Tory MPs have warned the new Conservative leader must not abandon the heartland or surround herself with a tight circle of right-wing allies as a general election looms. A former minister said: “I suspect he will go ahead with a fairly hard Brexit, right-wing, Thatcher-honoring government.” Liz Truss is favorite to succeed Boris Johnson as Tory leader and prime minister (PA wire) The calls came as union leaders urged Ms Truss to “clean up” her plans for workers’ rights, after reports she wants to review EU-sourced protections. The next prime minister faces an uphill battle to unite the Conservative Party after a bitter leadership contest marked by a series of bitter blue-on-blue attacks. There are concerns that Mrs Truss will be a Margaret Thatcher tribute act (AP) Just last month Mr Sunak warned that Ms Truss’s plans would put vulnerable people at risk of “genuine impoverishment”, while her former cabinet colleague Michael Gove described her as a “holiday from reality”. Within weeks of entering Downing Street, her government is expected to present an emergency budget that will include its controversial planned tax cuts, which many Tory MPs fear will fuel already rising inflation. Others worry that her “handout” comments, made early in the election campaign, mean that any support offered to households for the cost of living this winter will do little to make a dent in what is predicted to be a “frightening” fall in living standards . Despite the early promise, Rishi Sunak is widely expected to miss out on Monday (PA Wire) MPs urged Mrs Truss to appoint a cabinet representing the different “wings” of the party. “Belief matters, but so does skill,” said one. Kevin Hollinrake, a Sunak supporter and member of the Commons Treasury select committee, warned Ms Truss against cutting taxes at the same time as failing to provide enough support for households who will suffer this winter. He said the new prime minister should not “pull to the right” and should remember that parties win elections from the center. When it came to the leadership election, he said: “You play a bit with the crowd in these contests, but what you don’t want is to go on that and think it’s only about [Tory] members. [Your policies have] it must be mainstream. This is what my constituents stand for. If we drag it right, we’re in serious trouble.” Boris Johnson will step down as prime minister on Monday after three years (PA Wire) A former minister predicted Ms Truss would struggle to unite the party at a time when some forecasts suggest inflation could reach as high as 18%, especially as many Tory MPs believe her plan for tax cuts and spending increases will “feed” the problem. But a backbencher from a red wall seat, who backed Mr Sunak, predicted Tory MPs would “get behind” whoever the new prime minister is – “as long as he gives us something to get behind”. The winner of the long-running leadership contest is set to be revealed at noon on Monday. They will be called to form a government the following day, having traveled to Balmoral to meet the Queen. And only when they return to London later that day are they expected to reshuffle and make appointments to their cabinet. On the subject of the review of workers’ rights, TUC general secretary Frances O’Grady said: “Liz Truss’ number one priority should be to help families pay their bills this winter. “Threatening workers’ hard-won rights is the last thing the country and workers need. She needs to make her plans clear.”
