If Liz Truss goes ahead with proposed tax cuts, it will be an “electoral suicide note” for the Tory party, the deputy prime minister has warned. Dominic Raab, a supporter of former chancellor Rishi Sunak, said it was wrong for Ms Truss to propose tax cuts and not produce plans to protect people from the cost of living crisis. “If we go to the country with an emergency budget in September that cannot match the work they have undertaken, voters will not forgive us as they watch their living standards erode and the financial security they cherish disappear before their eyes.” Mr. Raab. he said, writing for the Times. “Such a failure will undoubtedly read to the public like an election suicide note and, as night is sure to follow day, will see our great party plunged into powerless opposition oblivion.” Earlier, Boris Johnson rejected calls to introduce an emergency cost-of-living budget, bring back regular Cobra meetings and recall parliament amid growing calls for urgent intervention. Mr Johnson’s official spokesman said such matters would be for “a future prime minister to decide”. Show latest update 1660028458
Lib Dem leader says October energy price rise must stop
Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey accused both Conservative leadership candidates of being in a “parallel universe” as he called on the government to “cancel the October energy price rise”. He told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “We all know that energy prices are going to rise dramatically in October, but we haven’t heard anything from any of the Conservative prime ministerial candidates. They have no plan, it’s almost like they live in a parallel universe. “The Lib Dems are now publishing our plan and what we are saying is that the government should cancel the energy price rise in October. If he does, he will avoid a social disaster. Millions of families and pensioners will go hungry and cold this winter unless bold measures like the Lib Dems are put in place. They must act now.” He added: “The poorest 10% of households pay three times more of their income for energy than the richest 10%, so it will help the poorest greatly, but even people on moderate and middle incomes are going to take a hit with this rise, so it’s only right that we need this bold measure.” Without the measure, Sir Ed argued, the economy will go into recession. He added: “First of all, we need a much bigger windfall tax. The Liberal Democrats were the first party to back a windfall tax on oil and gas companies. Unfortunately, Rishi Sunak’s proposal is very cowardly and weak… what we are suggesting is that this windfall tax should have started from profits from last October.” Maryam Zakir-Hussain 9 August 2022 08:00 1660026698
Public service discussions with the Truss team would be “excellent”, says ally Sunak
Senior Tory MP Mark Harper – a supporter of Rishi Sunak – was asked about a report in the i newspaper that civil servants have opened discussions with the Truss camp about implementing her proposals, but no discussions with the Sunak camp. “I would expect the civil service to work on both [candidates] proposals,” he told Times Radio. Asked if it would be a slap in the face for Sunak, Harper said: “That would be great. Those talks would have to be approved by the Prime Minister, so maybe that’s a question you should put to Downing Street.” Harper said people could be “reassured” that the former chancellor would provide more “targeted” cost-of-living support this winter. Harper compared his promises to Liz Truss, saying he “cut the handouts” by prioritizing tax cuts. “Targeted, limited support for a period has much less impact than permanent, large unfunded tax cuts, financed by borrowing,” he said. Maryam Zakir-Hussain 9 August 2022 07:31 1660025256
Liz Truss’ economic vision and cost of living dominate British newspapers
Liz Truss’s economic vision and Dominic Raab’s warning about the dangers of her extraordinary budget cuts featured prominently in many British newspapers this morning. The Independent’s front page leads on Boris Johnson’s refusal to take emergency action on the rising cost of living. Independent front page August 9 (Screengrab) Tory leadership frontrunner Ms Truss sets out her “bold” economic vision to the Daily Express as the Foreign Secretary insists she is “on the side” of the British people. But Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab claims Ms Truss’s emergency tax cut risks becoming an “election suicide note” for the Conservatives, according to The Times and The Guardian. See more headlines here:
What the papers are saying – August 9th
The death of an icon and political machinations in the race for No. 10 are thrown into the open. Stuti Mishra August 9, 2022 07:07 1660023479
Rishi Sunak would target Whitehall savings to fund winter cost of living aid
Rishi Sunak would push Whitehall departments to make savings to help fund cost of living support for millions of people during an “extraordinarily harsh” winter. The former chancellor said his plan, if he becomes prime minister, includes keeping any one-off borrowing to an “absolute minimum” by seeking “efficiency savings” across government departments. His group said the approach would aim to replicate previous measures used to finance support for Ukraine.
