Michael Gove: ‘No longer question of if Liz Truss goes, but when’

Britain is in economic ‘hell’ before ‘purgatory’, former levelling-up secretary says

Michael Gove has suggested that it is inevitable that Liz Truss will be ousted from Downing Street after the mini-Budget U-turns.

The former levelling-up secretary made the comments, reported by The Times, at a private event on Tuesday evening.

When asked whether it was “no longer a question of whether Liz Truss goes, but when she goes”, Mr Gove agreed that was “absolutely right”.

He added: “The question for any leader is what happens when the programme or the platform on which you secured the leadership has been shredded.”

Ms Truss is clinging onto her leadership despite a growing campaign against her by Tory backbenchers who are mounting a campaign to force her out of Downing Street.

Michael Gove and Liz Truss leaving 10 Downing Street in 2015 (AFP via Getty Images)

It comes after her financial plans caused the pound and markets to plummet. She then sacked chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng – when they were both just weeks into their jobs – and appointed Jeremy Hunt in his place.

Also on Tuesday evening, Ms Truss told the European Research Group (ERG) of Brexiteer Tory MPs that she found it “painful” to have to U-turn on measures such as the axing of the 45p tax rate for highest earners.

She allowed Mr Hunt to scrap the plans “because she had to”, her spokesperson said.

Mr Hunt announced on Monday that he would be getting rid of most of Ms Truss and Mr Kwarteng’s proposals and that his “credible, fully-costed” plans will be detailed on 31 October.

Mr Gove – who had described the financial plans as “not Conservative” – warned at the event that Britain would be in economic “hell” for some time longer.

Jeremy Hunt was appointed chancellor days after Kwasi Kwarteng was sacked (Sky News)

He continued: “After hell comes purgatory and paradise. Purgatory is going to be a tough economic medicine applied in this country and elsewhere. For how long I don’t know.

“But until and unless the interest rate increases and other measures required in order to kill and reduce inflation are in place, then we won’t get out of this mess.”

He last week made a series of veiled attacks on Ms Truss over Twitter, strongly suggesting that he thought her time in office was nearing an end after she sacked Kwasi Kwarteng.

His comments were far more diplomatic than those uttered by former Tory health minister Edwina Curry.

In an interview with GB News, she said there was no way the prime minister would survive in office.

Ms Currie said: “Oh, no, of course she can’t survive. Oh my goodness. I’m going to put this on record. I think she is charmless, graceless, brainless and useless.”

As well as a number of Tory former ministers and backbenchers, a majority of the party’s members also want Ms Truss gone.

More than half – 55 per cent – of Conservative Party members want her to step down, and just 38 per cent of them want her to remain at No 10, according to a recent YouGov poll.