Rishi Sunak Laughs Off Questions About Liz Truss And The ‘Deep State’

During his sit down with the Commons Liaison Committee Prime Minister Rishi Sunak laughed as he was pressed on remarks made by former Prime Minister Liz Truss that the UK was controlled by the “deep state” who sabotaged her premiership.

Truss made the comments at the U.S. Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in February, flanked by former President Donald Trump’s ex-political strategist Steve Bannon. The orchestration of her own downfall, of course, was one of Truss’ own making when she crashed the UK economy with a calamitous “mini budget” in September 2023.

Conservative MP William Wragg, who sits on the committee, raised the question of Truss’ deep state allegations, seeking comment from the prime minister on his predecessor.

Sunak laughed: “Yeah, I think that’s probably a question for her rather than me.”

Pushing the question, Wragg said: “I’m just keen to hear your view, Prime Minister.”

The prime minister replied: “Sorry?”

Wragg clarified: “Is there a deep state? Are you part of it? Am I part of it?”

Sunak laughed aloud again: “Yeah, probably a question for her. I probably wouldn’t tell you if I was.”

“No, no, no,” Wragg said laughing also.

Sunak added: “And we wouldn’t tell anyone else either, would we?

Wragg continued: “I wouldn’t tell anybody else either, Sir Bernard, if I was. So it’s not just a case of… perhaps a few chaps getting overly excited after a good lunch, say, at the Garrick [Club], is it?”

“That’s a question for her,” Sunak repeated, laughing off camera.