British Foreign Minister Liz Truss, who is the front-runner to replace Boris Johnson as prime minister, was forced to reverse her pay plan pledge after receiving backlash from Conservatives and fellow opposition parties.
The decision marks the first big misstep of Truss' campaign as she set out plans to save billions of pounds a year in government spending in a pledge that opponents said would require cutting the pay of public sector workers, including nurses and teachers, outside of the wealthy southeast of England.
Liz Truss' Reversal on Pay Plan Pledge
Late on Monday, the prime minister candidate said that she would introduce regional pay boards rather than having a national pay agreement, tailoring pay to the local cost of living. However, she received criticism on Tuesday, forcing her to say that she never had any intention of changing the terms and conditions of teachers and nurses.
Truss added that she wanted to be clear about the issue and said that she will not be going ahead with the regional pay boards. The reversal of the decision comes as opinion polls showed widely varying pictures of the extent of the foreign minister's lead over rival Rishi Sunak, as per Reuters.
A survey of 807 Conservative Party members by Italia data company Techne that was carried out from July 19 to 27 showed that Truss was backed by 48% while Sunak was supported by 43%. On the other hand, a YouGov poll carried out from July 29 to Aug. 2 showed that Truss extended her lead, getting 60% while Sunak dropped to 26%.
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The remaining 1,043 members who were polled were either undecided or were not planning to vote. The numbers come as previously, a July 20-21 YouGov poll showed that Truss was leading a 49%-31% split.
According to BBC, one of the people who criticized Truss' initial plans was Angela Rayner who said that it would reduce the "pay of Northerners, worsening the divide which already exists." Furthermore, Steve Double, one of Sunak's allies, said it would be "hugely damaging to public services in Cornwall."
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The mayor of Tees Valley, Ben Houchen, who is also a supporter of Sunak, said that there was simply no way that it can be done without a massive pay cut for 5.5 million people, including nurses, police officers, and armed forces outside of London.
The Conservative Party's 160,000 or so members are voting on which among Truss and Sunak will replace Johnson, with a winner announced on Sept. 5. The former also proposed scrapping jobs that were aimed at increasing inclusion and diversity in the public sector.
The situation comes as a representative of Truss' campaign contacted the official LGBT+ Conservatives membership organization about cooperating on an endorsement for the foreign minister and her record on LGBT rights during her time as an MP, a party member familiar with the matter said.
Truss' campaign staff said that they wanted to publish a piece by Dehenna Division, a rising star of the Conservative Party who is openly bisexual, with the support of LGBT+ Conservatives, Politico reported.
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