Katy Balls Katy Balls

Sunak’s new strategy: hard truths

[Getty Images] 
issue 23 September 2023

The last time Tory activists and MPs gathered for their annual party conference, it didn’t end well. Liz Truss had barely checked in to her hotel before she faced a full-on attack from Michael Gove, who started a rebellion against her proposed tax cuts live on air. Truss U-turned on her mini-Budget and cabinet discipline quickly collapsed. ‘It was the worst four days of my life,’ recalls a former Truss aide.

Sunak sees the conference as a potential moment of catharsis that could lead to a Tory recovery

Rishi Sunak hopes to improve on this admittedly rather low mark. He sees the conference in Manchester as a potential moment of catharsis that could lead a Tory recovery. A wider reshuffle was delayed until later this year to avoid unhappy MPs venting on the fringes ahead of next week’s events. Downing Street is in bunker mode as the team finesse their plans.

Government aides complain that No.

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