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Cost of living: Truss and Sunak face questions amid fresh energy bill warning

Rishi Sunak has said the government will need to provide more support than he previously thought to support vulnerable people with bills.

He warned Liz Truss’s tax-cut plans without direct support would leave “millions of incredibly vulnerable people at the risk of real destitution.”

And answering questions at an event in Cheltenham organised by the Conservatives with party members, he said this would be a “moral failure”.

Mr Sunak and Ms Truss were facing a fresh hustings grilling over their policy plans, after experts warned UK households face paying higher energy prices for about a decade until more renewable electricity generation brings costs back to pre-2021 levels.

Energy prices are predicted to peak at up to £5,000 a year for an average household from spring 2023 before falling back, according to independent energy consultancy Auxilione.

But a prediction by consultancy firm Cornwall Insight suggests record-high prices are forecast to remain above pre-2021 average until 2030 until there is more wind and solar power.

Shadow justice secretary Steve Reed accused the two Tory candidates of “fighting like rats in a sack” over the PM’s job while households are “desperately worried” about paying energy bills this winter.

Meanwhile, Boris Johnson has appealed to the energy companies to act “in the national interest” following round-table talks in Downing Street.

But there has been no new announcement of immediate help for households, and Mr Johnson said “significant fiscal decisions” would be for his successor to make.

This was how our live coverage unfolded on 11 August:

Key Points

  • Sunak says leaving millions at risk of destitution would be moral failure

  • Energy prices could ‘stay above pre-2021 average until 2030’

  • Energy price cap ‘could be lifted to £5,000 next year'

  • Downing Street energy talks results in no new plans of support

  • Truss and Sunak ‘fighting like rats in a sack’ amid energy crisis

Thursday 11 August 2022 04:57 , Stuti Mishra

Welcome to The Independent’s UK politics blog for 11 August 2022 where we provide the latest on the Tory leadership race and all the latest from Westminster. Stay tuned!

Truss 'U-turn' on cost of living support, denies opposing 'handouts'

Thursday 11 August 2022 05:40 , Stuti Mishra

Tory leadership contender Liz Truss has now hinted she would consider further support for struggling households if made prime minister, after previously taking a hard stance on “handouts”.

Speaking to an audience of GB News viewers in Leigh, Greater Manchester on Wednesday, she said: “I will do everything I can to support working families who work hard and do the right thing.

“If I am elected as your prime minister I will make sure the chancellor has an emergency budget and looks at this issue in the round and sorts this issue out.”

Ms Truss – who has previously opposed further “handouts” – denied that she had ruled out additional direct help for families struggling with soaring energy bills.

Her competitor, Rishi Sunak, has said the government has a “moral responsibility” to help families through the cost-of-living crisis as he promised billions of pounds in additional support.

Mr Sunak’s supporters said Ms Truss appeared to be backing away from her previous position.“This is a major U-turn on the biggest issue currently facing the country,” a campaign spokesman said.

Gordon Brown calls for government to lower energy price cap

Thursday 11 August 2022 05:54 , Stuti Mishra

Gordon Brown has called for the government to lower the energy price cap and temporarily renationalise energy companies which are not able to offer customers lower energy bills.

Writing in The Guardian, the former Labour prime minister compared the current cost of living crisis and soaring energy costs to the 2008 banking disaster.

In a broadside at Boris Johnson – who has been enjoying a trip to Slovenia in recent days – Mr Brown said that in a crisis leaders “don’t take holidays, and don’t politely hang fire”.

Joe Middleton has more:

Brown urges government to nationalise firms which cannot offer lower energy bills

Power companies demand action on energy bills

Thursday 11 August 2022 06:10 , Stuti Mishra

Utility companies – including one of the “big six” domestic energy suppliers – have joined the chorus of demands for Tory leadership contenders Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak to set out an improved package of help for consumers facing astronomical bills this winter.

The call from EDF and other suppliers came as Money Saving Expert Martin Lewis said that immediate reassurance over the “cataclysmic” price hikes was needed to avoid mental health damage to millions of people.

