“Liz Truss is today expected to be named Britain’s 56th prime minister — and the third Conservative to hold the post in just six years — when the party announces the result of its leadership contest at lunchtime today. After a gruelling and fractious two-month campaign the 47-year-old foreign secretary is the overwhelming favourite to succeed Boris Johnson and, barring an extraordinary upset, will be named as the winner at an event in London. However, Tory MPs who favoured her rival, Rishi Sunak, will be scrutinising her margin of victory carefully to see if she has the level of support suggested by the polls. That will determine how much room she has for manoeuvre as she sets out her stall for tax cuts and economic reform during the coming days in Downing Street.” – The Times
>Today:
>Yesterday:
“Rishi Sunak today dismissed rumours he will quit the Commons and head for California if he loses the Tory leadership battle. The former Chancellor is widely expected to be defeated by Liz Truss when the results of the contest are finally announced tomorrow. But he shrugged off speculation he could opt to return to the US – where he previously worked – insisting he wants to stay as MP for Richmond in Yorkshire. Instead he stressed he would continue to ‘support the Conservative government’, even though there are signs Ms Truss will not offer him a job in her Cabinet. When BBC presenter Laura Kuenssberg pointed to clips of him praising California, Mr Sunak – reputed to be one of the richest MPs with a billionaire heiress wife – said: ‘I’m going to stay as a Member of Parliament.’” – The Daily Mail
>Yesterday:
“Liz Truss is lining up Therese Coffey to be her Deputy PM if she wins the Tory crown today, insiders have told The Sun. The favourite to win the leadership race is expected to ask her key ally, the Department for Work and Pensions chief, to be the new Health Secretary, and her right-hand woman. MPs think she will make the key appointment to boost her women credentials and keep the NHS at the top of the new Government’s agenda. Yesterday, Ms Truss said she would make getting sick people access to GP appointments “one of my key priorities”. And she vowed that, under her watch, growing NHS waiting lists would come down. She told the BBC: “I think it is a priority for the public, and it’s a priority for me, to make sure we’re delivering for people.” – The Sun
“Liz Truss is preparing to appoint the first cabinet in history in which none of the great offices of state will be held by a white man. Though Truss, 47, will not learn if she is to be Britain’s new prime minister until today, her commanding poll leads mean she and her aides have spent weeks discussing the make-up of her cabinet. Kwasi Kwarteng, the business secretary, is certain to be chancellor… Truss is likely to appoint James Cleverly as foreign secretary… The role of home secretary is thought to have been earmarked for Suella Braverman, 42, the attorney-general and former leadership contender. Kwarteng, Cleverly and Braverman are among only 11 black or Asian MPs to have attended the cabinet.” – The Times
“Liz Truss is preparing for an almost complete clear-out of Boris Johnson’s Downing Street team with only a few aides and officials so far having been assured of their place in the new regime. Among the most prominent casualties of what is expected to be a fundamental shake-up of No 10 is Samantha Jones, who is expected to leave her job as permanent secretary and chief operating officer running the office of the prime minister. Her role was only created in February, after the lockdown parties scandal, but sources said she was unlikely to stay on and the position could be abolished altogether. Sir Stephen Lovegrove, the national security adviser, is also expected to be moved on to be replaced by the Russia expert Sir Tim Barrow, who Truss worked with at the Foreign Office.” – The Times
“Boris Johnson is expected to skip the Conservative Party’s annual conference next month as he seeks a low profile…after his departure from Downing Street. The Prime Minister will issue a call for the party to unite behind his successor as Tory leader in his farewell speech outside Number 10 on Tuesday…Mr Johnson is expected to focus on the lucrative speaking circuit and writing his memoirs after he resigns, rather than on making high-profile political interventions. On Sunday, a peer and friend of the Prime Minister said Mr Johnson would spend time trying to “get hay in the loft” – a reference to making money…Both David Cameron and Theresa May declined to attend the Tory conference straight after they were forced from office in 2017 and 2019 respectively.” – The Daily Telegraph
>Yesterday:
