During the summer 2022 Conservative Party leadership contest to replace Boris Johnson, Welsh Secretary Sir Robert Buckland became the first Cabinet minister to switch his support from Rishi Sunak to Liz Truss.
Why Buckland changed his mind
Buckland had originally backed Sunak, saying he believed the former chancellor was best placed to guide the country through difficult economic times. In an article for The Daily Telegraph, he explained that after hearing both candidates he had concluded Truss’s economic plans offered the best chance of getting through the crisis. He argued that the country needed a high-growth, high-productivity economy and that Truss’s ideas gave the greatest hope of achieving it.
He acknowledged that publicly changing sides was unusual, but said he had genuinely changed his mind.
A blow to Sunak
The switch was a setback for Sunak, who had positioned himself as the candidate willing to tell hard truths and had criticised Truss’s tax-cutting plans as “fairytale” economics. It reinforced Truss’s status as the clear frontrunner, a signal noticed by MPs hoping for roles in the next government.
Dorries vs Raab
The contest was also marked by sharp exchanges among senior Conservatives. Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries, a strong Johnson ally backing Truss, publicly criticised Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab, a Sunak supporter, after Raab defended Sunak against claims that he had “stabbed Boris in the back” by resigning.
Raab told The Times that Sunak had tried to work things out with Johnson before ultimately deciding to resign. Dorries responded on Twitter, arguing that Truss had stayed in government while Sunak had resigned and prepared a leadership campaign in advance.
What happened next
Liz Truss won the contest in September 2022 and became prime minister, but her government’s economic plans caused market turmoil, and she resigned after just 49 days. Rishi Sunak then became prime minister in October 2022.
