Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak
Rishi Sunak just can’t shake the ghosts of prime ministers past. Liz Truss was the spectre at the feast as PMQs resumed on Wednesday for the first time following the Easter break.
The former PM was not immediately visible in the Commons chamber for Prime Minister’s Questions but remains the talk of Westminster with her new book Ten Years to Save the West: Lessons From the Only Conservative in the Room.
As Ms Truss tours TV studios on a relentless and sometimes eccentric promotion of the book, Sir Keir Starmer joked that he was one of the few people to possess an unsigned copy.
Her conspiracy-laden defence of her time in 10 Downing Street – at 49 days, the shortest of any prime minister – was a PMQs gift to the Labour leader, who said it was “the Tory Party’s obsession with wild, unfunded tax cuts that crashed the economy”.
The present PM had a ready retort, which appeared to leave Sir Keir on the back foot. Mr Sunak recapped that he had pointed out the folly of Ms Truss’s policies when they ran against each for the Conservative leadership, while Sir Keir had campaigned to put Jeremy Corbyn in No10.
Drawing raucous cheers from the Tory benches, the PM said: “All I would say is he ought to spend a bit less time reading that book and a bit more time reading his deputy leader’s tax advice.”
Angela Rayner is under investigation by Greater Manchester Police after allegations about her property history made in another book, a biography by the Tory tax exile Lord Ashcroft. She denies any wrongdoing and Sir Keir continues to back his number two, who was sat next to him at PMQs.
Once the Commons had settled down, the Labour leader accused the “billionaire” PM of “smearing a working-class woman”. But the Conservative MPs were still chuntering and heckling, glad that Mr Sunak had diverted the conversation from Ms Truss’s brief but disastrous tenure in No10.
The former PM did pay a rare visit to the Commons on Tuesday when she spoke out against Mr Sunak’s “unconservative” Bill to outlaw smoking by younger generations.
Ms Truss said during the debate: “If people want to vote for finger-wagging, nannying, control freaks, there are plenty of them to choose from on the benches opposite… If they want to have freedom, that is why they vote Conservative.”
The Tobacco and Vapes Bill has also been assailed by Boris Johnson, another past PM fond of shaking his gory locks at Mr Sunak.
For the party of cigar-chomping Winston Churchill to seek to ban smoking was “absolutely nuts”, according to Mr Johnson, who alleges he fell victim to a Macbeth-worthy assassination by his successor.
The Bill passed comfortably at its first Commons hurdle with Labour backing, but Tory MPs were given a free vote and 57 of them opposed it, including Business Secretary Kemi Badenoch, while 106 abstained.
Ms Badenoch said the legislation risks undermining the principle of equality under the law, and denied she was currying favour with the Tory Right for a future leadership bid.
When it comes to PMs, voters have been given a banquet of choice by the Conservatives in recent years, and will likely be served up another leadership battle if the polls are correct and Mr Sunak goes down to a landslide defeat by Sir Keir at the next election.
Register now for one of the Evening Standard’s newsletters. From a daily news briefing to Homes & Property insights, plus lifestyle, going out, offers and more. For the best stories in your inbox, click here.
News Related
-
Asylum seekers travel in an inflatable boat across the English Channel, bound for Dover on the south coast of England (Photo: Ben Stansall/AFP) Up to 40 Conservative MPs are poised to rebel over Rishi Sunak’s Rwanda deportation policy as they question ministers’ commitment to the scheme. A major row is ...
See Details:
Up to 40 Tory MPs ‘set to rebel’ if Sunak’s Rwanda plan doesn’t override ECHR
-
In the saltmarsh fringing where the Ballyboe River dissolves into Trawbreaga Bay, a little egret wears its plumage like a windblown stole. Our car swoops across the 10 arches of Malin bridge and we park along the village green. Malin is almost as far north as you can get on ...
See Details:
Country diary: A tale of three churches
-
Photograph: Chris Ratcliffe/EPA Hampton Court is an enduring monument to the power of Henry VIII, a pleasure palace down the Thames from Westminster and the City of London. On Monday it was the scene of power projection of a different kind, as Rishi Sunak pitched for investment from some of ...
See Details:
Sunak woos business elite with royal welcome – but they seek certainty
-
-
Tottenham interested in move to sign “fearless” £20m defender in January Tottenham Hotspur have joined the race to bring an overseas defender to the Premier League in January, according to a fresh report. Postecoglou’s centre-back options The Lilywhites currently have Micky Van De Ven, Ashley Phillips, Cristian Romero and Eric ...
