Pound – live: Kwarteng accused of gambling with UK economy by devolved nations

Devolved governments leaders have demanded an urgent meeting with chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng over his “disastrous” mini-Budget and fears of new age of austerity.

The finance ministers of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland warned that the Liz Truss government’s “huge gamble” on borrowing-fuelled tax cuts will mean a decade of spending cuts.

In a joint letter they shared their alarm over reports that all government departments would be asked to make cuts – pointing out that devolved budget settlements have already been diminished by inflation.

It comes as prime minister Liz Truss has said that her economic plan involves “disruption in the short term” as the Welsh secretary said “rigorous” spending cuts are imminent.

Her comments come as the S&P ratings on the UK changed their outlook from stable to negative on Friday.

Writing in The Sun, Ms Truss admitted that “not everyone will like what we are doing” but “we need to get things done in this country more quickly”.

Key points

Government’s energy bill cap at £2,500 comes into effect
Liz Truss says her plans ‘do involve disruption’ in UK economy
The S&P ratings on the UK changes their outlook from stable to negative
Liz Truss insists it is ‘right plan’ despite ‘disproportionately’ benefiting rich
Tories face ‘existential threat’ as Labour gains 33-point lead – Tory MP
Cabinet minister suggests ‘rigorous’ spending cuts to come
Devolved nations demand meeting with Kwasi Kwarteng over austerity fears

Truss has ‘undermined’ credibility of government, says ex-Treasury chief

11:35 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Lord Turnbull, former permanent secretary at the Treasury, accused the Liz Truss and Kwasi Kwarteng of undermining the Bank of England, the OBR and the Treasury, Adam Forrest reports.

“Truss and Kwarteng have disparaged and disrespected all three in different ways, fatally undermining the government’s credibility in financial markets,” he wrote in the Times.

“The government’s continuing refusal yesterday to fill the information gap indicates it has still not understood what lies behind the issue.”

Devolved nations demand meeting with Kwasi Kwarteng over austerity fears

11:05 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Devolved governments leaders have demanded an urgent meeting with chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng over his “disastrous” mini-Budget and fears of new age of austerity.

The finance ministers of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland warned that the Liz Truss government’s “huge gamble” on borrowing-fuelled tax cuts will mean a decade of spending cuts.

Politics writer Adam Forrest has more:

Devolved nations demand meeting with Kwasi Kwarteng over austerity fears

Ministers ‘dragging feet’ on adding Black history to curriculum, teaching leader warns

10:50 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Teachers have accused the government of dragging its feet on including Black history in the national curriculum.

As Black History Month begins, the president of the National Education Union (NEU) has questioned why the government needs two years to commit to making the curriculum more inclusive.

Currently, Black history doesn’t feature in the national curriculum, meaning it is not compulsory to be taught in UK schools – something that campaigners and teachers have been lobbying to change for a number of years.

Read more from our race correspondent Nadine White:

Ministers ‘dragging feet’ on adding Black history to curriculum, says teaching leader

Taxing richest 1% to pay for green funds will make society ‘more equal’, Green Party co-leader says

10:00 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Green Party co-leader Adrian Ramsay has said the party’s call for a tax on the richest one per cent in society to pay for a green fund aims to “make our society more equal”.

The tax would see the wealthiest people in the country contribute one per cent of their money to a “fund to create a greener society”.

Mr Ramsay told BBC Breakfast: “We’re calling for this at a time of economic and political crises. We’ve seen economic chaos caused by a mini-budget that has been making our society more unequal.

“This is about trying to make our society more equal.”

Liz Truss admits UK faces economic ‘disruption’ because of mini-Budget

09:35 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Liz Truss has admitted her chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng’s mini-Budget caused “disruption” as she vowed to “do things differently” from previous Conservatives leaders.

As Tories prepare for their annual conference, the prime minister warned the country faced a “difficult winter” ahead as she made clear she had no plans to change course her radical, borrowing-fuelled tax-cutting agenda.

“I recognise there has been disruption but it was really, really important we were able to get help to families as soon as possible,” the PM told broadcasters on Friday – pointing to the cap on the cost per unit of energy.

Adam Forrest has more:

Liz Truss admits UK faces economic ‘disruption’ because of mini-Budget

Mick Lynch apologises to London Marathon runners for rail strikes but says government to blame

09:10 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

RMT general secretary Mick Lynch has apologised to the public including participants of the London Marathon as they face transport difficulties because of rail strikes.

Speaking to BBC Breakfast, Mr Lynch said the union did not want to inconvenience people but warned it was the government who had brought the dispute on.

Asked whether he would apologise to the public, he said: “Absolutely. We don’t want to inconvenience the public and we’re really sorry that that’s happening.

“But the government has brought this dispute on. They (put) the challenges down to us, to cut our jobs, to cut our pensions and to cut our wages against inflation.”

Mr Lynch said that he had spoken with new Transport Secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan, who seemed “very pleasant,” but added what was needed was a change of attitude at the negotiating table.

He added: “Grant Shapps was not allowing a compromise, so I hope there’s a change of mood and a change of stance.”

Cabinet minister suggests ‘rigorous’ spending cuts to come

09:06 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Welsh secretary Robert Buckland admitted there had been “some turbulence” in the markets this week – but insisted the government would stick with the plan to “incentivise growth”.

With economists and union leaders warning a return to austerity, the cabinet minister suggested public spending cuts were on the way, Adam Forrest writes.

“We intend to be extremely rigorous when it comes to bearing down on public expenditure,” Buckland told Sky News – saying there would be announcements on spending in the weeks ahead.

The minister said the government wanted to reassure market to “will be seeking to balance the books in a sensible way” departments as “efficient and as lean as possible”.

Greens call for £75bn tax hit on polluters and the wealthy

08:50 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

The Green Party has called for an emergency £75 billion tax package targeting polluters and the country’s wealthiest individuals, to fund a nationwide insulation and renewable energy programme.

At the party’s annual conference in Harrogate, co-leader Carla Denyer called for a new wealth tax on the richest 1% of households – starting with a marginal rate of 1% on those with £3.4 million, rising to 10% on those with £18.2 million and above.

She said there should be a “dirty profits tax” on North Sea oil and gas which would be used as a stepping stone towards a permanent carbon tax on polluting industries.

Greens call for £75bn tax hit on polluters and the wealthy

Energy bills rise to record-high levels as price cap lifted

08:30 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Families have been urged to take a photograph of their meter reading and do what they can to cut their energy use as prices spike from Saturday.

The amount that a household pays for each kilowatt hour of electricity it uses has risen to 34p from the already record 28p that families pay.

Gas prices are going from 7p to 10p per kilowatt hour under the new price cap.

It means that the typical household in the UK will spend around £2,500 on its energy bills – but those that use a lot of gas and electricity will naturally pay more.

Just a year earlier, gas had cost 4p per kilowatt hour for customers on the price cap and the charge for electricity was 21p.

Energy bills rise to record-high levels as price cap lifted

Kwarteng defends mini-budget saying country ‘had no other choice’

08:10 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

The chancellor has defended his mini-budget by saying the government “had no other choice” than to do “something different” to spark the economy.

As the prime minister admitted the strategy had caused “disruption”, Kwasi Kwarteng said the public expected public spending would be tightly controlled.

“The British taxpayer expects their government to work as efficiently and effectively as possible, and we will deliver on that expectation,” he wrote in The Daily Telegraph.

“Not all the measures we announced last week will be universally popular. But we had to do something different. We had no other choice.”

Kwarteng insists he had ‘no other choice’ but to do something different with economy

What Liz Truss’s Tory conference speechwriters will need to do

07:45 , Sravasti Dasgupta

“One way of assessing the scale of the task facing Liz Truss at next week’s Conservative Party conference is to imagine drafting her speech for her.”

Sean O’Grady ponders what the PM might try in Birmingham.

Read here:

What Liz Truss’s Tory conference speechwriters will need to do

Tory MPs ‘may help Labour to bring down’ parts of Chancellor’s budget

07:15 , Sravasti Dasgupta

Tory MPs are reportedly in talks with the Labour Party to defeat certain parts of Kwasi Kwarteng’s mini-Budget.

Rebels are apparently in talks with the opposition to make sure that the government’s controversial new measures are brought to a vote in the House of Commons.

Holly Bancroft reports:

Tory MPs ‘may help Labour to bring down’ parts of Chancellor’s budget

Our chancellor displays a shocking naivety when it comes to handling finances

06:45 , Sravasti Dasgupta

“So, Kwasi Kwarteng was warned. I have it on the highest, unimpeachable authority that the chancellor was told ahead of his tax-cutting measures that the markets would react badly.

Kwarteng apparently did not care, saying he was relaxed about the response. It’s bizarre, doesn’t make sense: a chancellor who apparently believes he is somehow impervious, on a mission, and hang the opposition.”

Chris Blackhurst writes:

Our chancellor displays a shocking naivety when it comes to handling finances

Minister warns against spam messages as new energy bill cap kicks in

06:15 , Sravasti Dasgupta

As the government’s energy bill cap kicks in, Business Secretary Jacob Rees-Mogg has asked the public to stay alert to scams.

“Unprecedented government support is beginning this weekend, protecting families and businesses across the country from what was going to be an 80% increase in energy bills this winter,” he said.

“I also urge people today to stay alert to scams. This support will reach people automatically and there is no need to apply.”

Putin’s weaponisation of energy has driven prices to record highs – but this government will not let his regime harm British businesses and households.

