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Cost of living: Sunak says government has moral responsibility to help in crisis

Tory leadership contender 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.

The former chancellor, who has acknowledged he is trailing foreign secretary Liz Truss in the race for No 10, insisted that he would rather lose than promise “false things I can’t deliver”.

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

She said that if she became prime minister on September 5, she would instruct the chancellor to look at the issue “in the round” and to come up with a solution.

“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,” she told a GB News audience.

Mr Sunak’s supporters said she 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.

See below for what was our live coverage on 10 August:

Key points

Wednesday 10 August 2022 04:36 , Shweta Sharma

Welcome to The Independent’s UK politics blog for 10 August 2022 where we provide the latest on the Tory leadership race and everything that is buzzing in Westminster.

Truss dismisses calls to discuss cost of living support with Sunak and Johnson

Wednesday 10 August 2022 05:37 , Shweta Sharma

Describing it as “constitutionally, deeply undesirable” and a “kangaroo committee”, Liz Truss has dismissed calls to get together with Boris Johnson and her rival Rishi Sunak to discuss the cost of living crisis.

The frontrunner to replace Mr Johnson said she is concentrating on her work as foreign secretary.

Industry leaders have urged the two candidates in the race to be the next prime minister to get together to discuss more support for households.

Tony Danker, the director of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), said they should “agree a common pledge to support people and help quell fears” as experts warned energy bills could top a devastating £3,500 from October and £4,000 by the spring.

Ashley Cowburn has more.

Truss dismisses calls to discuss cost-of-living support with Sunak and Johnson

First Tory MP switches support from Sunak to Truss

Wednesday 10 August 2022 05:44 , Shweta Sharma

Chris Skidmore, a Conservative MP for Kingswood, has switched his support from Rishi Sunak to Liz Truss in the Tory leadership race.

He has become the first Conservative MP to publically announce his defection.

Mr Skidmore told The Telegraph that he is switching support because he had become “increasingly concerned” by Mr Sunak’s “consistently changing position” on policy.

“It is never too late to make the right decision,” he said urging others to join him in supporting the foreign secretary.

Boris Johnson defends leaving cost-of-living crisis response to his successor

Wednesday 10 August 2022 05:56 , Shweta Sharma

Speaking at a Downing Street reception on Tuesday, Boris Johnson said he was “absolutely certain” his successor will do more to ease the cost-of-living crisis for people.

He cracked jokes about it being one of his last events in the garden at Number 10, and the next prime minister being either a man or a woman.

“Whoever he or she may be, they, I’m absolutely certain, will be wanting to make some more announcements in September, October about what we’re going to do further in the next period, in December, January,” he said.

“I just want you to know that I’m absolutely confident we will have the fiscal firepower and the headroom to look after people as we’ve done throughout.”

Soaring inflation leaves departments needing £44bn cash boost

Wednesday 10 August 2022 06:20 , Shweta Sharma

UK government departments are in need of a £44bn cash boost to plug a hole caused by inflation, according to the Institute for Fiscal Studies.

The think tank said in an analysis published on Wednesday that soaring inflation is expected to erase more than 40 per cent of the planned real-terms increase in funding for public services in the span of the next three years.

“Higher inflation makes the government’s plans for public service spending less generous than they were originally intended to be,” says Ben Zaranko, senior research economist at the IFS.

“Fully compensating departments and returning to the real-terms growth path set out last autumn could require at least £8bn of additional spending this year, and an extra £18bn in each of the next two years.”

It added that millions of families will be forced to pay an extra £30bn a year in tax as inflation is dragging people into higher income tax bands.

“Even if the new prime minister were to undo the [NI] rise, overall taxes on income would still rise under current policy,” Paul Johnson, director of the IFS, said.

Ministers to meet energy giants tomorrow for crisis talks

Wednesday 10 August 2022 06:48 , Shweta Sharma

Chancellor Nadhim Zahawi and business secretary Kwasi Kwarteng will meet energy giants on Thursday to discuss rising prices to ease the cost of living for millions of people, The Sun reported.

The gas and electricity leaders are expected to submit a breakdown of their profits and payouts as well as investment plans for the next three years.

It comes after analysts warned that energy bills could exceed £4,200 in the new year as a result of Ofgem planning to lift the price cap once again, after a move to lift it to £3,582 in October.

