I’m not sure how much I ever bought the old adage that 90 per cent of success is about showing up. But when you are the prime minister, you have sacked your chancellor of 38 days and his replacement has just gone on television to repudiate your mini-budget and entire governing philosophy, showing up to answer an Urgent Question in the House of Commons seems like rather a big deal.
Alas, Leader of the House Penny Mordaunt – who came within eight votes of pipping Liz Truss to the membership stage of the Conservative Party leadership election – responded for the government.