See Details:
Tottenham interested in move to sign “fearless” £20m defender in January
-
A £100m campaign urging households and businesses to use less water will be funded from customers’ bills, Ofwat has said. Bill payers to stump up cost of £100m water usage campaign The regulator’s chief executive David Black told MPs that if the measures worked it would be cheaper than building ...
See Details:
Bill payers to stump up cost of £100m water usage campaign
-
FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football – FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia and New Zealand 2023 – Group B – Canada Training – Olympic Park, Melbourne, Australia – July 24, 2023 Canada’s Christine Sinclair during training REUTERS/Hannah Mckay/File Photo (Reuters) – BC Place in Vancouver, British Columbia, will be renamed “Christine Sinclair ...
See Details:
Soccer-Venue renamed 'Christine Sinclair Place' for Canada soccer great's final game
-
Michael van Gerwen is hunting down a fourth World Championship title (Picture: Getty Images) Michael van Gerwen is Phil Taylor’s tip to lift the World Darts Championship trophy for a fourth time in January, expecting a backlash from the recent defeat in the Players Championship Finals. The 2024 World Championship ...
See Details:
Phil Taylor makes his pick for 2024 World Darts Championship winner
-
Michael van Gerwen is hunting down a fourth World Championship title (Picture: Getty Images) Michael van Gerwen is Phil Taylor’s tip to lift the World Darts Championship trophy for a fourth time in January, expecting a backlash from the recent defeat in the Players Championship Finals. The 2024 World Championship ...
See Details:
Soccer-Howe aims to boost Newcastle's momentum in PSG clash
-
Michael van Gerwen is hunting down a fourth World Championship title (Picture: Getty Images) Michael van Gerwen is Phil Taylor’s tip to lift the World Darts Championship trophy for a fourth time in January, expecting a backlash from the recent defeat in the Players Championship Finals. The 2024 World Championship ...
See Details:
Hamilton heads for hibernation with a word of warning
-
Michael van Gerwen is hunting down a fourth World Championship title (Picture: Getty Images) Michael van Gerwen is Phil Taylor’s tip to lift the World Darts Championship trophy for a fourth time in January, expecting a backlash from the recent defeat in the Players Championship Finals. The 2024 World Championship ...
See Details:
Carolina Panthers fire head coach Frank Reich after 1-10 start to the season
-
Michael van Gerwen is hunting down a fourth World Championship title (Picture: Getty Images) Michael van Gerwen is Phil Taylor’s tip to lift the World Darts Championship trophy for a fourth time in January, expecting a backlash from the recent defeat in the Players Championship Finals. The 2024 World Championship ...
See Details:
This exercise is critical for golfers. 4 tips to doing it right
-
Michael van Gerwen is hunting down a fourth World Championship title (Picture: Getty Images) Michael van Gerwen is Phil Taylor’s tip to lift the World Darts Championship trophy for a fourth time in January, expecting a backlash from the recent defeat in the Players Championship Finals. The 2024 World Championship ...
See Details:
One in three households with children 'will struggle to afford Christmas'
-
OTHER NEWS
Kobbie Mainoo made his first start for Man Utd at Everton (Photo: Getty) The Football Association are reportedly confident that Manchester United starlet Kobbie Mainoo will choose to represent England ...
Read more »
Michael Smith will begin the defence of his world title on the opening night (Picture: Getty Images) The 2024 World Darts Championship is less than three weeks away and the ...
Read more »
For the first time a long haul commercial aircraft is flying across the Atlantic using 100% sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). A long haul commercial flight is flying to the US ...
Read more »
The King has met business and finance leaders from across the world at a Buckingham Palace reception to mark the conclusion of the UK’s Global Investment Summit. Charles was introduced ...
Read more »
After Ohio State’s 30-24 loss to Michigan Saturday, many college football fans were wondering where Lou Holtz was. In his postgame interview after the Buckeyes beat Notre Dame 17-14 in ...
Read more »
Darius Slay wouldn’t have minded being penalized on controversial no-call No matter which team you were rooting for on Sunday, we can all agree that the officiating job performed by ...
Read more »
New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones (10) Quarterback Mac Jones remains committed to finding success with the New England Patriots even though his future is up in the air following ...
Read more »