Tory ex-minister Michael Gove trolls Liz Truss with tweet about ‘strong leadership’ 

Ex-minister Michael Gove appeared to throw a shovelful of shade at Liz Truss today, tweeting about the virtues of ‘strong leadership’ during her disastrous press conference.

The former education, environment and levelling-up secretary posted an image from a visit to a school in his Surrey constituency as the Prime Minister was speaking in Downing Street. 

Barely a month into her premiership, Ms Truss fronted a make-or-break press conference to abandon plans to keep corporation tax at 19p, rather than hiking it to 25p in April.

Earlier she had forced her chancellor, Kwasi Kwarteng, to stand down before replacing him with Jeremy Hunt. 

She said she had made a ‘difficult’ decision for ‘economic security’ and ‘in the national interest’, but argued that her ‘mission’ to reduce taxes remained. 

‘We will get through this storm,’ she said. ‘The mission remains the same.. but ultimately we have to make sure we have economic stability.’

Under fierce fire from journalists, Ms Truss refused to apologise for ‘trashing’ the Tories’ reputation – before abruptly walking out after eight minutes and just four questions.

Shortly afterwards Mr Gove posted a picture to Twitter saying: ‘Good to talk to Surrey Heath headteachers today – providing strong leadership for the next generation. 

‘We discussed funding pressures, support for the vulnerable and recruitment and retention.’

It came after the former minister, sacked by Boris Johnson earlier this year, made a swathe of interventions on economic policy at the Tory Party Conference last week. 

He criticised plans to axe the 45p tax rate, which was later reversed, and backed increasing benefits in line with inflation rather than wages, something Ms Truss is resisting. 

Downing Street will now be waiting anxiously to see if the PM has done enough to cling on, after Tory MPs warned that a poor performance would mean she is ‘out’.

Looking uncomfortable, Ms Truss took to the podium inside No9 Downing Street to make a statement confirming the corporation tax rethink.

Asked why she should remain as PM, she said: ‘I’m absolutely determined to see through what I have promised, to deliver a higher growth, more prosperous United Kingdom, to see us through the storm we face.

‘We’ve already delivered the energy price guarantee making sure people aren’t facing huge bills this winter.

‘But it was right in the face of the issues that we had that I acted decisively to ensure that we have economic stability, because that is vitally important to people and businesses right across our country.’

Challenged on whether she would apologise to her party, Ms Truss told reporters: ‘I am determined to deliver on what I set out when I campaigned to be party leader.

‘We need to have a high-growth economy but we have to recognise that we are facing very difficult issues as a country.

‘And it was right, in the national interest, that I made the decisions I’ve made today to restore that economic stability so we can deliver, first of all helping people through this winter and next winter with their energy bills, but also making sure that our country is on the long-term footing for sustainable economic growth.’

Mr Kwarteng was given his marching orders after being hauled back to Downing Street from a US summit, with the PM facing a potentially terminal Tory rebellion.

Former foreign secretary and two-time failed leadership contender Mr Hunt is making a shock return as a ‘safe pair of hands’ to take over No11.