United Kingdom

Liz Truss latest: PM to admit stimulus plan will cause ‘disruption’

Liz Truss reveals she has spoken to the former prime minister since taking office

Liz Truss will admit her economic plans, which she claims will boost Britain’s growth, will cause “disruption”.

On Wednesday, in her first Conservative Party conference speech as party leader, the Prime Minister will insist there can be no more “diversion and delay” in her bid to “get us out of this cycle of high taxes and low growth “.

She will defend her “new approach”, saying she will “increase the pie so everyone gets a bigger slice” and “unleash the full potential of our great country”.

It will be seen as her bid to boost Tory ailing morale after Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng was forced to backtrack on cutting the 45p tax rate for top earners – a key policy in his mini-budget which spook markets.

Disagreements over the tax plans have split the party, and further infighting may erupt over whether to increase benefits in line with inflation.

Ms Truss’ speech will follow former minister Nadine Dorries’ warning that the Tories could “absolutely lose” a snap general election after a new poll showed Labor has a 38-point lead in “red wall” constituencies.

Key points

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Liz Truss refuses to apologize for the economic turmoil caused by the mini budget

Liz Truss refused to apologize to people who lost their mortgage deals or those paying higher mortgages as a result of the turmoil caused by the mini budget.

In an interview with Sky News, she said: “I think there is absolutely no shame in a leader listening to people and responding, and I am that kind of person. I have been completely honest and upfront with people that everything I have done as Prime Minister has been focused on helping people get through this very difficult winter.

Maroosha Muzaffar October 5, 2022 4:27 am

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Scotland’s bill to freeze winter rents passes first stage

Legislation that would temporarily freeze rents and ban evictions in Scotland has passed its first stage.

MSPs backed the general principles of the Cost of Living (Protection of Tenants) (Scotland) Bill by 88 votes to 29 on Tuesday.

The second-stage amendments will be taken up on Wednesday, and the final vote will take place on Thursday.

Under the legislation, rent increases will be frozen at 0% until March 31, retroactive to September 6, with ministers having the power to extend this for two further six-month periods if necessary.

Patrick Harvey said the legislation “will help stabilize housing costs”

(PA archive)

Patrick Harvey, the Scottish Government’s tenants’ rights minister, said: “The legislation we are proposing will help keep people in their homes and help stabilize their housing costs during this cost overrun crisis.

“We believe the package of measures strikes the right balance between this objective and ensuring that landlords can continue to offer properties for rent and manage rents in a sustainable way.”

The bill will cover the private and social rented sector, as well as student accommodation.

Lamiat Sabin October 5, 2022 03:00 am

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Tory conference exit ‘very damaging’, says Villiers

Arguments at the Conservative Party conference were “very damaging”, a former minister has said.

Teresa Villiers told a PoliticsHome event at the Birmingham conference: “Unfortunately, I think the events of today and the last few days have been very damaging and I hope we can have a bit of a reset moment.”

Klaxon reset! Theresa Villiers tells the @politicshome podcast that the last few days have been “very damaging” for the Tory party and there needs to be a “reset” of the government to move forward

— Adam Payne (@adampayne26) October 4, 2022

Fellow Conservative MP Alicia Kearns added that the policy “doesn’t feel much different” from last year.

Lamiat Sabin October 5, 2022 02:00

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Braverman’s Immigration and Policing Proposals – In Brief

Home Secretary Suella Braverman made a number of proposals in her speech to the Tory conference, on the main stage and on the sidelines on Tuesday.

  • Migrants crossing the Channel will face a blanket ban on seeking asylum in Britain
  • ‘Illegal’ asylum seekers to be deported or ‘relocated to Rwanda’ while their claim is processed
  • It has an “aspiration” to bring the number of migrants and international students below 100,000
  • Since 2014, there has been a 450 percent increase in claims for modern slavery
  • Modern slavery laws to protect vulnerable people are being ‘abused’ by many illegal migrants

Lamiat Sabin October 5, 2022 01:00

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“Compassionate” Kwarteng dismisses talk of benefits

Kwasi Kwarteng insisted he was following “compassionate conservatism” but declined to comment on whether the government would increase benefits in line with inflation.

The chancellor also told an emergency Conservative party conference event that things were going “very well” since he took office and suggested his party could win the next general election despite Labour’s huge lead in opinion polls.

