Politics

Allies of Rishi Sunak have played down the defection of a Tory MP to supporting Liz Truss as the two campaign teams continued to trade blows over economic policy. Former Cabinet minister Theresa Villiers, who is backing Mr Sunak, said that “inevitably MPs change their mind during these contests”, when asked on Sky News about

Energy bosses have been “hauled in” before government to discuss what they are going to do with their rising profits as household bills soar, the education secretary has told Sky News. James Cleverly said Chancellor Nadhim Zahawi and Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng are to meet with leaders of energy companies as calls grow for more

Rishi Sunak has promised to give “hundreds of pounds” more to people for energy bills while Liz Truss refused to commit to extra support for struggling families. Mr Sunak said he is “confident” he could find the money needed to support people with the rising cost of living from government efficiency savings if was to

The Liberal Democrats are demanding parliament be recalled from its summer recess to pass a law to scrap impending hikes in energy prices. The party has drafted legislation to cancel the price cap rise, which is due to be announced at the end of the month and coming into force in October. The Energy Price

Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak are coming under growing pressure to explain how they would help British families with the cost of living crisis this autumn. With inflation set to spike above 13% in October, the energy price cap expected to surge and a recession forecast by the year’s end, economic policy has become the

Liz Truss was not ruling out future cost of living support when she said she would reject “handouts”, her supporters have said, with prominent backer Penny Mordaunt claiming the comments were “misinterpreted”. Leadership rival Rishi Sunak attacked the comments saying the foreign secretary needs to “get real”, while claiming her plan to cut taxes immediately

The next prime minister is facing calls to immediately increase Universal Credit payments to stop vulnerable people spiralling further into poverty when fuel bills increase again this winter. The poorest in society are suffering three major blows to their income in the year to October 2022, according to a report commissioned by former prime minister

Rishi Sunak has vowed to phase out university degrees that do not improve students’ “earning potential”, under plans to reform education if he became the UK’s next prime minister. In proposals announced tonight, the Tory leadership contender pledged to create a Russell Group of technical colleges. The changes would mark “a significant stride towards parity

Liz Truss has pledged to “immediately” reverse the increase in National Insurance if she wins the race for Number 10. The foreign secretary said she would make the move in an emergency budget in September while announcing other tax cuts. But leadership rival Rishi Sunak hit out at her plans, contrasting his “clear-eyed realism” with

Liz Truss was interrupted by activists as she attempted to deliver her opening speech at a Conservative Party hustings in Eastbourne. The protesters from Green New Deal Rising shouted “shame on you” and “Green New Deal” as they stood holding placards inside the hustings venue. “I think we have some infiltrators and I will wait

Rishi Sunak has said Nicola Sturgeon needs to be beaten rather than ignored, aiming a dig at Liz Truss who earlier this week called Scotland’s first minister an “attention seeker”. Mr Sunak said Ms Sturgeon and her party the SNP “pose an existential threat to our cherished union”, adding: “Arguing that we should ignore them

Rishi Sunak has been accused of “funnelling taxpayers’ money to rich Tory shires” after he told party members he had been working to divert funding from “deprived urban areas”. A video obtained by the New Statesman magazine shows the former chancellor telling grassroots Conservatives that he had started changing public funding formulas to ensure more prosperous

Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak faced tough challenges from Conservative members during a Sky News programme just hours after interest rates were hiked. Ms Truss won the coin toss to face the audience of Tory voters first, followed by an interview with Sky News’ Kay Burley. However, it was Mr Sunak who won the audience

This is the moment that matters. On the advice of the National Cyber Security Centre, an arm of GCHQ, the Conservative party has delayed sending out ballot papers to its members – originally expected last weekend. As a result the next seven days, beginning today, are now crucial to determining the next prime minister of

Sajid Javid has thrown his support behind Liz Truss as the next Conservative Party leader, in what will come as a huge blow to Rishi Sunak. The former health secretary, and ex-leadership hopeful, attacked Mr Sunak’s economic policies as he revealed his choice in The Times this evening. He suggested Mr Sunak’s refusal to cut

Conservative members are facing delays in receiving their postal ballots to vote for who they want to be the party’s next leader due to security fears. In a letter sent to Tory members seen by Sky News, the Conservative Party’s head of membership confirmed postal ballots will arrive “a little later than we originally said”

Liz Truss has extended her lead over Rishi Sunak among Tory members, according to a new poll, after the foreign secretary U-turned on a plan to link public sector pay to regional living costs. On Monday night, the leadership race frontrunner said she would save £8.8bn by introducing regional pay boards instead of national ones

Liz Truss has U-turned on her latest leadership policy pitch to “wage war on Whitehall waste” after a Tory backlash over its impact on public sector pay. On Monday night, the foreign secretary said she would save £8.8m by introducing regional pay boards instead of national ones to set salaries for civil servants, reflecting where

Former Tory leadership contender Penny Mordaunt has endorsed Liz Truss in the race to be prime minister, in a huge blow to Rishi Sunak. Ms Mordaunt announced her backing for the foreign secretary as she introduced her at the latest Conservative leadership hustings in Exeter, declaring Ms Truss as “the hope candidate” who “knows what

Rishi Sunak is promising a “radical” change if he becomes prime minister by cutting the basic rate of income tax from 20p in the pound to 16p by the end of the next parliament. In his latest pitch to Conservative Party members, the former chancellor claims the 20% reduction would be “one of the most