Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Truss needs chance to settle in, says Leadsom

Former energy secretary Dame Andrea Leadsom was speaking after picking up her damehood at Buckingham Palace.

Ted Hennessey
Thursday 13 October 2022 13:05 BST
Liz Truss and Dame Andrea Leadsom in 2019 (John Stillwell/PA)
Liz Truss and Dame Andrea Leadsom in 2019 (John Stillwell/PA) (PA Archive)

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

Conservative former minister Dame Andrea Leadsom has said Liz Truss “needs a chance to settle in” amid criticism of her leadership.

The Prime Minister has come under intense pressure from Tory MPs to abandon her economic plan following a market backlash to the measures.

However, former energy secretary Dame Andrea said Ms Truss must be given a chance to “get things under control”.

Picking up her damehood at Buckingham Palace on Thursday, she told the PA news agency: “I think we all have to give the Prime Minister a chance to settle in.

“There’s been a huge amount of turmoil over the last few weeks within the nation, and the Prime Minister must be given a chance to get things under control and start to make progress on what is a very important agenda of growing the economy.”

Dame Andrea, who initially backed Penny Mordaunt in the Conservative Party leadership contest in the summer, said the investiture was a refreshing break from the busy morning in Westminster.

It came amid questions about Ms Truss’s leadership after little more than a month in the job.

Pressure has been ramped up on the Government since its mini-budget, due to days of turmoil on the financial markets, a fall in the value of the pound and rises in the cost of borrowing and mortgage rates.

At a meeting of the backbench 1922 Committee in Westminster on Wednesday, Commons Education Committee chairman Robert Halfon told Ms Truss she had “trashed the last 10 years of workers’ Conservatism”.

However, supporters have insisted her tax-cutting, pro-growth agenda must be allowed to progress.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in