Tomorrow, unprecedented government support begins – here is what you need to know: pic.twitter.com/q7HLHOtd98

— Jacob Rees-Mogg (@Jacob_Rees_Mogg) September 30, 2022

ICYMI: Truss accused of ‘repeatedly misleading’ public over energy bills

05:45 , Sravasti Dasgupta

Liz Truss has been accused of “repeatedly misleading” the public by claiming no one will pay energy bills above £2,500.

During her morning broadcast round on Friday, the prime minister told BBC Radio Kent the government had stepped in to ensure “nobody is paying fuel bills of more than £2,500”.

However, several analysts and experts have accused the prime minister of misleading the public.

Chiara Giordano reports:

Truss accused of ‘repeatedly misleading’ public over energy bills

Everything you need to know about new energy price cap

05:15 , Sravasti Dasgupta

The energy price cap is the maximum amount a utility company can charge an average customer in the UK per year for the amount of electricity and gas they use, preventing businesses from simply passing on cost increases to the consumer.

Joe Sommerlad reports on what the energy cap means for you:

What does the energy price cap mean for you?

Private renters desert Tories amid doubts over pledges of new powers for tenants

04:15 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Private renters are deserting the Tories following fears that Liz Truss will water down promises of new powers to challenge bad landlords, a poll says.

One in three tenants who voted for the Conservatives at the 2019 general election – a total of 400,000 people – now plan to vote for another party, the survey has found.

This so-called “rent wall” could deprive the Tories of key swing seats such as Hastings and Rye, Milton Keynes North and Gloucester, the analysis suggests.

Our deputy political editor Rob Merrick has more:

Private renters desert Tories amid doubts over pledges of new powers for tenants

‘Good call’ between Cleverly and Sefcovic amid ongoing protocol row

03:15 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

UK and EU officials will “meet soon” following a call on Friday between the foreign secretary and the EC’s Maros Sefcovic to discuss the Northern Ireland Protocol.

The Foreign Secretary had his first call with the European Commission vice president, amid an ongoing row over post-Brexit arrangements in Northern Ireland.

Talks have stalled in recent months and relations between London and Brussels remain at a low ebb, after the Government angered the EU with plans to rip up swathes of the protocol in a bid to address the concerns of unionists in Northern Ireland.

In a tweet following the call, Mr Sefcovic said that “teams will meet soon”, raising hopes in some quarters for progress in talks between the two sides.

Mr Sefcovic called it a “good conversation”, adding: “Both sides agree to look for solutions around the Protocol, to bring predictability & certainty to people in Northern Ireland.”

He said that the EU is “committed to joint efforts”, adding: “Teams will meet soon. James & I will stay in contact.”

Mr Cleverly, who has only been in the role a matter of weeks, offered similarly warm words after the call, which is understood to have included discussions about both the protocol and other issues.

Another call between them could be held again in a couple of weeks.

Energy price cap comes into effect

01:15 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

The government’s energy price cap to shield households and businesses from the worst of the impact of soaring oil and gas prices comes into effect on Saturday.

Under the energy price guarantee – which limits the unit price paid for electricity and gas – means the annual bill for a typical household in England, Scotland and Wales will be held to around £2,500 for the next two years.

A similar scheme will operate in Northern Ireland.

The government has said that without action, energy bills had been expected to hit £3,500 from October rising as high as £6,500 next year.

Households will also see the first instalment of the £400 energy bill support scheme in their October electricity bill. The discount will be automatically applied monthly in six instalments between October and March 2023.

Businesses, charities and public sector organisations will also be protected over the next six months.

Liz Truss said: “Livelihoods and businesses were at stake. The Government’s energy support limits the price they pay for gas and electricity, shields them from massive bill increases, and is expected to curb inflation too.

“The cost of not acting would have been enormous.”

Liz Truss admits her plans have caused ‘disruption’ in UK economy

Saturday 1 October 2022 00:26 , Holly Bancroft

Prime minister Liz Truss has said that her economic plan involves “disruption” in the short term.

Writing in The Sun, Ms Truss pledged to “do things differently”.

She said: “We need to get things done in this country more quickly. So I am going to do things differently. It involves difficult decisions and does involve disruption in the short term.”

“Not everyone will like what we are doing,” she continued, “But I want to reassure the public that the government has a clear plan that I believe is right for the country.”

Echoing her chancellor’s piece in the Daily Telegraph, Ms Truss said: “Next month we will set out how we will get debt down in the medium term.”

Prime Minister Liz Truss (PA Wire)

© Provided by The Independent Prime Minister Liz Truss (PA Wire)

Kwasi Kwarteng to keep expert OBR Budget verdict secret for nearly two months

Friday 30 September 2022 23:55 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

An expert watchdog’s verdict on the tax-slashing mini-Budget will be kept secret for nearly two months after the chancellor refused to publish it.

Kwasi Kwarteng is defying calls, including from Conservative MPs, to reassure markets by revealing the official forecast of how his dash for growth will affect the economy.

After an unprecedented emergency Downing Street meeting on Friday, the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) said its initial findings would be on the chancellor’s desk within a week.

Our deputy political editor Rob Merrick has more:

Kwasi Kwarteng to keep expert OBR budget verdict secret for two months

The S&P ratings on the UK changes their outlook from stable to negative this evening

Friday 30 September 2022 23:31 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

The S&P ratings on the UK has now changed their outlook from stable to negative this evening.

The change comes as a result of the new government’s mini-Budget, as they calculated the government’s deficit will widen by an average 2.6 per cent of GDP annually through 2025.

The S&P said: “We have revised our outlook on the UK to negative from stable and affirmed the ‘AA/ A+’ ratings.”

🚨S&P Ratings downgrade their outlook on the UK to “negative” from stable tonight.

“The negative outlook primarily reflects what we view as rising risks to the UK’s fiscal position over the next two years.”

— Mehreen Khan (@MehreenKhn) September 30, 2022

Truss admits £45bn mini-budget tax-cuts did cause disruption

Friday 30 September 2022 23:25 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Liz Truss has admitted chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng’s mini-budget caused “disruption” but insisted they were right to act to get the economy moving and to protect families from soaring energy bills.

As Tories prepared to head to Birmingham for their annual conference, the Prime Minister warned the country faced a “difficult winter” ahead as she indicated she had no plans to reverse her tax-cutting agenda.

“I recognise there has been disruption but it was really, really important we were able to get help to families as soon as possible,” she said in a pooled interview with broadcasters on Friday.

“This is going to be a difficult winter and I am determined to do all I can to help families and help the economy at this time.”

Her comments came at the end of a tumultuous week which saw the pound slump to an all-time low against the dollar and the Bank of England forced to spend billions buying up government debt to prevent a collapse of the pensions industry.

Simon Clarke admits government had ‘an uncomfortable week’ but defends PM

Friday 30 September 2022 22:55 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Levelling up secretary Simon Clarke has admitted it has been an “uncomfortable week” for the government, but said prime minister Liz Truss is “astonishingly resilient” and is “doing what she believes is right”.

An an interview with The Times, Mr Clarke said: “If I was to describe one word for Liz at the moment it is purposeful. She knew, and this was certainly something we discussed during the summer, that this would not be a comfortable process.

“(She knew) particularly early on, there would be real potential unpopularity to be courted in seeking to say things and do things, which weren’t going to be easy or quick wins. Frankly, she is doing what she believes is right. And I think she’s enjoying having the chance to do that.

“She’s obviously, you know, carrying pressures, which most of us would find pretty crushing. But she’s clear in her own mind and her conscience is clear that this is the right thing to do.”

Simon Clarke (PA Archive)

© Provided by The Independent Simon Clarke (PA Archive)

Commons sleaze watchdog faces ‘outrageous’ claim she is letting off MPs to get peerage

Friday 30 September 2022 22:25 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

A Tory MP has come under fire over an extraordinary claim that the Commons sleaze watchdog is seeking a peerage in return for letting corrupt MPs off the hook.

Conservative Andrew Bridgen challenged Parliamentary Standards Commissioner Kathryn Stone over the matter in an email.

The Leicestershire North West MP told Ms Stone two weeks ago he was “distressed” to have heard there were “advanced plans” to ennoble her for reaching “the right outcomes” in political corruption inquiries.

Simon Walters has more:

Commons sleaze watchdog faces claim she is letting off MPs to get peerage

Simon Clarke said he is committed to ‘spending discipline’

Friday 30 September 2022 21:55 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Simon Clarke hinted at spending cuts in his interview with The Times, with the former chief secretary to the Treasury saying he was committed to “spending discipline”.

“I do think it’s very hard to cut taxes if you don’t have the commensurate profile of spending and the supply side reform,” he said.

“If we’re adopting this plan, which I think is exciting and fundamentally addresses the competitiveness issue, the rest of the piece needs to move in tandem. We are privileged to deal with very large budgets. My experience as CST is that there is always something you can do to trim the fat.”

Mr Clarke said the country had failed to build the homes it needs since the days of Harold MacMillan, who was prime minister 60 years ago.

“The fact the green belt is larger today than it was when Margaret Thatcher came to power is an extraordinary state of affairs. This country has got issues with housebuilding.

“But we also need to protect the spaces that people love and to avoid a sense that the Government is threatening the very things that make communities nice places in which to live.”

Simon Clarke says PM is ‘doing what she believes is right’

Friday 30 September 2022 21:27 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Simon Clarke MP has said Liz Truss is “doing what she believes is right” for the financial market.

The secretary of state for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities said there will have to be sigificant cuts in public spending, telling The Times that the West has been libing in a “fool’s paradise” for too long.

