Truss stitched up by Sunak Tory leadership rivals’ pact to stop ‘Maggie heir’
Jailed RAF medic David wants a payout
ALLIES of Tory leadership hopefuls Rishi Sunak and Jeremy Hunt are stitching up a deal to squeeze Liz Truss out of the race, it is claimed.
Tory insiders say campaign teams for the Chancellor and former Health Secretary have a “nonaggression pact” in their bid to succeed Boris Johnson as PM.
They say the plan is to get Mr Sunak, 41, and Mr Hunt, 55, as the only candidates put to Conservative members – who do not get a say in the contest until MPs have whittled the field down to two.
And Tory MPs say that will ensure Foreign Secretary MS Truss, who is most popular with the rank and file, cannot be PM.
The deal would keep Mr Sunak as Chancellor in a Hunt government and give Mr Hunt a top job in a Sunak one.
Ms Truss, 46, has thrown MPs a “fizz with Liz” dinner at Mayfair club 5 Hertford Street and “biz for Liz” events with possible campaign donors.
Backers have a “Liz for leader” WhatsApp group. She is positioning herself as the low-tax heir to Margaret Thatcher.
One MP said: “There is a lot of manoeuvring to keep Liz off the final ticket. Many of our members are dotty enough to vote for her and we’d end up with a worse leader than now.”
Angry Tory MPs have been plotting the PM’s downfall after a series of blunders. But the Mirror understands Mr Sunak and Mr Hunt have not discussed the contest and are leaving the dirty work to their supporters. Insiders say 12 letters have been sent to the 1922 Committee urging a no-confidence vote in Boris. Another 42 are needed to trigger a vote.
Other leadership challengers include Cabinet ministers Sajid Javid and Michael Gove, and Foreign Affairs Committee chairman Tom Tugendhat.
Disgraced ex-Health Secretary Matt Hancock, who last week hired a new PR chief, may even run. Mr Sunak, Mr Hunt and Ms Truss did not comment.