A Tory MP has delivered what appears to be an epic coded attack on Liz Truss - by penning a 375-word article about “dumpster fires”.
High Peak MP Robert Largan, who backed her rival Tom Tugendhat for the leadership, began his column in the Glossop Chronicle by saying he’d warned against “unfunded tax cuts” in July.
In a spectacular handbrake turn, he then declared: “The subject of this week’s column, however, concerns warning about another important and oft overlooked phenomenon: dumpster fires.”
His column devotes the next 261 words to dumpster fires and is peppered with what appear to be obvious metaphors for the Prime Minister’s predicament.
“For some, watching these fires rage elicits a grim fascination and the chance to speculate about just how long it will continue to burn,” he writes.
Extinguishing the fire is “risky business and likely to be messy”, and “sometimes it is argued that it is better to just let the fire eventually burn itself out”.
But he goes on: “The longer the fire is left to rage, the greater the danger to the integrity of the skip.
“The metal starts to warp and twist out of shape, beyond all recognition, eventually becoming completely unusable.”
He then ends with a flourish: “The act of extinguishing the flames could well be the end of the skip they originated in.
“But urgent action is necessary nevertheless.”
The Mirror has contacted Mr Largan asking if he wishes to officially become the sixth MP to call publicly for Liz Truss to resign.
Public calls for the PM to go slowed down today after she addressed centre-right Tories last night, apologised and tore up her own mini-Budget.
But few believe her pledge to fight the 2024 election as leader will come true - and Michael Gove ally Mel Stride is said to have hosted plotters for curry in his Commons office.
Ms Truss met Sir Graham Brady, chairman of the back bench 1922 Committee, yesterday and reportedly has another meeting with him lined up this week.
Tory MPs were voting today in a by-election for two members of the 1922 Committee executive. Once they are in place they could see through a change to the rules.
Currently MPs are not allowed to force a challenge against Liz Truss until September 2023, but this could be shortened if the rules are torn up.
Polls have opened up the biggest leads for Labour since the 1990s, including one of 36 points.
Mr Largan has a majority of just 590 in High Peak, one of the smallest in the country, and MPs have told the Mirror even those with majorities of 10,000 do not feel safe.
