The media and Team Rishi are desperate to argue Truss is changing her position on additional household support this winter, and force her into a u-turn. She hasn’t, and so far looks like she isn’t going to. As she said in the FT interview that kicked all this off last week, “tax cuts and supply side reforms” are her primary objective. In the same interview, she added “Of course I will look at what more can be done“, particularly for those on lower incomes and pensioners. Now she’s had to say the same thing again this morning:

“…What’s wrong is taking money from people in taxes and then giving it back to them in benefits. That’s Gordon Brown-style economics, and I don’t support that… my priority is making sure we’re not taking money off people and then giving it back to them later on. I believe in people keeping their own money, and I believe in a low-tax economy.”

The reason Liz is so far ahead among members is that she understands she’s fighting a Tory leadership election, not a general election. She doesn’t need to pander to hacks’ desires for a summer recess headline. Her line about ‘tax cuts primarily, though not ruling out support‘ is not just one of policy, it’s one of messaging to the electorate to whom she has to appeal. Standing up the cascade of lobbying voices trying to knock her ship off course may, in and of itself, help her reputation with Tory members…