Liz Truss’s response to the Pakistan floods has been described as “risible” by a Commons committee.
In a letter to the foreign secretary, international development committee chair Sarah Champion said she was “embarrassed” by the UK’s pledge to provide up to £1.5 million in aid to the country.
The Labour MP said: “Even if the full £1.5 million were delivered, it would amount to less than 5p for each person affected.
“Furthermore, that pathetically small sum will be subtracted from “existing support to Pakistan”.
“The UK government’s risible response to this humanitarian disaster arguably amounts to nothing.”
Devastating floods have swept across Pakistan in recent weeks, causing more than 1,000 deaths and affecting around 33 million people.
The heavy rains have caused a historic level of devastation, isolating villages and trapping many in mountainous areas.
It is the most rain Pakistan has seen in a decade, leaving one-third of the country underwater and around 1,860 miles of road reportedly washed away.
“It’s all one big ocean, there’s no dry land to pump the water out,” Pakistan’s climate minister Sherry Rehman said.
Champion accused the government of adopting “a policy of sustained indifference to Pakistan” in recent years.
She added: “Parliament returns from summer recess on Monday 5 September.
“Bearing in mind the humanitarian and economic catastrophe, I earnestly counsel you to make a statement to parliament at the first available opportunity to deliver your latest assessment of the extent and effect of the flooding and to explain how you plan to support our friends and allies in Pakistan.”
Further complicating the situation is the fact that Truss is expected to be named the new Tory leader on Monday and confirmed as prime minister the following day.
The Foreign Office has been contacted for comment.
Announcing the cancellation, the BBC said: “Ms Truss’ team say she can no longer spare the time to appear on “Our Next Prime Minister”.
“The other candidate for the Conservative leadership, Rishi Sunak, was interviewed by Nick on 10th August.
“We regret that it has not been possible to do an in depth interview with both candidates despite having reached agreement to do so.”
Reacting on Twitter, former BBC political editor Robinson said: “Was pleased to secure an in-depth interview with Liz Truss on BBC1. I am disappointed & frustrated it’s been cancelled.”
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Truss’s campaign team did not respond to requests for comment.
A source close to Sunak told HuffPost UK: “It’s important that candidates face proper scrutiny so that members and the public know what they are offering.
“Avoiding that scrutiny suggests either Truss doesn’t have a plan at all or the plan she has falls far short of the challenges we face this winter.”
Unlike Sunak, Truss has already turned down the chance to be interviewed by feared interrogator Andrew Neil on Channel 4.
Sunak’s campaign said their man had done nine one-to-one broadcast interviews during the leadership campaign, compared to Truss’s two.
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Labour’s Conor McGinn said: “The British public don’t get a say in choosing the next Tory Prime Minister and now it seems Liz Truss wants to avoid any public scrutiny whatsoever.
“People will rightly conclude that she doesn’t want to answer questions about her plans for the country because she simply hasn’t got any serious answers to the big challenges facing our country.”
Liz Truss does not want to provide more direct help for everyone to pay energy bills if she becomes prime minister according to her allies, despite warnings millions face a “catastrophe” this winter.
The foreign secretary, who is the clear frontrunner to take over as prime minister on September 6, has promised “decisive action” to help with the cost of living crisis.
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From October people will receive £400 off their energy bills in six instalments, a policy introduced by Rishi Sunak when he was chancellor.
But according to the BBC, Truss has “ruled out” building on that approach with more help that would see people receive direct assistance regardless of their wealth. Truss’ campaign did not reject the report when asked.
According to The Sunday Telegraph, Truss could instead cut 20% headline rate of VAT could by up to 5% or cut to income tax.
Sunak’s campaign has said cutting VAT would be “incredibly regressive” and help the richest more than the poorest.
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Truss has not set out details of her plans, with a campaign source saying it would be wrong to make commitments before she is elected prime minister or pre-empt the so-called fiscal event – in which her proposals will be formally announced – expected in mid-September.
