UK: Truss faces grilling from MPs amid tax-cut turnaround

London, Oct 19: UK Prime Minister Liz Truss is taking questions in Parliament Wednesday from both the opposition and her own Conservative Party, as she fights to save her political career.

Truss' participation in the weekly Prime Minister's Questions comes after her new Chancellor of the Exchequer, Jeremy Hunt, reversed course on her tax proposal announced a month ago.

Prime minister in the hot seat

The unfunded tax cuts, known as the "mini budget," sparked alarm in the British financial markets and forced the Bank of England to step in with extraordinary measures to save pension schemes. The value of the pound also plummeted following the decision.

The self-inflicted blow by Truss has resulted in calls for her ouster from within her own party. Recent polls show the opposition Labour Party is leading the Conservatives by a large margin, with the Truss government also facing high disapproval among the British public.

Truss has apologized for her policy missteps, but refused to step down. Foreign Minister James Cleverly has called on the Conservatives to give her another chance, while adding "mistakes happen."

The general frustration with the British government comes as UK inflation hit a 40-year high.

Source: DW