Tory leadership - live: Truss tax cuts would not help vulnerable pensioners, Sunak says

Former chancellor Rishi Sunak said he is ‘confident’ he can find extra funds for direct support

Gordon Brown says Liz Truss’ proposed tax cuts ‘don’t help people who need the help’

Rishi Sunak said tax cuts proposed by his Tory leadership rival Liz Truss will not help vulnerable pensioners who will struggle to pay for heating this winter.

At hustings in Darlington, former chancellor Mr Sunak said he could offer hundreds of pounds extra for the “most vulnerable” people to pay their energy bills – in addition to support already pledged.

In a swipe at Ms Truss’ plans, he said tax cuts are “not much alone” for people living off pensions, adding that it was “wrong” for her to “rule out direct support”.

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.

Mr Sunak and foreign secretary Ms Truss – who are vying to succeed Boris Johnson as PM – have faced calls to spell out how they would ease the crisis at the event attended by Tory members.

Mr Sunak said he has “no doubt” extra support will be needed to get people through the winter, and he is “confident” he can find the money from government “efficiency savings”.

Key Points

• Rishi Sunak hints at more support for cash-strapped Brits
• Sunak vows extra energy bill funds only for ‘most vulnerable’
• NHS faces winter of strikes as nurses and professionals ballot over pay
• Energy bills to hit £4,266 in January after Ofgem changes price cap rules

[9 August 2022 13:15 · Maryam Zakir-Hussain]

Tory frontrunner Truss refuses to offer ‘handouts’ to help with energy prices

Tory leadership frontrunner Liz Truss today refused to offer immediate help with rocketing energy bills, amid mounting clamour for an emergency budget.

Asked repeatedly in a TV interview whether she was ruling out direct payments to households worst-hit by inflation, the foreign secretary did not deny the claim, instead saying that she wanted to focus on tax cuts.

And she indicated she will resist calls from former prime minister Gordon Brown and the CBI for her to get together with leadership rival Rishi Sunak and Boris Johnson to agree an immediate package of help, saying that she would not “write the budget in advance”.

Our political editor Andrew Woodcock has more:

[9 August 2022 12:44 · Maryam Zakir-Hussain]

Truss and Sunak should agree joint plan on ‘terrifying’ energy bills, says CBI boss

Conservative leadership rivals Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak should get together to agree on the outline of a plan to help Britons with soaring energy bills, said the head of the UK’s leading business organisation.

Tony Danker, director-general of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), said waiting until Boris Johnson’s successor is announced on 5 September would be too late to put measures in place before October’s “terrifying” price rises.

Truss or Sunak would “need to tell us what will happen” when entering No 10 on 5 September, said Danker, “not put it off for a couple of weeks while they do preparations for the emergency budget”.

Politics writer Adam Forrest has more:

[9 August 2022 12:15 · Maryam Zakir-Hussain]

Energy bills to hit £4,266 in January after Ofgem changes price cap rules

Energy bills for the average UK household are on course to surge to a devastating £4,266 a year in January, experts have warned.

That will come after a rise to more than £3,500 in October as the cost-of-living crisis deepens throughout this year and into 2023, according to figures from Cornwall Insight, an energy consultancy.

Ofgem is set to put the price cap at £4,266 for the average household in the three months from the beginning of January.

Ben Chapman has more here:

[9 August 2022 11:58 · Maryam Zakir-Hussain]

Martin Lewis says an action plan ‘is needed today’ as ‘tragic’ price rise looms over households

Martin Lewis has called for an emergency action plan to tackle the significant rise in energy bills.

He said: “Action & planning is needed now. The zombie govt needs wake up sooner than 5 Sept...”

[9 August 2022 11:27 · Maryam Zakir-Hussain]

Truss and Sunak should agree on cost of living plan, says CBI boss

CBI direct-general Tony Danker has said Boris Johnson “needs to say something to the country to reassure people about what will happen” ahead of “terrifying” energy price cap rise revealed on 26 August.

And Danker told the Today programme that when the prime minister is chosen on 5 September, Liz Truss or Rishi Sunak “need to tell us what will happen – not put it off for a couple of weeks while they do preparations for the emergency budget”.

