Rishi Sunak ‘dug heels in’ to resist changes to Brexit red tape, Liz Truss allies claim in fresh attack

Kwasi Kwarteng and Simon Clarke accuse former chancellor of pushing ‘Labour-lite economic policy’

(AFP via Getty Images)

Senior allies of Tory leadership contender Liz Truss have accused her rival Rishi Sunak of having “dug his heels in” as chancellor to resist efforts to cut red tape after Brexit.

In a brutal attack on their former colleague, business secretary Kwasi Kwarteng and chief secretary to the Treasury Simon Clarke also claimed Mr Sunak wanted to “normalise” a 70-year high tax burden.

“Rishi has given up,” they said. “He wants people to fear there is no alternative to sliding into recession and that the only option is to stem the bleeding with Labour-lite economic policy.”