The door to Number 10 is seen past a rain covered umbrella in Downing Street on October 20, 2022 in London, England.
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LONDON — British Prime Minister Liz Truss is reportedly locked in talks with a key Conservative Party member overseeing leadership challenges, as speculation mounts that her term is coming to an end.
Downing Street is due to make a statement at 1.30pm London time.
Truss meets Graham Brady, the Conservative politician responsible for leadership votes and reshuffles. Brady chairs the 1922 Committee – the group of Tory MPs without ministerial positions who can submit letters of censure to the Prime Minister.
During the meeting, Deputy Prime Minister Therese Coffey and Conservative Party Chairman Jake Berry both entered Downing Street.
Truss’ major government meetings were also reportedly canceled for Thursday.
The PA news agency quoted the prime minister’s official spokesman as saying that Truss ‘recognizes that the public wanted to see the government focus less on politics and more on delivering on its priorities’. “This is also what the Prime Minister wants.” The spokeswoman also said she faced a “difficult day” but wanted to continue in the role.
A vote of no confidence usually takes place when 15% of the group submits letters, but current party rules state that no leadership election or vote of no confidence can be held for one year after a member takes office. chief. Truss took office on September 6.
Media reports earlier this week said Brady had received over 100 letters. This has left uncertainty over whether Truss will be ousted and how.
Meanwhile, the number of Tory MPs publicly calling on Truss to step down reached 16. In broadcast rounds on Thursday morning, after a vote in the House of Commons descended into chaos Wednesday evening MPs Henry Smith and Miriam Cates joined the call.
Smith told Times Radio: “We need new leadership… we need strong leadership, and I’m afraid, I’m so sorry to say, that that has clearly been lacking in Downing Street over the past few years. last few weeks.”
Cates said of the same broadcast on Truss’ position: “It seems untenable… And yes, I think it’s time for the Prime Minister to go.”
She cited the prospect of the Conservative Party being “decimated” if a general election were to be held now.
a tuesday survey from YouGov put Truss’s favor among the public at just 10%, the lowest level for a prime minister since polls began 22 years ago. The Conservative Party was seen in favor by 18% of people, against 45% for the opposition Labor Party.
Labor leader Keir Starmer reiterated his call for a general election in a speech on Thursday morning, saying “all the failures of the last 12 years have now come to a boil”.
The last public vote was in December 2019, when Boris Johnson led the Tories to an overwhelming majority against then Labor leader Jeremy Corbyn. Johnson resigned amid his own political turmoil in July.