Danker said Truss and Sunak could get together now to agree on a rough plan to help ease price rises coming into force in October.

“I think they should agree on the principles, given they disagree on the mechanics,” Danker said.

Truss has refused to commit to extra payments to ease the pain of soaring energy bills, as she prioritises tax cuts.

But the CBI chief suggested the rivals could agree to “target the hardest hit” with support, and pledge that the support would be “simple and accessible”.

He said that it was possible to announce measures on 5 September and have them in place for the start of October.

Danker also called on cabinet secretary to help organise government talks with Truss and Sunak.

“They should start talking to the candidates now, civil servants should be working with the candidates now, so that on 5 September we get the answers.”

[9 August 2022 11:00 · Maryam Zakir-Hussain]

Boris Johnson complained £145,000 job was like being stuck inside ‘steel condom’

Boris Johnson complained about his £145,000 job as foreign secretary feeling like imprisonment inside “a steel condom”, according to former Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson.

Mr Johnson resigned in 2018 over Theresa May’s Brexit plans – but not before first attracting criticism for comments Richard Ratcliffe said “enabled a propaganda campaign” against his wife Nazanin while held in Tehran, writes Adam Forrest.

“He once described being foreign secretary to me as like being enclosed in a steel condom. I found it odd because I hadn’t asked him,” Baroness Davidson told broadcaster Iain Dale at an Edinburgh Fringe event.

“I think he meant the amount of attention he had from civil servants to make sure he didn’t say anything – imprisoned in a steel condom is what he said,” the Tory peer said.

[9 August 2022 10:30 · Maryam Zakir-Hussain]

Water company bonuses ‘not a good look’, says Tory minister

Paul Scully, the local government minister, has rejected the Liberal Democrats’ call for a ban on water company bonuses unless infrastructure leaks are fixed.

“It’s for their companies to sort out,” the minister told Sky News on bonuses.

Mr Scully added: “It’s not a good look for water companies to be taking big bonuses .... The water companies need to invest a lot more.”

(PA)

[9 August 2022 10:02 · Maryam Zakir-Hussain]

Boris Johnson ‘misled parliament on Partygate’, ex-No 10 staff ready to tell inquiry

Former Downing Street are said to be preparing to give evidence to MPs claiming Boris Johnson did misled parliament during the Partygate scandal.

Three former officials at No 10 reportedly believe that the prime minister did not tell the Commons all that he knew about rule-breaking gatherings held during the Covid crisis.

One of the ex-staffers has agreed to give evidence to the privileges committee inquiry into whether the PM mislead, while two others contacted by the committee are considering whether to testify, according to The Telegraph.

Politics writer Adam Forrest has more:

[9 August 2022 09:29 · Maryam Zakir-Hussain]

UK government deleted abortion rights from gender statement ‘to be inclusive of all perspectives’

The UK government has said it deleted references to abortion rights from an official statement on gender equality to be “inclusive of all perspectives and views”.

Liz Truss convened an international conference on freedom of religion and belief in London last month in her capacity as foreign secretary – but the meeting was overshadowed by a diplomatic row over reproductive rights.

Countries such as Denmark and Norway lodged formal protests after the UK used its position as chair to drop the references to “sexual and reproductive health and rights” and “bodily autonomy” from the summit’s conclusions.

Our policy correspondent Jon Stone has more:

[9 August 2022 09:08 · Maryam Zakir-Hussain]

More direct support needed on cost of living, admits Truss ally Sajid Javid

Former chancellor Sajid Javid – a Liz Truss supporter – has admitted “more needs to be done” to help people struggling with the cost of living costs.

Although Ms Truss has refused to commit to more “handouts” as she priorities tax cuts, Mr Javid has said there will have to be further direct payments for the most vulnerable.

He told the i newspaper that a further uplift to benefits was needed as soon as the next prime minister takes office.

“It needs to be targeted much more than the previous interventions to those who need it the most,” Mr Javid said.

He said help should come by boosting universal credit, pension credit or through council tax rebates rather than trying to “reinvent the wheel” through new schemes.

(PA)