Fizzy drink manufacturers have just a few days’ supply of gas left before they will have to cease production of beverages like Irn Bru and Diet Coke, according to a trade association. But another kind of gas shortage is dominating the political agenda this week, with surging wholesale energy prices threatening to put up bills and crash energy suppliers.
Inside the bubble
At 9.30am MPs on the Commons health and social care committee will ask top doctors for their views on how to clear the NHS backlog caused by the pandemic. Meanwhile down the corridor, the culture and media committee will grill BBC director general Tim Davie. The Commons chamber kicks off with business and energy questions at 11.30am, which will almost certainly feature topical grilling on whether the lights might go out this winter. MPs will then spend the afternoon debating a Labour motion on Universal Credit cuts.
Coming up:
– Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng will be on ITV’s Good Morning Britain at 8.30am– Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey is to appear on Sky News Breakfast at 8.05am
Daily Briefing
THE HISTORY BOYS History will judge leaders who fail to show “courage” on climate change, Boris Johnson has warned as he pushes countries to make carbon reduction commitments ahead of the COP26 summit. Joe Biden looks set to throw the PM a lifeline on his faltering preparations for November’s meeting in Glasgow, with a significant announcement on finance for developing countries. Biden’s climate envoy John Kerry said the US is ready to “play its part” on a $100bn (£73.2bn) fund and signalled that the president would have more to say in his own address to the UN general assembly on Tuesday, hours before he meets Mr Johnson in the White House.
WELL THIS IS AWKWARD Boris Johnson has accepted that the UK will not get a quick trade deal with the US, in an embarrassing admission as he prepares for his first White House meeting with president Joe Biden. The prime minister made clear that he recognised an FTA was not a priority for Mr Biden, who he said had “a lot of fish to fry”. A swift transatlantic deal was repeatedly trumpeted by Leave campaigners, including Mr Johnson, as the biggest prize from Brexit, and the prime minister made clear in 2019 that he was hopeful of signing a quick trade treaty with then president Donald Trump. While a political blow, the signing of a trade deal would not be particularly economically significant: the government estimates it would have benefits of just £7.7bn, or 0.36 per cent of GDP – well short of the predicted losses from EU withdrawal.
MEANWHILE BACK AT THE RANCH The business secretary has insisted there is “absolutely no question of the lights going out” this winter, as he said the government will not be bailing out failed energy companies due to the escalating price of gas. Seeking to allay fears after crisis talks with the industry, Kwasi Kwarteng also dismissed “alarmist, unhelpful and completely misguided” suggestions of three-day working week or people being unable to heat homes. Insisting the UK had “sufficient capacity” he also told MPs the energy price cap would remain in place. Wholesale prices have spiked 250 per cent since the start of 2021 leading to calls for support from some in the energy industry and the collapse of some smaller firms.
REPLY ALL STRIKES AGAIN Defence Secretary Ben Wallace has ordered an investigation into a data breach involving dozens of Afghan interpreterswho worked for British forces. More than 250 former workers seeking evacuation to the UK were mistakenly copied into an email from the Ministry of Defence asking for an update on their situation, the BBC reported. John Healey, Labour’s Shadow Defence Secretary, said: “We told these Afghans interpreters we would keep them safe, instead this breach has needlessly put lives at risk.” The MoD acknowledged a breach had taken place and said it was working hard to make sure it didn’t happen again.
HERE WE GO AGAIN Boris Johnson has admitted he cannot guarantee a normal Christmas this year, as Britain grapples with disruption to goods supplies caused by gas price hikes and shortages of lorry drivers, as well as the potential of another spike in coronavirus cases. The prime minister insisted that it was “very much not the plan” to cancel Christmas for a second year in succession, after he ordered Britons to avoid family get-togethers as the Kent variant of Covid-19 sent cases soaring last December. But he stopped short of promising that the festive season would be back to normal, stressing that the winter plan set out by the government earlier this month envisaged possible Plan B restrictions - including mandatory face-masks and vaccine passports - if the NHS was coming under unsustainable pressure.
UNIVERSAL DISCREDIT The government has avoided a potentially humiliating Commons showdown on cuts to universal credit — just weeks before claimants’ payments are reduced. The speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle last night did not accept a rebel amendment put forward by Conservative MPs, including the former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith, calling for the £20-per-week uplift to be maintained. While a defeat would have been non-binding on the government, the MPs had sought to use legislation on the annual uprating of pensions being debated on Monday to highlight the controversial issue in a Commons vote just three weeks before the cut takes effect. Conservative disquiet over the decision to end the uplift has been growing over the summer months, but Boris Johnson and the chancellor, Rishi Sunak, have repeatedly rejected calls for a re-think.
GRACE AND FAVOUR Boris Johnson has dismissed a row between two of his most senior cabinet colleagues over the use of the country house Chevening as “frippery”. The 17th-century Kent manor is traditionally used as the country retreat for the foreign secretary but outgoing office holder Dominic Raab is refusing to hand it over to his successor Liz Truss, arguing that his new title of deputy prime minister entitles him to hold onto it. Asked if Raab or Truss would get the house the prime minister responded: “The people’s government does not bother with fripperies and foibles of this kind. These types of questions, we will address in due course. But as I say, we are focused on people’s priorities.”
KNOWN UNKNOWNSThe Independent is hosting a virtual expert panel discussion on Covid vaccines ahead of the programme broadening out to 12-15-year-olds as well as the booster jab. A live lunchtime Q&A event with NHS and virology experts will be hosted by our health correspondent Shaun Lintern and science correspondent Sam Lovett. You can sign up for the 23 September event here.
On the record
“There’s absolutely no question of the lights going out or people being unable to heat their homes. There will be no three-day working weeks or a throwback to the 1970s.”
Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng on why there’s nothing to worry about
From the Twitterati
“That this even has to be said is worrying. Imagine if a Labour minister were to suddenly reassure us that there would be no return to the winter of discontent. The press would howl.”
David Allen Green reacts to the business secretary’s call for calm
Essential reading
- Tom Peck, The Independent: World be warned – ‘Global Britain’ is out on patrol and absolutely anything could happen
- Kim Sengupta, The Independent: ‘We felt fooled’ – Britain has yet to feel the full force of French fury
- Isabel Hardman, The Spectator: Tory MPs are changing their minds on Universal Credit
- Joe Ryle, LabourList: Why Labour should back a four-day working week at conference
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