He said: “My big concern in politics is that western Europe is just living in a fool’s paradise whereby we can be ever less productive relative to our peers, and yet still enjoy a very large welfare state and persist in thinking that the two are somehow compatible over the medium to long term.”

Irish premier says there is ‘genuine willingness’ all around to resolve NI protocol dispute

Friday 30 September 2022 20:45 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Irish premier Micheal Martin has said that he believes there is a “genuine willingness” on all sides to resolve the dispute around the Northern Ireland protocol.

“I think there is genuine willingness to make every effort to resolve this issue by negotiation,” he told reporters at the Fianna Fail Ard Fheis in Dublin.

“That said it will be difficult. I think what is important is that a process is entered in to that will facilitate in negotiated resolution for the issue.”

Barristers to vote next week on whether to end strike action- part two

Friday 30 September 2022 20:16 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

It is understood the move requires changes to the digital system used by the Legal Aid Agency to make payments and, while officials are confident there is a solution available, they fear it may be difficult and expensive.

The pay offer came after High Court judges ruled that delays to criminal trials affected by the ongoing strike may not be a good enough reason to keep defendants in custody on remand if the dispute continues beyond the end of November.

There were fears the proposed deal could also prompt a walkout by solicitors after the Law Society of England and Wales branded it “short-sighted” and warned the criminal justice system will “collapse” unless the Government funds all parts equally.

The body representing solicitors said it was considering advising members not to undertake criminal defence work and would meet with ministers “urgently”.

President Stephanie Boyce has since said: “We will continue to push for a fair deal for solicitors for the crucially important work they carry out”, adding: “We will insist on further urgent discussions next week.”

Barristers to vote next week on whether to end strike action- part one

Friday 30 September 2022 19:43 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Barristers will be asked to vote next week on whether to end strike action after a pay offer from the government.

A ballot for Criminal Bar Association (CBA) members is due to open on Tuesday and close on Sunday, a spokesman said. A decision will be announced on Monday October 10.

The body agreed to ballot members again after talks with new Justice Secretary Brandon Lewis in which he decided to propose further reforms to Government-set fees for legal aid advocacy work, the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) said.

The offer represents “further investment of £54 million in the criminal bar and solicitors”, according to the department.

Criminal barristers in England and Wales are taking part in a continuous walkout after their row with the Government over fees and conditions intensified.

Prior to that, they were striking on alternate weeks and refused to carry out certain types of work.

There had been anger that a planned 15% fee rise barristers are due to receive from the end of September – meaning they will earn £7,000 more per year – would only apply to new cases and not those already sitting in a backlog waiting to be dealt with by the courts.

But now the MoJ has said the fee increase will apply to the “vast majority of cases currently in the crown court” as well as provide a pay rise for solicitors, with further measures due to be announced in the coming weeks.

This is despite the department previously saying it had “repeatedly explained” to the CBA that backdating pay would require a “fundamental change” in how fees are paid, adding: “That reform would cost a disproportionate amount of taxpayers’ money and would take longer to implement, meaning barristers would have to wait longer for payment.”

Green Party calls for £75bn tax package for polluters and the wealthy

Friday 30 September 2022 19:03 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

The Green Party has called for an emergency £75 billion tax package targeting polluters and the country’s wealthiest individuals, to fund a nationwide insulation and renewable energy programme.

She said there should be a “dirty profits tax” on North Sea oil and gas which would be used as a stepping stone towards a permanent carbon tax on polluting industries.

And she said the Government’s new energy price cap should be extended to limit the price of oil and gas to where it was last October, while the Big Five energy retailers should be nationalised.

“We’ve got the leakiest homes in Europe – losing huge amounts of energy through badly sealed windows and poorly lined walls,” she said.

“We could be saving hundreds, thousands of pounds through insulation – reducing energy wastage, cutting bills and emissions. It really isn’t rocket science. The cheapest bill is the one you don’t have to pay.”

Her fellow co-leader Adrian Ramsay added: “Rich people are getting richer and everyone else is getting poorer and more anxious, and the new Prime Minister is, as we suspected, doing everything she can to maintain that status quo.

“She has doubled down on the Tories’ lack of compassion and awareness for people’s real-life concerns as the cost of living crisis is allowed to continue and gather pace.

“This government is nothing short of dangerous.”

Polls find growing anticipation of Starmer becoming PM

Friday 30 September 2022 18:19 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Half the public now believe it is likely Sir Keir Starmer will become prime minister – as expectations grow of a Labour general election victory amid troubles for the Government.

A poll of 1,000 adults by Ipsos found 51% think Sir Keir will enter Number 10, up from 38% surveyed in May.

More than of third of voters (35%) said it was unlikely Sir Keir will become prime minister, a decrease from 50% in January.

Half of those polled on September 28-29 said they think Prime Minister Liz Truss is doing a bad job, with fewer than one in five (18%) saying she is doing a good job.

This compares to 26% who thought Boris Johnson was performing well just before he announced his resignation in July.

The poll also found 39% of Conservative voters in 2019 think Ms Truss is doing a bad job, while 18% say she is performing well.

The findings come amid widespread criticism of the Government’s economic strategy, with the value of the pound falling following Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng’s mini-budget last week.

The proportion of those polled who say a Labour government led by Sir Keir would do a better job than the Conservatives has risen to 41%, compared to 36% last month when Mr Johnson was still prime minister.

This is the highest percentage since Ipsos started asking the question in 2021.

City cancels bonfire night to focus finances on cost-of-living crisis

Friday 30 September 2022 17:40 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

One of England’s biggest cities has cancelled bonfire night because it says it needs to focus all its finances on dealing with the cost-of-living crisis.

Leeds has scrapped all six of its firework displays as it wrestles with budgetary pressures caused by soaring energy and food bills.

The cuts are part of the Labour-run council’s efforts to slash all “non-essential” spending in another sign of the problems being caused by growing inflation.

My colleague Colin Drury has more:

City cancels bonfire night to focus finances on cost-of-living crisis

One-in-five seeking better-paid work to meet rising costs

Friday 30 September 2022 17:10 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

About one in five adults are looking for new work so they can maintain their standard of living as costs soar, new data shows.

Nearly everyone (91%) polled by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said their costs had increased in the last year.

As a result, 19% of working adults reported they are looking for a job that pays more money – that could include a promotion or moving to a different employer, the ONS said.

Moreover, 15% said they are working extra hours in their job because costs are rising so they need more money. Around 4% said they have taken pm another job to help meet their costs.

The survey found 7% are going to work more often to save on their energy bills.

The research was released a day before the new price cap on energy bills comes into force.

Under the cap, households will pay 34p per unit of electricity and 10.3p per unit of gas they use.

For the typical household – 2.4 people in Ofgem’s calculation – this will mean bills of £2,500 per year. But of course this depends on how much energy they use.

The calculation is based on 2,900 units of electricity and 12,000 of gas, plus the standing charges that all households pay no matter how much they use.

But the ONS’s data contains at least some light at the end of the tunnel.

While 91% of people said their costs have increased over the last year, only 73% said they had increased over the last month – indicating households see think they are getting at least some respite.

Funeral firm Dignity considers ‘fuel surcharge’ for cremations over high energy costs

Friday 30 September 2022 16:45 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Funerals group Dignity said it is considering introducing a surcharge on cremation services to cushion the impact of higher fuel costs, as it announced losses of nearly £50m.

The group, which owns more than 800 funeral locations in the UK, said its revenues shrunk by £8.6 million as a result of the lower death rate post-Covid.

There were almost 400,000 fewer deaths in the first three months of this year compared with the same period last year, Dignity said.

It operated at a £48 million loss in the first half of the year, a big drop from the £41 million profit reported a year ago.

Anna Wise has more:

Funeral firm considers ‘fuel surcharge’ for cremations over energy costs

Private renters desert Tories amid doubts over pledges of new powers for tenants

Friday 30 September 2022 16:27 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Private renters are deserting the Tories amid fears that Liz Truss will water down promises of new powers to challenge bad landlords, a poll says.

One in three tenants who voted for the Conservatives at the 2019 general election – a total of 400,000 people – now plan to vote for another party, the survey has found.

This so-called “rent wall” could deprive the Tories of key swing seats such as Hastings and Rye, Milton Keynes North and Gloucester, the analysis suggests, helping to force them out of power.

Our deputy political editor Rob Merrick has more:

Private renters desert Tories amid doubts over pledges of new powers for tenants

Employers urged to offer financial support to staff

Friday 30 September 2022 16:10 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Employers are being urged to offer financial support to their staff as new research suggested more than half of workers feel they are underpaid amid the cost-of-living crisis.

A survey of 2,500 workers by jobs site Indeed found that those in the health and medical industry, hospitality and leisure and the legal system were most likely to feel they were not paid enough.

Around one in eight of those polled said they have asked for a pay rise and one in 10% have applied for a new job.

The findings indicated that 25-39-year-olds, typically those with young families and in earlier stages of their careers with less savings, were feeling the pressure most of all.

Matt Burney of Indeed said: “While the world of work may have changed dramatically since the pandemic, pay remains the most important driver for workers, yet our report shows that many workers feel underpaid.

“This perception could worsen as high inflation continues to eat into people’s earnings and as the macro-economic situation appears less certain.

“Encouragingly for workers, we see signs that employers are responding to these challenges by offering a range of support from increased flexibility, overtime, vouchers and financial advice to increases in pay and benefits.

“With no end in sight for the rising cost of living, employers will need to carefully navigate financial viability with pay and support packages that balance fiscal and recruitment challenges over the months to come.”