More from Andrew Woodcock here:

Power companies join clamour for government action on energy bills

Ministers to hold crunch talks with energy bosses over price hikes

Thursday 11 August 2022 06:25 , Stuti Mishra

Energy bosses will face pressure from ministers about how they can help customers cope with rising bills at a crunch meeting today.

Chancellor Nadhim Zahawi and business secretary Kwasi Kwarteng will press gas and electricity company executives for solutions to the predicted spike in bills over winter.

The summit with utilities bosses, expected to take place in Downing Street, comes after Cornwall Insight predicted bills are set to soar to around £3,582 in October, from £1,971 previously, before rising even further in the new year.

Executives are being asked to submit a breakdown of expected profits and payouts, as well as investment plans for the next three years.

Truss claims she is one of Larry's preferred cabinet ministers

Thursday 11 August 2022 06:45 , Stuti Mishra

Liz Truss has claimed Larry the Downing Street cat frequently sidles up to her - more than other cabinet members.

And she wants to “build on that relationship”, she said on GB News.

“I already have an extremely positive relationship with Larry. He frequently sidles up to me, I think I’m one of his preferred cabinet ministers.”

“One of the many reasons I want to be prime minister is I want to build on that relationship we already have.”

Exclusive: Government accused of cost-of-living ‘spin’ after £20m publicity campaign revealed

Thursday 11 August 2022 07:00 , Stuti Mishra

Ministers have been accused of trying to spin the cost-of-living crisis, after The Independent learnt they have ordered a £20m campaign to boast of existing cost-of-living help while refusing to set out a fresh package of assistance with spiralling bills.

Read more from Andrew Woodcock:

Government accused of cost-of-living ‘spin’ after £20m publicity campaign revealed

Truss allies claim Sunak resisted attempts to cut Brexit red tape

Thursday 11 August 2022 08:02 , Lamiat Sabin

Two Cabinet ministers backing Liz Truss to become the next prime minister said Rishi Sunak had resisted attempts to cut Brexit red tape.

Chief Secretary to the Treasury Simon Clarke and business secretary Kwasi Kwarteng said that, when they had worked with Mr Sunak, he had “dug his heels in” on reforms only possible after leaving the EU.

In the Telegraph, they said the former chancellor refused to scrap the EU’s Solvency II rule, which makes it harder for the UK to invest pension funds in infrastructure projects, and the Northern Ireland Protocol Bill.

A Sunak campaign source denied the claims as “categorically wrong”, adding that Mr Sunak supported the idea of challenging the EU over unilaterally changing NI’s trading terms.

Mr Clarke and Mr Kwarteng also wrote: “Rishi has given up. He wants people to fear there is no alternative to sliding into recession and that the only option is to stem the bleeding with Labour-lite economic policy.”

It comes after Mr Sunak said he would offer more support to the most vulnerable amid the cost-of-living crisis, while Ms Truss pledged tax cuts and accused her rival of looking to impose “Gordon Brown style politics”.

Energy price cap ‘could be lifted to £5,000 next year'

Thursday 11 August 2022 08:09 , Lamiat Sabin

The cap on energy bills could reach an eye-watering £5,000 next year, according to independent energy consultants.

Regulator Ofgem could be forced to set the cap at £5,038 per year for the average household in the three months beginning next April, they said, which is more than £200 higher than previous forecasts.

Energy consultancy Auxilione – which advises businesses on how to reduce their energy use – also predicted that bills would reach £4,467 in January.

It comes as Tory leadership rivals Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss have been grilled on what they would do to help Britons struggling with the record-breaking costs of gas and energy.

Ministers are set to meet with energy bosses later today (Danny Lawson/PA)
Ministers are set to meet with energy bosses later today (Danny Lawson/PA)

Mr Sunak said he would offer more support for the most vulnerable, while Ms Truss has pledged tax cuts.

The new figure of £5,000 was reported just hours before ministers are scheduled to meet representatives from energy companies to discuss the bleak winter ahead.

