Anoosh Chakelian is joined by Freddie Hayward, Rachel Wearmouth and Harry Lambert, who are reporting from the Conservative Party conference in Birmingham.They describe a sense of discord and dissent, with Liz Truss’s U-turn on abolishing the top rate of income tax damaging her credibility and emboldening Tory rebels. The team discuss the open speculation by Tory MPs about who might succeed the Prime Minister, including Boris Johnson as an “off the shelf” candidate, and the party’s response to a weak speech by Kwasi Kwarteng, the Chancellor.Then in You Ask Us a listener asks, will Liz Truss be able to cut benefits?If you have a question for You Ask Us, email podcasts@newstatesman.co.ukPodcast listeners can subscribe to the New Statesman for just £1 a week for 12 weeks using our special offer. Just visit newstatesman.com/podcastoffer.SAVE £££ THIS CHRISTMAS:⭐️ Gift big ideas, bold politics, and proper journalism from just £2LISTEN AD-FREE:📱Download the New Statesman appMORE FROM THE NEW STATESMAN:❓ Ask a question – we answer them every Friday⏰ Get our daily politics newsletter every morning✍️ Enjoy the best of our writing via email every Saturday Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.