Liz Truss – 2022 Comments on Sky News Following Confidence Vote in Boris Johnson
The comments made by Liz Truss on Sky News on 7 June 2022.
INTERVIEWER
[Has Prime Minister’s authority been undermined?]
LIZ TRUSS
What we saw in yesterday’s vote was a clear majority in support of the Prime Minister. And what we’ve been doing today is getting on with the business of government. We’ve had a Cabinet meeting. We’re working on making housing more affordable, making childcare more affordable, lowering taxes. And that’s what the public wants us to be doing.
INTERVIEWER
On the Prime Minister’s authority, though, if you go back to that first question, has it been undermined?
LIZ TRUSS
As I said, the Prime Minister remains committed to our agenda, he’s already delivered on Brexit, he’s delivered on COVID and on helping the economy recover. He’s delivered on supporting Ukraine in the face of appalling Russian aggression and that’s what the cabinet want him to carry on doing and that’s what the country wants him to carry on doing.
INTERVIEWER
So what’s your message to those 148 of your colleagues who declared they had no confidence in the party leader?
LIZ TRUSS
My message is we had a vote yesterday, there was a clear result in that vote. Now is the time to get behind the Prime Minister to deliver on what people in Britain want to see, which is dealing with issues around the affordability of housing, the affordability of childcare, getting taxes down, getting our economy going, that’s what people want to see.
INTERVIEWER
What does this mean with regard to your ambitions potentially, for the leadership of the party?
LIZ TRUSS
My 100% focus is on my role as Foreign Secretary. There’s a lot to do, we need to carry on supporting Ukraine, we need to make sure that Russia is driven out of Ukraine and that we get successful peace for Ukraine and we need to help them rebuild. I’m also working on the Northern Ireland protocol, making sure we restore the balance for the Belfast Good Friday Agreement, bringing forward legislation. I can assure you that is taking up all of my time.
INTERVIEWER
Should colleagues feel able to continue to criticise the Prime Minister?
LIZ TRUSS
Well, we had a vote yesterday. The Prime Minister won a clear majority. It’s time to draw a line, move forward and focus on what people want us to be talking about, housing, childcare, delivering on lower taxes.
INTERVIEWER
Now you mentioned the Northern Ireland protocol. Are you willing to risk a trade war with the European Union to sort this all out?
LIZ TRUSS
What we want to do is create clear green lanes for goods flowing into Northern Ireland and a red lane for goods flowing into the EU. That will protect the EU single market, at the same time as enabling goods to flow freely around the UK. That’s a win-win for both of people of Northern Ireland and protecting the EU single market.
INTERVIEWER
You also mentioned bringing taxes down. Lord Frost today has said that the National Insurance increase should be reversed, that the corporation tax rise should not go ahead. Do you agree?
LIZ TRUSS
Today at cabinet the Prime Minister confirmed that he wants to see taxes come down. That is very, very important. We need to make sure people have more money in their pockets, we need to get the economy going and the way to do that is lowering taxes. Thank you.