Chancellor Nadhim Zahawi and business secretary Kwasi Kwarteng are set to press the firms for a solution.

‘Bigger fish to fry than energy bosses’ pay’ – Commons leader

Thursday 11 August 2022 09:00 , Lamiat Sabin

Commons leader Mark Spencer has said there are “bigger fish to fry” than energy bosses’ high pay amid the cost-of-living crisis that is feared to become a lot worse during the colder months.

On LBC, he was told that one of the chief executives has made almost £11.5 million.

Mr Spencer said: “That seems like a very large figure to me and certainly on my salary and to my constituents that feels like a large figure.

“In the context of things, actually, when there are 65 million people in the country, it’s 30p, 20p, a person, so I think actually there are bigger fish to fry here, which we can try and solve the challenges than to have a pop at the chief exec’s salary.

“I think whilst it sometimes makes great politics, it actually doesn’t affect people’s bills, which we need to be focused on, in the autumn.”

Today, chancellor Nadhim Zahawi and business secretary Kwasi Kwarteng are set to meet representatives from the energy firms to press them for a solution.

It comes after independent energy consultancy Auxilione warned that Ofgem could lift the energy price cap to £5,000 a year in spring 2023.

IDS says recession and cost-of-living crisis would be ‘disaster’

Thursday 11 August 2022 09:30 , Lamiat Sabin

A recession on top of the cost-of-living crisis would be an “utter human disaster”, according to Liz Truss’ ally Sir Iain Duncan Smith.

Foreign secretary Ms Truss has appeared to have made a U-turn on her earlier comments about wanting to reduce taxes instead of giving “handouts” to people struggling to pay their bills.

It comes after her Tory leadership rival, former chancellor Rishi Sunak, said he could offer more financial support to the most vulnerable households amid the cost-of-living crisis.

Conservative former minister Mr Duncan Smith told Sky News: “Liz Truss has been crystal clear from the beginning that should the need arise, she will do whatever is necessary.

“... Right now we face the potential of a recession. If you have a recession on top of this cost-of-living crisis it would be an utter human disaster.

“We need to avoid recession at all costs in the course of this winter, we need to do something about that, that’s where lower tax is important.”

Ofgem advises ‘extreme caution’ on energy price cap forecasts

Thursday 11 August 2022 10:00 , Lamiat Sabin

Energy regulator Ofgem has responded to a prediction that it could lift the energy price cap to £5,000 a year in spring 2023.

The prediction was made by independent energy consultancy Auxilione, which advises companies on how to reduce their energy use.

Ofgem said: “The wholesale market continues to move extremely quickly so no forecast for next year is at all robust at this stage and will therefore have very limited value, especially for consumers who must always be the main priority.

“We cannot stop others from making predictions but we would ask that extreme caution is applied to any predictions for the price cap in January or beyond.”

Truss and Sunak ‘fighting like rats in a sack’ amid energy crisis

Thursday 11 August 2022 10:47 , Lamiat Sabin

Labour has accused Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak of “fighting like rats in a sack” over who will succeed Boris Johnson as PM while millions of households are worried about how they will pay energy bills this winter.

Shadow justice secretary Steve Reed said that the “zombie government” is “doing absolutely nothing” to ease the cost-of-living crisis amid the Tory leadership race that’s set to continue into September.

It comes as independent energy consultancy Auxilione said the cap on energy bills could be lifted to an eye-watering £5,000 in spring 2023, a prediction that Ofgem has advised “extreme caution” over.

Mr Reed told Sky News: “Millions of families are desperately worried that they will be going into debt just to pay their energy bills this winter.

“And instead of doing anything to help, this government has Sunak and Truss fighting each other like rats in a sack and the government doing absolutely nothing about coming up with proposals for how they can help people face this crisis – which is looming and terrifying.”

MPs back Gordon Brown’s ideas for tackling energy bill crisis

Thursday 11 August 2022 11:14 , Lamiat Sabin

Labour MPs are praising Gordon Brown for his proposals on how the government can tackle the cost of living crisis.