“If you look back at what these firms were projected to make and what they actually brought in, it was beyond their wildest expectations. We are looking at options to go further and faster on those profits,” a Treasury source told The Sun.

Rishi Sunak denies he ‘wielded the dagger’ in Boris Johnson’s downfall

Wednesday 10 August 2022 07:19 , Shweta Sharma

Rishi Sunak has told a Conservative member he was “simply wrong to say I wielded the dagger” in Boris Johnson’s downfall.

The remarks from the Tory leadership contender at the latest hustings event came as he defended his decision to quit as chancellor last month — just minutes after health secretary Sajid Javid resigned.

In the hours that followed, dozens of ministers also quit Mr Johnson’s government, while MPs in the Conservative Party expressed no confidence in the prime minister, who reluctantly set out his decision to resign.

Read Ashley Cowburn’s full report.

Rishi Sunak denies he ‘wielded the dagger’ in Boris Johnson’s downfall

Theresa Villiers says MPs ‘inevitably change their minds’ during leadership contests

Wednesday 10 August 2022 07:47 , Sam Rkaina

Conservative MP Theresa Villiers, who is backing Rishi Sunak in the party’s leadership race, said that “inevitably MPs change their mind during these contests”, when asked about the defection of MP Chris Skidmore to supporting Liz Truss.

“I talk every day to Conservative Party members, he’s got a huge amount of support and he has got great plans for our economy,” Ms Villiers told Sky News.

She added that MPs changing their minds “is a routine part of every Conservative leadership election contest there’s ever been”.

She added: “Rishi had a tremendously good hustings in Darlington last night, in the Sky hustings he won over that audience, he’s getting a tremendous reception on the ground – he’s campaigning to win.”

Theresa Villiers is backing Rishi Sunak (PA Archive)
Theresa Villiers is backing Rishi Sunak (PA Archive)

All this blue-on-blue Tory conflict is just handing Labour ammunition

Wednesday 10 August 2022 07:52 , Shweta Sharma

It can be funny how things turn out, can’t it? A mere six or seven years ago David Cameron decided to hold the ill-fated EU referendum, reportedly muttering “I can do this” to those who urged prevarication and caution. When the referendum did get under way, Cameron then went to great lengths to try and prevent blue-on-blue conflict – that is, members of his own government laying into each other making the task of reunifying the party after he’d won the referendum much more difficult.

Sean O’Grady writes how Tory leadership is engaged in all-out fighting

Analysis: All this blue-on-blue Tory conflict is just handing Labour ammunition

Conservative MP Theresa Villiers says Rishi Sunak has 'huge amount of support'

Wednesday 10 August 2022 07:53 , Shweta Sharma

Theresa Villiers, who is backing Rishi Sunak in the party’s leadership race, said “no government can insulate everyone” from the rising cost of energy, but that Mr Sunak “certainly recognises that we need to do more”.

Ms Villiers told Sky News: “Rishi’s determined, if he’s PM, to do as much as he can to help people through what is a crisis around the world with energy bills.

“I mean, sadly no government can insulate everyone from all these costs, but Rishi certainly recognises that we need to do more and he’s already said we should suspend VAT on energy bills.”

When asked about the defection of MP Chris Skidmore to supporting Liz Truss, she said “inevitably MPs change their mind during these contests”.

“I talk every day to Conservative Party members, he’s got a huge amount of support and he has got great plans for our economy,” Ms Villiers said.

MP claims Labour ‘would not have allowed energy crisis to get to this point'

Wednesday 10 August 2022 08:10 , Sam Rkaina

Labour MP Bridget Phillipson has said the energy crisis is “deeply, deeply worrying” and that a Labour government “wouldn’t have let things get to this point in the first place”.

The shadow education secretary told BBC Breakfast: “I know just how terrified people are – that’s why we’ve been saying for months that we need an emergency budget to bring forward immediate help for families and pensioners.

“We’ve known that this has been coming and we think we should cut VAT on gas and electricity bills to deliver immediate support to families and pensioners.

“They tell me just how terrified they are about what’s coming, but this is part of a much bigger cost-of-living crisis too … prices are rising everywhere, so we do need to see more action around this.”

Ms Phillipson added that the system “is broken” and she reiterated that if Keir Starmer was prime minister “we would not have got to this point.”

Chancellor and Business Secretary ‘calling energy firms to 'knock heads together’

Wednesday 10 August 2022 08:13 , Sam Rkaina

Education Secretary James Cleverly said the Chancellor and Business Secretary were “calling in” the leaders of the big energy companies to “knock some heads together”.

