The Foreign Secretary made the comments, which could be interpreted as contradicting much of what she has said before, as she answered questions from TalkTV presenter Julia Hartley-Brewer at an event in Norwich on Thursday. It comes as energy regulator Ofgem is expected to announce on Friday that the price cap will rise from £1,971 to around £3,500 – significantly more than predicted. The rise, which will take effect from October 1, is likely to pile even more pressure on the leadership contenders to do more to help the cost of living crisis – a divisive issue in the race to succeed Mr Johnson. Sky News found that a third of households are already struggling to pay their energy bills. Mr Sunak has said he will offer immediate support to households struggling to pay their bills – although he has not yet calculated how much help he is willing to give. Ms Truss has repeatedly said she favors tax cuts over handouts, prompting criticism that her plans will benefit higher earners over low earners. Use Chrome browser for more accessible video player 0:36 The public doesn’t trust you on the cost of living crisis But in the clearest sign yet that she is willing to go further, Ms Truss said on Thursday night that she would use an emergency budget next month to “ensure that support is on the way to get us through these difficult moments”. Writing in the Daily Mail, he said: “If elected leader of the Conservative Party and prime minister, I will take decisive action to get into No 10 to provide immediate support, but I will also tackle the root causes of these issues so that we are never again in this difficult position”. And according to the Times, the front-runner is said to have held talks with allies this week over a major support package, having now accepted that the energy crisis will be the defining issue of her premiership if she wins the leadership race.