Rishi Sunak would target Whitehall savings to fund winter cost of living aid
The former chancellor announced the approach as his leadership rival Liz Truss said she was committed to helping struggling families. Stuti Mishra August 9, 2022 06:37 1660022130
Liz Truss repeats pledge to introduce police targets to cut ‘core crime’ by 20% despite warnings
Liz Truss has reiterated her pledge to set police targets to “cut basic crime by 20 per cent”, despite growing warnings about the potential consequences. During a visit to a youth center on Monday with former Conservative leader Ian Duncan Smith, the current leadership frontrunner outlined her criminal policies. They include plans to order the police to reduce serious crime by 20 per cent below 2019 levels by the end of the current parliament in 2024. Read more from Lizzie Dearden here:
Truss pledges to introduce police targets to cut ‘core crime’ by 20% despite warnings
Targets create ‘perverse incentives’ and risk drawing less attention to other crimes, watchdog warns Stuti Mishra August 9, 2022 6:15 am 1660021122 Stuti Mishra August 9, 2022 05:58 1660021111
Boris Johnson urged to end ‘summer of drift’ with Sunak and Truss
Boris Johnson is facing growing calls to end a “summer of slippage” and take action on the cost of living crisis as he was accused of failing hard-line Britons by refusing to offer new aid or even hold emergency meetings. 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 . Read more from Adam Forrest and Ben Chapman:
Boris Johnson urged to meet Sunak and Truss to draw up urgent cost of living plan
Business group urges Prime Minister to meet Tory leadership candidates, while Lib Dems call for scrapping of energy price rise Stuti Mishra August 9, 2022 05:58 1660020014
Ed Davey is calling on the next Prime Minister to scrap the October energy bill price rise
An expected energy price rise in October should be scrapped by the next prime minister and the cost covered by a windfall tax on oil and gas companies, the Lib Dem leader said. Sir Ed Davey said neither of the Tory leadership contenders – Liz Truss or Rishi Sunak – had realized the huge challenge facing people this autumn as the cost of living crisis is set to worsen for millions of households in the UK. Experts have predicted that the energy price cap could rise to £3,358 a year from October and could reach £3,615 from January. In October 2021 the average energy bill was £1,400 a year. Joe Middleton has more details:
Ed Davey is calling on the next Prime Minister to scrap the October energy bill price rise
Lib Dem leader accuses Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak of living in ‘parallel universe’ Stuti Mishra August 9, 2022 5:40 am 1660019147
Raab calls Truss tax cut plans “electoral suicide”.
If Liz Truss goes ahead with proposed tax cuts, it will be an “electoral suicide note” for the Tory party, the deputy prime minister has warned. Dominic Raab, a supporter of former chancellor Rishi Sunak, said it was wrong for Ms Truss to propose tax cuts and not produce plans to protect people from the cost of living crisis. “If we go to the country with an emergency budget in September that cannot match the work they have undertaken, voters will not forgive us as they watch their living standards erode and the financial security they cherish disappear before their eyes.” Mr. Raab. he said, writing for the Times. “Such a failure will undoubtedly read to the public like an election suicide note and, as night is sure to follow day, will see our great party plunged into powerless opposition oblivion.”
Liz Truss’ tax cut plans are ‘election suicide note’, warns Dominic Raab
Deputy Prime Minister warns Tory party could be plunged into ‘powerless opposition oblivion’ Stuti Mishra August 9, 2022 05:25 1660018143
Welcome to The Independent’s UK political blog for 9 August 2022, where we provide the latest on the Tory leadership race and all the buzz in Westminster. Stuti Mishra August 9, 2022 05:09