“After three years of turbulence, scandal and an extended period of purgatory, prime minister Boris Johnson will finally quit Downing Street on Tuesday, leaving behind a job he had coveted since childhood — but few believe he will fade quietly into political obscurity. Johnson has told friends he could earn millions in his first year out of office, and his allies believe he could make a comeback once he has, in the words of his ally Lord Jonathan Marland, “put hay in the loft”.Despite being out of power, Johnson’s allies think that as a backbench Tory MP, with a host of media platforms and a strong and strident base among party activists, he will continue to wield vast influence on British politics.” – The Financial Times
“Members of the Conservative Party still want Boris Johnson not Liz Truss or Rishi Sunak, the next leader of the Tories has been warned before being unveiled tomorrow. Lord Cruddas, who spearheaded the Bring Back Boris campaign, has insisted that his petition to change the rules and hand power to members cannot be ignored…or they will face a revolt in the party. Speaking to Express.co.uk he insisted that after the third change of leader since 2016, power has to be removed from MPs to topple a sitting Prime Minister at will. Lord Cruddas, a former party treasurer, along with the Conservative Post launched a petition to change the rules and put Mr Johnson on the ballot so that the 160,000 party members could decide whether to accept his resignation or not.” – Daily Express
“Boris Johnson’s allies have been warned that it would be “suicidal” for the Conservatives to try to force a new vote of confidence in Liz Truss in a campaign to get the outgoing prime minister back into No 10. Supporters of Johnson are thought to be plotting to immediately send letters to Sir Graham Brady, chairman of the 1922 Committee, with the aim of forcing a vote before Christmas. One supporter said it would soon be realised that the party had lost a “first-rate” leader. Jake Berry, the Tory MP who has been tipped to become party chairman under Truss, the frontrunner throughout the contest, suggested that such an attempt to return to office by Johnson would destroy the party.” – The Times
“Liz Truss will unveil a £100billion cost-of-living rescue package of handouts and tax cuts within her first week in office. As she prepared to be crowned Tory leader today, she said she would take aim at soaring energy bills and inflation to “make Britain work”. And it can be revealed she is looking at freezing the wholesale cost of gas produced in Britain to force energy companies to sell it at a loss and drive down bills. But her rival Rishi Sunak’s key ally David Davis warned the new PM would face the worst in-tray since Margaret Thatcher. Last night, Ms Truss promised not to “let anyone talk this great country down”, saying she would work tirelessly to make sure everyone has the “opportunity to go as far as their talent and hard work takes them”.” – The Sun
>Yesterday:
“Liz Truss is considering freezing energy bills for millions of households this winter if she wins the Conservative Party leadership race, the Telegraph understands. Campaign sources familiar with discussions, and energy company insiders who have been consulted, have said that a freeze of some form is now expected… Whoever wins, one of their first priorities will be to address the cost of living crisis. In an interview on BBC One’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, Ms Truss moved to reassure the public that help was coming if she becomes prime minister, vowing to reveal a support package within a week. The Foreign Secretary said the rise in energy bills did not have to mean “Armageddon” this winter and declined to rule out a bills freeze for some households.” – The Daily Telegraph
“Liz Truss set aside more than a decade of Conservative economic policy yesterday as she insisted that tax cuts that predominantly helped wealthier people were not unfair…Before her expected victory today, allies said she wanted to move the debate “beyond tax and spend” and would make the case that not all tax cuts needed to be progressive as long as they boosted overall economic growth. She is expected to vigorously defend her pledges to cut national insurance and freeze corporation tax despite claims that they…will increase government debt and could push up the cost of borrowing. The two measures are expected to cost about £30 billion and will come on top of Truss’s furlough-style plan to tackle increasing energy bills that is likely to require at least £70 billion…” – The Times
