Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
Iranian Foreign Ministry: We express our solidarity with the Lebanese government and people in the face of these criminal attacks and our support for the legitimate resistance
The Iranian Foreign Ministry stressed that the United Nations, the international community, and regional countries bear responsibility for confronting what it described as "Israel’s" growing tendency to ignite wars
Iranian Foreign Ministry: We strongly condemn the Israeli entity's extensive military aggression against Lebanon
Japanese Prime Minister: No confirmations regarding damage caused by the North Korean missile
Japanese Prime Minister: North Korean missile likely landed outside Japan's exclusive economic zone
Japan Coast Guard reports North Korea fired a ballistic missile
I just held a great call between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, of "Israel," and President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, of Kazakhstan
Donald Trump: "Kazakhstan is the first Country of my Second Term to join the Abraham Accords, the first of many."
Al Mayadeen correspondent: The Lebanese army refuses to evacuate the Martyr Mohammed Farhat barracks, located 200 meters from the threatened building in Kfardounine.
The Israeli occupation forces issued a new bombing threat to the town of Zawtar al-Sharqiya in southern Lebanon.

British PM humiliated on economic package retreat

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: Agencies + Al Mayadeen English
  • 3 Oct 2022 14:37
  • 1 Shares
4 Min Read

UK Prime Minister Liz Truss announced backing down on top rate tax cuts decision that sent the UK financial market into a deep spiral last week.

  • x
  • British PM humiliated on mini-budget retreat
    UK Prime Minister Liz Truss and Chancellor of the Exchequer Kwasi Kwareng.

British Prime Minister Liz Truss hits a humiliating U-turn on tax cut decision included in the previously announced economic package, just one day after she announced being  "absolutely committed" to it.

British Prime Minister Liz Truss does an embarrassing U-turn, one day after declaring that she was "totally committed" to the tax cut decision, which was part of the previously announced economic package.

Almost one week ago, PM Truss and Chancellor of the Exchequer, Kwasi Kwareng, announced huge tax cuts funded by a significant increase in borrowing in a new "mini-budget" that led to a sharp slide in UK bonds and currency, were the Sterling hit a 41 year low against the dollar, and an extreme negative reaction from the financial markets.

Read more: UK: inflation reaches its highest since 1982

Only a small number of Conservative MPs supported the mini-budget; others opposed it, most notably Julian Smith, a former whip for the party, who said it was wrong to enact a "huge tax cut for the very rich at a time of national crisis and real fear and anxiety among low-income workers and citizens." It is regarded as an unusual occurrence that the IMF joined the voices in denouncing the mini-budget.

Following the massive turbulence that hit the markets and the public outrage, UK government announced on Monday dumping the 45% to 40% tax-cut plan on incomes over £150,000, to which Kwarteng tweeted, "We get it, and we have listened," stating that, "It is clear that the abolition of the 45p tax rate has become a distraction from our overriding mission to tackle the challenges facing our economy." The news drived the Sterling sharply upwards against the USD, where it settled at 1.1212 at 7:30 following the confirmation that the cut was scrapped.

Read more: 60% of UK companies to close as energy prices soar

Related News

UK unemployment hits 3.6%, no clear end in sight

UK food prices on the rise and so is every other bill

In a talk with the BBC on Sunday, Truss claimed that the decision on cutting tax from high earners was made by Chancellor Kwasi and that she hadn't discussed it with her cabinet, in what appeared to be like "throwing (Kwarteng) under a bus," as MP Nadine Dorries described it.

Stating that the plan reveal did not go as planned due to communication errors with the UK minister of Finance, Truss tweeted, “Our focus now is on building a high growth economy that funds world-class public services, boosts wages, and creates opportunities across the country," adding that, "The abolition of the 45pc rate had become a distraction from our mission to get Britain moving.”

Read more: Truss freezes energy bills for 2 years, costs government £150 billion

"I'm very pleased that we've decided not to proceed with that because it was drowning out the elements of an excellent plan," stated Kwarteng to the BBC, while assuring that he did not consider resigning "at all".

Former UK transport secretary, Grant Shapps, described the decision to back down on the top rate tax cuts as sensible, stating the BBC cutting taxes from the people who least need them, "jarred for people in a way which was unsustainable.”

Following the recent events, a survey conducted by YouGov revealed that 51% of UK citizens believe that PM Truss should resign, while 54% think that Kwarteng needs to go.

Earlier, Tory members urged new PM Liz Truss to kick Kwarteng to the curb as they viewed her new government formation as a situation in dire straits. One member said: “Kwasi will have to go. She won’t have any option. They are actually crashing the economy and she will need somebody to blame.”

The party's former chancellor, Ken Clarke, labeled the Truss government to have initiated with a  “catastrophic start”, and hoped that the mini-budget initiative would be “torn up”, but in a statement to Sky News, in his opinion, Kwarteng's resignation would not improve the crisis, adding: “We cannot have a different chancellor every other week.”

  • Sterling Pound
  • British Prime Minister
  • Liz Truss
  • UK
  • Kwasi Kwarteng

Most Read

People walk past a domestically-built missile "Khaibar-buster," and banners showing portraits of Iranian Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, center, and the late armed forces commanders at Baharestan Square in Tehran, Thursday, September 25, 2025

IRGC reveals new details on Haniyeh assassination and Iran’s response

  • Politics
  • 3 Nov 2025
Jimmy Wales speaking in Montreal, April 11, 2016. (AP / PA Images)

Wikipedia founder comments on Gaza genocide article sparks backlash

  • Politics
  • 3 Nov 2025
The US and Puerto Rican flags. (AFP)

US imposes flight restrictions off Puerto Rico under Pentagon orders

  • Politics
  • 31 Oct 2025
Mamdani defeats billionaire-funded campaign, triggers DEM divide

Mamdani defeats billionaire-funded campaign, triggers DEM divide

  • US & Canada
  • 5 Nov 2025

Coverage

All
War on Gaza

Read Next

All
A U.S. C-130 Hercules transport aircraft is on display at the Paris Air Show, Wednesday, June 18, 2025 in Le Bourget, north of Paris. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)
Politics

US moves toward securing military foothold at Damascus airbase

Alain Minc slams Macron’s legacy, warns of far-right surge
Politics

Macron's mentor calls him 'worst' president, warns of far-right surge

The new British Army Ajax armoured fighting vehicle on dispaly at the DSEI exhibition of military equipment in London, on September 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)
Politics

UK delivers first Ajax armored vehicles after eight-year delay

Impact of the UPS MD-11 cargo plane crash after it took off from Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport
US & Canada

Kentucky UPS cargo plane crash death toll rises to 12, 15 injuries

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS