Grant Shapps says Liz Truss had right priorities but failed as she did not deal with ‘big structural issues’ | Politics News

Grant Shapps said Liz Truss had the right priorities but failed because she didn’t try to tackle the “big structural issues” first.

The business minister said he agreed the UK should have a low tax economy, as the short-lived prime minister has advocated, but inflation and debt need to be tackled first.

He said the morning after Miss Truss publish a 4,000-word essay in the Telegraph on Saturday night about what she wants to do as Prime Minister and why she thinks it’s not working.

Mr Shapps, the interior secretary for Ms Truss’ last six days, told Sky News’ Sophy Ridge program on Sunday: “I noted that she said they had not prepared the groundwork for major changes in terms of this tax.

“And I think the truth is, and we know this, the first thing you have to do is solve the big structural problems.

“Deal with inflation first, deal with debt so you’re going downhill.

“And then you work towards cutting taxes.”

He added: “I totally agree with Liz’s instinct to have a lower tax economy but what we do know is that if you do that before dealing with inflation and debt you can run into hard.

“You can’t get growth out of nowhere.”

Despite previously calling Ms Truss a “headset”, the business secretary declined to directly criticize Ms Truss’ leadership, which she called a time of just 44 days after the small budget. miserably in September.

He added that, as an MP and former Tory leader, she has the right to make her argument in the paper.

However, he backed incumbent Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in a backhand attack on his predecessor, saying the prime minister is addressing high inflation to ease pressure on the economy before growth takes hold. may happen.

“I think the most important thing for everyone to know is that Rishi Sunak has arrived.

“He removed the premium we saw because the market didn’t like what was going on after that and completely removed the extra premium that was being applied to our mortgage rates, basically.

“So we’re back where we should be.

“And he is dealing with difficulties in a world where Putin is invading a neighboring country and therefore inflation is increasing. He has continued with the hard work of solving the problems. there.”