Keir Starmer’s energy price policy is a shrewd opposition tactic

The Labour leader’s plan is what voters want to hear, but it is not a serious option for government, writes John Rentoul

Keir Starmer has observed Truss’s sharp practice and learned (PA)

Rishi Sunak made an elementary mistake in the Conservative leadership campaign by setting out what he would do if he were still in government to deal with the worsening crisis of rising energy prices.

His plan was sensible and compassionate and is close to what Liz Truss will do when she becomes prime minister, as she is now gradually admitting, now that most Tory members have already voted. But Truss avoided saying what she would do for the first few weeks of the campaign, except that she was in favour of tax cuts and against handouts.

That was what Tory members wanted to hear, and they happily cast their votes accordingly. So now it is safe for Truss’s allies to brief journalists that she is likely in No 10 to target most help on the poor, using the benefit system, just as Sunak said in the first place. Anyone who thought that by “handouts” she meant benefits, including universal credit and pension credit, will have to think again.