Truss: I’ll be the unity candidate

Foreign Secretary’s vow to cut taxes and pull together Red and Blue Wall Tories as she pitches for leadership

LIZ Truss last night launched her leadership bid with a promise to slash taxes and unite Conservatives in the Red and Blue Walls.

The Foreign Secretary, who has long brandished her low-tax credentials, is positioning herself as a traditional Tory candidate who can deliver on promises.

She is likely to be joined on the ballot paper by Home Secretary Priti Patel, who was last night still mulling over whether to run – despite several public endorsements from Tory MPs.

Miss Patel is thought to be fearful that the Right-wing vote could be split, leaving the party without a hardline Brexiteer in the final two.

Writing in the Daily Telegraph, Miss Truss said: ‘ Under my leadership, I would start cutting taxes from day one to take immediate action to help people deal with the cost of living.

‘It isn’t right to be putting up taxes now. I would reverse the National Insurance increase that came in during April, make sure we keep corporation tax competitive so we can attract business and investment into Britain, and put the Covid debt on a longer-term footing.

‘I will get the private sector growing faster than the public sector, with a longterm plan to bring down the size of the state and the tax burden. She added that her plan was ‘built on a clear and long-standing Conservative philosophy’.

A Tory source said last night: ‘If the Right united on the current numbers, the candidate would be in second place. Conversations and caucusing are only going to get them so far. There is a real risk they freeze themselves out of the race.’

Miss Truss is standing on a ticket to keep Boris Johnson’s 2019 electoral coalition together by holding key seats and bringing back disaffected voters.

Allies said the Foreign Secretary would be able to ‘hit the ground running’ with her Cabinet experience.

‘ Now isn’t the time for someone who is untested,’ a campaign source told the Daily Mail last night.

‘Liz is the only one who has the combination of experience, Conservative principles on the economy, and can unite the Red and Blue Walls.’ An ally added: ‘Liz keeps the 2019 Red and Blue Wall election coalition together, returns us to proper Conservative policy on the economy, and has vast experience and a great record of getting difficult things done.

‘She’s our best chance of turning things around before the next election.’ Several MPs had already announced their support for Miss Truss before her campaign had formally launched, including the Work and Pensions Secretary Therese Coffey.

In a tweet, she said: ‘ She has helped lead the international response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, brokered dozens of post-Brexit trade deals that people thought would be impossible to do.’

Miss Patel was last night said to be coming ‘closer and closer to standing’ but was waiting until today to make a final decision.

An ally said: ‘She’s got the numbers to stand, and indications show she has more than others on the Right. It’s just now a question of if they will unite and back her to go all the way or split the vote to lead to a coronation.

‘Many MPs are encouraging her to stand, people know it needs to be someone who is a committed Brexiteer that can actually unleash those benefits of Brexit and deal with the cost of living crisis.

‘Just look at the Rwanda policy – now backed up by almost every leadership candidate, it shows she’s ready with innovative solutions to complex and controversial problems.’

Last night the European Research Group of Brexitbacking Tories were meeting to discuss how to maximise their chances of getting one of their supporters into the final two of the contest.

They fear that if an untested MP makes the final ballot – such as Suella Braverman – they could suffer the same fate as Andrea Leadsom and hand the leadership to Rishi Sunak.

‘Return to classic Tory principles’