Liz Truss has repeatedly refused to rule out cutting public services and benefits to fund her plan to slash taxes for the wealthiest Brits.
The under-fire Prime Minister was asked SIX times whether she would impose cuts to stem the economic fallout from the disastrous mini-Budget.
She also refused twice to commit to raising benefits in line with CPI inflation as promised - which would amount to a real-terms cut.
In a gruelling TV interview on the first day of Conservative conference, Ms Truss insisted she was "absolutely committed" to abolishing the 45p top rate of income tax, which will benefit around 660,000 of the highest earners, saving them around £10,000 a year.
But she refused to rule out bringing in a new wave of austerity for public services.
Asked if her plans mean she needs to cut public services, the PM told the BBC's Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg programme: "I don't accept that argument and I will do what I can to win the hearts and minds of my colleagues across the Conservative party, because I believe we need to grow the size of the pie."
Pressed twice more if she would make cuts, she said: "I believe in getting value for the taxpayer, that's very important to me."
Ms Truss argued that getting more people into work would make the economy more productive and save the Government money.
Asked twice again if she'd slash public service spending, she said: "What I'm going to do is make sure we get value for money for the taxpayer.
"But I'm very, very committed to making sure we've got excellent frontline public services.
"And I'm not going to go into what the Chancellor will announce in his medium-term fiscal plan. He's going to announce that very shortly, it will come together with an OBR forecast."
Pressed a final time whether her refusal to rule out cuts suggested that she will go down that path, she said: "No it doesn't, because I can't exactly set out what is going to be in this plan. What I can promise is we're going to reduce debt as a proportion of GDP."
The PM said she would ensure pensions rise in line with inflation, but refused to make the same commitment for benefits.
Asked if she would retain Boris Johnson's promise to raise benefit payments in line with inflation, she said: "This is something the Department of Work and Pensions Secretary is looking at at the moment.
"She will make a determination on that and we will announce that this autumn."
Asked again, she said Work and Pensions Secretary Therese Coffey was looking at it - and pointed to the support for the poorest through the energy bills support scheme.
On pensions, she said: "I've committed to the triple lock. Yes."