The former Labour prime minister has suggested that the energy price cap be scrapped, and for energy firms that cannot lower gas and electricity bills to be temporarily nationalised.

In the Guardian, he wrote what is considered to be thinly-veiled criticism against Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer and PM Boris Johnson – who have both been on holiday, and the two Tory leadership contenders Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak.

He wrote: “Time and tide wait for no one. Neither do crises. They don’t take holidays, and don’t politely hang fire – certainly not to suit the convenience of a departing PM and the whims of two potential successors.”

His ideas have been praised by a number of Labour MPs on social media, including Paula Barker, Olivia Blake, Marsha de Cordova, Geraint Davies, Imran Hussain, Barbara Keely, Siobhain McDonagh, Paul Sweeney, and Karl Turner.

Rishi Sunak ‘dug heels in to resist changes to Brexit red tape’

Thursday 11 August 2022 12:00 , Lamiat Sabin

Senior allies of Tory leadership contender Liz Truss have accused her rival Rishi Sunak of having “dug his heels in” when he was chancellor to resist efforts to cut red tape after Brexit.

Business secretary Kwasi Kwarteng and chief secretary to the Treasury Simon Clarke also claimed Mr Sunak wanted to “normalise” a 70-year high tax burden.

“Rishi has given up,” they wrote in the Telegraph. “He wants people to fear there is no alternative to sliding into recession and that the only option is to stem the bleeding with Labour-lite economic policy.”

They also wrote” “He talks about cutting EU regulations, yet he dug his heels in as chancellor against efforts to do exactly that and realise the benefits of Brexit.”

Read the full story here by Ashley Cowburn

Sunak ‘dug heels in’ to resist changes to Brexit red tape, Truss allies claim

Ofgem and E.ON chief execs arrive at Downing Street

Thursday 11 August 2022 12:30 , Lamiat Sabin

Heads of an energy firm and the industry regulator have arrived at Downing Street for talks during the cost-of-living crisis that’s feared to get worse over the coming months.

E.On’s Michael Lewis and Ofgem’s Jonathan Brearley (PA)
E.On’s Michael Lewis and Ofgem’s Jonathan Brearley (PA)

E.On chief executive Michael Lewis and Ofgem chief executive Jonathan Brearley are among those to take part in the discussions, which come after independent energy consultancy Auxilione predicted that the energy price cap could be lifted to an eye-watering £5,000 per year in spring 2023.

Chancellor Nadhim Zahawi and business secretary Kwasi Kwarteng are expected to press the energy bosses for solutions to the crisis.

Truss and Sunak yet to reveal Tory leadership donors

Thursday 11 August 2022 13:00 , Lamiat Sabin

Liz Truss is yet to reveal who has donated to her leadership campaign while Rishi Sunak has so far only declared the use of some office space.

Updates to the MPs’ Register of Interests published today show Mr Sunak received the use of office space in Westminster worth £3,195 from Bridge Consulting Ltd.

Bridge Consulting was co-founded by former Conservative Party marketing boss Will Harris and housed the former chancellor’s campaign team for two weeks in July.

Ms Truss provided no updates to her register of interests, which covers the period up to 8 August.

Former Conservative leadership hopefuls Penny Mordaunt, Sajid Javid, Jeremy Hunt and Nadhim Zahawi are yet to declare any financial support for their campaigns.

MPs have 28 days from accepting a donation to declare it to the Parliamentary Standards Commissioner.

Plaid Cymru MP readmitted to party after assaulting wife

Thursday 11 August 2022 13:30 , Lamiat Sabin

A Plaid Cymru MP who was cautioned by police after assaulting his wife has had his party whip restored.

Jonathan Edwards will return to representing Carmarthen East and Dinefwr for the party after he had been sitting as an independent MP since his suspension in July 2020.

The latest decision to re-admit him to the Westminster group was taken despite a “significant majority” of the party’s ruling body recommending against it.

