Liz Truss has failed to rule out any more government U-turns as the Tory rebellion against plans to cut benefits in real terms gathers pace.
The prime minister was repeatedly asked in radio interviews this morning whether further climbdowns were coming after Kwasi Kwarteng abandoned plans to scrap the 45p income tax rate for the highest earners.
The chancellor then followed that up by bringing forward a Commons statement on how he plans to balance the books from November 23 until later this month.
As revealed by HuffPost UK yesterday morning, the government is now coming under fresh pressure from Tory MPs to stick by Boris Johnson’s promise to increase benefits by the rate of inflation.
Asked on LBC whether there would be any more government U-turns, the PM said: “I am determined to carry on with this growth package - that’s what’s important to people - and that we bring the country with us.”
On the benefits bill, Truss refused to be drawn on whether it will increased by average earnings or the more expensive rate of inflation.
She told Radio 4’s Today programme: “We are going to have to make decisions about how we bring down debt as a proportion of GDP in the medium term.
“I am very committed to supporting the most vulnerable; in fact, in addition to the energy price guarantee we’re also providing an extra £1,200 to the poorest households.
“So we have to look at these issues in the round, we have to be fiscally responsible.”
Her comments came as Commons leader Penny Mordaunt became the first minister to publicly say benefits should rise by inflation.
She told Times Radio: “I’ve always supported - whether it’s pensions, whether it’s our welfare system - keeping pace with inflation. It makes sense to do so. That’s what I voted for before.”
Meanwhile, former cabinet minister Damian Green became the latest Tory MP to urge the government not to cut benefits in real terms.
He told the Today programme: “If people are already struggling, and many of these people will be, then making them struggle more is not a sensible response to the problems.
“I completely agree with the prime minister when she says you’ve got to see this in the round, but in the round it doesn’t make sense to give an extra £1,200 of help for energy bills to the poorest people in the country and then say but we’re going to claw hundreds of pounds of that back.”
Green said that due to the size of the looming Tory rebellion, Truss would “probably” not be able to get a benefits cut through parliament.
He said: “I think there that will be many of my colleagues who think that when you’re reaching for spending cuts, benefit payments are not the way to do it.”