Only Liz Truss can tackle Whitehall’s “failed groupthink” and kick-start economic growth, 21 current and former Conservative Cabinet ministers have said. In a letter to The Telegraph, the signatories argued that the Foreign Secretary would break from the “tired economic managerialism of the past” if she becomes prime minister . They also suggested she is more “in tune” with the British public than Rishi Sunak, urging colleagues and party members to unite behind her leadership bid. The signatories include 10 sitting Cabinet ministers – a third of Boris Johnson’s current Cabinet – and 11 past Cabinet ministers including a former Tory leader. The sitting ministers include Nadhim Zahawi, the Chancellor, Ben Wallace, the Defence Secretary, James Cleverly, the Education Secretary, and Penny Mordaunt, the trade minister who made the final three in the Tory leadership race . Mr Sunak has fewer endorsements from current Cabinet ministers than Ms Truss, but the backing of … [Read more...] about Liz Truss backed to tackle ‘failed Whitehall groupthink’ and kick-start economy
Election boris johnson
Runaway inflation raises doubts over Bank’s power to rescue the economy
For a man who's argued that we should look at the economy with a "glass half full mindset", Andrew Bailey presented a decidedly downbeat message as he told Britons they faced two years of financial pain . The Governor of the Bank of England delivered its gloomiest forecasts since the pandemic, with none of the bounceback it predicted two years ago. A recession is coming: prices in the shops will keep on rising just as money in people’s pockets is being eroded by inflation. Meanwhile, pay won't keep up with price rises and close to a million more people will be out of work by the start of the next parliament. But that may not be the worst of it. Despite the focus on the unprecedented income squeeze facing British families, the bigger problem is a lack of green shoots on the horizon. The economic contraction currently facing the UK is expected to be about as long and as deep as the decline of the 1990s, in the wake of the Lawson Boom, but a recovery is nowhere in sight . … [Read more...] about Runaway inflation raises doubts over Bank’s power to rescue the economy
UK Supreme Court to hear Scottish independence case in October
The UK Supreme Court said Thursday it will hold hearings in October on whether Scotland can call an independence referendum without the consent of the British government. Scotland's pro-independence First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has said she intends to hold a fresh vote on independence on 19 October 2023. But Prime Minister Boris Johnson's government in London says it won’t allow a vote to take place because Scots rejected independence in a 2014 referendum that was billed as a "once-in-a-generation" vote. A vote held without the approval of the London government would not be legally binding. Sturgeon’s Scottish government has asked the Supreme Court to rule on whether it has the power to legislate for a consultative referendum, even if the UK government does not give the go-ahead. The court said Thursday it would hear the arguments from both sides on 11 and 12 October. 'Now is the time': Nicola Sturgeon lays out her plans for new Scotland independence … [Read more...] about UK Supreme Court to hear Scottish independence case in October
Gordon Brown demands emergency budget before ‘financial timebomb’
By Malu Cursino Published 49 minutes ago Share close Share page Copy link About sharing Former Labour prime minister Gordon Brown has called for an emergency budget before the UK hits a "financial timebomb" this autumn. Mr Brown said millions would be pushed "over the edge" if the government does not address the cost of living crisis. Conservative leadership rivals Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak have clashed over how they will address high inflation. He wants them to agree an emergency budget with PM Boris Johnson this week, or for parliament to be recalled. Writing in the Observer , Mr Brown said: "The reality is grim and undeniable: a financial timebomb will explode for families in October as a second round of fuel price rises in six months sends shock waves through every household and pushes millions over the edge." A new report commissioned by Mr Brown, carried out by … [Read more...] about Gordon Brown demands emergency budget before ‘financial timebomb’
Steve Barclay: It will be a sprint to avoid an NHS winter crisis
It will be “a sprint” to avert an NHS winter emergency , the Health Secretary has warned. In his first interview since taking the job , Steve Barclay said hospitals were facing “very serious challenges coming down the track in the autumn”. Mr Barclay told The Telegraph his department was in a “real sprint to get ready for September” and that decisions – including on hiring more staff from overseas – could not wait until a new prime minister was in post . The NHS is facing a triple threat from seasonal flu, another Covid wave and the fallout from the cost of living crisis , all of which are expected to increase demand. Mr Barclay’s comments come after it emerged that civil servants are predicting long waits at hospitals this winter, with as few as six in 10 patients expected to be dealt with at A&E departments within four hours. Since Boris Johnson announced that he would resign, there have been concerns over a “zombie” government , with key decisions put … [Read more...] about Steve Barclay: It will be a sprint to avoid an NHS winter crisis
Truss Derangement Syndrome is lulling our failed elite into a fatal miscalculation
My enemy’s enemy is my friend, so it is no wonder that Liz Truss is ahead in the race to be our next prime minister. She is driving all of the right people mad, and their increasingly unhinged contempt is proving her best recruiting sergeant among a Tory membership desperate to sock it to the Left. Her critics cannot understand her appeal, and are displaying all of the classic signs of a delusional ruling class that no longer likes or understands half their country. The Twitter mob is already exhibiting the full symptoms of Truss Derangement Syndrome, as an even cursory scroll through the rantings of our cultural elites immediately reveals. Just like the allergic response once set off by Brexit, TDS is an absurdly irrational overreaction triggered among the very same category of people who wanted us to stay in the EU whenever they see or hear the Foreign Secretary – and especially when she announces a conservative or free-market policy that would disrupt the status quo. They … [Read more...] about Truss Derangement Syndrome is lulling our failed elite into a fatal miscalculation