French government ‘worried about Britain’, Macron’s finance minister says

Friday 30 September 2022 15:55 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

The French government is “worried” about the economic situation unfolding in Britain, Emmanuel Macron‘s finance minister has said.

Bruno Le Maire, chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng‘s opposite number across the channel, said the UK was paying the price for leaving the EU.

And he said the reaction to Friday’s budget showed the danger of making “dramatic” economic policy turns.

It comes after financial markets hammered the pound and government debt after the UK government announced sharp unfunded tax cuts.

Our policy correspondent Jon Stone has more:

French government ‘worried about Britain’, Macron’s finance minister says

Disabled people ‘skipping meals’ ahead of energy price cap hike, charity says

Friday 30 September 2022 15:40 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Ahead of tomorrow’s energy price cap hike, a disability equality charity has reported that disabled people are taking “drastic actions” such as skipping meals.

James Taylor, director of strategy at Scope, said: “Despite the government’s energy price guarantee, this latest increase still means a huge hike in prices for disabled people and their families, up and down the country.

“Energy costs have doubled in a year. We’ve been inundated with calls from disabled people who have cut back everything they can. They’re taking drastic actions like skipping meals, cutting back on washing and turning off fridges, and it’s still not enough.

“The price cap doesn’t cap how much people have to pay on their bills, and this increase will tip many people over the edge. The £150 disability payment won’t touch the sides.

“Life costs more when you’re disabled, but the new government chose to ignore that fact in last week’s budget.

“We need targeted support for disabled people to get through this crisis. The government should double the disability payment and provide another cost of living payment to those on the lowest incomes.”

Experts call on PM to correct her claims that families will pay no more than £2,500 on energy bills

Friday 30 September 2022 15:23 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Experts have called on Liz Truss to correct her claims on TV and radio that no families will have to pay more than £2,500 in energy bills every year as the new cap comes into force on Saturday.

Meanwhile regulator Ofgem has urged people to take a photograph of their energy meters ahead of the change, but said they do not have to submit the readings straight away.

The prime minister has repeatedly and incorrectly said no household will pay more than her energy price guarantee over the next year.

But the guarantee is based on how much energy a family uses – and half of all households are likely to face bills of more than £2,500.

Adam Scorer, chief executive of fuel poverty charity National Energy Action, said: “It’s simply not true that bills are capped at £2,500 and it’s vital that people understand that.

“The energy price guarantee is not an all-you-can-heat buffet. If you use more, you will pay more.

“Millions on tight budgets do not fit the ‘average’ tag. They can use more energy than the average because they’ve got medical conditions, larger families or really difficult-to-heat homes. They may face bills much higher than £2,500.”

Money Saving Expert’s Martin Lewis added there is “confusion” over how the cap works.

Under the cap, households will pay 34p for every unit of electricity and 10.3p per unit of gas they use.

The typical household, which contains 2.4 people, uses 2,900 units of electricity and 12,000 of gas according to Ofgem’s calculations.

Only households that use that much energy will see bills of £2,500 – those that use more will pay more, and those that use less will pay less.

From the 1922 committee to resignation: How Tory MPs could get rid of Truss

Friday 30 September 2022 15:05 , Thomas Kingsley

Over the summer the Conservatives ejected Boris Johnson from power amid concerns that their party was falling behind in the polls.

As the nights draw in for October, the Tories have found themselves out of the frying pan and into the fire. There is no sign of a honeymoon for Mr Johnson’s replacement Liz Truss – far from it.

A hardline free market budget that prioritised tax cuts for the wealthy over balancing the budget has sent markets reeling and put the party 33 points behind Labour in the polls.

Our policy correspondent, Jon Stone, has the full story below:

How could Tory MPs get rid of Liz Truss?

Half of people now think Keir Starmer is likely to become prime minister

Friday 30 September 2022 14:50 , Thomas Kingsley

Half the public now believe it is likely Sir Keir Starmer will become prime minister – as expectations grow of a Labour general election victory amid troubles for the government.

A poll of 1,000 adults by Ipsos found 51 per cent think Sir Keir will enter Number 10, up from 38 per cent surveyed in May.

More than of third of voters (35 per cent) said it was unlikely Sir Keir will become prime minister, a decrease from 50 per cent in January.

Half of those polled on 28-29 September said they think prime minister Liz Truss is doing a bad job, with fewer than one in five (18 per cent) saying she is doing a good job.

This compares to 26 per cent who thought Boris Johnson was performing well just before he announced his resignation in July.

The poll also found 39 per cent of Conservative voters in 2019 think Ms Truss is doing a bad job, while 18% say she is performing well. This is the highest percentage since Ipsos started asking the question in 2021.

Liz Truss to appear on BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg

Friday 30 September 2022 14:35 , Thomas Kingsley

The prime minister will be on the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg this weekend as the Conservative Party conference begins.

Liz Truss will be interviewed on the weekend politics programme, which begins at 8.30am, on Sunday 2 October while shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves will also appear on the show.

The appearance comes days after Ms Truss was grilled by local presenters while doing a round of regional radio interviews on Thursday. It was her first media interview since the mini-Budget that preceded the pound falling to its lowest price against the dollar in history.

Tory MPs have called for the prime minister and chancellor to reverse the removal of the 45p top rate of income tax but so far both have refused, insisting that their plans are essential for growth.

(AP)

© Provided by The Independent (AP)

Watch: BBC presenter Naga Munchetty grills Tory minister over inflation.mp4

Friday 30 September 2022 14:20 , Thomas Kingsley

Voices: Liz Truss is not doing what she promised in her leadership campaign

Friday 30 September 2022 14:06 , Aisha Rimi

Allies of Liz Truss insist we shouldn’t be surprised: she is implementing what she promised during the Tory leadership campaign and is someone who “does what she says”. There’s only one problem: it’s not true.

In July, Truss assured us she would not return to the austerity of the 2010-15 Tory-led coalition. “I’m very clear I’m not planning public spending reductions, what I am planning is public service reforms,” she said. In other words, Trussonomics is not Osbornomics.

Andrew Grice writes:

Liz Truss is not doing what she promised in her leadership campaign | Andrew Grice

Top Tory says it’s now a question of how badly party loses election

Friday 30 September 2022 13:45 , Aisha Rimi

A senior Tory MP says his party has already lost the next general election and is urging Liz Truss not to wreck the economy before the inevitable defeat.

In extraordinary comments, Charles Walker said the government had a “duty to the country to get the public finances in the best shape possible” before it loses.

As polls put the Conservatives up to 30 points behind Labour after the tax-slashing budget gamble backfired, Sir Charles it is “hard to construct an argument” that his party retain power.

Rob Merrick reports:

Senior Tory MP says it’s now a question of how badly party will lose election

Watch: Richard Bacon says Liz Truss has done ‘more damage’ than Brexit and Covid

Friday 30 September 2022 13:33 , Aisha Rimi

Government has let the economy ‘fly blind’ for two months, says Lib Dem leader

Friday 30 September 2022 13:20 , Aisha Rimi

The Lib Dems have accused ministers of “allowing the economy to fly blind for two months”.

Responding to Liz Truss and Kwasi Kwarteng’s meeting with the OBR, Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey said: “Delaying this forecast means shutting the door long after the horse has bolted.

“Liz Truss and Kwasi Kwarteng are allowing the economy to fly blind for two months while their reckless plans cause pension and mortgage misery for millions of British people.”

He added: “Families and businesses can’t afford to wait any longer for this Government to fix their botched, unfair budget.

“Truss and Kwarteng must cancel the Conservative conference, recall Parliament and propose a new budget now, before any more people lose their homes or close their business.”

(AFP/Getty)

© Provided by The Independent (AFP/Getty)

Friday 30 September 2022 13:07 , Aisha Rimi

In a tweet, the Treasury added the Prime Minister and Chancellor used their meeting with the OBR to reaffirm “their commitment to the OBR’s independence and made clear that they value its scrutiny”.

“The full economic & fiscal forecast will be published November 23,” the department said.

The Treasury restated the full independent analysis by the OBR would be published on 23 November.

Prime Minister @trussliz and Chancellor @KwasiKwarteng met the @OBR_UK‘s budget responsibility committee today.

They reaffirmed their commitment to the OBR’s independence & made clear that they value its scrutiny.

The full economic & fiscal forecast will be published 23 Nov. pic.twitter.com/bJDHsXhy5h

— HM Treasury (@hmtreasury) September 30, 2022

Labour enjoys highest opinion poll ratings for more than 20 years

Friday 30 September 2022 12:56 , Aisha Rimi

A poll published by Survation gave the party a vote share of 49 per cent, 21 points ahead of the Conservatives on 28 per cent, while a separate poll by YouGov put Labour even higher on 54 per cent, 33 points ahead of the Tories.

The last time Labour recorded these kinds of poll numbers was at the start of 2002, during Tony Blair’s second term as prime minister.

French government ‘worried about Britain’, Macron’s finance minister says

Friday 30 September 2022 12:15 , Aisha Rimi

The French government is “worried” about the economic situation unfolding in Britain, Emmanuel Macron‘s finance minister has said.

Bruno Le Maire, chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng‘s opposite number across the channel, said the UK was paying the price for leaving the EU.

And he said the reaction to Friday’s budget showed the danger of making “dramatic” economic policy turns.

Jon Stone reports:

French government ‘worried about Britain’, Macron’s finance minister says

Half of professionals to look for new job after Kwarteng’s mini-Budget

Friday 30 September 2022 12:00 , Aisha Rimi

A Treasury readout of the meeting between the OBR and the PM and Chancellor said: “This morning the Prime Minister Liz Truss and Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng met with the OBR’s Budget Responsibility Committee, including the Chair Richard Hughes, at No10 Downing Street.

