Fresh confusion as foreign secretary can’t say when Kwarteng fiscal plan will come

Foreign secretary James Cleverly has admitted he cannot say when the Liz Truss government would reveal its fiscal plan aimed at reassuring the panicking markets.

Following a day of confusion over whether the plan might be brought forward, chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng said he had not shifted plans for his announcement on 23 November.

But asked if 23 November was the right date, Mr Cleverly told GB News: “I can’t confirm exactly what the date is, the chancellor will do so.”

He added: “But the process for calculating the balance between money coming in and money coming out, about tax and about expenditure, whether through benefits or other things will be done by the chancellor in the usual way.”

Mr Kwarteng appeared to U-turn on a plan to calm markets by bringing forward his crucial statement setting out spending and borrowing plans.

The media was briefed by government sources late on Monday that the chancellor’s medium-term fiscal plan would take place earlier than 23 November.

Markets rose and the pound hit a two-week high on the back of a reports that the statement – and the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR)’s judgement on the impact of his measures – would take place in October.

But Tuesday saw a change of heart, with both Ms Truss and Mr Kwarteng committing themselves to the original date. The chancellor told GB News: “It’s going to be 23 November.”

Senior Tory MP Mel Stride, chair of the Treasury select committee, had welcomed the idea of a move to a date in October.

Mr Stride said he could persuade the Bank’s Monetary Policy Committee to shave a fraction off any hike in interest rates next month – potentially saving homeowners hundreds of pounds from mortgage payments.

Earlier on Wednesday, Mr Cleverly denied Tory infighting on Wednesday – claiming the Tory conference had been “brilliant” and held in a “great atmosphere”.

But the senior figure also lamented divisions in the party and urged all Tories to “rally” around the new PM. “Having these kinds of side conversations isn’t useful,” he told GB News.

Mr Cleverly added: “I think it’s incumbent upon all of us to rally around her because that is the right agenda for the government.”

Michael Gove denied he was leading a push against Ms Truss on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme after his successful rebellion on the 45p top rate of tax. Asked if he was a “coup” leader, he said: “No.”

Suella Braverman, who said Tory rebels had staged a “coup” against the tax plan, downplayed her row with Gove and claimed the “argy bargy” was over.

Asked if she had “kissed and made up” with Mr Gove, she told Today: “Well I have never broken up with Mr Gove ... he’s a friend of mine.