Another day, another backbench rebellion brewing for Liz Truss. Having U-turned over the 45p tax rate cut following a revolt from Tory MPs, the Prime Minister is once again facing trouble. This time it’s her plan to raise benefits in line with earnings rather than inflation that is going down badly. Below is The Spectator’s running tally of the Tory MPs who have voiced their concerns:
1. Penny Mordaunt: it ‘makes sense’ that welfare should rise in line with inflation (4 Oct, Times Radio interview)
2. Michael Gove: ‘my basic position, my starting position is, yes, Boris was right (that benefits should rise in line with inflation)’ (4 Oct, Times Radio)
3. Damian Green: to make hard-up families ‘struggle even more does not seem a sensible thing to do’ (4 Oct, BBC interview)
4. Esther McVey: ‘I have to say that it would be a huge mistake not to give a cost of living increase in the benefits.’ (3 Oct, CPS fringe event)
5. John Glen
6. Mel Stride: ‘We’re coming off the back actually of a kind of quite a strong real-terms squeeze on those benefits already so I think that will be a really tough call to make’ (4 Oct, BBC Radio 4)
7. Iain Duncan Smith: ‘My personal view is I don’t see what will be gained by it (not raising benefits in line with inflation)’ (4 Oct, ConservativeHome fringe event)
8. Roger Gale: ‘You don’t protect the vulnerable by cutting benefits’ (4 Oct, Kent Online)
9. Robert Halfon: ‘It’s essential that we increase benefits in line with inflation’ (4 Oct, BBC Essex)
10. Alicia Kearns: (4 Oct, Tory conference fringe event)
11. Sajid Javid: ‘I personally believe that benefits must stay in line with inflation.’ (10 Oct, BBC Radio 4)
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