He told Good Morning Britain: “The Chancellor of the Exchequer (Nadhim Zahawi) and the Business Secretary (Kwasi Kwarteng) are actually calling in the leaders of those big energy companies to knock some heads together and basically hold them to account about what they’re going to do with those profits.

“The increase in energy costs has been driven by the war in Ukraine and a global crunch, this is affecting everyone pretty much across the world, everyone in the developing world is seeing those energy bills go up. What we need to do is make sure that we have a short, medium and long term plan, so the Chancellor and the Business Secretary are getting those energy companies in as part of the short-term response.”

He added: “Our system means that once the Prime Minister has said he is going to stand down there is a well-established principle which is that an outgoing Prime Minister should not make very big policy-changing decisions.

“I’m supporting Liz Truss, as you know she’s made it very, very clear that she will be bringing forward an emergency budget. She’s already announced that she’s going to lift some of those … green levies temporarily, to ease the cost.”

Education Secretary James Cleverly claims the government is taking action on rising energy bills (PA Wire)
Education Secretary James Cleverly claims the government is taking action on rising energy bills (PA Wire)

Michael Howard backs ‘electoral suicide’ criticism of Truss tax plan

Wednesday 10 August 2022 08:40 , Sam Rkaina

Former leader of the Conservative Party Lord Michael Howard has said he agrees with Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab’s comment that Liz Truss’ tax cut plans would be an “electoral suicide note”.

Lord Howard told BBC Radio 4’s Today Programme: “We can only hope to win the next election if inflation is under control, borrowing is under control and interest rates are coming down.

“Rishi Sunak is the only candidate whose policies have any chance of delivering that outcome.”

He added: “I really do agree with Dominic Raab that the method that Liz Truss is proposing would be suicidal. We’ve seen it before in the 1970s, it led to a recession and the Labour government, and I didn’t want to see it again.”

Former Tory leader Lord Michael Howard (PA)
Former Tory leader Lord Michael Howard (PA)

Truss accused of ‘cheap’ jibes at media

Wednesday 10 August 2022 08:45 , Chris Baynes

Liz Truss was caught on a hot mic apologising for being “mean about the media” after a Tory leadership hustings last night.

She had earlier played to the crowd by blaming journalists for Boris Johnson’s downfall.

But following the TalkTV debate, as she left the stage, she was heard telling host Tom Newton-Dunn: “I’m sorry I was mean about the media.”

The station’s politics editor replied: “It’s cheap and you know it.”

Watch the video and read Liam James’ full story here:

Truss accused of cheap shot for refusing to dispute media to blame for PM’s downfall

‘Nothing stopping’ government acting on ‘terrible cataclysmic risk’ of energy bills, says Martin Lewis

Wednesday 10 August 2022 08:55 , Chris Baynes

Martin Lewis, appearing on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, has said there is “nothing stopping” the government acting to help people with energy bills, which he says pose a “terrible cataclysmic risk” to millions of people.

The MoneySaving Expert founder also tore into Liz Truss’s plans, which he said were tantamount to “a sticking plaster on a gaping wound”.

“Let’s be clear, tax cuts will not help the millions of the poorest people who will be choosing between heating and eating,” Lewis said.

“If the only plan is tax cuts and dropping the green levy than we are going to leave millions destitute this winter.”

Martin Lewis warns of ‘catastrophe’ over soaring energy bills ‘on scale of pandemic’

Wednesday 10 August 2022 09:09 , Chris Baynes

Martin Lewis has desperately warned of a “national crisis on the scale of the pandemic” as energy bills continue to soar amid a devastating cost of living crisis.

The Money Saving Expert founder delivered an explosive interview on ITV’s Good Morning Britain today in which he passionately urged the “zombie government” to take urgent action.

“When you know there’s a crisis of magnificent propotions coming, you start dealing with it now,” he said. “What we are facing right now is a financial emergency that risks lives.”

Maryam Zakir-Hussain has the full story:

Martin Lewis warns of ‘catastrophe’ over soaring energy bills ‘on scale of pandemic’

UK households ‘safe’ from winter blackouts

Wednesday 10 August 2022 09:56 , Emily Atkinson

Greg Jackson, founder of energy company Octopus Energy, said he thinks households are “safe” from possible blackouts this winter.

