Former Prime Minister Liz Truss has levelled accusations against former government ministers Lord Michael Gove, James Cartlidge, and Sir Mel Stride, alleging they undermined her leadership to secure senior positions in Rishi Sunak’s Cabinet. Truss, whose premiership lasted just 45 days in 2022, detailed these claims in her upcoming book, *Bank Job*, which chronicles the events surrounding her controversial mini-budget and its aftermath.

In the book, Truss alleges that Gove, Cartlidge, and Stride actively sought to destabilize her tenure, motivated by personal political gain. She describes them as eager to seek “revenge” and willing to publicly criticize her rather than challenge the entrenched political system. Truss contends that many within the Conservative Party, including these figures, had supported Sunak during the summer 2022 leadership contest and viewed her member-backed victory as a mistake to be rectified. She characterizes some members as resistant to welfare reform and opposed to fracking, while collectively seeking to maintain a system that benefitted their interests.

Speaking ahead of her book’s release, Truss expanded on these allegations, stating that the trio consistently attacked her both publicly and behind closed doors, such as within the 1922 Committee, instead of addressing systemic issues. She suggested that their loyalty to the party machinery and likely promises of Cabinet roles under Sunak motivated their actions.

Truss also recounted a meeting with Graham Brady, chairman of the 1922 Committee, shortly before her resignation. Brady reportedly informed her that she would lose a confidence vote within 24 hours if she did not step down voluntarily. Recognizing the inevitability of her removal and wishing to avoid prolonging political instability, she chose to resign.

Regarding the mini-budget, which sparked financial turmoil, Truss asserts the Bank of England’s unexpected announcement to sell £80 billion of government bonds the day before her chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng unveiled the fiscal plan contributed significantly to market disruption. She claims that neither she nor Kwarteng were informed or consulted on this move, and that Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey declined to meet with them during the crisis, citing the need to maintain the institution’s independence.

Truss’s mini-budget included sweeping tax cuts without clear spending reductions, leading to intense market backlash. The resulting turmoil forced the dismissal of Kwarteng as chancellor and the reversal of much of the fiscal plan, culminating in Truss’s ouster by Conservative MPs after seven weeks in office. Since then, she has attributed the failure of her premiership to opposition from the Treasury, the Bank of England, what she terms the “deep state,” and internal party resistance. She also lost her parliamentary seat to Labour in the 2024 general election.

In the concluding chapter of her book, Truss envisions a transformative future for Britain by 2040, portraying a nation that has embraced enterprise and eschewed policies such as net zero targets, mass migration, and the existing welfare model. She imagines a country where the Bank of England and government prioritize the pound’s stability, the Office for Budget Responsibility has been abolished, and fiscal control is centralized within Downing Street. Truss also foresees the UK leading in space exploration and receiving acknowledgment from former Labour leaders on the failure of post-1997 political settlements.

Requests for comment sent to Cartlidge, Lord Gove, and Sir Mel Stride were not returned. The Bank of England declined to comment on the allegations.