Plaid Cymru chairwoman Beca Brown said Mr Edwards’s earlier suspension “reflected the serious nature of [his] police caution and Plaid Cymru’s unequivocal stance that all forms of harassment, abuse and violence are unacceptable”.

Jonathan Edwards
Jonathan Edwards

Ms Brown said the disciplinary panel restored his membership after he expressed “sincere remorse”.

The whip was restored to Mr Edwards after the party received “further procedural advice”, she added.

She said the party will be undertaking an independent review to ensure it becomes “truly free from a culture of misogyny”.

Former party leader Leanne Wood has previously called for Mr Edwards to be banned from Plaid if the party is “serious about stamping out misogyny and domestic abuse”.

Energy prices could ‘stay above pre-2021 average until 2030’

Thursday 11 August 2022 14:00 , Lamiat Sabin

The UK faces higher energy prices for a decade until more renewable electricity generation brings costs back below the levels seen last year, experts have said.

Energy prices are expected to peak as high as £5,000 per year for the average household from spring 2023 before falling back, according to independent energy consultancy Auxilione.

But a prediction by consultancy firm Cornwall Insight suggests said that record-high energy prices “are forecast to remain above pre-2021 average until 2030.”

Read the full story here by Ben Chapman

UK households ‘face decade of higher energy bills’, experts warn

Downing Street energy talks results in no new plans of support

Thursday 11 August 2022 14:30 , Lamiat Sabin

Boris Johnson said he will continue to pressure the energy sector to “work on ways” to help lower the cost of gas and electricity.

But the first round of discussions at Downing Street today involving the chief executives of energy company E.On and industry regulator Ofgem resulted in no new plans to help households.

The prime minister, who will be replaced by either Liz Truss or Rishi Sunak in September, said it will be for his successor to make “significant fiscal decisions”.

Read the full story here by Ashley Cowburn

PM urges energy firms to ease cost-of-living crisis - but no new support announced

Badenoch, Braverman, and Tugendhat reveal donors

Thursday 11 August 2022 15:15 , Lamiat Sabin

Earlier, it was reported that Tory leadership candidates Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss – as well as a number of former contenders – have yet to disclose the donations to their campaigns.

Three others have revealed the source and amount of funding.

Kemi Badenoch raised £12,500 to support her bid for the Tory leadership, new records show.

Updates to the MPs’ Register of Interests show the former equalities minister received £10,000 from Longrow Capital, owned by tech-focused investor Dave Maclean.

She also received £2,500 from Joanne Black, for whom no further details are available.

Suella Braverman received £10,000 from a company owned by a leading climate sceptic to support her campaign for the Conservative leadership.

Updates to the MPs’ Register of Interests show the Attorney General received the donation from First Corporate Consultants Ltd, which is owned by Bristol Port owner Terence Mordaunt.

Mr Mordaunt, not believed to be related to Ms Braverman’s former leadership rival Penny Mordaunt, chaired the Global Warming Policy Foundation (GWPF) between 2019 and 2021.

Records show Ms Braverman also received a £2,000 discount on digital services for her leadership campaign from consultant Ethan Wilkinson.

Tom Tugendhat raised more than £120,000 to fund his unsuccessful bid for the Conservative leadership, the latest register of MPs’ interests shows.

Some £42,673 came from a company called Policy Focus Ltd, founded on June 27, less than two weeks before the leadership campaign began.

Companies House records show Policy Focus is owned by property developers Christian Sweeting and Robert Luck. Mr Sweeting previously donated £10,000 to the Conservative Party in 2018.

Mr Tugendhat also received £50,000 from long-time Tory donor Ian Mukherjee and £25,000 from Beacon Rock Ltd, owned by former Conservative Party Treasurer Sir Michael Davis. Another £6,000 came from business consultancy InvestUK Group.

Which energy companies met at Downing Street today?

Thursday 11 August 2022 15:48 , Lamiat Sabin

Energy bosses were hauled in front of ministers today for roundtable talks at Downing Street about the ruinous increases to household gas and electricity bills expected over the coming months.

