Robert Peston Robert Peston

Why did Liz Truss change her mind on Brexit?

And why are the Brexiters backing her now?

(Photo: Getty)

Rishi Sunak and Penny Mordaunt were both committed Brexiters in the 2016 referendum campaign – and both took career risks to support leaving the EU, against the wishes of the then-Prime Minister David Cameron. By contrast Liz Truss campaigned enthusiastically to stay in the EU (see for example the below forceful speech to the 2016 Food and Drink Industry dinner where she makes a powerful industrial case for staying in the EU).

It is striking therefore that Steve Baker and Suella Braverman (supported by the disenfranchised David Frost) prefer the zeal of the after-the-event convert to Brexit, namely Liz Truss, to the other candidates who were always Brexiters.

And the question for Truss is why and how she changed her position so far and so much on the pretty compelling case she made in 2016 for the EU’s single market, as follows:

‘I think we’ve got to be very careful about taking that Single Market for granted and being outside that Single Market.

Robert Peston
Written by
Robert Peston
Robert Peston is Political Editor of ITV News and host of the weekly political discussion show Peston. His articles originally appeared on his ITV News blog.

Topics in this article

Comments

Join the debate for just $5 for 3 months

Be part of the conversation with other Spectator readers by getting your first three months for $5.

Already a subscriber? Log in