Nadhim Zahawi, the current chancellor and Truss supporter, has suggested people earning as much as £45,000 per year could be among those struggling to cope with soaring living costs.
Energy regulator Ofgem warned the government on Friday that it must act urgently to “match the scale of the crisis we have before us” as Britain faced the news that the average household’s yearly bill will rise from £1,971 to £3,549.
Martin Lewis, the well regarded consumer expert, has warned there is a “genuine social and financial catastrophe that is putting lives at risk”.
Pat McFadden, Labour’s shadow chief secretary to the Treasury, said on Sunday people faced a financial “shockwave” and repeated his party’s call for bills to be frozen for six months..
Boris Johnson’s final fortnight in office will see the departing PM divide his time between No. 10 and his country retreat Chequers this week, after returning from a Greek holiday.
The prime minister’s increasingly relaxed approach to leadership – revealed on the day an economist predicted inflation could jump above 18% in the new year for the first time since 1976 – is in stark contrast to the comment made by one of his outriders a day earlier.
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On Sunday, Brexit opportunities minister Jacob Rees-Mogg hit out at the “rotten culture” of working from home as he claimed the number of staff in Whitehall was down five per cent last week against the previous week, despite his crackdown on the practice.
In comments reported by the Mail on Sunday, he added: “Even accounting for summer holidays, this is hopeless.”
The prime minister’s successor will be confirmed on September 5, when either Liz Truss or Rishi Sunak emerges as the victor in the Tory leadership race, with the formal handover of power due to take place the following day.
Rees-Mogg was defending Truss for her widely criticised comments that British workers need to display “more graft”.
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The loyalist minister said her remarks heard in a leaked audio recording were “sensible” as he hit out at what he called “confected political criticism” of the foreign secretary.
Truss, now the Tory leadership frontrunner, also attempted to explain the lower productivity seen outside London as being due to “a mindset and attitude thing”, in the comments from recent years.
Labour said Truss’s remarks made while she was a Treasury minister were “grossly offensive”, saying that she had effectively branded British workers “lazy”.
Boris Johnson’s spokesperson repeatedly refuses to say whether he will be staying in Downing Street this week, telling me only that: “He will be working in a mixture of Downing Street and Chequers.”
Johnson has zero public engagements listed for Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday.
Last week, removal vans were pictured collecting Johnson’s possessions as he headed to Chequers with his wife Carrie and their two children.
Johnson’s last days will include restating support for Ukraine and highlighting measures to address the cost-of-living crisis, Downing Street said.
Ukraine’s independence day on Wednesday will be marked with a series of events, in a sign that the UK’s support will continue beyond the close link forged between Johnson and Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
“A large focus this week is on reiterating our support for Ukraine, and that is an unwavering commitment that we have to supporting Ukraine in the face of an illegal war,” a No. 10 spokesperson said.
“The government is also focused on supporting people with the cost of living and making sure that those who are eligible for the £37 billion of support that’s already available through our phased-in plan are availing themselves of it.”
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But no more help is expected to be announced before the new prime minister takes office, with major policy decisions postponed until that point.
The prime minister visited the Security Service’s headquarters in London on Monday to pay tribute to the work done by MI5 in keeping the country safe.
Since standing down as Tory leader and effectively becoming a caretaker prime minister, Johnson has also gone on visits to a special forces base, flown in a Typhoon jet and met soldiers training Ukrainian counterparts.
With Ukraine and high inflation set to dominate his final days in office, No 10 denied that a war in Europe and a cost-of-living crisis were the main features of Johnson’s legacy.
The spokesperson said: “I would point you to his own words in the house where he has spoken more about the record of this government. That includes getting Brexit done and leaving the EU, leading the country through the greatest public health emergency in a generation, protecting lives and livelihoods.
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“And that is alongside, yes, supporting Ukraine in the face of an illegal war and supporting people through the current cost-of-living challenges.”