“They discussed the process for the upcoming economic and fiscal forecast, which will be published on 23 November, and the economic and fiscal outlook.

“They agreed, as is usual, to work closely together throughout the forecast process and beyond. The Prime Minister and Chancellor reaffirmed their commitment to the independent OBR and made clear that they value its scrutiny.”

Watchdog to deliver verdict on budget next week after No 10 meeting

Friday 30 September 2022 11:50 , Aisha Rimi

The Treasury watchdog has brought forward its report on Kwasi Kwarteng’s backfiring budget to next week, following an emergency meeting at No 10.

The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) was barred from assessing last week’s tax-slashing package – which has triggered a financial and political crisis.

Following the meeting, the OBR said it will deliver “an initial forecast” next Friday on “economic and fiscal prospects and the impact of the government’s policies”.

Rob Merrick reports:

Watchdog to deliver verdict on budget next week after emergency No 10 meeting

Fiscal watchdog to deliver forecast next week

Friday 30 September 2022 11:22 , Aisha Rimi

Following a meeting with Liz Truss and Kwasi Kwarteng, the Office for Budget Responsibility has confirmed it will deliver an initial forecast to the Chancellor on 7 October which “will, as always, be based on our independent judgment about economic and fiscal prospects and the impact of the Government’s policies”.

How Kwasi Kwarteng’s budget damaged the economy and what happens now

Friday 30 September 2022 11:00 , Aisha Rimi

The fallout from chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng’s mini-budget has been overwhelmingly negative.

The government’s economic policy has been described as a “doomsday cult” by the chief economist of UBS, the world’s largest wealth manager.

And former US Treasury secretary Larry Summers says Britain “will be remembered for having pursued the worst macroeconomic policies of any major country in a long time”.

But what exactly has the government done and what is the problem?

Jon Stone reports:

How Kwasi Kwarteng’s budget damaged the economy and what will happen now

Truss accused of ‘repeatedly misleading’ public over energy bills

Friday 30 September 2022 10:48 , Aisha Rimi

Liz Truss has been accused of “repeatedly misleading” the public by claiming no one will pay energy bills above £2,500.

During her morning broadcast round, the prime minister told BBC Radio Kent the government had stepped in to ensure “nobody is paying fuel bills of more than £2,500”.

She later repeated the claim to BBC Radio Leeds, telling the programme: “The action we’ve taken on energy bills will mean that Leeds and other people in West Yorkshire aren’t going to be facing energy bills of £6,000 which is what was forecast, they’re going to be, through the energy price guarantee, the maximum will be £2,500”.

Chiara Giordano reports:

Truss accused of ‘repeatedly misleading’ public over energy bills

No honeymoon for Truss, as poll gives thumbs-down to PM

Friday 30 September 2022 10:37 , Aisha Rimi

Most new prime ministers can expect a honeymoon period in the months after taking office. But a new poll for The Independent suggests that Liz Truss will arrive at her first Conservative conference after 25 days as leader on Sunday with a significant chunk of the electorate – and even her own party’s supporters – firmly set against her.

A series of surveys released on Thursday night showed Tories under Truss trailing Labour by anything between 17 and 33 points – enough to send Keir Starmer to Downing Street with a majority to match Tony Blair’s historic victory.

Now a Savanta poll for The Independent reveals the depth of voter dissatisfaction with the new PM, who was selected by a tiny group of 175,000 Conservative members after the resignation of Boris Johnson earlier this year.

Andrew Woodcock reports:

No honeymoon for Truss, as poll gives thumbs-down to PM in first month in office

House price growth stalls month-on-month in September

Friday 30 September 2022 10:23 , Aisha Rimi

Annual house price growth slowed modestly in September to 9.5 per cent, from 10 per cent in August, according to Nationwide Building Society.

Across the UK, the average house price in September was £272,259.

House prices recorded 0 per cent change over the month.

Robert Gardner, Nationwide’s chief economist, said: “In September, annual house price growth slowed to single digits for the first time since October last year, although, at 9.5%, the pace of increase remained robust.

“Prices were unchanged over the month from August, after taking account of seasonal effects. This is the first month not to record a sequential rise since July 2021.

“There have been further signs of a slowdown in the market over the past month, with the number of mortgages approved for house purchase remaining below pre-pandemic levels and surveyors reporting a decline in new buyer inquiries.

“Nevertheless, the slowdown to date has been modest and, combined with a shortage of stock on the market, this has meant that price growth has remained firm.”

Watch: First-time buyer claims lenders revised her rate ‘from 4.5% to 10.5%’ amid mortgage crisis

Friday 30 September 2022 09:59 , Aisha Rimi

Labour: PM and Chancellor have lost faith of the markets and public

Friday 30 September 2022 09:26 , Aisha Rimi

Asked whether Liz Truss’s meeting with the Office for Budget Responsibility will reassure markets, shadow business secretary Jonathan Reynolds told Sky News: “It’s a bit late for that now, isn’t it?”

He added: “I cannot stress how angry people should be at this Government for what is without question one of the biggest unforced errors in policy-making in this country’s history.”

Mr Reynolds claimed that people and businesses are looking at the “entire approach” of the Government and “saying we have no faith in these institutions”.

“I will be frank,” he said. “I don’t think either the Prime Minister or the Chancellor will ever get that back.”

Friday 30 September 2022 08:45 , Aisha Rimi

The “detail” of the growth plan made it impossible for an independent watchdog to assess it before the government published it, a minister has suggested.

Asked by BBC Breakfast why the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) was not given the opportunity to make an assessment of the plan, Treasury minister Andrew Griffith said there was a “lot of detail” in the document.

He added: “This growth plan is full of detail about how this government is going to grow the economy. 40 pages. Details of infrastructure plans that have been long held up that we are going to crack through, detail about how we are going to bring forward the new clean energy revolution. It is for the OBR to ultimately decide how they reflect that in their plans.”

Pressed about how many pages were in a normal budget document and how quickly the OBR could turn around an analysis of those plans, Mr Griffith said: “To be honest, I am not going to answer that, I just don’t know. It is quite chunky.”

“There is a lot of detail”, he added.

Former chancellor calls PM’s meeting with Office for Budget Responsibility a ‘welcome move’

Friday 30 September 2022 08:15 , Aisha Rimi

Former chancellor George Osborne called it a “welcome move” after it emerged that Liz Truss and Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng will meet with the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) on Friday.

He tweeted: “In the space of one week we’ve gone from the OBR being dismissed to the PM turning up to its meetings.

“Turns out the credibility of the institution we created 12 years ago to bring honesty to the public finances is more enduring than that of its critics.”

Treasury minister defends Truss’s meeting with head of Office of Budget Responsibility

Friday 30 September 2022 08:05 , Aisha Rimi

A minister has defended the Prime Minister’s decision to meet with an independent financial watchdog for crunch talks about the mini-budget.

Asked if Liz Truss’ meeting with the Office for Budget Responsibility demonstrated the scale of the crisis, Treasury minister Andrew Griffith told Sky News: “It seems to me a very good idea that the Prime Minister and Chancellor are sitting down with the independent OBR – just like the independent Bank of England, they have got a really important role to play.

“We all want the forecasts to be as quick as they can, but also as a former finance director I also know you want them to have the right level of detail.”

Asked about reports the OBR could have carried out a forecast in time for the mini-budget, Mr Griffith said: “That forecast wouldn’t have had the growth measures in that plan. They were being finalised in the hours before the Chancellor stood up.”

Don’t abandon levelling up agenda, Tory MPs warn Liz Truss

Friday 30 September 2022 07:55 , Aisha Rimi

Senior Tory MPs have warned Liz Truss not to abandon the “levelling up” agenda, as new research reveals towns and cities in the Midlands and North continue to lag behind those in the South.

Ms Truss did not mention Boris Johnson’s project to address inequality between regions during her first speech as PM, sparking fears she may ignore so-called “red wall” seats – crucial to the Tory 2019 election victory.

Tory MPs in the Northern Research Group (NRG) warned that the current economic crisis “risks further increasing the North-South divide” – urging Ms Truss to commit to the levelling up agenda.

Adam Forrest reports:

Don’t abandon levelling up agenda, Tory MPs warn Liz Truss

UK economy did not shrink as previously thought

Friday 30 September 2022 07:38 , Aisha Rimi

The UK economy grew 0.2 per cent in the second quarter of 2022, a slightly more positive performance than previously thought.

The Office for National Statistics on Friday announced that a previous estimate of a 0.1 percent decline in GDP for the period had been revised upwards.

It means the economy did not shrink in the three months to June, has previously had been thought.

Jon Stone reports:

UK economy did not shrink as previously thought

Liz Truss demands spending cuts in ‘plenty of areas’ of public services

Friday 30 September 2022 07:14 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Prime minister Liz Truss has confirmed that she is looking for funding cuts across the public services, declaring that there are “plenty of areas” where taxpayers’ money could be saved.

Ms Truss’s comments come after the Treasury wrote to the heads of all Whitehall departments telling them to deliver proposals for “efficiency savings” in budgets, with neither health nor any other area of public spending exempt.

The move sparked warnings to Ms Truss and chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng not to embark on an “act of national vandalism” by demanding cuts from services such as the NHS which are already pared to the bone after a decade of austerity.

Andrew Woodcock reports.

Liz Truss demands spending cuts in ‘plenty of areas’ of public services

Truss to attend European Political Community meeting

Friday 30 September 2022 06:59 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Liz Truss is expected to attend a meeting of the European Political Community, months after the prime minister criticised the Prague summit in her previous role.

