Tory MP savages Liz Truss in Commons and calls for her to be ousted

A Tory MP has called on Liz Truss to go in the House of Commons and confirmed he’s put in a letter of no confidence.

William Wragg said he was ‘ashamed’ of the economic mess the government has created and could not ‘forgive’ ministers after a shambolic few weeks.

The Hazel Grove MP, who is vice-chair of the 1922 Committee, said he had been left unable to tell his constituents to vote Conservative after the humiliating mini-budget U-turn.

It comes amid growing rumours that the powerful backbench body may be close to changing the rules that theoretically protect the prime minister from being ousted this early into her tenure as leader. 

She skipped an urgent question in the Commons on Monday to meet with Sir Graham Brady, who would be tasked with informing her that Tory MPs want her out.

Ms Truss had been due to visit a business this afternoon and answer journalists’ questions but that engagement has been cancelled at the last minute without explanation.

The PM resisted calls to resign during prime minister’s questions earlier, telling MPs ‘I’m a fighter, not a quitter’.

But Mr Wragg became the latest in a steady trickle of Tories publicly confirming they have called for a leadership contest, with the numbers reportedly far higher in private.

Liz Truss faced her third PMQs this afternoon – but there are growing murmurs it may be her last (Picture: Number 10)

He told the Commons that ‘there’s no escaping the fact that the measures contained within that financial statement caused directly the situation to be made worse’.

Mr Wragg accused the government of a ‘lack of foresight’ and said he was distressed at the PM’s supporters’ willingness to engage in the ‘trashing of the reputations of independent organisations in this country’.

He described ‘Conservative orthodoxy’ as ‘sound financial management and a balanced budget’, and said the PM’s plan had been to ‘stick some pamphlets into a test tube and shake it up and see what happens’. 

The MP said he was ‘personally ashamed’, adding: ‘I can not go and face my constituents and look them in the eye and say they should support our great party and the polls would seem to bear that out.’

The government has taken the gamble of labelling a vote this afternoon tabled by the Labour Party a confidence vote, meaning if they lose it the PM would by convention be expected to resign.

William Wragg MP said he was ‘ashamed’ of the debacle around the mini-budget (Picture: Commons TV)

On the face of it, the move looks like an attempt to bounce Tory MPs who might be inclined to rebel on an issue which divides its voters into backing the government.

But Mr Wragg accused Number 10 of laying a trap by coaxing rebels into voting against the government so they can be suspended from the party, thus rendering them unable to formally call for the PM’s removal.

He confirmed he has submitted a letter of no confidence and, despite opposing fracking, would vote for a pro-fracking position to prevent his letter from being withdrawn.

Mr Wragg said if he lost the whip ‘I would no longer be vice chair of the 1922 Committee, and because of that my letter lodged would fall – and I wish to maintain that letter’.

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The 1922 Committee vice-chair said he was ‘ashamed’ of the mini-budget mess and confirmed he’s submitted a no confidence letter.