Truss allies challenge Kwarteng’s claim he tried to slow down tax cuts

Kwasi Kwarteng claimed he and Liz Truss could not be blamed for the ‘fiscal black hole’. Photograph: Stefan Rousseau/PA

Kwasi Kwarteng’s claims that he tried to get Liz Truss to slow down her financial plans have been challenged by her allies.

In his first interview since he was sacked as chancellor by Truss, Kwarteng said he had told the then prime minister to be more cautious with their £45bn programme of tax cuts.