Jose Luis Magana/AP
Former prime minister Liz Truss has backed Nigel Farage to become the next leader of the Conservative Party.
In a speech to the Conservative Political Action Conference (Cpac) near Washington DC, Truss repeated arguments she has made previously, claiming an “administrative state” and left-wing interests had undermined her policies in Downing Street.
She said: “Conservatives are now operating in what is now a hostile environment and we essentially need a bigger bazooka.”
Interviewed by former Donald Trump adviser Steve Bannon after her speech, Ms Truss said she was willing to work with Nigel Farage to change the Conservative Party.
She said: “I will work with whoever it takes to make our country successful, I will work with whoever.
“And Nigel, I’ve done an interview with him today, I would like him to become a member of the Conservative Party and help turn our country around.”
She also suggested Mr Bannon, who is facing fraud charges in New York, could “come over to Britain and sort out Britain”, to which he joked that he “may be banned in Britain”.
In response to Ms Truss’s speech, the Liberal Democrats renewed calls for her to be stripped of the £115,000 allowance given to former prime ministers to help run their private offices.
Party deputy leader Daisy Cooper said: “This Conservative Party love-in for right-wing American politics is like watching a slow moving car crash.
“These bizarre conspiracy theories pedalled by Truss and her cabal should have no place in British politics. Blue Wall voters will run a mile from this nonsense.”
Mr Trump and Reform UK founder Mr Farage are due to address Cpac on Friday.
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