LIZ Truss’s authority is in tatters after a day of extraordinary mayhem.
The broken PM was heckled by her MPs as she left the Commons last night — with supporters calling time on her premiership.
Sacked Home Secretary Suella Braverman hit back to brand the PM ‘not serious’
Mrs Braverman also accused Liz Truss of living in political la la land
The PM was under fire at PMQs and saw her Government collapse around her
Home Secretary Suella Braverman was sacked in a row over immigration and the Chief Whip vowed to quit.
Tory MPs were bullied and “manhandled” during a shambolic Commons fracking vote last night.
Ousted Suella Braverman hit back to brand the PM “not serious” and accuse her of living in political la la land.
Truss’s authority was draining away last night amid an astonishing Commons dust up over fracking and another u-turn over scrapping the pension triple lock.
Witnesses said an “ashen-faced” PM scuttled through the Commons as her MPs heckled, “It’s a disgrace” and “Shambles” as they passed her.
And Brexit supremo Lord Frost blasted: “Liz Truss must leave as soon as possible. Her successor, whoever it is, must be capable, competent, and able to communicate effectively.
“She just can’t stay in office for one very obvious reason: she campaigned against the policies she is now implementing.”
In a day of Westminster fireworks, the PM appointed Grant Shapps to her Cabinet less than six weeks after firing him.
And she suspended her closest political adviser over claims he briefed against her enemies.
Yesterday afternoon, the PM was mocked at PMQs hours after inflation hit 10.1 per cent.
After a barrage of calls to resign, Truss feebly told MPs: “I’m a fighter, not quitter” but was jeered by the opposition.
She fired Ms Braverman after “a massive row” about relaxing immigration rules to allow thousands more visas so the care sector and farming can recruit foreign workers.
Truss demanded Ms Braverman resign after the latter accidentally emailed classified files to a pal.
Huge ‘concerns’
The order came 24 hours after they had “icy” meeting at No10 where the Home Sec said she would struggle to hold the line.
After quitting Ms Braverman raged that she had huge “concerns about the direction of the government”, including breaking manifesto promises on small boats.
She was forced to suspend her closest political adviser
She fired Suella Braverman after ‘a massive row’ about relaxing immigration rules
Ms Braverman lashes out at the PM in a scathing resignation letter
The PM’s answer to Ms Braverman’s letter
She wrote: “The business of government relies on people accepting responsibility for their mistakes.”
“Pretending we haven’t made mistakes, carrying on as if everyone can’t see that we have made them, and hoping that things will magically come right is not serious politics. It is obvious to everyone that we are going through a tumultuous time.”
She added: “Not only have we broken key pledges that were promised to our voters, but I have had serious concerns about this government’s commitment to honouring manifesto commitments, such as reducing overall migration numbers and stopping illegal migration, particularly the dangerous small boats crossings.”
Later, farcical scenes erupted in the Commons as the Government U-turned on a threat to strip the whip from Conservative MPs if they backed a fracking ban.
A number of allegations of bullying were then levelled at senior Cabinet figures including the Deputy PM Therese Coffey and the whips, over “physically manhandling” wavering MPs through the division lobbies.
Deputy chief whip Craig Whittaker had issued a “100 per cent hard” three-line whip, meaning any Tory MP that rebelled could be thrown out of the parliamentary party.
But climate minister Graham Stuart caused confusion by telling the Commons minutes before the vote that “quite clearly this is not a confidence vote”.
In the fallout, MPs say they heard Chief Whip Wendy Morton declare she was resigning and Mr Whittaker say “I am furious and I don’t give a f* anymore.”
Tory backbencher Sir Charles Walker said: “I’ve really not seen anything like tonight. I just think the whole thing is extraordinary.”
He said he is leaving Parliament voluntarily at the next election, adding: “Unless we get our act together and behave like grown-ups, I’m afraid many of my colleagues, perhaps 200, will be leaving at the behest of their electorate.”
The drama came as Ms Truss attempted to reshuffle her top team in the wake of Ms Braverman’s sacking. Just days after appointing Jeremy Hunt as Chancellor, Truss turned to another key Rishi Sunak backer Grant Shapps.
Mr Shapps spent Tory conference agitating against Truss’s leadership and even said it could be time for her to quit over the bungled mini Budget.
Arriving at the Home Office, Mr Shapps told reporters: “I accept that the Government has obviously had a very difficult period.
“That nonetheless means it is doubly important to ensure that we are doing absolutely everything in the basic areas. Jeremy Hunt has done a great job settling issues in relation to that mini Budget.”
Meanwhile a top adviser to Ms Truss, Jason Stein was suspended after he was blamed for vicious briefings against Sajid Javid and Michael Gove.
Mr Stein was said to behind insider briefings against MPs including labelling former Cabinet minister Mr Javid as “s**t”.
Ms Truss’ press secretary did not deny the reports, and said they wouldn’t comment on individual staffing matters.
Mr Stein, who once advised Prince Andrew, is understood to be facing a probe by the Cabinet Office’s propriety and ethics unit.
Trending In The News understands Mr Javid had been set to raise the issue at PMQs but backed down after cutting a deal for Stein’s suspension.
