Scene of “chaos” in the party and the government of Liz Truss

London, Thanasis Gavos

With the word “chaos” describing the developments in the government of Liz Truss, several British newspapers are circulating today.

The word refers to the scenes that unfolded in parliament on Wednesday nightwhich are characterized as “unprecedented” and show, according to almost all commentators, that the prime minister has lost control of her party and government.

On Wednesday afternoon it was announced sudden resignation of the minister of the interior, Suella Bravermanwho breached ministerial code by sending an official immigration policy document to an MP not through her ministerial but her personal email.

In her resignation letter, Ms Braverman implicitly but explicitly accused Ms Truss of not taking responsibility for her mistakes and made it clear she had “concerns” about the direction of this government, predicting attacks on the Prime Minister from the right wing of the party.

It was the second loss of an ideological ally for Ms Truss from another top political office, following the ouster of Finance Minister Kwasi Kwarteng.

As in that case, with the selection of Jeremy Hunt for the post of Finance Minister, so also in the post of Home Secretary Mrs. Truss placed a politician with whom she disagrees ideologically, Grant Shapps, who is even considered by the orchestrators of the internal party questioning of the Prime Minister.

Shortly afterwards MPs were called to vote on an amendment by opposition Labor calling for a debate on a ban on the controversial method of hydraulic fracturing (fracking) to extract shale gas.

The government had announced through party officials that the vote was a vote of confidence in the government and that those voting in favor of the opposition amendment would be expelled from the parliamentary group.

However, possibly seeing that many Tory MPs were willing to ignore the government (which by promoting fracking is breaking a 2019 election pledge), Climate Undersecretary Graham Stewart told the House ten minutes before the vote that there was no question of party discipline. He was reportedly informed of this change by Downing Street.

This angered the party’s head of discipline Wendy Morton and her deputy Craig Whittaker who had not been briefed by Downing Street.

The two reportedly told MPs they were resigning, with Mr Whittaker reportedly using abusive language along the lines of “I don’t give a damn anymore”.

For hours the prime minister’s office was unable to say whether the two government officials had resigned, only to be announced at night that they remained in their positions.

Many Conservative MPs, confused as to whether there was a disciplinary issue, asked what they should do, with 36 of them eventually abstaining from the vote.

According to Labor MP Chris Bryant, two ministers even forcibly dragged a Tory MP into the chamber into which those who vote against each motion enter (in the traditional way of voting in the British House of Commons).

Although the MP in question denied the testimony, speaking of a “robust” conversation with the two ministers, the descriptions of chaotic scenes and MPs crying or angry add to the sense of a complete loss of control by the Prime Minister that prevails today.

The anger of Tory MPs was summed up in statements to the BBC by his experienced colleague Charles Walker, who said he was “furious” and that he hoped “those who put Liz Truss in Number 10” to get a ministerial chair were satisfied. “I’m sick of seeing people with no talent put their own self-interest first,” Mr Walker commented, with fellow Tories taking to social media to agree with him.

Mr Walker said the “adults” in the party must now convene a “papal conclave” and decide within 24 hours who they will “crown” to succeed Liz Truss.

Asked this morning about the Prime Minister’s future, Conservative MP Simon Hoare said she has 12 hours to turn things around and that today and tomorrow Friday are the critical days for her fate.

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