The prime minister has been accused by critics of leading a “zombie government” with major decisions deferred until the new occupant takes over in No 10.
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer told reporters on Monday the government was doing “absolutely nothing” to resolve industrial disputes and help ease the cost-of-living crunch ahead of the announcement of the increased energy price cap on Friday.
There are just two weeks left in the race to be the next Conservative Party leader – and the next prime minister.
Liz Truss, the current foreign secretary, is the frontrunner to replace Boris Johnson, but former chancellor Rishi Sunak remains optimistic that he might have a chance of securing that seat in No.10.
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Either way, the country will have a new leader by September 6.
As the Tories remain the party with the majority of seats in the House of Commons and this is not a general election, only Conservative Party members get to choose who leads them (and the rest of the UK) until the next election.
Understandably, this has thrown up some questions about this process.
1. What do we really know about Tory Party members?
The Conservative Party will not reveal how many members it has, although the most common estimate is 160,000. A briefing paper from the House of Commons library in 2019 suggests there are 180,000 members – still a tiny fraction of the general population.
According to news outlet Tortoise, the party’s headquarters will not give away details of their membership for “GDPR reasons”, although the news organisation later sent a letter to CCHQ pointing out that knowing the membership make-up was an essential part of the UK democracy.
The news outlet is still waiting for a response from the party about just who is an official member.
2. Are there any restrictions over who can vote?
People cannot vote unless they’ve been a member of the Conservative Party for three months prior to September 2, when the election closes.
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But, foreign nationals can vote if they’re a member. They do not have to have a British citizenship, or any link with the UK, to vote in this race.
Those under 18 who cannot legally vote in a general election are also permitted to cast a vote in the Tory leadership election.
3. How secure are the votes?
Members can vote via post or online, but security worries did actually force the party to drop preliminary plans which would have allowed members to change their cast votes at the start of August.
Now, if a duplicate vote is recorded, the second one will be counted.
The original plan was dropped after the National Cyber Security Centre announced: “As you would expect from the UK’s national cybersecurity authority we provided advice to the Conservative party on security considerations for online leadership voting.”
Lord Cruddas, who led the campaign to put Johnson back on the ballot paper, suggested that hacking fears mean the Conservatives “should reject the resignation of the prime minister and ask him to stay on board whilst the board fixes any cyber issues and the leadership campaign can be revisited”.
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Sky News also revealed at the start of August that the Conservatives were posting out the leadership ballots “a little later than we originally said” because they had to add some extra security measures to the process.
At the moment, voting more than once in the process is also considered an “offence” and anyone found doing so would have their membership withdrawn.
However, according to Tortoise’s reporting, there are few checks that voters are who they say they are.
People struggling with the rising cost of living will receive more help this winter, a Cabinet minister has suggested.
Business secretary Kwasi Kwarteng, who is backing Liz Truss in the Tory leadership contest, said the government was “working on options for the new prime minister”.
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In an article for the Mail on Sunday, Kwarteng said he understood the “deep anxiety” rising prices were causing.
“As winter approaches, millions of families will be concerned about how they are going make ends meet,” he added.
“But I want to reassure the British people that help is coming.”
Kwarteng said Truss, who is currently the favourite to replace Boris Johnson as prime minister, “will look at what more can be done to help families”.
However, he said it was “entirely reasonable not to detail the exact shape of that support until she has all the information to hand”.
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The government is under pressure to act as inflation hit a 40-year high of 10.1 per cent this week, largely owing to a spike in the price of household staples.
And projections from experts have found that the energy price cap, currently at £1,971 a year, could rocket to £6,000 next April.
Energy consultancy Auxilione said the cap is expected to reach £3,576 in October, rising to £4,799 in January, and finally hitting £6,089 in April.
Labour has vowed to freeze the price cap at its current level while Truss has said she would temporarily scrap green levies on energy bills to bring them down.
Both leadership rivals have also said they will study proposals from the Treasury over how to bring bills down for families.
