Boris Johnson told public to buy £20 kettle to save £10 a year on energy bills
Voting in the Tory leadership contest has now closed, ending the contest to decide the next Tory leader and Boris Johnson’s successor as Prime Minister.
Either Liz Truss or Rishi Sunak will be announced as the winner on Monday, taking over as Prime Minister the following day.
Meanwhile, Home Secretary Priti Patel expects to lose her post if Liz Truss becomes the next Prime Minister, according to The Independent.
“He has made it clear to staff that he does not expect to stay, that has been made very clear to staff,” a Home Office source said.
The Independent has also reported that Thérèse Coffey, a long-time Truss ally, is tipped to take on the role of health secretary, a major promotion from her current role as works and pensions secretary.
Other politicians likely to benefit from a Truss premiership include Kwasi Kwarteng and Jacob Rees-Mogg, who are tipped to become chancellor and business secretary respectively.
Most pollsters believe Ms Truss will comfortably win the Conservative leadership contest, which ends at 5pm on Friday.
key points
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Voting closes for Conservative leadership contest
Voting in the Tory leadership contest has now closed, ending the contest to decide the next Tory leader and Boris Johnson’s successor as Prime Minister.
Either Liz Truss or Rishi Sunak will be announced as the winner on Monday, taking over as Prime Minister the following day.
Maryam Zakir-Hussain September 2, 2022 5:03 p.m
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The new prime minister must provide “targeted” help on energy costs, Zahawi says
The new prime minister must offer “targeted” help on energy costs to the hardest-hit households and businesses by 2023, Chancellor Nadhim Zahawi has said.
The Treasury of Mr. Zahawi has been drawing up options for action which the chancellor told the Policy Exchange think tank would allow the new prime minister, Liz Truss or Rishi Sunak, to “hit the road” after the winner was declared on Monday.
Ms Truss has previously said her plan would focus on tax cuts and not “fluffs”, but on Thursday she said she would offer immediate support to those facing unaffordable bills.
And the chancellor, who is backing his bid to succeed Boris Johnson, made it clear that he considers direct payments in some form essential.
“We need to target aid to those families, those households, that literally have no margins,” he told the think tank.
The support announced by Mr. Sunak earlier this year would only cover about half of the expected price increase this winter and will only last until December, the chancellor said.
“We have to look at January and then beyond,” he said. “Why? Because I think we need to send a very clear message to Mr. Putin that this strategy will not work and that we will be resilient. We will give help to households and businesses.
“I think targeting is the right approach.”
Andrew Woodcock September 2, 2022 5:00 p.m
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Buckland backs independence of committee investigating Boris Johnson
The Commons committee looking into whether Boris Johnson misled Parliament over Partygate has not framed the terms of its inquiry to ensure he is found guilty, the Welsh secretary has said.
Robert Buckland’s position differs from some of Johnson’s allies, who have argued that the privileges committee is out to get him.
Asked if he supported his claims, the former justice secretary said: “No, I don’t. As a former member of the Privileges Committee, I can attest to its independence, to the quality of the employees that they advise them”.
He said the next prime minister should ensure the committee is not prevented from carrying out its inquiry.
Rory Sullivan September 2, 2022 4:30 pm
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Truss sends final message to Tory members
Lizz Truss has just sent a message to Tory party members, hours before the Tory leadership contest ends.
The Foreign Secretary said she was delighted to have met thousands of members over the past six weeks.
Mrs Truss reiterated what she would deliver on tax cuts and reduced bureaucracy as Prime Minister.
“If elected Prime Minister, I will never let anyone bring us down and I will do everything in my power to ensure that our great nation succeeds,” he added.
Rory Sullivan September 2, 2022 4:10 pm
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Who are the members of the Conservative Party who will choose the next Prime Minister?
Conservative Party members have until 5pm to vote for the next Prime Minister.
Jon Stone takes a closer look at the panel tasked with selecting the country’s next leader:
Who are the Tory members who will choose the next Prime Minister?
Conservative loyalists tend to come from particular backgrounds, age groups and parts of the country
Rory Sullivan September 2, 2022 4:02 pm
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The UK has “no easy options” to deal with the cost of living crisis, says Zahawi
Chancellor Nadhim Zahawi has said the UK has “no easy options” in the face of the “headwinds” it faces.
The country has been hit by a sharp rise in inflation and a significant jump in energy and food prices.
Zahawi said the government will apply some lessons it learned from the pandemic, adding that it was looking for options to support the public.
Rory Sullivan September 2, 2022 3:35 pm
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Labor warns against ‘cover-up’ of Partygate probe
Not allowing the Commons inquiry to investigate whether Boris Johnson’s Partygate denials would amount to a “cover-up”, Labour’s shadow Commons leader has said.
Thangam Debbonaire told BBC Radio 4’s World at One programme: “This current prime minister must be able to prove, and the inquiry must be free to investigate, that he corrected the record as soon as possible.”
She added: “Otherwise, I’m afraid to say, it just looks like the scandal and the lies and the cover-ups that people have described it as.”
Rory Sullivan September 2, 2022 3:10 pm
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Exclusive: Coffey tipped Health Secretary to Truss cabinet as Kwarteng and Rees-Mogg prepare for roles
Thérèse Coffey will take on the role of health secretary if Liz Truss wins the Tory leadership contest, The Independent understands.
Two sources said Ms Coffey, a long-time ally of Ms Truss, was a favorite candidate for the post as NHS backlogs are seen as a critical issue ahead of the next general election, due in 2024.
The move would mark a promotion for Ms Coffey from her current role as secretary of state at the Department for Work and Pensions.
Meanwhile, Priti Patel has told staff she hopes to leave her role at the Home Office.
“He has made it clear to the staff that he does not expect to stay, that has been made very clear to the staff,” a home office source said.
Anna Isaac September 2, 2022 2:56 p.m
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Chris Bryant slams Lord Pannick’s ‘strange’ legal opinion
Labor MP Chris Bryant has condemned Lord Pannick’s legal opinion on the parliamentary inquiry into whether Boris Johnson has misled Parliament, calling it “wrong in a number of respects”.
The government-commissioned board suggested it was “unfair” for the privilege committee not to investigate whether or not the prime minister had deliberately lied to his colleagues.
Bryant, the chairman of the privileges committee who has recused himself from the inquiry, described Lord Pannick’s choice as “odd”, saying it had no formal status.
“First, you fail to mention that the motion charging the Committee makes no mention of ‘intentionally misleading,'” he tweeted.
“It also fails to recognize that many aspects of the rules processes have changed over the years, including the introduction of the right of ministers to correct the record by written ministerial statement, which was used 200 times last year,” he added.
The Labor politician noted that Johnson himself used the procedure earlier this year to correct his false claim that Roman Abramovich had already been sanctioned.
Mr Bryant said the Prime Minister should stop trying to “get” the inquiry. “If Johnson has a good case to present, he will be vindicated. If not, he should take his punishment,” he explained.
Rory Sullivan September 2, 2022 2:40 pm
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G7 agree on Russian oil price cap to curb runaway energy costs
Finance ministers from the G7 group of leading democracies have agreed on a global price cap for Russian oil and oil products.
G7 agree on Russian oil price cap to curb runaway energy costs
Finance ministers from the G7 group of leading democracies have agreed on a global price cap for Russian oil and oil products.
Rory Sullivan September 2, 2022 2:30 pm