He told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “I think the reality is that domestic supply is safe and that industry, from time to time, sometimes driven by prices, by the way, voluntarily reduce their energy usage.

“So, we have a terrible price crisis, but I think the UK is more fortunate than many of our European neighbours that we’ve got more resilient supply.”

Cleverly dodges question over potential winter energy blackouts

Wednesday 10 August 2022 10:08 , Emily Atkinson

Education secretary James Cleverly has said the UK is “in a better position than many in terms of our domestic energy production” ,but added “it’s not going to be easy”.

Asked if people should be braced for energy blackouts this winter, he told Sky News: “We’ve got to understand that we are in a global market, we are in a global energy market and the things which are affecting us are affecting everyone around the world.

“We are in a better position than many in terms of our domestic energy production and there is every reason to believe that we can get through this.

“It’s not going to be easy, but we are resilient, we’ve seen through the Covid situation, we are a resourceful, resilient, agile country and will continue to be so.”

Watch: How much are my energy bills expected to rise?

Wednesday 10 August 2022 10:23 , Emily Atkinson

Tory MP defects to team Truss and accuses Sunak of ‘consistently changing position’ to ‘chase votes'

Wednesday 10 August 2022 10:46 , Emily Atkinson

Tory MP Chris Skidmore said he defected from the Sunak campaign to throw his support behind Liz Truss because he believed the former chancellor had been “consistently changing position” to “chase votes”.

In a statement, he said: “Initially, I had backed Rishi Sunak during the MPs’ stage of the contest. Yet over the past few weeks I have grown increasingly concerned by his campaign’s consistently changing position, especially on the economy, to chase votes.

“I am convinced that we need a bolder, more positive approach to the UK’s future. Above all, we need a leader who will unite the party.

“Liz Truss has demonstrated that she has the leadership and personal ability to bring us all together.

“We cannot afford to be seen as a divided party and, for me, I now believe that Liz is the best person to unite us and the country under her leadership in meeting the challenges we face head-on.”

Team Truss hints at ‘bigger exodus of MPs’ from camp Sunak after first defection

Wednesday 10 August 2022 10:55 , Emily Atkinson

Camp Truss has claimed to be in talks with other wavering Rishi Sunak supporters following the defection of MP Chris Skidmore.

A spokesperson for the foreign secretary’s leadership campaign said: “We’re in talks with others from camp Rishi and Chris coming over could trigger a bigger exodus of MPs from Sunak to us.

“Rishi’s flip-flopping on the economy is clearly upsetting a lot of his backers.

“Our supporters like Liz’s optimistic vision for the future, her Conservative plan for the economy based around tax cuts and her credentials as a leader who will stand up to dictators like (Vladimir) Putin and prioritise national defence.”

Martin Lewis warns ‘lives are at risk’ in energy bills crisis

Wednesday 10 August 2022 11:20 , Emily Atkinson

Martin Lewis has attacked the inaction of the two Conservative leadership hopefuls in the face of a “financial emergency that could risk lives”

The MoneySavingExpert founder issued a desperate plea to Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss to “get together in the national interest to tell us the bare minimum of what they will do” to tackle the worsening energy crisis.

He continued: “If they can’t agree, and what we need to hear now, because the mental health damage for millions of people who are panicked about this is manifest, is we need to hear accurate plans.

“We have some relative detail from Rishi Sunak saying he will look at the handouts he gave in May and increase them, but, unless he’s doubling them, and he needs to double them, it is not in proportion to what he did back in May.”

Truss denies ruling out cost of living cash payments

Wednesday 10 August 2022 11:26 , Emily Atkinson

Leadership contest frontrunner Liz Truss has denied she is ruling out cash payments to support people through the cost-of-living crisis.

The foreign secretary said keeping taxes low is “vitally important for growing our economy and avoiding a recession”, and that is her “priority”.

Speaking in Manchester, she added: “What’s wrong is taking money from people in taxes and then giving (it) back to them in benefits. That’s Gordon Brown-style economics and I don’t support that.”

Asked if she is ruling out cash payments in “whatever form”, and will only help people through tax cuts, she said: “That’s not what I said.

“What I said is my priority is making sure we’re not taking money off people and then giving it back to them later on. I believe in people keeping their own money and I believe in a low tax economy.”