As well as the chief executive of Ofgem, heads of a number of energy companies also attended.

They were from British Gas, E.on, EDF Energy, Octopus Energy, and ScottishPower.

Also present were representatives from German energy firm RWE, wood pellet and gas producer Drax, renewable energy investor Greencoat Capital, electricity producer Intergen, Germany’s Uniper, National Grid, power generator SSE, Dutch energy firm Vitol, Denmark’s Orsted, and trade body Energy UK.

ICYMI: Ofgem advises ‘extreme caution’ on energy forecasts

Thursday 11 August 2022 16:15 , Lamiat Sabin

In case you missed it...

Energy regulator Ofgem has responded to a prediction that it could lift the energy price cap to £5,000 a year in spring 2023.

The prediction was made by independent energy consultancy Auxilione, which advises companies on how to reduce their energy use.

Ofgem said: “The wholesale market continues to move extremely quickly so no forecast for next year is at all robust at this stage and will therefore have very limited value, especially for consumers who must always be the main priority.

“We cannot stop others from making predictions but we would ask that extreme caution is applied to any predictions for the price cap in January or beyond.”

PM calls on electricity bosses to help ease bill pressure

Thursday 11 August 2022 17:32 , Tom Batchelor

Boris Johnson has appealed to electricity bosses to help ease the pressure as on hard-pressed families amid a dire new warning energy bills could top £5,000 by the spring.

Representatives of major electricity companies arrived in Downing Street for crisis talks as analyst, Auxilione, said regulator Ofgem could be forced to raise the price cap for the average household to £5,038 from next April.

However the meeting failed to produce any immediate concrete help for struggling consumers, with Mr Johnson acknowledgng any “significant fiscal decisions” would be be a matter for his successor.

Instead the PM was reduced to urging the companies to act “in the national interest” in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine which has caused the price of oil and gas to soar.

David Lammy breached MPs’ code of conduct

Thursday 11 August 2022 18:02 , Jane Dalton

Shadow foreign secretary David Lammy has been found to have breached the MPs’ code of conduct by inadvertently failing to register a total of 16 interests on time.

Parliamentary Standards Commissioner Kathryn Stone said she found no intention to mislead, and that Mr Lammy made the breach “as a result of inattention to detail”.

A referral to the Standards Committee was not necessary, Ms Stone said.

Inflation: a beginner’s guide

Thursday 11 August 2022 18:23 , Jane Dalton

This video explains what inflation is and its effect on economies:

Liz Truss ‘asked Nicola Sturgeon about how to get into Vogue’

Thursday 11 August 2022 18:45 , Jane Dalton

Tory leadership frontrunner Liz Truss asked Nicola Sturgeon how to get into prestigious magazine Vogue, Scotland’s first minister says.

The first minister said Ms Truss “looked a little bit as if she’d swallowed a wasp” after Ms Sturgeon told her she had been in Vogue twice. Neil Pooran reports:

Liz Truss ‘asked Nicola Sturgeon about how to get into Vogue’

‘You Can’t Always Get What You Want'

Thursday 11 August 2022 19:11 , Jane Dalton

The audience at the hustings in Cheltenham was treated to the Rolling Stones’ You Can’t Always Get What You Want as they waited for the event to begin.

It was followed by Don’t Stop Believing, then Status Quo’s Whatever You Want.

There was no word on what the Tory members thought.

Truss pledges to ditch EU rules by end of next year

Thursday 11 August 2022 19:36 , Jane Dalton

The hustings event begins with Liz Truss, who claims she knows all the Lib Dem’s “dirty secrets”, such as fake numbers.

She said she would launch a bold plan, getting rid of EU rules by the end of 2023.

“I do not think we can carry on with business as usual,” she said.

Truss repeats pledges on farmers, defence and migration

Thursday 11 August 2022 19:43 , Jane Dalton

Ms Truss repeated earlier attacks on solar panels, saying seeing fields full of them was one of the most depressing sights in the countryside and she would support farmers.

