LIZ Truss has claimed she is a “fighter not a quitter” as she desperately defended her premiership to a backdrop of roaring MPs.
The Prime Minister’s future hangs by a thread and she was goaded by co-ordinated jeers of “gone” from Labour benches as Keir Starmer demanded to know why she remained in office.
The Labour leader was backed by his MPs and he mocked Truss over the book being written about her, jokingly asking whether “out by Christmas” was its release date or the title.
It comes as a new poll revealed the Prime Minister had the lowest approval ratings on record and some of her own MPs went public with calls for her to stand down amid fears Truss will banish the party to political oblivion.
READ MORE: One of Liz Truss's most senior advisers 'suspended' amid ethics investigation
Referring to the Tory U-turn on an energy price freeze, Starmer asked: “How can she be held to account?”
Labour leader Keir Starmer leads co-ordinated chorus of 'gone' as he lists Liz Truss's U-turns before landing on the sacking of her 'supposed best friend' Kwasi Kwarteng pic.twitter.com/73iEIIH8sf
— Hamish Morrison (@HMorrison97) October 19, 2022
Truss claimed her government backed the “strivers not the strikers” and asked why the opposition leader had not taken action on “militant unions”.
Starmer responded: “She’s asking me questions because we’re a government-in-waiting and they’re an opposition in waiting.”
He added: “There’s no getting away from this, hundreds of people are facing horrendous mortgage repayments and she’s admitted it’s her fault.
“She shouldn’t have conducted an economic experiment on the British public. It’s not just her, they [Tory MPs] put her there. They’re keeping her there. Why on Earth would anyone trust the Tories with the economy ever again?”
Starmer then led his MPs in a chorus of “gone” as he said: “The only mandate she’s ever had is from the party opposite. It was a mandate founded on fantasy economics and it ended in disaster.
“The country’s got nothing to show for it, except for the destruction of the economy and the implosion of the Tory party.
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“I’ve got the list here: 45p tax cut – gone. Corporation tax cut – gone. 20p tax cut – gone. Two year energy freeze – gone.
“Tax-free shopping – gone. Economic credibility – gone. And her supposed best friend the chancellor [Kwasi Kwarteng] – he’s gone as well. They’re all gone. So why’s she still here?”
Truss replied: “I am a fighter and not a quitter. I have acted in the national interest to make sure that we have economic stability.”
Despite indications from the new Chancellor Jeremy Hunt he would make spending cuts, the Prime Minister ruled this out, saying she would increase public spending next year and the following year.
And she appeared to overrule the Chancellor by committing to protect the pension triple-lock, in response to a question from the SNP's Ian Blackford.
Hunt had previously refused to make any committment on whether gold-plated pensions would be kept.
Truss said: “Our policy is to protect the most vulnerable for two years. I had to take the decision, because of the economic situation, to adjust our policies.
“I am somebody who is prepared to front up, I’m prepared to take the tough decisions unlike the honourable gentleman who hasn’t done anything on businesses, he’s done nothing to say he’ll protect people after one year, he’s got no plan.”
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