“Liz Truss is considering boosting the take home pay of the UK’s highest 10 per cent of earners with a tax cut that could see the basic rate threshold rise to £80,000, i can reveal. Treasury sources have told it hat Ms Truss, who is widely expected to be confirmed as the nation’s next Prime Minister, is keen on cancelling Rishi Sunak’s freezing of the 40 per cent tax threshold at £50,270 and raising it by around £30,000.The move would mean that those earning between £12,570 and £80,000 would pay just 20 per cent on their earnings on tax, while those earning less than £12,570 would continue to be exempt from income tax.The tax cut will mean around three million people will no longer pay higher rate tax, saving them an average of around £3,000 a year.” – The I
“Liz Truss will fly to America later this month seeking to forge ties with Joe Biden’s administration if she wins the Tory leadership race and becomes prime minister. Whoever succeeds Boris Johnson is expected to attend the United Nations General Assembly in person in New York, joining other world leaders for the annual gathering. Ms Truss accompanied Mr Johnson on the trip last year – her first overseas visit after being promoted to foreign secretary having held the position of international trade secretary. A face-to-face meeting with Mr Biden, the US president, would be expected, though whether a trip to Washington DC will be included is likely to be decided nearer the time.” – The Daily Telegraph
“The government [Truss] would lead will have two urgent responsibilities. First, to help people with the severe price shocks that the twin issues of the pandemic and Putin’s war have brought about. We know households are worried, and decisive action is needed…. Second, the new administration will look longer term and take responsibility for the enduring health and wealth of our economy and country. The work must be done now to make us more resilient to crises like this in the future, and to boost growth rates which will improve living standards for everyone…Given the severity of the crisis we face, there will need to be some fiscal loosening to help people through the winter. That is absolutely the right thing to do in these exceptionally difficult times.” – The Financial Times
“Labour has claimed Liz Truss will push through a “huge stealth tax cut for banks” if she becomes the UK’s next prime minister on Monday, as the opposition party prepares to do battle with her on the economy. Labour has argued that the foreign secretary’s intention to scrap a planned corporation tax rise next year, should she become leader, would be particularly beneficial to big banks, which would see a net 5 percentage point cut in their tax bills. Pat McFadden, shadow Treasury minister, said: “Is Liz Truss’s priority to support the families, pensioners and small businesses that are struggling to make ends meet, or is it to provide extra tax breaks for big banks?”” – The Financial Times
“Labour insiders believe Sir Keir Starmer’s battle with Liz Truss over the cost of living crisis could offer him a “David Cameron moment” like the 2008 financial crisis as an era of personality-driven politics is thrown out with Boris Johnson. As the Labour leader prepares to face off with a new rival in No 10, allies suggest spiralling inflation and energy prices will see political ideology and fitness for office become key battlegrounds once again. While polls bemoaning the Labour leader’s lack of charisma have not always made pleasant reading for the party, Labour insiders believe issues of personality will no longer be a dominating factor for voters.” – The I
“The pound is falling against the dollar on the back of a weak outlook for the UK economy caused by the energy crisis and uncertainty about what spending policies the next prime minister will implement to tackle the cost of living crisis. Investors are betting that the Bank of England will have to stop raising interest rates if the economy falls into recession later this year, a factor that weighs down on the value of the currency. If the next government announces only modest spending policies to help people with their energy bills this winter, expect the pound to fall further on the expectation that a long recession cannot be avoided.” – The Times
“The UK is approaching foreign investors to fill a gaping funding hole in Sizewell C as the Government struggles to attract attention for nuclear investment, i can reveal. In his final major policy speech as Prime Minister, this week Boris Johnson announced £700m in funding for the nuclear project in Suffolk, urging his successor to “go nuclear and go large and go with Sizewell C”. But the scheme, which is estimated to cost more than £20bn, is struggling to drum up interest amid a diminishing appetite for nuclear investments. The UK is expecting to be planning a 20 per cent share in Sizewell C, with French firm EDF taking up another 20 per cent – leaving 60 per cent of the project in need of investors.” – The I
