LONDON (AP) 鈥� The new U.K. Treasury chief on Sunday insisted Prime Minister Liz Truss retains control of her government despite having to roll back her signature economic policies weeks into her premiership.
Jeremy Hunt was drafted in to lead the Treasury after Truss sacked Kwasi Kwarteng amid rising pressure following the turbulent market reaction to the new administration鈥檚 鈥渕ini-budget.鈥�
鈥淭he prime minister鈥檚 in charge,鈥� Hunt, a former foreign and health secretary, told the BBC when he was asked whether he now held all the power at Downing Street.
Truss and Kwarteng had slowly unraveled key elements of their economic vision, including tax cuts for top earners and a halt on corporation tax rises, before the prime minister gave in to financial market instability and tanking polling figures and fired Kwarteng.
Hunt has now said taxation will rise and public spending will shrink, despite Britain鈥檚 growing cost-of-living crisis.
He said he had been surprised to receive the call to return to the Cabinet, but he was 鈥渉onored鈥� to join the government as he shared Truss鈥� desire to prioritize economic growth.
鈥淪he has changed the way we鈥檙e going to get there, but she has not changed the destination, which is to get the country growing,鈥� Hunt said.
It remains unclear if Truss, who throughout this summer鈥檚 leadership campaign secured the support of a majority of Conservative Party members but not of its lawmakers, can ward off any plots to oust her.
Tory lawmaker Robert Halfon told Sky News on Sunday that many colleagues remained unhappy and the situation 鈥渉as to improve鈥�.
Opposition leader Keir Starmer has pressed the Labour Party鈥檚 call for an immediate general election to restore stability, saying the Conservatives are 鈥渁t the end of the road鈥�.
Hunt has suggested an election is not imminent election, saying Truss will be judged on how her government performs over the next 18 months. The Conservatives want to win back the trust of the public before any national vote.
Recent polls have placed the Conservative Party at a vote share of around 25%, a far cry from the 42.4% share they received in December 2019 which handed then-leader Boris Johnson a commanding majority in Parliament.
The current prime minister argued she still held credibility during a four-question news conference on Friday when she announced the appointment of Hunt.
Mike Fuller, The Associated Press
