hit on photo-sharing site Instagram, offering behind the scenes glimpses into her role.
Last night Ms Truss said: “I know there is a positive economic future ahead and I’ll be explaining how we can grasp it.”
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