Approximately 60 Conservative Members of Parliament have now aligned themselves with Liz Truss's pro-growth faction, advocating for tax cuts, thereby putting Rishi Sunak's parliamentary

majority in jeopardy.

At the party conference in Manchester on Monday, the former Prime Minister drew a sizable crowd of Tory members while championing tax cuts for this year to "revitalize Britain."

During the packed event, Truss asserted that corporation tax should be reduced to 19 percent, urging members to "embrace their inner conservatism" and halt the practice of overtaxation and prohibition.

Ranil Jayawardena MP, a close ally of Truss, announced that the Conservative Growth Group, initially thought to comprise around 30 MPs, had now grown to encompass 60 MPs, a number roughly equivalent to Mr. Sunak's majority in the Commons.

Priti Patel, former Home Secretary, and Jacob Rees-Mogg, who both joined Truss at the rally, echoed the sentiment. Patel declared, "We can no longer afford to be timid or risk-averse, and we must not accept the status quo."

Many MPs have pledged to vote against Chancellor Jeremy Hunt's autumn statement if it includes any new tax hikes. Jake Berry, the former chairman, who is among the signatories, expressed doubt that the chief whip would expel Conservative party members who stood by their pledge, stating, "I think it's pretty unlikely."

These tax rebels hold significant influence, with Berry noting, "There are 33 signatories already, with more to come, and that's more than half of the government's majority."

Liz Truss aimed to secure support from the party membership that chose her over Mr. Sunak last summer, prior to her short-lived premiership's downfall, marked by a chaotic episode of unfunded tax cuts.

Nigel Farage also voiced his strong support for Truss, stating he "absolutely 100%" believes in her. He warned Mr. Sunak about the "rebellious mood" at the conference, emphasizing the potential shifts within the party after the next election.

Other right-wing groups within the party also gained momentum in Manchester. The New Conservatives group, led by Danny Kruger and Miriam Cates, presented proposals to prohibit the teaching of "gender ideology" in schools, attracting a standing-room-only audience.

In response to the growing influence of Truss and other right-leaning factions, Mr. Sunak and his team proposed scaling back HS2, reducing the civil service, and imposing stricter benefit conditions.

While Mr. Hunt maintained that there were no "shortcuts" to tax cuts this year, he did not rule out their introduction in the spring Budget of 2024. He also introduced measures likely to resonate with the Truss-supporting right-wing of the party, including a cap on Whitehall hiring to save up to £1 billion annually and plans to reduce the number of officials, particularly those working on "equality and diversity initiatives."

Critics from various quarters, including union leaders and senior civil servants, viewed these announcements as desperate attempts to appease the party's hard-right wing.

Transport Secretary Mark Harper raised concerns about councils penalizing drivers and criticized the concept of "15-minute cities" as "sinister." He suggested that local authorities were attempting to regulate how often people could drive to shops.

Business Secretary Kemi Badenoch promised a review of regulators to leverage "Brexit freedoms" in reducing bureaucracy.

Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer introduced new guidance to ensure statues are explained rather than removed following the toppling of the Edward Colston statue, a notorious slave trader. Education Secretary Gillian Keegan also confronted teaching unions, suggesting that minimum service levels could be extended to university staff. Photo by Simon Dawson / No10 Downing Street, Wikimedia commons.