Liz Truss is “enjoying a well-deserved break” after resigning six weeks into her premiership.
The Environment Secretary Therese Coffey told Sky News that the former prime minister is spending time with her family after her chaotic time in office.
Asked how Ms Truss is doing, Ms Coffey said: “I have, of course, been in touch with Liz and she’s a good friend. She’s with her family. And I think she’s enjoying a well-deserved break.”
Ms Truss became the UK’s shortest serving prime minister in modern British history after resigning just 44 days into the job.
She succeeded Boris Johnson on 6 September after defeating Rishi Sunak in the summer leadership race with a promise of tax cuts to boost growth.
But this proved to be her downfall after her mini-budget caused turmoil in the financial markets and sent the pound crashing.
Ms Truss, who is still an MP, will now join Mr Johnson on the backbenches under the new government led by Rishi Sunak, who was chosen to replace her by Tory MPs on Monday.
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In a bid to heal divisions within the Conservative party, he kept many of her backers in his cabinet – including Ms Coffey.
Ms Coffey served as health secretary and deputy PM under Ms Truss, and is now the environment secretary.
Asked today if she was surprised to keep such a prominent job in Mr Sunak’s cabinet, she said: “I’ve worked with the prime minister before… I was delighted when he asked me to stay in the cabinet and to take on the role of environment secretary.”
Ms Coffey also defended Mr Sunak’s decision not to attend Cop27 by saying the “big political” summits take place every five years.
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She insisted the climate issue is “very much a priority” for the new government, even though the climate minister Graham Stuart and Cop26 President Alok Sharma were stripped of their Cabinet seats.
Ms Coffey would not be drawn in on reports Mr Sunak will expand the windfall tax on energy companies.
Asked if the Prime Minister will increase the levy, she said: “I’m sure that he is working with his Chancellor Jeremy Hunt to explore all the different elements in the run-up to the medium-term fiscal plan.”
Pressed on whether she would like to see this happen, she said: “I think I’m not going to get into a discussion about tax because that really is a matter for the chancellor and the prime minister.”
