Liz Truss has widened her lead over rival Rishi Sunak hours after she was forced to U-turn on her plans to cut the pay of public sector workers
On Tuesday Ms Truss was forced to abandon a major policy barely 12 hours after it was launched, following a revolt from senior Conservatives who warned it would be "levelling down" the nation.
The Foreign Secretary insisted her policy had been "misrepresented", amid growing blue-on-blue attacks, and argued people had been "unnecessarily worried" about cuts as she confirmed she would not be going ahead with the regional pay boards.
Meanwhile, support for the former chancellor has dropped in the poll, from 31% to 26%, over the same period.Ms Truss, widely seen as the frontrunner to take over in No 10, had announced the move on Monday night as part of a "war on Whitehall waste" to make savings from the Civil Service. "But what I want to be clear about is I will not be going ahead with the regional pay boards, that is no longer my policy.
"The lady is for turning," a source said, mocking the Cabinet minister over comparisons she receives with former Conservative prime minister Margaret Thatcher.Picture: Getty "So this U-turn has wiped out £8.8 billion in savings. Where are these going to come from now?" the Tory MP for the Forest of Dean said.The plan was contained in Ms Truss's policy to save £11 billion by cutting Civil Service time off, scrapping jobs aimed at increasing inclusion and diversity in the public sector, and by ending national pay deals.
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