She repeated her pledge to increase defence spending to 3% of GDP.

And she talked of extending the deportation scheme to other countries.

“I know that a woman is a woman,” she said, adding she would ensure culture and public services reflected the views of a majority in Britain.

Sunak: let’s restore trust, rebuild economy and unite UK

Thursday 11 August 2022 19:56 , Jane Dalton

Rishi Sunak says the UK must ensure every child has a first-class education.

He says his values include patriotism, hard work and service.

He says the government needs to restore trust, rebuild the economy and unite the country.

And he talks of “honesty” and fixing the NHS.

Sunak says raising UK debt ‘not right or responsible'

Thursday 11 August 2022 20:01 , Jane Dalton

Mr Sunak says he has a radical plan to tackle illegal migration.

On the economy, he repeats that inflation is the biggest enemy, pledging to support “those who most need our help” “because that’s what compassionate Conservative governments do”.

In an apparent swipe at Ms Truss he said it was not right, responsible or Conservative to ask future generations to pick up the tab.

He pledged to radically reform taxation on businesses to offer incentives for technology and take advantage of Brexit.

Truss refuses to promise direct cost-of-living payments

Thursday 11 August 2022 20:08 , Jane Dalton

Asked what she would do immediately to ease the financial crisis for households, Ms Truss repeated her idea of scrapping the green tax on energy and widening energy supply sources, including using more North Sea oil, developing nuclear power and fracking.

She talked of lowering taxes but refused to confirm any direct payments, said she would not write a budget in advance.

But she made one blunder at the Cheltenham hustings by saying she was in Derbyshire.

Truss hails 70 global trade deals

Thursday 11 August 2022 20:30 , Jane Dalton

Ms Truss claimed there are more than 70 international trade deals up and running since Brexit.

She said the deals were a boost for business.

But she was not questioned on deals she agreed as foreign secretary that undermine British animal-welfare and farming standards, buying from conditions that would be illegal in the UK.

Sunak warns Truss plan leaves people at risk of destitution

Thursday 11 August 2022 20:47 , Jane Dalton

Mr Sunak warned millions of people could be left at risk of destitution without the direct support he is offering.

He said if the UK followed Ms Truss’s plans “we are going to as a Conservative government leave millions of incredibly vulnerable people at the risk of destitution”.

“I think that is a moral failure,” he said.

He slated Ms Truss’s corporation tax plan, saying he would put it up but it would still remain one of the lowest in the world.

Boris Johnson refuses to return Sunak’s calls

Thursday 11 August 2022 20:53 , Jane Dalton

Boris Johnson has not been returning Rishi Sunak’s calls, the former chancellor has revealed.

Sunak promises party member surveys

Thursday 11 August 2022 20:55 , Jane Dalton

Mr Sunak promised regular surveys of Tory party members and that the view were regularly discussed at the top level.

More rail workers to vote over striking

Thursday 11 August 2022 20:59 , Jane Dalton

More rail workers are to be balloted for strikes in worsening disputes over pay, jobs and conditions in the industry.

The Transport Salaried Staffs Association (TSSA) served notice to ballot hundreds of staff for strike action and action short of strike at South Western Railway (SWR).

TSSA represents members working at stations and on trains, administration staff, supervisors, managers and controllers.

Ballot papers will be sent out on August 18, and voting will end on September 8.

Truss tax plan would not help pensioners, says Sunak

Thursday 11 August 2022 21:02 , Jane Dalton

Mr Sunak said Liz Truss’s tax plan would not help pensioners and people on very low incomes.

He said: “No tax cut, and Liz’s tax plan, is not going to help those groups of people.

“So scrapping the health and social care levy, as she wants to do, is worth £1,700 to her on her salary.

“For someone working really hard on the national living wage, it’s worth just over a quid a week. And for someone who’s a pensioner, without any earnings, it’s worth zero.

“Now I want to provide direct support to those groups of people.”