Michael Gove, a leading figure in Britain’s Conservatives, accused Liz Truss, the foreign secretary and favorite to succeed Boris Johnson as prime minister, on Saturday of living “away from reality” with his proposals to tackle the effects of inflation.
Gove, who has held several ministerial positions, has voiced his support for former finance minister Rishi Sunak, as the race to become Conservative Party leader and UK Prime Minister enters an end.
According to polls, Liz Truss is well positioned to win a duel with Sunak, and replace outgoing Prime Minister Boris Johnson when the result of the internal vote is announced on September 5.
Both contenders, Truss and Snack, differ on how to deal with the economic and social effects of inflation exceeding 10%, as well as the numerous strikes in various sectors due to the loss of purchasing power.
Truss pledges to cut taxes immediately, rather than provide direct financial assistance to the population groups hardest hit by inflation, which has drawn criticism from Sunak and its allies.
“I am deeply concerned that for many the tone of the leadership debate has been disconnected from reality,” Goff wrote in an article published in The Times on Saturday.
Gove, who served 11 years in the government under three ministers, added that “the response to the crisis caused by the high cost of living cannot be limited to the refusal of more financial aid and tax cuts.”
According to him, the tax cuts proposed by Truss “will benefit the rich” and large companies, to the detriment of small and riskier entrepreneurs.
In this campaign, Michael Gove previously defended the later disqualified candidate Kimi Badenush. The 54-year-old politician says he does not expect to be appointed to the next government.
Britain’s Conservative Party hardliners, who number about 200,000, have until September 2 to elect their new leader in a mail vote.
Since the party has a parliamentary majority, the winner will take command of the executive branch, succeeding Johnson, who resigned at the beginning of July beset by several scandals and internal rebellion.
The results of the vote will be announced on the 5th of September.
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