Truss says its up to current PM to tackle soaring prices

Wednesday 10 August 2022 11:42 , Emily Atkinson

Liz Truss has insisted there is a “proper constitution” already in place to make decisions on how to deal with soaring prices.

Put to her that some are asking why she cannot team up with Rishi Sunak and Boris Johnson to assure people that there will be help in place in September, she said she would “do all I can to deal with this issue” as prime minister.

Speaking in Manchester, she said: “We have a prime minister, we have a chancellor, they make the decisions in the moment.”

Watch: Liz Truss scolded by hustings host for 'cheap' dig at the media

Wednesday 10 August 2022 11:55 , Emily Atkinson

UK ‘could face four day blackouts and gas cuts’ under ‘worst case scenario’ energy plan

Wednesday 10 August 2022 12:12 , Emily Atkinson

A ‘worst case scenario’ in the ongoing energy crisis could lead to blackouts and gas cuts this winter as part of an emergency government plan, according to reports.

An electricity capacity shortfall could result in a sixth of peak demand, even after emergency coal plants are brought into use, Bloomberg News claims. If combined with a reduction in imports and below average temperatures, contingency measures could be triggered by January, it is claimed.

However, the government insists it does not expect this ‘doomsday’ scenario to play out and that homes and businesses “should be confident” there will be enough supply to meet demand.

Zoe Tidman has more:

UK ‘could face 4 day blackouts and gas cuts’ under worst case scenario’ energy plan

Previous government cost of living support ‘not sufficient'

Wednesday 10 August 2022 12:40 , Emily Atkinson

Greg Jackson, founder of energy company Octopus Energy, said previous government assistance is “not sufficient” and that the “crisis has deepened”.

He also called for energy companies and the government to work together to solve the crisis.

Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, he said the cost of buying energy for his company to supply to customers has increased from around £0.5 billion to £9 billion, adding: “And, you know, there is no company that can tackle this problem alone or indeed working just with other companies. It needs companies and governments to work together. And, you know, we’ve been working with government for a year.

“I think, as I said, the last support package was really significant. It’s just that the crisis has deepened since then, and that’s why it needs revisiting.”

He added: “We just know that the level of increases is going to be unmanageable for so many without the right support from the government and it’s beyond what any one company can do.”

Energy companies to be ‘hauled in’ by government over ‘unprecedented’ profits, minister says

Wednesday 10 August 2022 13:02 , Emily Atkinson

Energy company bosses will be “hauled in” by the government to explain “unprecedented” profits at a time when consumers face a devastating increase in bills, a minister has said.

Chancellor Nadhim Zahawi and Kwasi Kwarteng, the business secretary, are expected to hold talks with the sector on Thursday amid mounting calls for government action.

James Cleverly, the education secretary, said on Sky News the two cabinet minister will discuss with energy firms “what they are going to do with these unexpected, unplanned, unprecedented profits that they have been making because of that sudden spike in energy prices”.

Our political correspondent Ashley Cowburn reports:

Energy bosses to be ‘hauled in’ over ‘unprecedented’ profits, minister says

Watch: E.on announces profits of more than £3bn amid cost of living crisis

Wednesday 10 August 2022 13:20 , Emily Atkinson

Government preparing ‘contingency plans’ for potential winter blackouts

Wednesday 10 August 2022 13:38 , Emily Atkinson

Chancellor Nadhim Zahawi acknowledged the UK Government is making “all sorts of contingency plans” when challenged over the risk of blackouts this winter.

Mr Zahawi also raise Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, saying of Russian president Vladimir Putin: “He is playing with energy prices deliberately. We have to be able to withstand that sort of pressure. Why? Because we cannot allow him to win this war - it’ll be much worse if we were to buckle and allow him to win this war.

“Hence why we have to make all sorts of contingency plans, hence why we have to be focused on operationalising what we’ve just talked about - getting that £400 of help into people’s pockets, making sure we deliver that whole £37 billion - and see what more we would need to do later on in the winter and give whoever becomes prime minister the options that we can make available.”

Mr Zahawi described the UK economy as robust, adding: “We have got that headroom that I hope to be able to demonstrate to whoever becomes prime minister that they have choices to be able to make to deliver additional help.”

Rishi Sunak says someone has now taught him how to use a contactless bank card

Wednesday 10 August 2022 13:57 , Emily Atkinson

Rishi Sunak has admitted that someone has had to teach him how to use a contactless card machine after he was pictured struggling with one during a photo-op.