One such option to help struggling households, reported by the Sun on Sunday, is to allow GPs to write prescriptions to knock money off energy bills for those most in need.
The GP would verify through a consultation whether the patient needed help and if they did, money could be made available via the local council or in the form of a voucher for gas and electricity.
In response, Labour’s shadow health secretary Wes Streeting said the Conservatives had “lost the plot on the cost of living and haven’t got a clue about the level of pressure on the NHS”.
The Conservatives have lost the plot on the cost of living crisis and haven’t got a clue about the level of pressure on the NHS.
Labour already has the right prescription for dealing with rising energy bills. We need a Labour government to deliver it.https://t.co/KbXCuUxKwU
Elsewhere, Kwarteng said shoring up the UK’s energy independence was vital for Truss, saying she would look at building more nuclear power stations and allowing fracking to take place where local communities approve.
The business secretary poured cold water on the idea of further windfall taxes, saying the country instead needed to “incentivise investment in domestic oil and gas for our own energy security”.
“I appreciate windfall taxes are sometimes popular. But popularity won’t keep the lights on.”
Last week saw the grimmest development yet for people struggling with the cost of living crisis, with experts predicting that already-unaffordable energy bills could reach an eye-watering £4,000 in January.
Energy bills, which have already risen as a consequence of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, are set to soar further as the ongoing conflict puts a squeeze on supplies throughout Europe.
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The energy price cap, which currently stands at £1,971, is set to increase to £3,582 in October.
The forecasts have prompted a sense of panic and a national conversation about what should be done to help people who may find themselves unable to pay their bills in the winter.
Here HuffPost UK takes you through what the main parties and figures are proposing and how their ideas have been received.
Liz Truss
Liz Truss has hardened her stance against a further windfall tax, dismissing the policy as “bashing business”.
Ian Forsyth via Getty Images
The frontrunner in the race to replace Boris Johnson has emphasised tax cuts as the main way she would help people struggling with bill hikes.
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The foreign secretary has vowed to immediately reverse the 1.25 percentage point increase in national insurance as well as temporarily scrap green levies on energy bills.
In a recent interview with the Financial Times, Truss said she would hold an emergency budget to outline a new approach to the problem, which she said she wanted to be in the “Conservative way of lowering the tax burden, not giving out handouts”.
That prompted a U-turn of sorts by Truss who said that despite criticism, she was not ruling out further direct support for households completely.
She is said to be considering proposals from the Treasury that could see the price cap fall by scrapping a new allowance suppliers will be allowed to charge families in the winter, in a move that could reduce bills by a further £400.
Instead the shortfall would be made up by the government providing loans to suppliers. However, it is too late to have an effect in October, when the cap is expected to rise once again.
Last week, analysis by the Tony Blair Institute found that Truss’s national insurance reversal would save the poorest families just 76p a month on average while the most wealthy households would benefit from by £93 a month from the policy.
Truss’s leadership rival, Rishi Sunak, also attacked her plan to scrap green levies, saying it would only claw back £150 a year.
Truss has also hardened her stance against a further windfall tax on energy giants, dismissing the policy as “bashing business”.
Rishi Sunak
Sunak has indicated he would expand existing support schemes when the price cap rises again in the winter.
Ben Birchall – PA Images via Getty Images
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The former chancellor has committed to scrapping VAT on energy bills for a year and has also said he will expand the emergency support schemes already in place.
So far that scheme includes £650 off for the lowest income households, £300 off for eight million pensioner households, £150 off for those receiving non-means tested disability benefits and a £400 energy grant for every household.
In an article for the Times, Sunak said if he is elected PM he would extend the scheme that knocks £400 off bills for every household, rising to £1,200 for pensioners and those on benefits.
He also said he would “drive a programme to identify savings across Whitehall” in order to pay for expanding the help on offer, which The Times said would cost around £10 billion.
Sunak signalled the government could need to raise more revenue from the energy profits levy — the so-called windfall tax —and also refused to rule out “some limited and temporary one-off borrowing as a last resort to get us through this winter”.
