UK leadership favorite Truss stumbles over plan to slash pay

By JILL LAWLESS
Associated Press

LONDON (AP) — British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss has bolstered her front-runner status in the race to succeed Prime Minister Boris Johnson. She gained a valuable endorsement from a former rival, Penny Mordaunt. But the competition between Truss and former Treasury chief Rishi Sunak race remains volatile. Truss was forced Tuesday to drop 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. Truss later abandoned the plan, saying “current levels of public sector pay will absolutely be maintained.” About 180,000 Conservative members across the U.K. are voting for a new leader, with the winner announced Sept. 5