Truss to break months of silence with ‘hawkish’ speech

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Liz Truss is expected to make a number of media appearances soon, having kept a low profile since becoming the shortest-lived prime minister in British history. The Tory backbencher will address a conference of global politicians in Japan on February 17, with her speech billed as centring on Beijing as a threat to Taiwan. Ms Truss’ disastrous mini-Budget of £45billion in unfunded tax cuts last September ensured her Downing Street tenure lasted just 49 days.

However, her allies recently formed the Conservative Growth Group to push for her tax-cutting agenda.

And her comeback may stoke divisions among Tory MPs, as many are more eager to hastily cut taxes and take a more aggressive stance on China.

The Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China, a campaign group that places international pressure on Beijing, is arranging the event Ms Truss will speak at.

She is due to be joined by two other ex-prime ministers, Australia’s Scott Morrison and Belgium’s Guy Verhofstadt.

An ally of Ms Truss said her talk will be “hawkish”, noting: “She’s expected to address Sunak’s decision to brand China a strategic competitor rather than a threat.”

Mr Sunak had called China the “biggest-long term threat to Britain” in the leadership contest – but in November, he merely referred to the country as a “systemic challenge”.

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