Rishi Sunak now says he WOULD vote for Liz Truss’s tax cuts after he was branded a ‘wounded stoat’

Rishi Sunak today insisted he would vote in favour of Liz Truss’s tax cuts if he loses the Tory leadership contest – after he earlier suggested he might lead a Commons revolt against his rival’s economic plans.

The ex-chancellor’s apparent change in stance came after he was accused of ‘thrashing around all over the place like a wounded stoat’ by Ms Truss’s allies, as he trails the Foreign Secretary in the race for Number 10.

Mr Sunak has recently claimed Ms Truss’s focus on tax cuts – rather than ‘handouts’ for households during the cost-of-living crisis – would leave millions at risk of ‘destitution’.

He has also said suggested it would be ‘immoral’ for his rival not to provide more direct support for hard-pressed Britons facing soaring energy bills, if she beats him to become prime minister.

This week, Mr Sunak had twice refused to say whether or not he would vote in favour of Ms Truss’s tax cuts in the Commons, if she enters Downing Street instead of him.

It raised the prospect of the ex-chancellor – and his supporters – failing to back the new PM on one of her key policy pledges.

But, following a furious backlash at his ‘bitter’ attacks on Ms Truss, Mr Sunak this afternoon confirmed he would support his rival’s plans.

He also denied suggestions he would abandon Parliament if he loses to Ms Truss when the Tory leadership result is announced next month.

‘I’d always support a Conservative government, of course I would, it goes without saying,’ he told BBC Radio 4’s World At One.

‘Of course I’m going to support a Conservative government. I believe very strongly in the Conservative Party and I want it to do well.

‘Whether as a minister or as a backbencher, I will always support a Conservative government because I believe that’s the best thing for this country.’

Despite claims that Mr Sunak could head to the US after being beaten in the Tory leadership contest – where he has long-standing links links to California’s Silicon Valley – he insisted he would ‘absolutely not’ quit politics.

Mr Sunak has recently admitted he is now the ‘underdog’ in his battle with Ms Truss, but he today stressed his continued belief he could yet win.

‘I don’t think the campaign is over, I’m still fighting for it,’ he added.

Mr Sunak and Ms Truss, who is widely expected to win the race for No10, will tonight face their penultimate hustings in front of Conservative members.

Ahead of their latest opportunity to win the support of the party’s grassroots – at this evening’s event in Norwich – the war-of-words between the Sunak and Truss campaigns escalated further. 

At a hustings event on Tuesday evening, the ex-chancellor was quizzed on whether he would vote in favour of Ms Truss’s emergency fiscal package if she became PM.

He declined to be drawn on a ‘hypothetical’ question when asked if he would rebel against his rival.

And Mr Sunak insisted he was ‘not going to engage with these things’ when he was pressed on the issue again in a broadcast interview yesterday.

In the final ballot of Tory MPs in the first stage of the Conservative leadership contest, Mr Sunak was backed by 137 MPs. 

His refusal to commit to backing Ms Truss’s economic agenda had prompted fears the ex-chancellor could lead his supporters in a Commons rebellion against the Foreign Secretary if she becomes PM next month.

One supporter of Mr Sunak told The Times: ‘If we are left on the backbenches and then Rishi says he is voting against her tax cuts, why would we not support him?’

Another said: ‘If I thought it was going to materially damage the poor it would be a big decision.

‘I would have a real issue in voting for it. I wouldn’t be under any obligation.’

But, amid a furious backlash from Ms Truss’s camp, Mr Sunak was branded ‘bitter’ over his continued attacks on his rival as he trails the Foreign Secretary in the leadership contest.

A senior ally of Ms Truss told the newspaper: ‘Sunak is in a complete micro-world of his own, he’s thrashing around all over the place like a wounded stoat.

‘All he’s doing is attacking her. At some point someone has to grab him by the scruff of the neck and say what are you doing? Are you trying to destroy this party?

‘By this stage everyone is normally trying to bring the party together, we’ve got less than two weeks to go. But these attacks are framing us as Tory scum. It’s personal and it’s bitter and it needs to stop.’

A Government minister, who is supporting Mr Sunak, this morning called for an end to the the ‘totally unneccessary’ attacks coming from the rival Tory camps.

Schools minister Will Quince told Sky News: ‘One of the things that I found most difficult about the leadership contest has been the sort of blue-on-blue, which I think is totally unnecessary.

‘Both candidates should just present their positive vision for our country.

‘And the most important thing is that in two weeks’ time… when we have a new prime minister, that we all as a parliamentary party get behind that new leader, get behind that prime minister.

‘And we continue to deliver for the British people. And that’s what I want to see.’

Mr Sunak himself tried to play down the impact of the ‘feisty’ leadership contest on Tory unity.

‘Everyone involved is passionate about their ideas and their vision for the country, and that’s no bad thing,’ he told a Q&A on Facebook.