‘When the going gets tough, the Truss gets going’, says Tory party chair
Liz Truss has ruled out launching an energy-saving public information campaign, despite warnings of rolling blackouts hitting the UK if gas imports fall short this winter.
Business secretary Jacob Rees-Mogg is believed to have backed a £15m campaign encouraging people to save energy this winter, but the Times reports that the idea was blocked by No 10 as the prime minister is “ideologically opposed” to such an approach, which she deems too interventionist.
The campaign was described as “light touch” and recommended measures designed to help people save up to £300 a year, including lowering the temperature of boilers, turning off radiators in empty rooms and advising people to turn off the heating when they go out.
The newspaper quoted a government source describing the campaign as a “no-brainer” and said No 10 had made a “stupid decision”.
It comes after Ms Truss attended her first meeting of the European Political Community in Prague where she said she wanted to work with “our neighbours” on issues including energy costs and rising inflation.
Starmer refuses to back striking NHS nurses
Keir Starmer has refused to back striking NHS workers, as the main nurses‘ union ballots its members for industrial action over pay.
In a round of local radio interviews on Thursday the Labour leader was repeatedly asked by different regional presenters whether he would back the hospital staff or stand on picket lines.
But the Labour leader reiterated his opposition to joining pickets, and would only say that he could “completely understand why people are concerned and are considering industrial action”.
Our policy correspondent Jon Stone reports:
Keir Starmer refuses to back striking NHS nurses
Labour leader reiterates opposition to supporting picket lines
Namita Singh7 October 2022 07:06
‘Window of opportunity’ to end Brexit impasse over Irish border, says Dublin
Ireland’s deputy prime minister has said that a “window of opportunity” exists to resolve the row over the post-Brexit border within the next few weeks.
Leo Varadkar said that the Northern Ireland protocol governing arrangements at the border with the Republic may have been “too strict” and said there was “further flexibility for some changes”.
His optimistic assessment came as UK officials resumed technical talks on the issue by video-link with the European Commission for the first time since February, and foreign secretary James Cleverly prepared to host his Irish counterpart Simon Coveney for talks over dinner in London.
‘Window of opportunity’ to end Brexit impasse over Irish border, says Dublin
Technical talks with EU resume ahead of 28 October deadline for rerun elections to Stormont
Namita Singh7 October 2022 07:05
Angela Rayner demands ethics inquiries in Truss’s first month as PM
Labour’s deputy leader Angela Rayner has accused Liz Truss of allowing sleaze to “fester” at the heart of her government by failing to appoint an independent ethics adviser a month after taking over from Boris Johnson.
Ms Rayner wrote to the prime minister’s most senior civil servant, cabinet secretary Simon Case, to urge him to open inquiries into a trio of questions over ethics within government raised since Ms Truss entered Downing Street.
She said that the events of the past month suggested that Ms Truss’s administration was “no better” than the one led by Mr Johnson, showing “scant regard for standards in public office”.
Read more in this exclusive report from our political editor Andrew Woodcock:
Demand for inquiries into multiple ethics issues from Truss’s first month in No 10
Exclusive: Prime minister allowing sleaze to ‘fester’ at heart of government, Labour claims
Namita Singh7 October 2022 06:50
Emmanuel Macron ‘a friend’, says Liz Truss in bid to smooth over diplomatic spat
Liz Truss has declared French president Emmanuel Macron “a friend” in a bid to repair a diplomatic rift sparked when she refused to use the word during the Conservative leadership campaign.
The comment came as the prime minister attended a summit of the new European Political Community called by Mr Macron to foster cooperation between the continent’s EU and non-EU members.
The PM insisted that her presence at the summit in the Czech capital Prague did not indicate a desire to “move closer to Europe” after Brexit, but was an effort to work together with allies on issues like energy supplies and the Ukraine war.
Our political editor Andrew Woodcock reports:
Emmanuel Macron ‘a friend’, says Liz Truss in bid to smooth over diplomatic spat
PM joined leaders of Europe’s EU and non-EU states for summit of new political community
Namita Singh7 October 2022 06:40
Ex-Tory minister willing to get ‘kicked out’ of party by rebelling on benefit cuts
Former defence minister Johnny Mercer has said he is willing to get “kicked out” of the Conservative party as he vowed to fight Liz Truss over the prospect of a real-terms benefit cut.
The ex-veterans minister said he would defy Tory whips and rebel if the prime minister did not uprate benefits in line with inflation, with a growing number of MPs urging Ms Truss to concede defeat on the issue.
“I won’t vote for a Budget that doesn’t see an uprating of benefits and universal credit line with inflation,” Mr Mercer told a Facebook live session. “And if that means I get kicked out of the Tory party, fine.”
