SURGING TRUSS: YOU CAN TRUST ME TO BE BOLD AND CUT BILLS

TORY leadership hopeful Liz Truss has promised hardpressed Britons she will tackle the crippling cost-of-living crisis as she seized momentum in the race to No 10.

- Macer Hall

The Foreign Secretary won the backing of 86 colleagues, an increase of 15, in the latest round of voting as she closed the gap on Rishi Sunak.

Speaking exclusively to the Daily Express, Ms Truss last night vowed to “unite” her feuding party and said she was the candidate to deliver the vast opportunities of Brexit and tackle the inflation crisis. She also vowed to deliver bold economic reforms and cut  bills for struggling families.

It comes as an opinion poll rated her as more popular than rivals Mr Sunak and Penny Mordaunt among the Tory faithful, as the race to become Prime Minister was narrowed to three. Ms Truss made the biggest advance yesterday in the fourth knockout round among Tory MPs. Former chancellor Mr Sunak topped the poll with 118, up by three votes from the previous round. Ms Mordaunt clung on to second place with 92 votes, up by 10. But third-placed Ms Truss finished just six votes behind the Trade Minister. Ahead of today’s crunch knockout round to pick the final two for the run-off vote, Ms Truss told the Express: “I’m ready to unite the Conservative Party and lead the nation as the next Prime Minister.

“People can trust me to deliver the bold economic reform that’s required to reduce bills for families and unleash the full potential of our United Kingdom.

“I’m ready to deliver the opportunities of Brexit and help lead the free world in standing up to authoritarians.”

Ms Truss is now the favourite with bookmaker Coral in a big change in the market.