The 42-year-old former chancellor was got into difficulty paying for petrol in March this year, apparently unfamiliar with the everyday technology.

The episode raised questions about whether the man in charge of the country’s finances and one of the country’s richest MPs ever did his own shopping.

Our policy correspondent Jon Stone has more:

Rishi Sunak says someone has now taught him how to use a contactless bank card

Truss summons China’s ambassador to UK over ‘escalation’ in Taiwan

Wednesday 10 August 2022 14:11 , Emily Atkinson

Liz Truss today summoned China’s ambassador to the UK over Beijing’s “aggressive and wide-ranging escalation” against Taiwan of late.

The foreign secretary said in a statement that she had ordered officials to call in ambassador Zheng Zeguang to explain his China’s actions after US House of Representatives speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to the self-governing island.

China responded to the visit - which it saw as a provocation by the US - with a series of missile launches and incursions into Taiwanese waters and air space by its military.

Beijing reiterated on Wednesday that it was not prepared to renounce the the use of force to take control of Taiwan, which it has long claimed.

Government working on cost of living package to put to new PM

Wednesday 10 August 2022 14:27 , Emily Atkinson

Ministers are working up a fresh package of cost-of-living support for the next prime minister to consider when they take office, the chief secretary to the Treasury has said.

Simon Clarke argued it is “absolutely right” for the new leader to consider “these options in the round” when they take the reins, suggesting they should steer clear of announcing “new uncosted policies” during the election period.

Sturgeon says Truss looked as if she had ‘swallowed a wasp’ over first minister’s double appearance in Vogue

Wednesday 10 August 2022 15:03 , Emily Atkinson

Nicola Sturgeon has said Liz Truss “looked a little bit as if she’d swallowed a wasp” after the first minister told her she had been in Vogue twice.

Ms Sturgeon said the Foreign Secretary asked her about how to get into the magazine when they briefly met last year.

Earlier in the Tory leadership race, Ms Truss dismissed Ms Sturgeon as an “attention seeker”.

Ms Sturgeon was interviewed by LBC’s Iain Dale at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre during the city’s Fringe festival, during which she added: “I’m sure she’ll be in Vogue before too long.”

'Absolutely right' not to act on bills crisis, minister insists

Wednesday 10 August 2022 15:47 , Emily Atkinson

It is “absolutely right” that ministers should not be acting on the cost of living crisis until a new prime minister is elected, the chief secretary to the Treasury has said.

In a thread posted to Twitter on supporting people through the bills crisis, Simon Clarke said that the government was working up a package of support to be put to the next PM when they assume office.

The senior minister, who is backing Liz Truss in the Conservative leadership contest, went on to insist that the government inaction was preferable to announcing “new un-costed policies, without sight of all the details of the pressures people could face, during a leadership election.”

Liz Truss urged to rule out giving Boris Johnson job in her Cabinet

Wednesday 10 August 2022 16:26 , Emily Atkinson

Liz Truss has been urged to rule out giving Boris Johnson a ministerial job in her Cabinet – and to keep a sleaze investigation into his conduct open.

The foreign secretary, who is the frontrunner for next prime minister, has hinted she would like to stop the privileges committee probe into whether Mr Johnson misled parliament.

She raised eyebrows on Tuesday evening after saying she she would in principle vote to cancel the investigation.

Our policy correspondent Jon Stone reports:

Liz Truss urged to rule out giving Boris Johnson job in her Cabinet

Watch: How much are my energy bills expected to rise?

Wednesday 10 August 2022 17:01 , Emily Atkinson

Truss promises emergency budget

Wednesday 10 August 2022 17:15 , Jane Dalton

Liz Truss has insisted she would have an emergency budget, reverse the National Insurance rise and work to improve supply, in a question-and-answer session with GB News.

She said she would act on day one to get it done with a view to implementing it by April.

Told people cannot wait, she refused to promise handouts, saying she was about letting people keep their own money.

On the cost-of-living crisis, she said: “I would keep taxes low, get investment in, get post-Brexit reforms done and get the EU law off our statute books to help small businesses.”

She added: “If the only answer to everything is to whack up taxes and give out more benefits then the country is going to run into trouble. We are predicted to have a recession. It is important we grow the economy.”

