Jacob Rees-Mogg, a key ally of Liz Truss, has defended the Tory leader’s suggestion that British workers need “more intervention” as “sensible”.
Rees-Mogg, the Brexit opportunities minister, told the Mail on Sunday that her comments reflected “low productivity in the British economy”.
He said they “have attracted manufactured political criticism but reflect an unfortunate reality in much of the British state”, adding: “This is not good for the government or the general public.”
Rees-Mogg has been tipped for a cabinet position in a Truss government, perhaps as trade or promotion secretary.
Truss’s statements from his time as Chancellor of the Exchequer in 2017-19 were leaked to The Guardian last week. In the comments, he tried to explain the lower productivity seen outside London as “a mindset and attitude thing”.
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“There is a fundamental problem with British work culture,” he said. “Essentially, if we’re going to be a richer country and a more prosperous country, that has to change. But I don’t think people are that eager to change that.”
Truss added that there was a “slight thing in Britain about wanting the easy answers”, before saying: “But actually what needs to happen is more… more graft. It’s not a popular message.”
Asked about her remarks this weekend, Truss told the Sun on Sunday: “I’ve always been passionate about helping our country to be more successful. I want people to have opportunities. Of course I believe in hard work.
“I want our government to stand with hard-working people who build their own businesses.”
Labor has said Truss’ comments made when she was Chancellor of the Exchequer were “hugely offensive”, saying she had effectively called British workers “lazy”.