It is understood that the prime minister has changed her mind about the meeting because it will focus on two high-priority issues on Ms Truss’s agenda: energy and migration.

The October summit is French president Emmanuel Macron’s scheme to bring together EU nations and countries outside the bloc.

Maryam Zakir-Hussain reports.

Truss to attend European Political Community meeting despite criticism of it

‘Travesty’ if poorest benefits rise less than CPI, says Ex-pensions minister

Friday 30 September 2022 06:31 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Former pensions minister Baroness Altmann said it would be “a travesty” if the government increased the pensions of the UK’s poorest citizens by less than the consumer price index (CPI).

The Conservative leader wrote in the Daily Express: “The pension credit has always been legally required to rise at least in line with earnings inflation, but the government can choose to do better.

“I believe it must do so. If these poorest older citizens only see their pensions increase by the lower earnings figure, it would be a travesty.

“This is because the government legislated last year to strip them of their earnings protection and instead replaced it by price inflation up-rating.”

Liz Truss claims ‘no-one’ will pay more than £2,500 in energy bills

Friday 30 September 2022 06:16 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Prime minister Liz Truss has wrongly claimed that “nobody” will pay more than £2,500 in energy bills from 1 October.

During a morning broadcast round yesterday, the prime minister told BBC Radio Kent and BBC Radio Leeds that the maximum amount households will pay is £2,500 under the Energy Price Guarantee.

The Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy said that £2,500 is an “expected annual energy cost for a 3 bedroom household” and can go up for some people.

Liz Truss wrongly claims ‘no-one’ will pay more than £2,500 in energy bills

Don’t abandon levelling up agenda, Tory MPs warn Liz Truss

Friday 30 September 2022 05:51 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Senior Tory MPs have warned Liz Truss not to abandon the “levelling up” agenda, as new research reveals towns and cities in the Midlands and North continue to lag behind those in the South.

Ms Truss did not mention Boris Johnson’s project to address inequality between regions during her first speech as prime minister, sparking fears she may ignore so-called “red wall” seats, which were crucial to the Tory 2019 election victory.

Tory MPs in the Northern Research Group (NRG) warned that the current economic crisis “risks further increasing the North-South divide” – urging Ms Truss to commit to the levelling up agenda.

Adam Forrest has more.

Don’t abandon levelling up agenda, Tory MPs warn Liz Truss

Liz Truss to meet head of UK’s independent fiscal watchdog

Friday 30 September 2022 05:12 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Prime minister Liz Truss and chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng will meet the head of Britain’s independent fiscal watchdog today following a market meltdown triggered by the mini-budget.

In an unusual move, Ms Truss and chancellor Kwarteng will meet the chairman of the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) Richard Hughes to discuss the economic and fiscal developments.

Almost £50bn of cuts needed to fund tax breaks for rich, economists warn

Friday 30 September 2022 04:36 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Liz Truss’s government is on course to make public spending cuts of almost £50bn a year after the “unenforced error” of Kwasi Kwarteng’s mini-Budget, according to top economists.

Experts at the Resolution Foundation warned that Britain’s public sector was heading for a return to the austerity period imposed by the David Cameron-led Tory government.

If Ms Truss refuses to U-turn on her borrowing-fuelled splurge on tax cuts, the level of spending cuts will have to be “broadly the same or bigger” than then-chancellor George Osborne set out in 2010 after the banking crash, the think tank said.

Adam Forrest reports.

Office of Budget Responsibility says chancellor made mini-Budget without economic forecast

Friday 30 September 2022 04:00 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

The Office of Budget Responsibility has confirmed that it could have produced an economic forecast in time for the chancellor’s fiscal event, but was not asked to do so by Kwasi Kwarteng.

It adds further details to ongoing objections that the chancellor made his mini-budget, which included £45 billion of tax cuts, without a clear economic forecast to back it up.

In a letter to the Scottish National Party’s Westminster leader Ian Blackford and the party’s shadow chancellor Alison Thewliss, the chair of the OBR confirmed that the body sent “a draft economic and fiscal forecast to the new Chancellor on 6 September, his first day in office”.

Richard Hughes wrote: “We offered, at the time, to update that forecast to take account of subsequent data and to reflect the economic and fiscal impact of any policies the government announced in time for it to be published alongside the ‘fiscal event’.”

“In the event, we were not commissioned to produce an updated forecast alongside the chancellor’s Growth Plan on 23 September, although we would have been in a position to do so to a standard that satisfied the legal requirements of the Charter for Budget Responsibility.”

NHS staff quitting for private sector jobs as cost of living crisis intensifies, leaders warn

Friday 30 September 2022 23:06 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

The cost of living crisis is forcing healthcare workers to walk away from the NHS in pursuit of better-paid jobs, trust leaders have warned.

As energy, food and transport costs rise, staff are skipping meals to feed their children or taking on second jobs, with some also struggling to make the journey to work, according to a new survey of NHS trusts in England.

Health workers are turning to the hospitality or retail sectors, placing further strain on an already overburdened NHS, leaders say. Two-thirds of surveyed trusts “report a significant or severe impact from staff leaving”, with services struggling to respond to rising operational pressures.

Our senior news correspondent Samuel Lovett has more:

NHS staff quitting for private jobs as cost of living crisis worsens, leaders warn

Liz Truss to hold meeting with OBR amid market alarm at mini-Budget

Friday 30 September 2022 03:00 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Liz Truss and Kwasi Kwarteng are set to meet with the head of the Office of Budget Responsibility’s (OBR) on Friday amid market panic over the government’s mini-Budget.

The prime minister and chancellor will hold emergency talks with Richard Hughes in an unusual move that caps off a week of chaos in the financial markets.

A government insider told The Guardian, which first reported that the meeting would take place, that it was “like trying to read the manual after you’ve broken the thing”.

Tom Batchelor has more:

Liz Truss to hold meeting with OBR amid market alarm at mini-Budget

PM unable to say whether autumn benefits rise will go ahead

Friday 30 September 2022 23:04 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

The prime minister would not be drawn into whether benefits claimants might see a real terms cut as a cost-saving measure this autumn.

Liz Truss told broadcasters that the Work and Pensions Secretary Chloe Smith would make an announcement “in due course” about whether benefits would be uprated in line with inflation this autumn.

It comes after reports the Treasury has asked departments across government to make efficiency savings, or cuts, to their existing budgets following the economic turmoil caused by the mini-budget.

The move is aimed at reducing future government borrowing after markets were spooked by the fiscal statement from Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng last Friday.

Asked by broadcasters in Kent about whether the uprating would take place, Ms Truss said: “The biggest part of the package that we announced was the support for families on energy as well as making sure that we reversed the national insurance rise.

“In terms of benefits uprating, that is something the Work and Pensions Secretary is looking at and she will make an announcement in due course as is the normal practice, for the autumn.”

‘Utterly damning’ the government failed to commission forecast from OBR- Ian Blackford

Friday 30 September 2022 02:00 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Ian Blackford MP, the SNP’s Westminster leader, called it “utterly damning” that the government failed to commission a forecast from the OBR.

He said: “The revelation that the OBR offered to provide a forecast to the Chancellor to go alongside his fiscal statement last week, but that it was not commissioned by the Tory government is utterly damning.

“This is in spite of the OBR confirming that it was in a position to produce an updated forecast that satisfied the legal requirements of the Charter for Budget Responsibility.

“Over the past week we have witnessed the devastating impact of the Tory budget, hitting people’s mortgages, putting pensions at risk, and hammering household budgets.

“The Prime Minister and Chancellor cannot keep ducking accountability. They must set out why they did not commission economic forecasts from the OBR to accompany their disastrous budget, and they must recall Parliament urgently and reverse their reckless plans.”

‘Devastating’ if Tories break promise to uprate benefits in line with inflation

Friday 30 September 2022 01:00 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Failing to meet a commitment to increase benefits in line with inflation would lead to disabled people “starving and freezing in their own homes”, a charity has warned.

As the government looks to cut spending, neither chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng nor Treasury minister Chris Philp confirmed whether benefits will be increased in line with spiralling inflation.

In May this year, then-chancellor Rishi Sunak said benefits would be uprated by this September’s Consumer Prices Index (CPI), subject to a review by the Work and Pensions Secretary.

Asked during a visit to Darlington if benefits would be uprated in line with inflation, Mr Kwarteng said: “It’s premature for me to come to a decision on that, but we are absolutely focused on making sure that the most vulnerable in our society are protected through what could be a challenge.”

Mr Philp told ITV’s Robert Peston that the matter is under consideration.

Pressed, he said: “I am not going to make policy commitments on live TV, it is going to be considered in the normal way, we will make a decision and it will be announced I am sure in the first instance to the House of Commons.”

PM and chancellor defend tax cuts as ‘right plan’

Friday 30 September 2022 00:30 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Pressure continued to pile on Liz Truss and Kwasi Kwarteng on Thursday, after the pair insisted their £45 billion package of tax cuts was the “right plan” to get the economy moving despite chaos on the financial markets and fears of rocketing mortgage bills.

In their first public comments since the pound hit a record low on Monday, neither the Prime Minister nor the Chancellor commented directly on the turmoil created by his mini-budget.

During a round of BBC local radio interviews, Ms Truss said the Government had to take “urgent action” to kick-start the economy and protect consumers from rising energy costs.

And during a visit to an engine plant in Darlington, Mr Kwarteng said the package he announced in the Commons on Friday was “absolutely essential” if the economy was to generate the revenues needed to fund public services.

