Rishi Sunak insisted the recession already looks to be over today as he faced a pre-Easter grilling from MPs.
The PM said evidence from this year indicated the economy had 'returned to growth' as he gave evidence to the Commons Liaison Committee.
Mr Sunak pointed to falling inflation as he argued he was making 'progress' getting UK plc back on track.
The premier is trying to steady the Tories after another hugely damaging bout of infighting.
MPs have been openly discussing whether they should replace Mr Sunak amid dire polls showing the party far behind Labour, and leaking votes to Reform UK.
![Rishi Sunak insisted the recession already looks to be over today as he faced a pre-Easter grilling from MPs](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/03/26/13/82905643-13240435-image-a-10_1711459340515.jpg)
Rishi Sunak insisted the recession already looks to be over today as he faced a pre-Easter grilling from MPs
![The PM said evidence from this year indicated the economy had 'returned to growth' as he gave evidence to the Commons Liaison Committee](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/03/26/13/82905647-13240435-image-a-11_1711459443170.jpg)
The PM said evidence from this year indicated the economy had 'returned to growth' as he gave evidence to the Commons Liaison Committee
The moment of maximum danger for the PM could be the local elections taking place on May 2, where the Conservatives could lose large numbers of councillors and key mayoral contests.
A by-election is also due in Blackpool South after Scott Benton quit yesterday.
Mr Sunak has seized on a bigger-than-expected fall in inflation as evidence that his 'plan is working'.
But he has been facing increasing unrest in his ranks, with persistent rumours of a bid to oust him and claims that Commons Leader Penny Mordaunt is 'on manoeuvres'.
The lack of a Budget bounce and former Tory deputy chairman Lee Anderson joining Reform recently also jangled nerves.
During the session, Mr Sunak defended tough curbs to spending, saying 5 per cent cutbacks were not an 'heroic' ask of the public sector.
He said Brits could 'safely assume' the pensions triple-lock will remain in place throughout the next Parliament.
Asked whether he thought that was affordable, the Prime Minister told the Liaison Committee: 'I do, because the track record of the Government is that we make priorities, and making sure that if you have worked hard all your life you have the dignity that you deserve in retirement is important to me, it's important to the Government, and the triple-lock is an expression of that.
'So I'm actually proud that as a result of the triple-lock pensioners are much less likely to be in poverty.'
![MPs have been openly discussing whether they should replace Mr Sunak amid dire polls showing the party far behind Labour , and leaking votes to Reform UK](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/03/26/13/82905667-13240435-image-a-12_1711459459275.jpg)
MPs have been openly discussing whether they should replace Mr Sunak amid dire polls showing the party far behind Labour , and leaking votes to Reform UK