Sturgeon: Truss is lame duck Prime Minister and it’s time for her to go
NICOLA STURGEON has called on Liz Truss to resign as Prime Minister – claiming her actions have “heaped misery on people already struggling with a cost-of-living crisis.
Liz Truss sacked Kwasi Kwarteng yesterday as chancellor amid growing anger in the financial sector and her own party over his mini-budget delivered three weeks ago.
That statement by Mr Kwarteng signalled a series of unfunded tax cuts, including for the super-rich, with borrowing levels set to soar.
Mr Kwarteng also angered the markets by refusing the independent Office for Budget Responsibility to be allowed to publish forecasts alongside the budget update.
But Ms Truss has failed to take a share of the blame, despite sacking Mr Kwarteng for the strategy she brought forward “in lockstep” with him.
Instead, the Prime Minister pointed to “current market issues” for forcing her into the second huge U-turn of the mini-budget – insisting she would not resign in order to maintain “economic stability”.
But the First Minister has called on Ms Truss to take responsibility and quit Downing Street.
In a tweet, Ms Sturgeon said: “The best thing Liz Truss could do for economic stability now is resign.
“Her decisions have crashed the economy and heaped misery on people already struggling with a cost-of-living crisis.
“The only decent thing for Tory MPS to do now is call time on her government and allow an election.”
Speaking to broadcasters, the First Minister said: “This was beyond a joke, it was never funny, but Liz Truss has already through her own decisions crashed the economy and heaped misery on people who were already struggling with the cost-of-living crisis.
“Today, she has forced her chancellor to carry the can for her decisions.
“She had already shown herself to be completely out of her depth as Prime Minister, and as of today she is also a lame duck Prime Minister. “It’s time for her to go.
“It’s time for this entire UK Government to go and for people across the UK to get the opportunity to have their say in a General Election.”
Scottish Conservative leader
Douglas Ross has backed
Ms Truss as leader of his party, but acknowledged she has not made the start to her leadership she “was looking for”.
Asked by a Question Time audience member if he thinks Ms Truss could win the next General Election, Mr Ross said he does.
“We’re a long way out from the next election. The opinion polls are very difficult for the party,” he added.
But asked for his opinion in a yes or no situation, Mr Ross said: “Yes. I did say yes, right at the top.”
He went on: “I think we can get the economy back up and running again and I think we can help people.”
Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar said: “Eleventh hour U-turns and scapegoating aren’t enough to salvage this shambles for Liz Truss.
“It’s not just Kwasi Kwarteng that needs to go. We need to remove all those that were involved in putting together this disastrous plan, and everyone that signed it off – not just the guy who read it out.
“It’s time to remove this economically illiterate and morally bankrupt Tory party from government.