Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss face yet another grilling from Tory party members as they bid to win votes to become the next leader and prime minister. The Hustings, in Norwich, is a day where both candidates have faced intense criticism. Ms Truss has been accused of abandoning her duties as foreign secretary, having been absent from almost all of her ministerial duties since joining the Tory leadership race almost seven weeks ago, according to the Lib Dems. And scientists hit back at Mr Sunak for suggesting it was “wrong” to empower specialists during the coronavirus pandemic, in a series of claims branded “dangerous rubbish” by former No 10 aide Dominic Cummings. The former chancellor told the Spectator magazine that he was “not allowed to talk about compensation” for lockdowns during the early stages of the Covid crisis, which he said could have been “quicker” and claimed the “fear narrative” had been combated which led public messages. Opponents have been called on to “think the unthinkable” and consider raising income tax to fund further support for those struggling with skyrocketing energy bills, with the Resolution Foundation think tank saying a 1 per cent rise – funded in large rank from the UK’s fifth richest. households – would raise £9.5bn a year.
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Sunak ‘aims to reform NHS and tackle illegal immigration’
Rishi Sunak, the first to face questions from the audience in Norwich, hails education, opportunity, patriotism and hard work as his values. He said he would do this by restoring trust, rebuilding the economy and reuniting the country. NHS reform was part of it, as was taking on “this culture of left-wing awakening”, he said. Supporting British farmers was another piece. And he had a plan to get rid of illegal immigration, the former chancellor said. Jane Dalton25 August 2022 19:24 1661450846
Tory party bans political reporter
Tonight’s meetings got off to a bad start as a political reporter was told he was banned because his website’s coverage was not favorable enough to the Tory party. Jane Dalton25 August 2022 19:07 1661450081
The minister promises more support for energy bills
The government will take action to help people more in the coming months, a minister has promised, ahead of record energy bills due to be announced on Friday. Will Quince, the education minister, said there was no doubt there would be further support beyond what was announced in May. Energy bills are widely expected to top £3,500 a year for the average household from early October, compared to £1,971 today. “There’s no doubt in my mind, listening to both leadership candidates and just looking at our economy … that the government is going to act and put in place a further package of support measures,” Mr Quince told LBC. radio. “Now, we will have to wait a few weeks for a new prime minister to set his agenda together with a new chancellor, but both leadership contenders have been clear that there will be a fiscal event and more help will come.” It comes amid growing calls for the government to introduce radical support, comparable to the furlough and loan programs at the start of the pandemic. Resolution Foundation boss Torsten Bell said the huge rise meant “radically revised policy responses are needed, otherwise we are heading for thousands cut off and millions in arrears”. Jane Dalton25 August 2022 18:54 1661448620
Tax cuts are key to addressing the cost-of-living crisis, Truss says
Liz Truss said tax cuts and boosting energy supplies were key to tackling the cost of living crisis. But she added that, if elected, her chancellor would consider “what else needs to be done” in a future budget. “The approach I will take is first of all to cut people’s taxes, reverse the increase in national insurance, but also a temporary moratorium on the green energy levy to save money on fuel bills,” he told reporters at a factory near Norwich. “The next thing I would do if elected prime minister is to make sure we increase energy supply and become more energy independent by releasing natural gas from the North Sea, doing more nuclear and of course, in a future budget, the chancellor will have to look at what another must be done. “But I am very clear that what we should not be doing is taking money from people in taxes and then giving it back to them in benefits.” Katy Clifton25 August 2022 18:30 1661446820
“It’s an absolute priority”
After the heated interaction, Mr Barclay said reducing ambulance waiting times was an “absolute priority” for the government. He said: “There are a number of measures we are taking. “We’re looking at ambulance transport rates, we’re looking at how we deal with performance gaps, we’re looking at funding – an extra £150m for the ambulance service, an extra £50m in call centres, for 111 and 999, in terms of call handling, an extra 30 £ million to St John Ambulance around Ambulance Auxiliary performance. “Then we look at what’s happening with the ambulance deliveries, so the emergency departments, how we assess them, how we look at the distribution of that within the system. “Of course, this is all linked to late hospital discharge and people who are ready to leave hospital who don’t, and this is about the integration of care between social care and hospitals. “So there are a number of issues around how we deliver ambulances, but it is an absolute priority for both the government and NHS England.” Katy Clifton25 August 2022 18:00 1661445920
Minister of Health faced outside the hospital
An angry member of the public confronted Health Secretary Steve Barclay in the street, demanding to know why the Government has done “nothing” about long waits for ambulances. The cabinet minister was speaking to the media outside Moorfields Eye Hospital in Old Street, central London, when a woman interrupted him to highlight how “people have died” while waiting for emergency services. During his interviews, a woman passing by approached Mr Barclay and asked: “Are you going to do something about the ambulances that are waiting and the people that are dying?” Mr Barclay replied: ‘Of course we are’, but the woman continued: ‘Don’t you think 12 years is enough? Twelve years – you’ve done everything for it. People have died and all you’ve done is nothing.” Katy Clifton25 August 2022 17:45 1661441439
‘Crucial’ appointment of new Victims Commissioner delayed by government because ‘time is not right’
The appointment of a “vital” Victims’ Commissioner for England and Wales has been delayed by several months after the government restarted the process, reports our home affairs editor Lizzie Dearden. The watchdog represents the interests of victims and witnesses of crime by advising the government, the police and the wider criminal justice system, as well as looking at key issues such as the handling of rape and domestic abuse. A government email sent to parties interested in the appointment process on Friday said: “It has been decided that making this important public appointment would not be appropriate at this time. As a result, the recruitment process is going to start afresh.” No further details were given as to why the timing was not “appropriate”, but public appointments records show the process was halted during the government collapse earlier this summer.
The government has delayed the “vital” appointment of the new Commissioner for Victims
Acting commissioner hits out at government ‘stupidity’ amid low prosecution rates, lawyers’ strike and court delays Andy Gregory25 August 2022 16:30 1661440299
Sunak could have created the Sage team for economy, Sage scientist says
Professor John Edmunds, leading epidemiologist and member of the government advisory group Sage, responded to Rishi Sunak’s attack on Covid lockdowns and the influence of scientists. He said the group’s role was “fairly narrow” to evaluating scientific evidence to help inform policy-makers. The professor at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine said “there may be some truth” to the idea that the scientific evidence often outweighed the economic data – but suggested it was Mr Sunak’s job to create the economic impact. “Where was, for example, the equivalent of Sage and all its subgroups on the financial side? As Chancellor of the Exchequer, Mr Sunak could have set up such a system, but he did not,” Professor Edmunds said. Adam Forrest25 August 2022 16:11 1661439630
Truss has been accused of “abstaining from his duties” as foreign secretary during the Tory leadership race
Liz Truss has been accused of abdicating her duties as foreign secretary as she has been absent from “virtually all” of her ministerial duties since joining the Tory leadership race 46 days ago, according to the Lib Dems. The party said Truss had only had two phone calls as foreign minister and no face-to-face meetings with ministerial counterparts or foreign ambassadors since her last physical engagement at the G20 summit in Indonesia in early July. “Liz Truss has decided to step down from her role as Britain’s most senior diplomat,” Lib Dem foreign affairs spokeswoman Leila Moran said. “She has spent months more worried about advancing her career than defending the national interest,” Moran added. “Her mask has slipped and her contempt for diplomacy and Britain’s place in the world is as clear as day.” Our political correspondent Adam Forrest has the full report:
Liz Truss has been accused of abandoning her duties as Foreign Secretary for almost 50 days
Truss has made a ‘mockery’ of office, Lib Dems say -…