“Plans to crack down on illegal Channel migrants are being blocked by civil servants, allies of Priti Patel warned last night. The Home Secretary has drawn up proposals to end the misuse of modern slavery laws by economic migrants claiming to have been trafficked abroad. Sources said she aimed to close a loophole in the law that has been exploited by hundreds of migrants from Albania this year. The plan was due to have been introduced as an amendment to the new Modern Slavery Bill this month. But allies of Miss Patel told the Mail that the plans have been ‘sat on’ by senior Home Office officials opposed to the change. One source claimed the proposals had been personally blocked by the Home Office’s permanent secretary Matthew Rycroft.” – The Daily Mail
>Today:
“NHS bosses must do more to combat medical fraud that costs taxpayers up to £1.2billion a year, the Health Secretary has demanded. Stephen Barclay claims NHS England hasn’t done enough to stop crooks stealing money that should go to improve care. In a letter to chief executive Amanda Pritchard – seen by the Daily Mail – he calls on officials to introduce measures that make it more difficult for fraudsters to succeed. He adds: ‘A concerted and coordinated effort will be required to drive down fraud loss.’ The NHS loses an estimated £320million a year due to fraud in primary care, which includes GPs, opticians, dentists and pharmacies. This may be due to staff claiming money for treatment they have not performed or patients claiming free care they are not entitled to.” – The Daily Mail
“Ministers will introduce legislation as soon as parliament returns on Monday to tackle the NHS’s worsening staffing crisis by making it easier for overseas nurses and dentists to work in the UK. The move is part of a drive by the health secretary, Steve Barclay, to increase overseas recruitment to help plug workforce gaps in health and social care. Barclay believes thousands of extra health professionals will come as a result of new rules making it easier for medical regulators to register those who have qualified abroad. If the change proves successful it will help pave the way for more nurses and dentists coming to work in Britain from countries such as India, Sri Lanka, Kenya, the Philippines and Malaysia.” – The Guardian
“Jacob Rees-Mogg has accused civil servants of using flexible working to skive off as he demands an audit of the practice across Whitehall. In one of his last acts as government efficiencies minister before a new prime minister takes office, Rees-Mogg has warned departments against the “overuse” of flexi-time and called for detailed lists of how widely it is used. He is threatening to sell off the office space of departments that fail to reduce working from home as figures show some Whitehall areas “nearly empty”. New polling, however, indicates that about half of staff across the country work from home some of the time, saying it has improved productivity as well as work-life balance.” – The Times
“Richard Harrington…has quit as refugees minister a day before Liz Truss is expected to be confirmed as the next prime minister. He claimed he was stepping down because his job was essentially complete, but the timing of his departure suggests he expected his role was not likely to be renewed by the incoming administration. In private Lord Harrington has made no secret of his disdain for the Rwanda policy that Truss and Rishi Sunak have enthusiastically backed during the Tory leadership contest. In public Harrington declined to endorse the policy. In a Times Radio interview shortly after the policy was announced, he refused three times to say whether he was comfortable with putting refugees who cross the Channel on a one-way flight to Rwanda.” – The Guardian
“It is understandable that when we are confronting other urgent matters, the question of how to deal with China falls down the domestic agenda. But the recent UN Human Rights Commissioner’s report on Xinjiang should remind us of the need to be firm with the regime in Beijing now more than ever. The report concludes that the Chinese Communist Party’s “arbitrary and discriminatory detention” of Uyghurs and other Muslims may constitute “crimes against humanity”. That is not a term used lightly. Yet it was the unavoidable outcome of an investigation that discovered, among other gruesome acts, the forced sterilisations of women, with some threatened by police for violating “family planning policy” or forced to have abortions.” – The Daily Telegraph