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According to the Institute of Fiscal Studies, removing VAT on bills would cost £4.3 billion to implement and would provide households with a relief of about £154 on their energy bills.
Labour
Finnbarr Webster via Getty Images
After initially facing criticism for being absent as the new energy projections were revealed, Keir Starmer has offered what he calls a “radical” response to the cost of living crisis.
The scheme would cost £29 billion and would be funded by increasing the windfall tax on energy firms’ massive profits by backdating it to January, in a move that would raise £8 billion.
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The party argues that reducing energy bills would also have a knock-on effect on inflation which would lead to cut in government debt interest payments of £7bn.
The government’s current plan to offer £400 off energy bills for every household would be ditched as a result.
Responding to the proposals, the Paul Johnson, the director of the thinktank the Institute for Fiscal Studies, said inflation will continue to climb unless Labour continues to subsidise energy bills beyond the six-month period it has suggested.
He also told BBC Radio 4′s Today programme that Labour’s plan to cancel the rise in energy price cap would be “looking at the cost of furlough” if extended from six months to a year.
The Liberal Democrats
Ed Davey said Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak were Truss “more interested in speaking to their party than taking the action our country needs”.
Finnbarr Webster via Getty Images
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Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey called on the government to cancel the price cap rise in October to help people save hundreds of pounds off their energy bills.
Davey said energy suppliers could supply customers with their current rates if the government covers the shortfall to allow them to do so.
The Lib Dems said the policy would cost £36 billion and said the windfall tax on oil and gas company profits should be increased to help cover it.
…And former PM Gordon Brown
Gordon Brown criticised the Tory leadership candidates, saying: “Time and tide wait for no one. Neither do crises. They don’t take holidays, and don’t politely hang fire – certainly not to suit the convenience of a departing PM and the whims of two potential successors.”
Jeff J Mitchell via Getty Images
Perhaps the most radical response to the energy crisis has come from former Labour leader Gordon Brown, who is no stranger to navigating the country through a crisis.
Under Brown’s plan, the energy price cap would be scrapped and new, lower prices would be negotiated with energy giants, who are all raking in bumper profits as gas prices surge.
If firms fail to bring prices down, the government should consider bringing them into public ownership“as a last resort … until the crisis is over”.
Liz Truss was today facing a backlash after she claimed that “woke” civil service culture “strays into antisemitism”.
The frontrunner in the race to replace Boris Johnson issued a press release vowing to protect Jews from “creeping antisemitism and wokeism”.
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However, one part of the announcement, in which she launched an attack on civil servants, sparked fierce criticism.
Team Truss wrote: “She will change woke civil service culture that strays into antisemitism.”
“The civil service is the best workplace to be Jewish to be honest, everyone is so friendly, so it’s all quite strange.”
– A Jewish civil servant speaks to us anonymously
Reacting to the comments, a civil servant working in a major government department told HuffPost UK they had never once heard about an antisemitism problem.
The civil servant, who we are not naming, said: “Honestly, we’re used to ridiculous comments from ministers but to start throwing around that the civil service is antisemitic is such a baffling and odd attack and so offensive to civil servants.
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“It’s also patently nonsensical to say ‘they’re so woke they’re antisemitic’. What on earth does that even mean? Every single day I consider leaving the civil service because of these people.”
Another civil servant, who is Jewish, told us there might have been some issues over diversity courses.
But they added: “I think she’s just vomited out a load of buzzwords and ended up with something objectionable.
“The civil service is the best workplace to be Jewish to be honest, everyone is so friendly, so it’s all quite strange.”
Dame Margaret Hodge and Dave Penman criticised Liz Truss’s comments.
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A civil servant, who recently left for the private sector, said the “constant attacks” and lack of faith after partygate drove them to leave.
“I know of dozens of good civil servants who are leaving because of this negativity,” they added.