However, Labour warned that ordinary families would pay the price with thousands of pounds added to mortgage bills as the Bank of England will be forced to increase interest rates to shore up the pound.

Fears among Tory MPs that the financial fallout could hurt them at the ballot box were dramatically underlined after a YouGov poll for The Times showed Labour opening up a massive 33-point lead over the Conservatives.

Seven best local radio takedowns of Liz Truss as she fails to defend ‘disastrous’ mini-Budget

Friday 30 September 2022 00:00 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Liz Truss was interviewed across the BBC’s local radio stations on Thursday morning – where she was asked about the market chaos unleashed by her government’s budget.

If the prime minister was expecting an easy ride, she will have been surprised.

Here are seven of the most memorable moments where the morning show DJs put the prime minister on the spot, including the legendary, “Where have you been?”

Seven of the best local radio takedowns of Liz Truss

PM and chancellor to meet with head of Office of Budget Responsibility on Friday

Thursday 29 September 2022 22:17 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

The prime minister and the chancellor will be meeting with the head of the Office of Budget Responsibility Richard Hughes on Friday, the latest move to reassure the markets after days of market turmoil following Friday’s mini-budget, the PA News agency understands.

Kwasi Kwarteng is facing calls to bring forward his planned statement setting out how he intends to get the public finances back on track after the OBR said it could produce a preliminary set of forecasts by October 7.

The Chancellor has said he would deliver his medium-term fiscal plan explaining how he would get debt falling as a percentage of GDP, alongside the updated OBR forecasts, on November 23.

Truss to attend meeting of European Political Community in Prague – continued

Thursday 29 September 2022 21:40 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

The move to attend the meeting of European Political Community (EPC) – French President Emmanuel Macron’s scheme to bring together EU nations and countries outside the bloc – will raise eyebrows given Ms Truss’s explicit scepticism about the project only a few months ago as foreign secretary.

The meeting will take place in early October and the decision to attend comes as the Prime Minister faces political and economic turmoil at home after Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng’s mini-budget spooked markets and shocked mainstream economists over its £45 billion of tax cuts.

It has been reported that Number 10 had been pondering whether to attend the meeting in recent weeks, with European Union ambassador Joao Vale de Almeida using an appearance at a fringe meeting at the Labour Party conference in Liverpool to urge Ms Truss to attend.

News website Politico, which first reported Ms Truss’s planned attendance, also she was willing to host the next summit of the political group in London.

The decision to attend comes with the EU and the UK still deadlocked over the Northern Ireland Protocol, with the Government’s plan to rip up the post-Brexit arrangements in the region causing major ill-feeling between London and Brussels.

Ms Truss is seeking to strike a rapport with European leaders including European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen and Mr Macron after meeting the pair at a UN summit in New York.

It comes after Ms Truss courted controversy during the Tory leadership contest by answering “the jury’s out” on whether Mr Macron was “friend or foe”.

As foreign secretary in June, she also said she did not “buy into” a Europe-wide political community.

Truss to attend meeting of European Political Community in Prague

Thursday 29 September 2022 21:10 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Liz Truss will now attend a meeting of the European Political Community (EPC) meeting in Prague in October.

It is understood that the prime minister wanted to attend because energy and migration, both items on the agenda of the meeting, are two of her priorities.

The rapid crash of this Liz Truss government is without precedent

Thursday 29 September 2022 20:40 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

“It is rare, if not unprecedented for a prime minister to come to power and crash quite as rapidly as Liz Truss,” Sean O’Grady writes.

“When the late Queen asked her to form an administration in her name a little over three weeks ago, Truss just about had time to announce her energy price guarantee before the period of mourning halted all political activity. Now the mourning period has ceased, and the mini-Budget has been presented to mixed reviews, her ‘honeymoon’ is well and truly over.”

Tory MP rules out immediate leadership challenge for PM

Thursday 29 September 2022 20:00 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Sir Charles Walker, a Tory MP, ruled out any immediate leadership challenge to Liz Truss but was highly critical of the approach taken by the government in recent days.

Appearing on Channel 4 News, he admitted that his party would likely lose an election if it was called.

“We’ve made our bed, we’ve got to lie in it,” he said.

“Overall, the statement doesn’t seem to make a lot of sense both to markets and members of parliament. The government needs to recognise that. It can’t go blaming journalists for not understanding it, it can’t go blaming what’s going on in the world for the way it has been received.

“It has been received in the way it has been received, because people just didn’t think it added up.”

Tory grandee Sir Charles Walker tells @Channel4News that if Labour’s 33-point poll lead is repeated at an election the Conservatives will ‘cease to exist as a political party’

— Jason Groves (@JasonGroves1) September 29, 2022

NI consumers will not lose out on energy support offered in GB- Truss

Thursday 29 September 2022 19:40 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Liz Truss has insisted that people in Northern Ireland will not lose out on energy support being offered to consumers elsewhere in the UK.

Northern Ireland’s energy market operates differently to the model in Great Britain, with specific rules and regulations.

The region is also without a devolved government due to the political row over the Northern Ireland Protocol post-Brexit trading arrangements.

This weekend the Government will introduce its Energy Price Guarantee in the rest of the UK, under which a typical household will pay on average £2,500 a year for their energy for the next two years from October 1.

Last week it announced a similar price cap scheme for Northern Ireland.

The scheme limits the price suppliers can charge customers for units of gas and electricity.

It will take effect from November, but the Government said it will ensure households receive the same benefit overall as those in Great Britain by backdating support for October bills through bills from November.

It has also said it will provide an additional payment of £100 to households that do not receive support through the price cap, such as those who use home heating oil.

A previously announced £400 discount on energy bills that will begin to be rolled out in Great Britain from October is also being paid to Northern Ireland customers.

However, there has been uncertainty about when that money will be paid in the region.

Liz Truss says she wants to work with Nicola Sturgeon

Thursday 29 September 2022 19:20 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Liz Truss has said she wants to work with Scotland’s first minister, despite saying on the campaign trail that she should be ignored.

The prime minister said she would be keen to cooperate with Nicola Sturgeon on growing the Scottish economy and energy generation like nuclear power.

But just minutes later Ms Sturgeon’s deputy John Swinney said the SNP had a longstanding aversion to nuclear power that would not be changing.

Speaking to BBC Scotland on Thursday after a tumultuous week for the British economy, the prime minister said: “What I want to do is work with Nicola Sturgeon to deal with our energy crisis and that’s about making sure we’re producing more homegrown energy – I’m keen to use more of the resources in the North Sea and also see more nuclear power stations built across the country, including in Scotland.

“I’m very keen to talk to Nicola Sturgeon about that because I think that will help us make sure we have long-term energy security that, alongside wind power in Scotland, we also have nuclear power in Scotland.”

When asked if she was playing into the hands of supporters of Scottish independence, the prime minister didn’t answer the question, saying instead: “I am very keen to work with Nicola Sturgeon to make sure we grow the Scottish economy.

“Scotland is a country that has fantastic entrepreneurs, fantastic exports, I believe that by improving infrastructure, by reducing taxes, we can really turbocharge the Scottish economy.”

Bombshell polls throw massive question mark over Liz Truss’s future as PM

Thursday 29 September 2022 19:00 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Liz Truss’s hopes of long-term survival as prime minister have been dealt a massive blow by a bombshell series of polls, giving Labour leads of up to 33 points and showing support for the Tories melting away after her “kamikaze” mini-Budget of tax giveaways for the rich.

The prime minister emerged from five days of silence on Thursday to deliver a defiant defence of the £45bn package, which she insisted was “the right plan” even while admitting it handed “disproportionate” cash gains to the wealthiest in society.

But independent experts described the package unveiled by chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng last Friday as the biggest “unforced error” of modern economic history, warning it will usher in a new age of austerity, with the government needing to find almost £50bn a year cuts to public spending to meet its own targets.

Andrew Woodcock, Jon Stone and Adam Forrest report:

Bombshell polls throw massive question mark over Liz Truss’s future as PM

Truss says she will not allow the impasse over NI Protocol to ‘drift’

Thursday 29 September 2022 18:40 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Prime Minister Liz Truss has warned that she will not allow the impasse over the Northern Ireland Protocol to “drift”.

Ms Truss reiterated that the UK remained open to a negotiated solution with the EU but again stressed that she would act unilaterally to address issues with the trading arrangements, by way of domestic legislation at Westminster, if a deal with Brussels proved elusive.

The Prime Minister said there was a need to sort the problem one way or the other, as she made clear the ongoing absence of devolved government at Stormont was not sustainable.

In an interview with BBC NI, Ms Truss said: “We’ve always been clear that we want to resolve the issues with the Northern Ireland Protocol, ideally with a negotiated settlement but we have put through the Northern Ireland Protocol Bill because we hadn’t been able to achieve a negotiated settlement.

“We will remain open to a negotiated settlement. But there are some fundamental principles that we have to achieve.”

She added: “We are open to a negotiated solution, but we are progressing with the Northern Ireland Protocol Bill as we stand, because what we can’t allow is this situation to drift.”

Former cabinet minister tells government to ‘take responsibility’ for market turmoil

Thursday 29 September 2022 18:20 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Former cabinet minister Julian Smith called on the government to “take responsibility” for the market chaos of recent days.

He tweeted: “The Government must scrap 45p, take responsibility for the link between last Friday & the impact on peoples mortgages & make clear that it will do everything possible to stabilise markets & protect public services.”

Truss says she is on ‘the side’ of red-wall voters

Thursday 29 September 2022 18:00 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Liz Truss said she was on “the side” of so-called red-wall voters, after the government was accused of delivering a mini-budget that delivered only for high-earners last Friday.

