UK: Truss' allies accuse Sunak of not letting govt reduce red tapism post Brexit

UK's two Cabinet ministers who support Liz Truss for Prime Minister said her rival Rishi Sunak had resisted attempts to reduce Brexit red tape. Sunak "dug his heels in" on reforms only possible after leaving the EU, according to Chief Secretary to the Treasury Simon Clarke and Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng.

According to The Telegraph, the cabinet ministers said that the former chancellor refused to repeal the EU's Solvency II rule, which makes it more difficult for the UK to invest pension funds in infrastructure projects, as well as the Northern Ireland Protocol Bill. A Sunak campaign source denied the claims as "categorically wrong," adding that he supported the idea of challenging the EU over unilaterally changing NI's trading terms.

Clarke and Kwarteng also told the media agency, "Rishi has given up. He wants people to fear there is no alternative to sliding into recession and that the only option is to stem the bleeding with Labour-lite economic policy."

The new revelation comes after Sunak stated that he would provide more assistance to the most vulnerable in the middle of the cost-of-living crisis, while Truss promised tax cuts and accused her opponent of attempting to impose "Gordon Brown style politics".

Truss Rejects Panel With Johnson And Sunak To Address Living Costs

Further, to make "a common pledge" on addressing the cost of living crisis, UK PM candidate Truss has declined requests from business leaders suggesting that she meet with outgoing prime minister Boris Johnson and her rival, Rishi Sunak. Notably, Truss has rejected the notion of higher taxes and more grants from the government. She currently leads the former chancellor by 38% in the most recent YouGov poll.

When Tony Danker, director-general of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), said this week that the severity of the economic crisis required "all hands at the pump" during the most recent hustings in front of party members in Darlington on August 9, the Foreign Secretary reportedly rejected the call.

Truss' comments came as data from the consultancy Cornwall Insight revealed that the UK's energy price cap on household bills is expected to rise from an average of £1,971 per year to £4,266 in January and £4,427 in April, worsening the country's cost-of-living crisis for millions of people. In recent days, business and political leaders have urged the government to implement emergency financial measures before the fall.

Image: AP