Liz Truss has called a speech she gave calling for the abolition of the monarchy a “mistake” after a clip of her surfaced at the 1994 Lib Dem conference.
The Conservative candidate for leadership told reporters in Peterborough today that she regretted the comments that were aimed ‘almost immediately’ at the royal family after she made them when she was 19.
In a clip unearthed yesterday, the politician was recorded speaking about questioning a ‘reactionary-looking’ trio of voters who told her they’d had ‘enough’ of the royal family.
The Minister of Foreign Affairsnow 46, who used to be the leader of the Oxford University Liberal Democrats, recently said she understands now the Queen and the rest of the Royals are ‘key’ to the UK’s success.
She turned conservative in 1996 and today Miss Truss extended her lead over Rishi Sunak in the race to become the new Tory leader and prime minister after Boris Johnson stepped down.
A 19-year-old Liz Truss was cheered at the 1994 Lib Dem conference when she called for the abolition of the monarchy.
British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss arrives today at a hustings event, part of the Conservative Party’s leadership campaign, as she expands her poll on Rishi Sunak
In the clip shared by Newsnight last night, Ms. Truss told the conference, “We Liberals believe in opportunity for all.
“I was interviewed by Newsnight earlier this afternoon and we were filmed asking members of the public what they thought of the monarchy.
‘We encountered a group of three people. I’d say they were around 50, 60 [years of age]. [They] looked fairly middle class, rather smart and actually quite reactionary to be completely honest.
“We’ve asked them if they think they have their opinion of the Monarch, you know what they said? They said, ‘Abolish them. We’ve had enough’.’
She also said during the same speech that she agreed with former Lib Dem leader Paddy Ashdown on the monarchy.
“I agree with Paddy Ashdown when he said ‘Everyone in Britain should have the chance to be someone,’ she said in Brighton.
“But only one family can provide the head of state. We Liberal Democrats believe in opportunities for all. We do not believe that people are born to rule.
‘We believe in referendums on major constitutional issues; we don’t believe that people should be born to rule, or that they should be silent about decisions that affect their daily lives.’
When asked when she realized she didn’t want to abolish the monarchy, she told reporters in Peterborough today: ‘Almost immediately after I gave that speech.
“I was a teenager at the time and I really believe that people who never change their mind and think the same at 16 as they do at 46 are first and foremost not normal people like me, and second, you know,
“I have the ability to learn from mistakes I’ve made, things I’ve done wrong and move on.”
Miss Truss was seen speaking about questioning a ‘reactionary-looking’ trio of voters who told her they’d had ‘enough’ of the royal family
Favourite: Liz Truss, pictured in the House of Parliament after knocking out Penny Mordaunt to make the final two in the Tory leadership match
When questioned by the BBC’s Nick Robinson about her past desire to abolish the monarchy, she said: ‘I think it’s fair to say that I was a professional controversy in my youth and I loved exploring ideas. and stir things up.
“And I came from a left-wing background, because I said my mother was in the nuclear disarmament campaign.
“There are very few people at my school or whom I met regularly, I could count them on one hand who would describe you as right-wing.
“So I thought then, this is a totally different way of living, it doesn’t represent the kind of society I want to live in.
“And I started to understand more why Britain is successful and part of our success is the constitutional monarchy that supports a free democracy.”
Today in the daily mail she vowed to defeat Labor by “governing like a true tax-cutting, freedom-loving conservative.”
The secretary of state ran for prime minister in the final run-off against Rishi Sunak last night, beating rival Penny Mordaunt on Tuesday.
She said: ‘I entered politics to end this ‘soft bigotry of low expectations’ and bring equal opportunity to all. My approach is firmly rooted in conservative values of aspiration, entrepreneurship and freedom, which I know are shared across the country.’
The secretary of state tonight was also the pick of 62 percent of Tory membership, polled by YouGov for Sky News, against 38 percent for the ex-chancellor.
The results mean she extended her lead over her former colleague by four points after promising a series of populist tax cuts.
The poll was conducted after they became the last two candidates in the leadership election, which was due to end in early September.
Secretary of State and Tory leadership candidate, Liz Truss, addresses the press during a visit to the children’s charity Little Miracles in Peterborough
Ms Truss wants households to share their personal tax deductions and builds on the existing tax benefit for married couples, first promised by David Cameron in 2005.
Currently, a member of a married couple earning below the £12,570 income tax threshold can transfer £1,270 of their allowance to their spouse, reducing their tax bill by up to £252 per year.
The benefit could be extended to all cohabiting couples and the size of the tax benefit could be drastically increased.
A final decision has not yet been made about which part of their personal allowance is transferable and the policy has not yet been budgeted.
However, it is thought that officials will consider allowing people to transfer their full personal allowance of £12,570 to a partner.
That would add up to £2,514 a year per pair.
Stay-at-home parents or part-time working parents are among the top winners.
Ms Truss said: ‘Hardworking families are the foundation of a stable society, and one of my top priorities as Prime Minister would be to ease the tax burden on families. Not only do they take care of themselves, but they also build communities, charities and even businesses.
“I want to make sure our tax system works for them. We are going to review the taxation of families to ensure that people are not penalized for taking time to care for their children or elderly relatives.”