Labor said the government’s failure to act on spiraling inflation showed it had “lost control” of the economy after No 10 rejected former prime minister Gordon Brown’s call for a recall of parliament and an emergency budget. The head of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) backed Mr Brown’s call for immediate intervention, urging Mr Johnson to meet Tory leadership rivals Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak to discuss possible help with soaring energy bills . The Lib Dems have pushed the government to overturn regulator Ofgem’s decision to raise the cap on energy bills after analysts predicted household energy bills could hit £3,600 in October. And Scotland’s first minister Nicola Sturgeon has invited the prime minister to discuss possible action with devolved government leaders this week. The SNP leader said the economy was “deteriorating rapidly” and many people across the UK “cannot afford to wait until September for further action”. It comes as Tory MPs told the Independent that Mr Sunak and Ms Truss will have to announce additional help with energy bills in September, regardless of campaign commitments in the race to succeed Johnson to No 10 in four weeks’ time. Tony Danker, director general of the CBI, said the urgency of the crisis meant Johnson “needs to bring both leadership candidates together” now to agree extra support for consumers and businesses on energy bills before the cap is announced prices on August 26. The head of the business warned of a “summer of slippage”, arguing it was vital to offer reassurance that “people will be significantly supported – not waiting until September 5 or later”. However, Downing Street rejected the idea of a meeting between the top three Tories. No 10 also rejected Mr Brown’s calls for regular Cobra meetings and an emergency budget to avert a “humanitarian crisis” this winter. Mr Johnson’s official spokesman insisted it would be up to a future prime minister to decide whether or what measures were needed, arguing it would break convention for the outgoing prime minister to be involved in any “major fiscal measures”. Labour’s shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves said: “People are worried sick about how they’re going to pay their bills and do the weekly grocery shop and all this Tory prime minister is doing is shrugging his shoulders.” He added: “An economic crisis like this calls for strong leadership and urgent action – but instead we have a Tory party that has lost control and is stuck with two succession candidates who can only deliver more of the same.” In a letter sent on Monday, SNP leader Sturgeon urged the Prime Minister to move a proposed meeting between UK heads of government from September to this week, saying many of the “leverages of governance” needed to tackle of the issue remain exclusively at Westminster. . Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey said Ms Truss or Mr Sunack would have to agree to scrap the £1,400 energy price rise due to come into effect in October – arguing the government could absorb the £36bn cost as part of an ‘energy license scheme’. . “This is a state of emergency and the Government must act now to save families and pensioners £1,400 by canceling the planned rise in energy bills this October,” he said. The Lib Dems have backed Mr Brown’s call for parliament to be recalled so “urgent support” can be voted on and put in place as soon as possible, saying families and pensioners “cannot afford to wait any longer”. . The party’s Treasury spokeswoman Christine Jardine told the Independent: “Johnson has sat on his hands while Sunak and Truss are failing the nation with their terrible leadership.” Mr Brown decried the “vacuum” at the top of government, pointing to research showing around 35 million people were at risk of fuel poverty in October. The former Labor leader told ITV’s Good Morning Britain: “It’s not just that they’re asleep at the wheel – there’s nobody at the wheel at the moment.” Meanwhile, Mr Sunak seized on Ms Truss’ rejection of cost of living “handouts”, arguing on Monday that her promise of immediate tax cuts would not “touch the sides” for low-income families. The Truss has pledged to immediately scrap green bill levies and reverse a rise in national insurance (NI). But the former chancellor’s team said the NI cut would only be worth £59 to those on the national wage. Speaking on a campaign visit to Carlisle, Mr Sunak told reporters he would act “boldly” for extra support. “Liz Truss was saying she didn’t think there should be any further direct support – I don’t think that’s right.” Former minister David Davies, a Sunak supporter, told the Independent: “It’s important we get extra help before the bills in October … It will take some quick action from whoever is elected.” The senior official added: “There are a lot of people who pay very little tax and face huge costs – more targeted aid spending is almost certainly a better bet [than tax cuts] to be tolerated. Some getting tax breaks while others suffer is no way to unify the country.” Tory peer Nigel Mills, who is not sure which candidate to back, believes the next prime minister will “want to unveil a cost of living package very quickly”, saying more payments to ease energy bills were inevitable. The Amber Valley MP suggested whoever wins could increase the existing £650 lump sum payment to benefit claimants or increase the winter fuel payment for pensioners. John Stevenson, the Tory MP for Carlisle, added: “Whoever comes to power will have to take stock and, I suspect, introduce a further support package. They need to do more to help.” But key Rabbit ally Brandon Lewis has repeatedly declined to say whether those things would include any new cost-of-living payments, despite saying his preferred candidate would look at “more things” he could do to help. Asked nine times on BBC Radio 4’s Today program whether Ms Truss would consider additional support payments, the former Northern Ireland minister said: “That will pre-empt a budget we haven’t had yet.” It comes as campaigners warned the nation faces a “cold, hungry” winter and levels of poverty not seen for decades. Ms Truss’ recent comments that she did not want to offer more ‘handouts’ were branded ‘offensive’ by the Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG). “It’s very offensive to use the word handouts when what people are asking for is help through a frankly unprecedented cost of living crisis,” said Sarah Ogilvie, head of policy at CPAG. “The government’s response was deaf. The support offered so far is not enough.” Age UK said older people on low incomes faced an “increasingly dire” situation as energy bills continued to rise. “Older people and others living on low incomes will also need more financial support… because these relentless price rises are so fast eroding the extra help they were given just a few months ago,” said Caroline Abrahams, director at Age UK.