Former defence minister Johnny Mercer has said he is willing to get “kicked out” of the Conservative party as he vowed to fight Liz Truss over the prospect of a real-terms benefit cut.
The ex-veterans minister said he would defy Tory whips and rebel if the prime minister did not uprate benefits in line with inflation, with a growing number of MPs urging Ms Truss to concede defeat on the issue.
“I won’t vote for a Budget that doesn’t see an uprating of benefits and universal credit line with inflation,” Mr Mercer told a Facebook live session. “And if that means I get kicked out of the Tory party, fine.”
