LONDON (AP) 鈥� U.K. government ministers implored Conservative colleagues to rally behind after a disastrous start to her premiership that has left the governing party demoralized and divided.
Cabinet minister Nadhim Zahawi told the BBC that with two years or less until the next general election, the party should 鈥済et behind Liz because division will cause delay, delay is our enemy, and ultimately (means) defeat."
House of Commons leader Penny Mordaunt, one of the Conservatives who ran against Truss this summer to replace Boris Johnson as the party's leader and the U.K.'s prime minister, said in an article for the Sunday Telegraph that 鈥渄ivision will only play into the hands of those who would take our country in the wrong direction.鈥�
Home Secretary Suella Braverman wrote in a piece the Sun newspaper published Sunday that 鈥渢he choice for my colleagues and for us is as party is simple: Back Liz or get (Labour Party leader) , hand-in-hand with (Scottish National Party leader) .鈥�
A misfiring economic plan that sparked turmoil on financial markets marred Truss鈥� tumultuous first month in office and threw her party into disarray. Both Braverman and Mordaunt openly disagreed with Truss during the party鈥檚 fractious annual conference last week.
The pleas for unity come as lawmakers are set to return to Parliament on Tuesday from a two-week break. Conservative legislator Mel Stride, who heads the House of Commons Treasury Committee, said the party mood is 鈥渇airly febrile.鈥�
鈥淭here are a lot of backbenchers and indeed members of the government who are very concerned at where we are in the polls,鈥� he told Times Radio.
Truss was elected Conservative leader on Sept. 5 and asked to form a government by the next day, two days before the monarch鈥檚 death. She wants through tax cuts and deregulation in a bid to end years of sluggish growth.
But her bold first move -- 45 billion pounds ($50 billion) in tax cuts, to be funded by government borrowing 鈥� spooked financial markets and to a record low against the dollar.
to prop up the bond market and stop a wider economic crisis. The prospect of a big rate hike from the central bank next month has sent the cost of mortgages for many homeowners soaring.
The financial turmoil has helped take a commanding lead in opinion polls. A national election does not have to be held until 2024, but many Conservatives fear the party is running out of time to close the gap.
Opposition from inside the party forced Truss to package, but she has vowed to 鈥渟tay the course鈥� on the rest of her plan, despite economists鈥� warnings that big public spending cuts will be needed to pay for lower taxes.
The government has suggested it could raise pensions and welfare benefits by less than the rate of inflation 鈥� a real-terms cut. But many Conservatives say that will hurt some of society鈥檚 poorest people, already struggling with the
Truss also faces a growing Conservative rebellion over reported plans to weaken planning rules and environmental protections as part of her push to get the economy growing.
Despite the calls for unity, some Tory lawmakers are mulling ways to topple Truss, who was elected by the party after Johnson was forced out in July amid a welter of ethics scandals.
Most think that changing leader again so soon would be disastrous, but some allies of Johnson have hinted that he might consider making a comeback.
Lawmaker Nadine Dorries, a backer of the former leader, told the BBC that Johnson's return was 鈥渆xtremely unlikely,鈥� but not impossible.
鈥淚 have been in politics a long time,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 rule anything out.鈥�
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Jill Lawless, The Associated Press
