U.K. scraps tax cut for the rich that sparked market chaos and political backlash

British Prime Minister Liz Truss on Monday ditched her signature plan to cut taxes for the country's top earners after it triggered market turmoil and a huge domestic outcry.

Truss, who is less than a month into the job, proposed removing the top tier of income tax — meaning a saving for people who earn more than 150,000 pounds ($168,000) a year — as part of a set of unfunded economic reforms that caused the pound to fall to historic lows and damaged Britain's economic standing globally.

The pound rose after the announcement to around $1.12 — about the value it held before the Sept. 23 budget announcements.

The dramatic reversal comes just hours after Truss defiantly defended the tax cut and her broader radical economic agenda, saying it was necessary to solve the country’s long-term economic woes. Faced with a growing political rebellion after days of economic chaos, the government said early Monday it was abandoning the plan.