That same mini-budget plunged the pound and caused widespread market turmoil, but the Prime Minister has said she remains committed to her plan.

In a series of BBC local TV interviews, she told Look North Leeds that she was on the side of voters in those formerly Labour-held seats that will be crucial in the next election.

“I am absolutely on their side and that is why it is so important we grow the economy and secure the investments, secure the high paid jobs.”

Asked by BBC London about choosing to support bankers rather than those on Universal Credit, she said “wouldn’t apologise” for wanting a successful financial services sector that attracts investment into the UK.

Truss defends her mini-budget, saying country would face ‘higher inflation’ without it

Thursday 29 September 2022 17:40 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Liz Truss has offered a robust defence of her economic strategy, warning that without her mini-budget the country would be “facing higher inflation and more likelihood of an economic slowdown”.

She made the comments as part of a series of BBC local TV interviews.

Asked about cuts to public services during an interview with BBC South East, she said her “priority” was frontline public services: “It’s delivering for people on police, delivering for people on doctors, delivering for people on building roads. That is the core duty of government and that will be our focus.”

She added: “Of course, we’re constantly looking at how to get value for money for the taxpayer…we are always looking at how we make government more efficient.”

BREAKING NEWS: Labour surges to 33-point lead over Tories after Liz Truss budget ‘disaster’

Thursday 29 September 2022 17:39 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Labour has surged to a 33 point lead in the polls as the catastrophic reaction to Liz Truss‘s budget unfolds.

Keir Starmer’s party was up nine points to 54 per cent in the polls, while the Tories were down seven to 21 per cent.

The unprecedented figures from the pollster YouGov come after Ms Truss took to local radio stations to try and reassure the public about her economic strategy.

Keep up with the latest updates here:

Labour surges to 33-point lead over Tories after Liz Truss budget ‘disaster’

‘Return to austerity’: Almost £50bn of cuts needed to fund tax breaks for rich, economists warn

Thursday 29 September 2022 17:20 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Liz Truss’s government is on course to make public spending cuts of almost £50bn a year after the “unenforced error” of Kwasi Kwarteng’s mini-Budget, according to top economists.

Experts at the Resolution Foundation warned that Britain’s public sector was heading for a return to the austerity period imposed by the David Cameron-led Tory government.

Politics writer Adam Forrest has more:

Almost £50bn of cuts needed to fund tax breaks for rich, experts warn

Report finds toxin may have caused sealife disaster in area earmarked for Brexit freeport

Thursday 29 September 2022 17:01 , Andy Gregory

As the chancellor bets the house on “delivering growth”, our economics editor Anna Isaac reports on findings which suggest a man-made toxin may be to blame for a marine die-off in the North East – potentially bringing big consequences for industrial activity, including future development of a freeport.

Toxin may have caused sealife disaster off UK coast, scientists find

Government ‘absolutely committed’ to pensions triple lock, says Kwarteng

Thursday 29 September 2022 16:44 , Andy Gregory

The government is “absolutely committed” to the pensions triple lock, chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng has said.

Asked while visiting a business in Darlington whether the lock was guaranteed to go up at this month’s inflation rate, Mr Kwarteng replied: “The PM has been absolutely committed to the triple lock and we are absolutely committed to maintaining it.”

Tax-cutting mini-Budget was ‘absolutely essential’, insists Kwarteng

Thursday 29 September 2022 16:28 , Andy Gregory

Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng has said his mini-budget was “absolutely essential” to improving economic growth in the UK.

Asked by broadcasters during a visit to Darlington if his tax cut plan had been “a major economic disaster”, Mr Kwarteng said: “What we are focusing on is delivering the growth plan and making sure with things like our energy intervention that people people right across this country are protected.

“Without growth you are not going to get the public services, we are not going to generate the income and the tax revenue to pay for public services. That’s why the mini-budget was absolutely essential in re-setting the debate around growth and focusing us on delivering much better outcomes for our people.”

Kwasi Kwarteng avoids questions about the “economic disaster” and says the government is focused on growth.

The mini-budget is ‘protecting people across the country’ from rising energy costs, says the Chancellor. https://t.co/WUnquWe61F

📺 Sky 501 and YouTube pic.twitter.com/mHD6bIuG6X

— Sky News (@SkyNews) September 29, 2022

Click here to read the full blog on The Independent’s website

ByXplayer

Key points

Truss has ‘undermined’ credibility of government, says ex-Treasury chief

Devolved nations demand meeting with Kwasi Kwarteng over austerity fears

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Taxing richest 1% to pay for green funds will make society ‘more equal’, Green Party co-leader says

Liz Truss admits UK faces economic ‘disruption’ because of mini-Budget

Mick Lynch apologises to London Marathon runners for rail strikes but says government to blame

Cabinet minister suggests ‘rigorous’ spending cuts to come

Greens call for £75bn tax hit on polluters and the wealthy

Energy bills rise to record-high levels as price cap lifted

Kwarteng defends mini-budget saying country ‘had no other choice’

What Liz Truss’s Tory conference speechwriters will need to do

Tory MPs ‘may help Labour to bring down’ parts of Chancellor’s budget

Our chancellor displays a shocking naivety when it comes to handling finances

Minister warns against spam messages as new energy bill cap kicks in

ICYMI: Truss accused of ‘repeatedly misleading’ public over energy bills

Everything you need to know about new energy price cap

Private renters desert Tories amid doubts over pledges of new powers for tenants

‘Good call’ between Cleverly and Sefcovic amid ongoing protocol row

Energy price cap comes into effect

Liz Truss admits her plans have caused ‘disruption’ in UK economy

Kwasi Kwarteng to keep expert OBR Budget verdict secret for nearly two months

The S&P ratings on the UK changes their outlook from stable to negative this evening

Truss admits £45bn mini-budget tax-cuts did cause disruption

Simon Clarke admits government had ‘an uncomfortable week’ but defends PM

Commons sleaze watchdog faces ‘outrageous’ claim she is letting off MPs to get peerage

Simon Clarke said he is committed to ‘spending discipline’

Simon Clarke says PM is ‘doing what she believes is right’

Irish premier says there is ‘genuine willingness’ all around to resolve NI protocol dispute

Barristers to vote next week on whether to end strike action- part two

Barristers to vote next week on whether to end strike action- part one

Green Party calls for £75bn tax package for polluters and the wealthy

Polls find growing anticipation of Starmer becoming PM

City cancels bonfire night to focus finances on cost-of-living crisis

One-in-five seeking better-paid work to meet rising costs

Funeral firm Dignity considers ‘fuel surcharge’ for cremations over high energy costs

Private renters desert Tories amid doubts over pledges of new powers for tenants

Employers urged to offer financial support to staff

French government ‘worried about Britain’, Macron’s finance minister says

Disabled people ‘skipping meals’ ahead of energy price cap hike, charity says

Experts call on PM to correct her claims that families will pay no more than £2,500 on energy bills

From the 1922 committee to resignation: How Tory MPs could get rid of Truss

Half of people now think Keir Starmer is likely to become prime minister

Liz Truss to appear on BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg

Watch: BBC presenter Naga Munchetty grills Tory minister over inflation.mp4

Voices: Liz Truss is not doing what she promised in her leadership campaign

Top Tory says it’s now a question of how badly party loses election

Watch: Richard Bacon says Liz Truss has done ‘more damage’ than Brexit and Covid

Government has let the economy ‘fly blind’ for two months, says Lib Dem leader

Labour enjoys highest opinion poll ratings for more than 20 years

French government ‘worried about Britain’, Macron’s finance minister says

Half of professionals to look for new job after Kwarteng’s mini-Budget

Watchdog to deliver verdict on budget next week after No 10 meeting

Fiscal watchdog to deliver forecast next week

How Kwasi Kwarteng’s budget damaged the economy and what happens now

Truss accused of ‘repeatedly misleading’ public over energy bills

No honeymoon for Truss, as poll gives thumbs-down to PM

House price growth stalls month-on-month in September

Watch: First-time buyer claims lenders revised her rate ‘from 4.5% to 10.5%’ amid mortgage crisis

Labour: PM and Chancellor have lost faith of the markets and public

Former chancellor calls PM’s meeting with Office for Budget Responsibility a ‘welcome move’

Treasury minister defends Truss’s meeting with head of Office of Budget Responsibility

Don’t abandon levelling up agenda, Tory MPs warn Liz Truss

UK economy did not shrink as previously thought

Liz Truss demands spending cuts in ‘plenty of areas’ of public services

Truss to attend European Political Community meeting

‘Travesty’ if poorest benefits rise less than CPI, says Ex-pensions minister

Liz Truss claims ‘no-one’ will pay more than £2,500 in energy bills

Don’t abandon levelling up agenda, Tory MPs warn Liz Truss

Liz Truss to meet head of UK’s independent fiscal watchdog

Almost £50bn of cuts needed to fund tax breaks for rich, economists warn

Office of Budget Responsibility says chancellor made mini-Budget without economic forecast

NHS staff quitting for private sector jobs as cost of living crisis intensifies, leaders warn

Liz Truss to hold meeting with OBR amid market alarm at mini-Budget

PM unable to say whether autumn benefits rise will go ahead

‘Utterly damning’ the government failed to commission forecast from OBR- Ian Blackford

‘Devastating’ if Tories break promise to uprate benefits in line with inflation

PM and chancellor defend tax cuts as ‘right plan’

Seven best local radio takedowns of Liz Truss as she fails to defend ‘disastrous’ mini-Budget