Truss pledges ‘robust’ action with France on migrants

Wednesday 10 August 2022 17:21 , Jane Dalton

On illegal immigration, Ms Truss said she would use the most cost-effective method to ensure people were deported to Rwanda. Priti Patel had found that was flights, she said.

She pledged to take robust action with the French and EU, saying she agreed ports around the country should be used to send people back to France.

“I would make sure we legislate for Britain, that we are in control of our own policy and we can’t be overruled by the ECHR,” she said.

“I would also work with other countries to get new deals to find new locations, because what is really important is that countries like Rwanda want citizens in their country helping build their economy, they don’t want a massive brain drain of people, but we need to work with them to make that happen and ensure there is somewhere for the illegal immigrants to go.”

No 10 ‘too presidential’

Wednesday 10 August 2022 17:25 , Jane Dalton

No 10 has become too presidential and should be leaner, Ms Truss told the GB News audience.

She would not slim down the cabinet because a prime minister should not micromanage, she said.

Truss refuses help for ‘Waspi’ women

Wednesday 10 August 2022 17:42 , Jane Dalton

Challenged by “Waspi” women, who were told their pensionable age would be postponed, Ms Truss said the pensions and tax system had not looked after women and she would review the system to make it fairer for people who take time out of work to care for children or relatives.

But she said it would be difficult now to go back on the Waspi women’s position.

Told by an audience member that an ombudsman ruled there had been administration and compensation should be paid, she said she did not want to make promises and be unable to fulfil them.

Truss pledges to support unpaid carers - but has no instant plan

Wednesday 10 August 2022 17:55 , Jane Dalton

On unpaid carers who live on Carer’s Allowance and their savings, Ms Truss said it was better for people to be looked after by their families than elsewhere.

She wanted to look at the tax system to support people who take time out to care for family members and not penalise such people.

Told by an audience member Carer’s Allowance was the lowest benefit and insufficient to live on, she said the system needed to be looked at.

She admitted she did not have an instant answer on how to fund it, but was committed to supporting “families who do the right thing”.

Larry often sidles up to me, Truss claims

Wednesday 10 August 2022 18:02 , Jane Dalton

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

And she wanted to “build on that relationship”, the leadership contender insisted.

Sunak promises billions of pounds in support

Wednesday 10 August 2022 19:38 , Jane Dalton

Rishi Sunak says there is a “moral responsibility” to help families through the cost-of-living crisis as he promised billions of pounds in additional support.

“I do feel a moral responsibility as prime minister to go further and get extra help to people over the autumn and the winter to help them cope with what is going to be a really difficult time,” he said in a BBC interview.

“I think that is the right priority.”

Support will cost billions, Sunak says

Wednesday 10 August 2022 19:40 , Jane Dalton

Asked whether the extra support he is promising people to cope with inflation would cost a “few billion” or over £10 billion, Mr Sunak replied: “It’s much closer to the former than the latter.”

The former chancellor, who has acknowledged he is trailing Liz Truss in the race for No 10, insisted he would rather lose than promise “false things I can’t deliver”.

When he was in office in May, Mr Sunak announced a £15.8 billion support package, but said that if he became prime minister he would go further.

Sunak: Truss’s tax cuts ‘not moral'

Wednesday 10 August 2022 19:43 , Jane Dalton

Rishi Sunak has suggested Liz Truss’s tax-cutting proposals were not “the moral thing to do”.

Asked about his plans for further cost-of-living support in an interview with the BBC, he said: “That’s what my plan is about and actually, alternative proposals that don’t focus on that I don’t think are right and I don’t think are, actually, quite frankly the moral thing to do.”

He also confirmed that extra support he would give to vulnerable households could total a few billion pounds when asked, responding: “Right, because that’s the scale, if you look at the scale of the problem we’re talking about and then it depends exactly how we spread that around and provide most help to those who most need it.”

Sunak pledges top-up cash for pensioners and those on benefits

Wednesday 10 August 2022 19:50 , Jane Dalton

Mr Sunak said he would also give extra help to pensioners and those on benefits to deal with winter fuel bills.

He told the BBC: “The second group are those on the lowest incomes and normally, the welfare system would make sure that it keeps pace with inflation.

“Now, because of what is happening, that’s not working as normal. So, what I suggested is we provide extra top-up payments to those very vulnerable families.

“I would go further as prime minister and we’ve talked about the extra amount that that is, and then lastly, for pensioners, I propose an extra payment in the winter and again, that’s where we would go further.”