“How ministers, MPs, and leadership candidates can keep making unsubstantiated comments and threats, and still expect to have anyone who can actually deliver left, is beyond me.”
Dave Penman, general secretary of the FDA union for senior civil servants, said Truss’s accusations were a “little ironic” given the Tories had been in power for 12 years.
“Truss’s accusation of antisemitism goes further than the usual dog-whistle politics that has been on display during this leadership campaign when it comes to the civil service,” he added.
“She provides no evidence for her accusation that many civil servants will find both insulting and abhorrent.”
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Message I received re Truss: “I’m a Jewish civil servant (grew up modern orthodox) and I have absolutely no idea what she’s referring to. What does ‘Woke civil service culture strays into antisemitism’ even mean? I’ve never worked in a more inclusive and diverse environment” /1
Veteran Labour MP Dame Margaret Hodge described the comments as “below the belt”.
The former cabinet minister, who is Jewish and has been outspoken about antisemitism in her own party, added: “Using antisemitism to peddle the right’s ‘anti-woke agenda’ is below the belt.
“The oldest form of racism is not a tool to use in the divisive culture war nonsense.”
Times journalist Hugo Rifkind commented: “This is baffling, but also grim. Equating Jews with rightwing reactionary politics is what leftwing antisemites do. Am pretty colossally unkeen on Tories doing it, too.”
This is baffling, but also grim. Equating Jews with rightwing reactionary politics is what leftwing antisemites do. Am pretty colossally unkeen on Tories doing it, too. https://t.co/Shqo0dZ9Bb
Sam Freedman, a senior fellow at the Institute for Government, said: “I worked in the civil service for three years and have worked with numerous officials on various things since then and have never once experienced any antisemitism. Bizarre comment.”
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Journalist Etan Smallman tweeted: “Antisemitism is far too serious for anyone to be using it in the same sentence as ‘civil service wokeism’. Let alone our prospective prime minister.”
Dr Ruvi Ziegler, associate professor in international refugee law at the University of Reading, commented: “WTAF is ‘woke civil service culture’? Who comes up with this nonsense, and how on earth is this related to British Jews?”
Another Twitter user commented: “Attacking the civil service (who cannot respond in the media) is weak, pathetic and unbefitting someone seeking the highest office in the land.”
HuffPost UK contacted Truss’s team asking for evidence of an antisemitism problem in the civil service.
Her team referred us to an interview Truss gave to the Jewish Chronicle in which she pledged action to change civil service “woke” culture, including within the foreign office.
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When discussing how she was committed to eradicating antisemitism in various bodies, she revealed she had to “overrule” foreign office officials who did not share her views.
The article did not outline what the issue was or what she specifically disagreed with civil servants on.
I was a Jew in the public sector for four years and engaged with the Civil Service on a daily basis.
I never once encountered anti-semitism. It was an exceptionally multicultural and tolerant environment.
The press release was issued after Truss spoke at a synagogue in Manchester.
In a written statement, hitting out at “civil service wokeism”, Truss said: “Every organisation has its culture, but it’s not fixed, it can be changed.
“That’s what ministerial leadership is about: it’s about making sure that the policies we represent, the values we stand for, are reflected in what we do. I’ve been very clear with our officials about the positions we take on Israel, and that will continue if I become prime minister.”
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Truss also announced she would review whether schools are doing enough to educate about antisemitism, rid university campuses of antisemitism and work to secure a free trade agreement between the UK and Israel.
A Truss campaign source also appeared to link Labour’s antisemitism problem when Jeremy Corbyn was leader with Keir Starmer.
The source said: “The Labour Party under Sir Keir Starmer and his colleague Jeremy Corbyn has been a talking shop for antisemitism and antizionism.
“This has increased anxieties within the Jewish community.”
Liz Truss has been accused of “a major U-turn” after pledging to “do all that I can to help struggling households” cope with the cost of living crisis.
