Sir Keir Starmer accused Liz Truss of desperately “clinging on” to power after she sacked Kwasi Kwarteng to counter the fierce backlash from the Tory party against her disastrous plan for growth.
In a speech to supporters in Barnsley this morning, the Labour leader said there were “no historical precedents” for the chaos that followed Ms Truss and her former chancellor’s mini-Budget in which they launched several now abandoned tax-cutting policies that the markets took to be reckless.
New chancellor Jeremy Hunt this morning gave an extraordinary series of interviews in which he signalled a decisive break with his new boss’s plan for growth.
Mr Hunt said he will have to make cuts to public spending to steady the economy after the disastrous first few weeks of Ms Truss’s premiership.
He admitted Ms Truss made “mistakes” and said “difficult decisions” were going to have to be taken to reassure markets and restore stability.
Hunt won’t commit to real-terms benefits rise
Jeremy Hunt has refused to commit to benefits rising in line with inflation, suggesting the rift in the Tory party will not be healed by the new chancellor’s appointment.
The benefits rise is one of the fiercest matters of contention in the Tory party, with several cabinet ministers arguing that the proposed real-terms cut would harm the poorest amid a cost of living crisis.
Asked about the policy this morning, Mr Hunt said: “I am very sensitive to the needs of people right at the bottom of the income scale.
“I’m not going to make that commitment within hours of taking on this job, and indeed, the right time to do that is when I’ve seen the figures in the round and discussed them with the prime minister.”
Liam James15 October 2022 11:50
Odds for Liz Truss to leave No 10 before the end of the year slashed
Odds on prime minister Liz Truss leaving Downing Street before the end of 2022 were slashed on Friday after she sacked her chancellor and reversed sweeping tax cuts.
Waning confidence in Ms Truss’s political and economic credibility follows weeks of financial turmoil as markets were sent reeling by former chancellor Kwasi Kwateng’s so-called mini-Budget.
William Hill made the embattled PM just 5/4 to leave her role before 2023 – down from 11/2 on Thursday – following her curt press conference announcing the U-turn on cutting corporation tax.
Odds for Liz Truss to leave No 10 before the end of the year slashed
The future of Ms Truss’s leadership appears precarious – and the bookies agree
Liam James15 October 2022 11:35
Starmer says Truss ‘clinging on’
Sir Keir Starmer accused Liz Truss of desperately holding on to power after she sacked her chancellor to counter the backlash in the Tory party against her disastrous plan for growth.
Though Kwasi Kwarteng got the axe for his role in throwing the British economy into turmoil, “there is still one person clinging on,” the Labour leader told supporters in Barnsley on Saturday morning.
He said there were “no historical precedents” for the chaos that followed Ms Truss and her former chancellor’s mini-budget in which they launched several now abandoned tax-cutting policies that markets took to be reckless.
“No doubt we will hear plenty of laughable excuses in the coming days,” Sir Keir said. “After 12 years of stagnation, that’s all her party has left but even they know she can’t fix the mess she has created.
“And deep down, her MPs know something else. They no longer have a mandate from the British people.”
Liam James15 October 2022 11:11
Truss and Starmer lead tributes to murdered MP Amess
Liz Truss and Sir Keir Starmer have led tributes to Sir David Amess on the first anniversary of his murder.
Sir David, who was an MP for nearly 40 years, was stabbed during a constituency surgery at Belfairs Methodist Church in Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, on October 15, 2021.
He is survived by his wife Lady Julia Amess and their three children.
Tributes for Sir David have been pouring in to mark one year since his murder.
Southend-on-Sea Council announced that a tree will be planted in the city in memory of the veteran Conservative MP, who represented Southend West.
Liam James15 October 2022 10:47
Defence committee chair welcomes Hunt as chancellor
Tobias Ellwood joined those welcoming Jeremy Hunt’s appointment as chancellor, as he indicated he has had the Conservative whip restored.
In a reference to his loss of the Tory whip after he failed to support the government in a confidence vote during the summer while overseas, the defence committee chair tweeted: “Glad to be off the naughty step & back in Pty as we enter this re-set.”
Mr Ellwood said Mr Hunt was a “wise inclusion” in the government.
“We thrive when governing as ‘One Nation’ Tories harnessing a coalition of talent – solving economic crises via sound money & fiscal responsibility.”
The Bournemouth MP was still listed as an independent on the parliamentary website.
Liam James15 October 2022 10:28
Clip: Jeremy Hunt says tax rises coming
Here’s a clip from earlier of the new chancellor admitting tax rises will follow Liz Truss’s catastrophic tax-cutting dash for growth.
New chancellor Jeremy Hunt says some tax rates will have to go up
Liam James15 October 2022 10:09
#ICYMI: Ex-Daily Mail editor misses out in Boris Johnson peerage list
You would be forgiven for not being aware that Boris Johnson’s honours list was released last night.
Major Conservative donor Michael Hintze was among the 26 to be offered a spot on the Lords’ benches, with some nominations from Labour leader Sir Kier Starmer also among them.
However, Paul Dacre, the former editor of the Daily Mail who remains editor-in-chief of the newspaper’s publisher DMG Media, was not on the list despite being heavily tipped for a peerage. Nadine Dorries, ultra-loyal Johnsonist, also missed out.
Adam Forrest is here to take you through the full list:
Tory donor handed peerage – but former Daily Mail boss Paul Dacre misses out
Former Labour MP Tom Watson and ex-DUP leader Arlene Foster on list to enter Lords
Liam James15 October 2022 09:48
Kwarteng learned his fate from the news – Times
Quite the line in The Times this morning: Kwasi Kwarteng flew back to Britain unaware that he was about to be sacked as chancellor.
According to the paper, Mr Kwarteng landed at Heathrow airport yesterday shortly after 11am having flown seven hours from Washington.
He was picked up by his ministerial car and set off back to London for a meeting with Liz Truss.
Within quarter of an hour The Times broke the news that he was about to be sacked, informing Mr Kwarteng of the content of the meeting he was travelling to.
Mr Kwarteng, the second shortest-serving chancellor in history, later said he thought Ms Truss’s brutal move had bought her only “a few days or weeks” extra in No 10.
Liam James15 October 2022 09:38
Hunt and Truss will meet tomorrow
Jeremy Hunt said he will meet Liz Truss tomorrow after he set out his direction as chancellor in an astounding series of interviews this morning.
The new chancellor said he intends to break firmly from Ms Truss’s growth plan, with tax rises and spending cuts to take the place of wild tax rises.
After the news round this morning, Mr Hunt said he will meet Treasury officials later today ahead of a meeting with the prime minister tomorrow.
Mr Hunt was appointed yesterday evening after Ms Truss sacked Kwasi Kwarteng over the catastrophic reaction to the mini-budget the prime minister and former chancellor devised to “turbo-charge” Britain’s growth.
The new chancellor said he has been given a “clean slate” to diverge from the policies of the mini-budget.
Liam James15 October 2022 09:23
Liz Truss has ‘listened’ to criticism, says Hunt
Jeremy Hunt insisted Liz Truss had “listened” after the crisis sparked by her mini-budget, as the new chancellor said that people do not want “more political instability”.
He told the BBC: “She has listened and I think you want a prime minister who’s prepared to listen in these situations and what she wants to do is to get the economy motoring in a way that protects families and businesses through a very difficult period.
“And I think the last thing people want now is more political instability.”
The prime minister has already U-turned on two of her major economic policies and Mr Hunt this morning suggested he was going to break with most of those remaining with spending cuts and tax rises on the horizon.
Liam James15 October 2022 09:09
Kaynak: briturkish.com