Truss continues MP charm offensive ahead of elections to the executive of the 1922 committee

Following an interview with BBC Television in which Liz Truss claimed that she ‘will lead the Conservatives into the next general election’, the prime minister will attempt to further sure up her parliamentary colleagues today.

Having spoken last night to the ‘One Nation’ group of Conservative MPs on the left of the party, the prime minister will this afternoon speak to MPs from the ERG on the right of the party.

The prime minister’s continuing charm offensive comes as Conservative MPs vote today to elect two MPs to fill the vacancies on the executive of the 1922 committee of backbenchers. Two of its members (Nus Gani and Aaron Bell), were appointed by the government to fill the vacancies.

There are reported to be 4 MPs standing in today’s election to the 1922 executive: Eddie Hughes, Iain Stewart, Jo Gideon, and  Harriet Baldwin.


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The 1922 committee is a committee of Conservative backbench MPs. It does not have an executive committee that can make changes to the rules of Conservative leadership election.  The current system means that a new leader cannot face a challenge in the first 12 months after taking office.

The 1922 Committee rules do not guarantee refuge for an under-fire Conservative leader.  Both Ms Truss’ predecessors, Boris Johnson and Theresa May, were forced from office when they theoretically under protection from the party’s leadership rules.

Only 3 Conservative MPs (Andrew Bridgen and James Wallis) have publicly called for the resignation of the prime minister.  Many Conservative MPs are still discussing privately the details of replacing Liz Truss with their preferred successor.

Speaking to the BBC Radio 4 ‘Today’ programme this morning, the Conservative MP, Simon Hoare said, “I think there are conversations going on across all wings of the party, and I think that is possibly a first. It is certainly a first in my 7 years of being a member of parliament”.

Continuing he said that the anxiety amongst Conservative MPs came from the lack of an ‘obvious path’ saying, “There isn’t an obvious sort of Michael Howard style figure as we had several years ago”.

“I think the first question that my party has to try work out, as are we setting a path to a general election victory which in any circumstances is going to be incredibly tricky, or are we trying to shape the outcome so to avoid a landslide defeat to provide a credible opposition”.

Polling data from the firm last night showed a reverse in the Conservative leadership election of two months ago. JL Partners, gave Rishi Sunak a 43% to 28% lead over Liz Truss should the summer’s contest be re-run today.

After a brief period of activity at Westminster during the first days of his leadership loss, Mr Sunak has been unusually absent from the public eye for the last month.

Redfield and Winton polls yesterday showed that Labour Party leads the Conservatives by an unprecedented 36%. The opposition MPs continue their criticism of the government.

Following Liz Truss’ latest television interview, the SNP MP, John Nicholson wrote on Twitter, “This is woeful. She can’t speak in coherent sentences”’.

The Labour MP Chris Bryant wrote, “If the only reason Tories aren’t removing Truss is fear of a general election, they are acting in the party not the national interest.  Voters can see through and that will wreak a harsh revenge”.