Liz Truss apologizes to UK as she tries to keep troubled PM on track – Reuters

LONDON – Is it too late now to apologize?

After weeks of market turbulence and countless reversals, British Prime Minister Liz Truss apologized late on Monday for what she called « the mistakes that were made » in the first few weeks of her tenure already. in danger.

« First of all, I want to accept responsibility and apologize for the mistakes that have been made, » Truss said in a BBC interview.

« I wanted to take action, help people with their energy bills, fix high taxes, but we went too far too fast, » she added.

Truss also insisted she would ‘definitely’ lead her. Conservative Party in the next general election, scheduled for 2024.

The new prime minister is already battling to keep her post after around six weeks in Downing Street. A growing number of Tory MPs are openly plotting to oust the prime minister, who was forced to sack her close friend Kwasi Kwarteng as chancellor following a furious market response to her tax cut agenda.

Earlier on Monday, Jeremy Hunt, Truss’s hastily appointed replacement chancellor, used a televised address to essentially tear up the manifesto on which Truss ran to ultimately win the summer Tory leadership race.

« Growth requires confidence and stability, » Hunt said, in a clear admission that Truss has been unable to provide either since becoming Prime Minister on 6 september.

The embattled Prime Minister then dodged a request from the opposition Labor Party for her to appear in the House of Commons and explain the thinking behind her replacement of Kwarteng by Hunt.

His replacement for that Parliament appearance, Commons Leader Penny Mordaunt, was forced to deny that Truss was hiding from scrutiny.

« Well, the Prime Minister is not under a desk, as the honorable lady says, » Mordaunt said.