This contradicts warnings from former ministers – such as Grant Shapps and Nadine Dorries – who have warned the Tories will be in trouble if there is an early general election.

Amid bitter infighting at the annual meeting, cabinet ministers publicly called on Prime Minister Liz Truss to increase benefits in line with inflation rather than the lower wage measure.

Mr Kwarteng said: “I thought it was a good phrase, compassionate conservatism, and it’s something I always think about from a policy perspective and I think we have an obligation to look after very vulnerable people.”

But asked if he would support increasing benefits in line with inflation, he said: “I’m not going to get into a debate about what we’re going to do with benefits.”

Lamiat Sabin October 5, 2022 12:00 AM

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Tory conference front pages on Wednesday

The Sun and the Daily Mail were the only two national newspapers not to feature news of the Conservative Party conference on their front pages.

Independent: Prime Minister struggles to toe party line as divisions deepen

Financial Times: Truce seeks to unite MPs after Tories renew infighting over benefits threat

Daily Telegraph: Disruption is the price of success, PM insists

Guardian: Tory unrest amid ‘coup’ claims to oust Truss

Times: Prepare for more change, says destroyer Truss

Morning Star: Tories in chaos over threat of income cuts

Mirror: NOW Tories blame Queen’s death for budget fiasco

Daily Star: Kwasi: The Queen is to blame!

Daily Express: PM: My changes will hinder… but build a better future

Dream: Married BBC star’s secret romance with stripper

Daily Mail: Official: Police to attend EVERY burglary

Lamiat Sabin October 4, 2022 11:00 p.m

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ICYMI: Labor support in ‘red wall’ seats jumps to 61%

Support for Sir Keir Starmer’s Labor Party jumped to 61 percent in the North of England and Midlands constituencies, while Liz Truss’s Conservatives fell to just 23 percent.

You can read the full details here from Adam Forrest

Workforce support in ‘red wall’ locations jumps to 61%

Remarkable 23-point swing to Keir Starmer’s Heartlands party after mini-budget mess

Lamiat Sabin October 4, 2022 10:31 pm

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Donald Trump: Liz Truss will do very well as Prime Minister

Liz Truss received a glowing endorsement from Donald Trump.

The former Republican US president praised the recently appointed Tory leader for her tax cut agenda.

Mr Trump said he believed she would do “very well” as prime minister.

Donald Trump praised Liz Truss for her plans to cut taxes

(AP)

In an interview with GB News, he said: “I cut taxes significantly and we did a lot more business and she did.

“And I know she’s taken some hits for that, which actually surprises me, but it could be that at the end of the day you have more revenue, it’s going to be very interesting.”

“What she did is very opposite to what some people thought. But that doesn’t mean they were right. I have a feeling she might be right.

Lamiat Sabin October 4, 2022 10:00 p.m

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Braverman lashed out because he wants the UK to leave the ECtHR

A senior government source has criticized Home Secretary Suella Braverman for saying she wants the UK to leave the European Convention on Human Rights, contrary to government policy.

When Ms Braverman stood up to Prime Minister Liz Truss for the Tory leadership, she campaigned in favor of such a move.

She returned to the subject today at an event organized by the Spectator magazine at the Tory conference in Birmingham.

Suella Braverman gives a thumbs up after her speech on immigration

(Jacob King/Pennsylvania)

Ms Braverman said: “I was quite outspoken about this in my leadership campaign.

“Personally, my position is that we should eventually leave the European Convention on Human Rights.

“It is not government policy, I must say, government policy is to do everything we can within the convention, within the limits of the convention.

“But if that doesn’t work, then we’ll have to consider all options.”

But a senior government official told the PA news agency: “As Suella has acknowledged, her personal views are at odds with government policy and if she wishes to air those views within the government, she should do so in a more appropriate environment.”

Lamiat Sabin October 4, 2022 9:30 pm

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Doris: “Removing Boris and his policies is a recipe for disaster”

Removing Boris Johnson and his policies “is a recipe for disaster”, former culture secretary Nadine Dorries has said.

Speaking to LBC Radio’s Ian Dale, she said: “I think what Liz (Truss) needs to do is stop right now and take stock of where she is, learn from the mistakes of the last few weeks, to look at the manifesto that the people elected us.”

She added: “Because to me removing Boris and removing policies is a recipe for disaster.”

Lamiat Sabin October 4, 2022 9:15 pm