Liz Truss' forced U-turn on income tax must be repeated with benefit payments

Liz Truss has only been Prime Minister for a month and already her authority is evaporating. The Tory leader was forced to abandon her pet policy of slashing income tax for the highest earners.

But it wasn’t because Truss realised the error of her ways – she was forced to U-turn by a revolt among her own MPs. Now reports are emerging the ­embattled PM could be pushed into raising benefits in line with inflation. Truss and Kwarteng have spent weeks dropping unsubtle hints that this was something they were not minded to do.

Several Conservative MPs have now publicly spoken out in favour of raising Universal Credit. It has to be hoped that Truss does listen to reason and confirms next month that her government will boost benefits across the UK.