Kwasi Kwarteng’s sacking from the chancellorship followed the turmoil in financial markets he and Truss unleashed through their right-wing “mini” budget which focused on £45bn of unfunded tax cuts. The removal of Suella Braverman as Home Secretary has revealed the bitterness now running through the heart of the Conservative party. One of Truss’s long-time allies said the mood in Downing Street was that her prime ministership was rapidly coming to an end. “It’s hard to see a way back from this,” he added. The Truss administration now lives hour by hour. The prime minister woke up on Wednesday to headlines in Tory papers criticizing her for preparing to abandon the “triple lock” that provides inflation-driven increases to state pensions. But by mid-morning Truss had summoned her new chancellor Jeremy Hunt to Downing Street and insisted the triple lock would remain after all, cutting several billion pounds of potential savings for the Treasury. Inflation is now running at 10.1%. Hunt overturned most of the Trust’s £45bn tax cuts. He must now complete the tax rises and public spending cuts to plug a £40bn budget hole facing Britain, but he is quickly finding that both routes are fraught with difficulties in a situation where Conservative parliamentary discipline is collapsing. The chancellor’s allies admitted the triple lock is “totemic” – the commitment to increase the state pension in line with whichever is the higher of inflation, average pay rises or 2.5 per cent. It was a key part of the Tories’ 2019 election manifesto and is helping to secure the support of Britain’s gray vote. What’s the point of a prime minister whose promises don’t last a week? But if cutting pensions in real terms is opposed by many Tory MPs, so are other options. Some Conservatives will be extremely resistant to the tax increases – perhaps as much as £20 billion in total – that Hunt is considering for his October 31 budget. “We won’t vote for them, it will split the party,” said one right-wing Conservative MP. Others on the Tory right agreed there would be a parliamentary revolt. As Truss sought to tamp down the issue of the pension triple lock ahead of her crucial lunchtime appearance at Prime Minister’s Questions in the House of Commons, another problem looms over the future of her special adviser Jason Stein, who has been accused of aggressive briefings against critics of the prime minister. Some Tory MPs believe Stein was behind the briefings against Sajid Javid, the former chancellor, who was described by government insiders as “shit”, and Michael Gove, the former growth secretary, who was derided as ” problematic”. Javid complained to Truss about the briefings and pointed to Stein, telling the prime minister on Sunday to fire him, according to government officials. Javid said if the aide remained in Number 10, he would raise the issue at Prime Minister’s Questions. Truss relented and Stein was suspended pending a Cabinet inquiry. Officials said Javid had held discussions with Truss about taking over as home secretary. “Saj has ended up out of a job and the Prime Minister has been left without her close aide. it’s a terrible result for everyone,” said one. In the Commons, Truss was mocked by Sir Keir Starmer, the Labor leader. “How can he be held accountable when he’s not in charge?” asked. “What’s the point of a prime minister whose promises don’t last a week?” But Truss survived the ordeal with some cheers from Tory MPs, many of whom believe he should remain in Number 10 until Hunt delivers what he called his “absolutely difficult” Halloween budget. “I’m a fighter, not a quitter,” Truss said, echoing a famous line from Lord Peter Mandelson. She also apologized for her handling of the economy: “I’ve made it clear that I’m sorry and that I made mistakes.” But throughout the afternoon, more Tory MPs withdrew their support from Truss. William Wragg, a senior MP, revealed he had submitted a letter of no confidence in the prime minister to party dignitaries. Truss faced a rebellion later over the contentious issue of restarting fracking for shale gas in England. Several Tory MPs – including net zero councilor Chris Skidmore – said they would vote against the government on a Labor parliamentary motion opposing the policy.

The threats from Skidmore and others came despite Tory business leaders in the Commons branding the vote a “confidence motion” – implying they would lose the Tory whip. But one senior MP said: “They have lost control of MPs, their threats are no longer working.” Even as the fracking row engulfed the Commons, news broke of Braverman’s shock departure. Her exit bodes ill as she gave Truss crucial right-wing Tory support. Braverman apparently resigned over a technical security breach in which she used her personal email to send information about government business. But comments in her resignation letter to Truss summed up the potential trouble ahead. “Not only have we broken key commitments we made to our constituents, but I had serious concerns about this government’s commitment to delivering on its manifesto commitments,” Braverman said. The appointment of Grant Shapps as Home Secretary confirmed that the party’s centrist wing was attempting a takeover. Allies of Truss insisted that Shapps, not Javid, was her “first choice” to succeed Braverman. With Sapps and Hunt, backers of former chancellor Rishi Sunak’s failed bid for the Tory leadership, installed in senior government posts, Truss’ grip on power was weaker than ever. Shapps said on Monday he believed Trudeau’s hopes of remaining prime minister were akin to “poking the eye of a needle with the lights off”, while also comparing her unhappiness to climbing Mount Everest. Now, as one of her most senior ministers, Sapps is part of the same journey that few MPs believe Truss can survive.