The Tory leadership favourite has been under pressure since the weekend, when she told the Financial Times: “The way I would do things is in a Conservative way of lowering the tax burden, not giving out handouts.”
Both Truss and Sunak have also been urged to meet with Boris Johnson to agree an emergency cost of living support package – something which has been ruled out by the government.
In an apparent change of tack from her previous stance, Truss said today: “As a Conservative I am clear that our first port of call should always be to let people keep more of their own money.
“I understand how difficult the rising cost of living is making life for many, and if elected I will do all that I canto help struggling households.
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“As it stands we are hurtling towards a recession. If we don’t get our economy growing we won’t be able to help anyone.
“That’s why I have a bold plan to cut taxes, for individuals and businesses, to turbocharge our economy, grow the size of the pie and increase prosperity for everyone.”
A spokesperson for Sunak’s campaign said: “This is a major u-turn on the biggest issue currently facing the country.
“It’s all very well offering empty words about ‘doing all you can’. But there aren’t lots of different ways to act on this. Taking action means providing direct support, which Truss had previously dismissed as ‘handouts’.
“Twice now, Truss has made a serious moral and political misjudgement on a policy affecting millions of people, after last week reversing plans to cut the pay of teachers and the armed forces outside London. Mistakes like this in Government would cost the Conservative Party the next General Election.”
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A spokesperson for Truss said: “Rishi Sunak wouldn’t know how people benefit from a tax cut because he has never cut a tax in his life. People didn’t vote for the Conservative Party to be subjected to old fashioned Gordon Brown style politics of envy.
“You cannot tax your way to growth and Liz’s agenda is to build a high wage, high growth, low tax economy that supports people.
“Liz believes in people keeping more of their own money, not Rishi’s socialist tax and spend which will lead us to recession.”
As Liz Truss’s plan to save £8.8bn by paying civil servants less outside London and the south east provoked a furious Tory backlash, her team pressed the panic button.
In the preamble to the inevitable screeching U-turn, a spokesperson for Truss told journalists: “Over the last few hours there has been a wilful misrepresentation of our campaign.”
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This was, alas, copper-bottomed nonsense.
The press release issued yesterday by the Truss campaign announcing the policy makes it crystal clear that replacing national pay bargaining with “regional pay boards” would mean smaller salaries for those in less-affluent areas.
It said: “This will make it easier to adjust officials’ pay, ensuring it accurately reflects where they work and stops the crowding out of local businesses that can not compete with public sector pay.”
And in case anyone was in any doubt that this new policy would apply to the likes of nurses, teachers and the police as well, the release explained: “This could save up to £8.8 billion per year. This is the potential savings if the system were to be adopted for all public sector workers in the long term.”
Unsurprisingly, this went down badly with Red Wall Tories like Ben Houchen, the party’s mayor in Tees Valley, who said: “There is simply no way you can do this without a massive pay cut for 5.5m people including nurses, police officers and our armed forces outside London.”
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Experiencing the first serious mis-step of her leadership campaign, Truss later recorded a TV clip insisting that while her policy had been “misrepresented”, she was going to abandon it completely.
She said: “I never had any intention of changing the terms and conditions of teachers and nurses.
“But what I want to be clear about is I will not be going ahead with the regional pay boards. That is no longer my policy.”
Rishi Sunak’s campaign, who have been on the back foot throughout the contest, wasted no time in taking advantage of their rival’s humiliation.
Pointing out that Truss had supported regional pay boards four years ago when she was chief secretary to the Treasury (CST), a source on Team Rishi said: “This wasn’t a mistake, Liz wanted this in 2018 as CST. The lady is for turning.”
That last sentence, echoing a famous line in one of Margaret Thatcher’s party conference speeches, was designed to twist the knife.
It’s far too early to say Truss’s mistake means the outcome of the leadership contest is back in the balance. She remains the clear favourite to succeed Boris Johnson.
But she’ll know better than anyone that any further slip-ups could be fatal to her hopes of entering Number 10.