My colleague Adam Forrest reports the latest blue-on-blue attack:
Ex-Tory minister willing to get ‘kicked out’ over benefits rebellion
Johnny Mercer vows to defy whip and claims Liz Truss ‘urinating’ on promises
Namita Singh7 October 2022 06:34
Britain could face rolling three-hour blackouts this winter if imports stall
British households face rolling blackouts if gas imports fall short of demand this winter, National Grid has warned.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has created “unprecedented turmoil and volatility” in energy markets, the company said on Thursday, adding that there could be pre-planned power cuts across the country in three-hour slots to give priority to power plants.
Britain leans heavily on gas for power stations and on electricity imported from continental Europe, which is facing an energy crisis as Putin’s war disrupts supplies.
My colleague Anna Isaac has more:
Britain could face rolling three-hour blackouts this winter if imports stall
National Grid ‘cautiously confident’ it can keep the lights on
Namita Singh7 October 2022 06:33
Liz Truss ‘wrong person for the job’ of prime minister say Brian Cox
Actor Brian Cox says he does not trust prime minister Liz Truss and that she is “the wrong person for the job”.
The screen veteran and Succession star said he also did not believe the UK public trusted Ms Truss, and described the recent Conservative Party conference as “an absolute fiasco”.
Speaking during the Thursday night episode of BBC Question Time, he told audiences that he “ain’t a fan” of Ms Truss and that trust in her leadership has been “singularly absent”.
My colleague Tom Murray reports:
Brian Cox and Piers Morgan rip into Liz Truss on Question Time
‘She’s the wrong person for the job,’ ‘Succession’ star asserted
Namita Singh7 October 2022 06:13
Rees-Mogg: New oil and gas licensing will boost UK economy and energy security
A new licensing round for oil and gas exploration will boost both the UK’s economy and energy security, business and energy secretary Jacob Rees-Mogg has insisted.
The UK government minister spoke out as the North Sea Transition Authority (NSTA) began the 33rd round of offshore licences.
Licences are being made available for sectors of the North Sea – known as blocks – with the NSTA estimating that over 100 may be granted.
Speaking ahead of the process getting under way on Friday, Mr Rees-Mogg said: “Putin’s illegal invasion of Ukraine means it is now more important than ever that we make the most of sovereign energy resources, strengthening our energy security now and into the future.
“Ensuring our energy independence means exploiting the full potential of our North Sea assets to boost domestic production – recognising that producing gas in the UK has a lower carbon footprint than importing from abroad.”
Rees-Mogg: New oil and gas licensing will boost UK economy and energy security
Energy Secretary Jacob Rees-Mogg spoke as the North Sea Transition Authority began its latest round of licensing for offshore oil and gas.
Namita Singh7 October 2022 06:03
Families with disables children ‘struggling to survive’ in cost-of-living crisis
Families raising disabled or seriously ill children are “struggling to survive” due to the scale of the cost-of-living crisis, a charity said.
A survey by Family Fund of 4,264 families with a disabled child found that nine in 10 are struggling or falling behind on their regular household bills and many are forgoing living essentials, such as food and heating as well as basic household equipment, such as washing machines and fridges, to try to make ends meet.
More than half of parents and carers (54 per cent) report skipping or cutting the size of their meals, a 9 per cent increase since September last year, and 13 per cent say they have had to cut back on items that are essential for their disabled children.
Families with disabled children ‘struggling to survive’ in cost-of-living crisis
A survey by Family Fund of 4,264 families with a disabled child found that nine in 10 are struggling or falling behind on their regular bills.
Namita Singh7 October 2022 06:02
We will work closely in bid to resolve NI Protocol impasse, says UK and Ireland
The UK and Ireland have insisted they will work closely to try and resolve the impasse over the Northern Ireland Protocol.
Foreign secretary James Cleverly met his Irish counterpart Simon Coveney in London yesterday, with the pair expressing warm words and a desire for close cooperation on issues including the protocol.
The first bilateral meeting between the UK and Ireland since Liz Truss became UK prime minister will be followed on Friday by the British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference.
It will be co-chaired by Mr Coveney and Northern Ireland secretary Chris Heaton-Harris.While agreement on changes linked to the protocol remain to be negotiated, the UK, Ireland and the EU have made a noticeable effort in recent days to express a desire for action.
But the arrangements have created trade barriers on goods being shipped from Great Britain to Northern Ireland.
The protocol was agreed by the UK and EU as part of the Withdrawal Agreement and sought to avoid a hard border with Ireland post-Brexit.
Mr Coveney, writing on Twitter, said: “My pleasure to host UK foreign secretary James Cleverly at the Irish Embassy London for a working dinner.
“James & I discussed Brexit, the protocol, the war in Ukraine as well as our shared work at the UN Security Council. We agreed to work closely together on all.”
Mr Cleverly wrote: “As our closest neighbour, I am committed to working with Ireland on important issues including energy security and fixing the problems with the Northern Ireland Protocol.”
Namita Singh7 October 2022 06:01