UK leadership favorite Truss stumbles over plan to slash pay
By JILL LAWLESS
Associated Press
LONDON (AP) — British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss has been forced into a policy U-turn as she runs to succeed Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Truss abandoned a proposal to cut some public sector salaries after the idea drew scorn from fellow Conservatives. Critics said the plan would mean cutting salaries at a time when prices for food and fuel are soaring. The change came after Truss’s campaign got a boost with endorsement from a former rival, Penny Mordaunt. Truss and former Treasury chief Rishi Sunak are running to succeed Johnson, who quit amid ethics scandals last month. About 180,000 Conservative members across the U.K. are voting for a new leader, with the winner to be announced Sept. 5.