Tory rebels in secret talks with Labour to mount guerrilla warfare against Liz Truss

TORY rebels are in secret talks with Labour to mount guerrilla warfare against Liz Truss’ policies as Parliament returns this week.

Labour sources said they have set up backchannels with members of the rebel alliance to kill off the PM’s bid to curb benefit hikes.

Meanwhile, it emerged Liz met chief mutineer Michael Gove for tea and peace talks at No10 shortly before the disastrous Tory conference in Birmingham last week.

She was trying to “build bridges” and even floated the idea of handing him a job – but he ended up knifing her over the 45p tax rate row.

And he launched a fresh tirade against her in the FT, accusing the PM of “gambling” with “the economy and with peoples jobs”.

But hitting back at the rebels, Home Secretary Suella Braverman told Trending In The News on Sunday the plotters risk handing the keys to No10 to Sir Keir Starmer.

She said: “Those working with Labour to undermine our Prime Minister are putting the Conservatives’ chance of victory at the next election in real danger.   

“There is only one side who gains from splits and fallout in our Conservative family – that’s the Labour Party.  

“So the choice for my colleagues and for us as a party is simple – back Liz or get Keir Starmer hand in hand with Nicola Sturgeon.”

The PM wants to save billions by linking benefit rises to wages rather than inflation, which is running higher at around 10 per cent.

But dozens of Tory MPs are threatening to mutiny and vote down the plan when it goes to a vote in Parliament. 

One told Trending In The News on Sunday: “We are organised. 

“The public voted for the 2019 manifesto – not for what Liz is doing. She has got things catastrophically wrong over the past few weeks. 

“She needs to go into listening mode or she will suffer a parliamentary rebellion over benefits big enough to overturn her majority.”

A Labour insider said: “There have been talks. Some of our lot are talking to some of the Tory backbenchers.”

Keen to twist the knife, Sir Keir’s party are considering holding an Opposition Day debate and vote in Parliament on benefits.

One Cabinet minister predicted Liz will end up killing the plan to avoid defeat at the hands of rebels.

Senior ministers Penny Mordaunt, Jacob Rees-Mogg and Chloe Smith are all against it. 

A Cabinet source said: “The government doesn’t exactly look that strong so I doubt the PM will push anything to a vote.

“The rebel alliance is quite strong but also very mixed. They can stop things but can’t push anything forward.

“The danger is it becomes like Theresa May’s government and nothing happens for two years.”