Liz Truss’s book Ten Years To Save The West in breach of rules in place on minister’s memoirs
Liz Truss’s memoir broke the rules in place for ministers publishing works about their time in office.
The former prime minister’s book, Ten Years To Save The West, came out earlier this week and tells of her time as the UK shortest-serving leader.
This includes how her government was run, and details of her conversation with the late Queen Elizabeth II.
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While Ms Truss submitted the book to civil servants in the Cabinet Office for review, a final sign-off was not sought before publication.
A spokesperson for the Cabinet Office said: “This book was submitted to the Cabinet Office for review. While we would not publicise the details of any discussions, we did not agree to the final wording. So the author is in breach of the Radcliffe Rules.”
The Radcliffe Rules, introduced in the wake of the publication in the 1970s of the diaries of Richard Crossman’s time in cabinet, prohibit the publication of content which is damaging or destructive to national security, to the UK’s international relations, or to the confidentiality of government business.
A source close to Ms Truss said: “The Cabinet Office confirmed that Liz complied with all the rules regarding national security and relations with foreign governments, but she wanted to ensure that the truth was told about the mini-budget and the role of officials and the Bank of England.
“She believes this is in the public interest.”
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‘I’ve read enough Liz Truss books’
One of Ms Truss’s claims in the book about the Bank of England has come under further criticism.
Ms Truss has repeatedly attacked the UK’s central bank, which stepped in following the mini-budget, and she assigns blame for her downfall.
In the book, Ms Truss wrote: “If only the words attributed to Mayer Amschel Rothschild of the famous banking family had been heeded: ‘Permit me to issue and control the money of a nation, and I care not who makes its laws.'”
The Board of Deputies of British Jews wrote to Biteback, the publishers of the volume, to say this quote was “fabricated”.
A spokesperson for the community organisation added: “The publishing house has apologised for this quote being mistakenly cited and for the failure to identify its false nature during the fact-checking process.
“They have promised that it will be removed in the e-book version and in any future print editions of the book. We thank them for their swift response.”
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A source close to Ms Truss said: “Liz came across the quote and thought it a useful way of illustrating a point about the Bank of England.
“Numerous online sources have stated that it was attributed to Rothschild, so she simply attributed it thus. Clearly nothing more was meant of it.”
Sky News has approached Biteback for comment.
UK drivers are “confused” by the country’s electric car transition, ministers are being warned.
Although most drivers are not hostile towards electric vehicles (EVs), many are confused about what changes are coming and when, according to new research from the AA.
In a survey of more than 14,000 AA members, 7% thought the government was banning the sale of used petrol and diesel cars.
Around a third thought manual EVs exist, despite them all being automatic.
More than one in five said they would never buy an EV.
The government’s plan for increasing the number of electric vehicles being driven in the UK focuses heavily on increasing the supply of the vehicles.
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What you can do to reach net zero
In 2024, at least 22% of new cars and 10% of new vans sold by each manufacturer in the UK had to be zero-emission, which generally means pure electric.
Each year, those percentages will rise, reaching 80% of new cars and 70% of new vans in 2030.
Manufacturers will face fines of £15,000 per vehicle if electric vehicle sales fall short of 28% of total production this year.
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By 2035, all new cars and vans will be required to be fully zero emission, according to the Department for Transport.
Second-hand diesel and petrol cars will still be allowed to be sold after this date, and their fuel will still be available.
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In February, 25% of new cars were powered purely by battery and in January, they made up 21% of all new cars registered in the UK.
But despite the growth of electric sales, manufacturers continue to warn that the market will not support the growth required to hit government EV targets, and called for consumer incentives and the extension of tax breaks.
The AA suggested the government’s plan focuses on “supply but does little to encourage demand for EVs”.
It called on ministers to co-ordinate a public awareness campaign alongside the motoring industry which directly targets drivers who doubt the viability of EVs.
“Our message to government is more needs to be done to make EVs accessible for everyone,” said Jakob Pfaudler, AA chief executive.
Which? head of consumer rights Sue Davis said: “When it comes to making sustainable choices such as switching to an electric car, our research shows that people are often held back by high costs, complex choices or uncertainty.
“The government needs to provide the right information on electric vehicles and other sustainable choices so that people have the confidence to switch.”
A Department for Transport spokesperson said: “We’re investing over £2.3bn to help industry and consumers make a supported switch to EVs.
“This includes installing a public charge point every 28 minutes, keeping EV incentives in the company car tax regime to 2030, and extending 100% first-year allowances for zero-emission cars for another year.
“Second-hand EVs are also becoming cheaper than ever, with one in three available under £20,000 and 21 brand new models available for less than £30,000.
“We’re seeing growing consumer confidence as a result.”
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