Foreign Secretary James Cleverly urges ministers to keep policy views ‘around the cabinet table’ amid Conservative infighting
Foreign Secretary James Cleverly has urged his ministerial colleagues to keep their views on government policy “around the cabinet table” as Liz Truss faces an open split within her top team over the 45p tax rate U-turn.
The senior cabinet member warned his peers that it is “always better to feed straight into the boss” if there are any issues regarding “policy or the relationship with other ministers”.
On Tuesday, Home Secretary Suella Braverman accused Tory MPs of staging a “coup” against the PM over the 45p tax rate – a policy which was unveiled in Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng’s tax-cutting mini-budget last month and reversed last week.
Truss prepares to battle to save premiership in keynote speech – Politics latest
“She chose the words that she chose,” the foreign secretary told Sky News, responding to Ms Braverman’s comments.
“But when you’re in government, you have the opportunity to feed your ideas straight to the top machine. It’s always best done around the cabinet table or in the cabinet committee meetings.
“My view is anything to do with policy or the relationship with other ministers – always better to feed straight into the boss”.
Speaking at a Telegraph event at the Conservative Party conference, Ms Braverman said she had been “in favour” of scrapping the top rate of income tax and was “disappointed” by the government’s U-turn.
She also criticised those in her party who had “undermined the authority of our prime minister in an unprofessional way”.
Fellow cabinet minister Simon Clarke also publicly disclosed his objection to the reversal of the policy.
The Levelling Up, Housing and Communities secretary posted on social media: “Suella speaks a lot of good sense, as usual.”
The tax cut for the wealthiest 1% was one of a raft announced by Mr Kwarteng in his mini-budget less than two weeks ago that led to market turmoil – with the pound plummeting, the Bank of England having to step in to rescue pension funds and mortgage products being withdrawn.
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Do the public and Cabinet still trust Truss?
Despite standing by the policy in the opening days of the conference, Mr Kwarteng confirmed on Monday it would no longer go ahead, saying the measure had become a “distraction” from his objective to grow the economy.
Yesterday, Ms Truss told Sky News’ political editor Beth Rigby she had “absolutely no shame” in performing the dramatic U-turn.
Mr Cleverly told Kay Burley that “a lot of discussions weren’t able to be had” over the chancellor’s mini-budget proposals because of the death of the Queen.
The foreign secretary also disputed that a U-turn took place, adding: “What you’re describing as a U-turn is the smallest element of a really big and significant support package to families, tax cut to families, stimulus package for the British economy.”
Ms Truss is also facing the threat of another major split within her top team over the level of benefits.
On Tuesday, Leader of the House of Commons Penny Mordaunt joined backbench rebels in calling for welfare payments to be raised in line with inflation, which has been at around 10%, rather than earnings at 5%.
The PM has refused to commit to raising benefits in line with inflation, saying she has “not made a decision” on whether to stick to the benefit uprate promised by her predecessor Boris Johnson.
Read more:
Liz Truss says she has ‘absolutely no shame’ over tax cut U-turn
Home secretary attacks Tory MPs who ‘staged coup’ over tax cut
At around 11am, Ms Truss is due to deliver her keynote speech at the Conservative Party’s conference in Birmingham as she battles to save her premiership just one month into the job.
The PM will wrap up the event by defending her approach and pledging a “new Britain for the new era” after a week of U-turns and infighting.
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PM: I am ‘not ashamed’ for listening
The prime minister will tell her audience: “Whenever there is change, there is disruption. Not everyone will be in favour.
“We need to grow the pie so that everyone gets a bigger slice.”
She is expected to say: “I am determined to take a new approach and break us out of this high-tax, low-growth cycle.”
Ms Truss will also put her government forward as having an “iron grip” on the UK’s finances that will help everyone.
The hall in Birmingham is not expected to be full as many MPs said they were leaving on Tuesday evening ahead of train strikes on Wednesday.
Liz Truss’s speech is due to take place at 11am on Wednesday. Follow live updates and analysis on the Sky News Politics Hub and on TV.
An amber warning has been issued for snow in a part of the UK, likely to cause travel delays and “stranding some vehicles and passengers”.
The warning, which covers south west England, also warns some rural communities could become cut off and is in place until 2pm this evening.
Pic: Met Office
There is also a yellow weather warning for snow covering the southern counties of England until midnight on Wednesday.
The warning stretches from Kent to Cornwall and up to south London and the Met Office said between 2cm and 5cm of snow could accumulate fairly widely, with as much as 10cm over higher ground.
This week is expected to see the coldest nights of the year, with temperatures potentially reaching -14C on Wednesday night and -16C on Thursday night, both in the North East of England and Scotland, the Met Office said.
Weather warnings issued on Tuesday for snow and ice covering the parts of Wales, the North West of England, west and northern parts of Scotland as well as Northern Ireland will remain in place until midnight tomorrow.
The forecaster said some roads and railways are likely to be affected and there could be icy patches on untreated roads.
Pics: AP
Meanwhile the Environment Agency has said at least 300 properties have flooded across England since New Year’s Eve. It estimates more than 41,000 properties have been protected.
Heavy rainfall over the New Year caused significant river and surface water flooding across the North West of England and Yorkshire and snowmelt has brought further disruption to parts of England, particularly the Midlands, the agency said.
Read more from Sky News:
Terrifying firestorm rips through home of film stars and billionaires
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Man says flooding ‘came out of nowhere’
Floods minister Emma Hardy said: “My sympathies go out to the people, businesses and communities impacted by the recent flooding across the country.
“I want to express my heartfelt thanks for the vital work that the Environment Agency and emergency services are doing to keep people safe. People must continue to follow their advice and sign up for flood warnings.”
Flood warnings
Some 100 flood warnings were in force across England on Wednesday, with people urged to remain vigilant over the coming days.
A danger-to-life warning was issued on Tuesday morning for the River Soar near Barrow upon Soar, Leicestershire, but was later removed.
People living in caravan parks in the area were urged by the Environment Agency to act, with a large-scale evacuation needed to save lives.
Firefighters have rescued dozens of people across Leicestershire since Monday, Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service said.
Hundreds of schools were closed across the UK, with road and rail links blocked, as Manchester, Bristol and Liverpool John Lennon airports suspended flights because of the conditions.
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