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R ishi Sunak and Liz Truss have exchanged many heated words during the race to become the next prime minister, yet their actions as MPs have often spoken louder. Ahead of The Telegraph’s leadership hustings in Cheltenham on Thursday night at 7pm, our analysis reveals how the two candidates have voted in hundreds of Commons votes over the last decade. Explore their voting records yourself below, or read on to learn where they stand on the key issues. The key issues of the campaign As the UK’s cost of living crisis intensifies, the candidates’ approach to the economy has been front-and-centre of the campaign. Ms Truss has promised tax cuts from day one if she is elected prime minister, while Mr Sunak has argued that now is not the time, instead pledging to cut taxes once inflation abates. However, their records on tax are not so clear cut, and the voting data — compiled and analysed from Hansard and vote tracking site PublicWhip —  shows they have not always … [Read more...] about Sunak vs Truss: How their voting records compare

Chris Skidmore has become the first Conservative MP to publicly switch his backing from Rishi Sunak to Liz Truss in the in the Tory leadership race. Announcing his defection in an article for The Telegraph, Mr Skidmore said he had became “increasingly concerned” by the Sunak campaign’s “consistently changing position ” on policy. He urged other Tory MPs to join him in switching support to the Foreign Secretary , saying: “It is never too late to make the right decision”. The switch is especially noteworthy as Mr Skidmore, one of the most prominent Tory supporters of Net Zero , is seen as being on the party’s liberal wing, while many of Ms Truss’s most prominent backers are on the traditionalist Right. A Truss campaign source claimed the “floodgates could open” now Mr Skidmore, the MP for Kingswood and a former universities minister, had flipped support, with other defections possible later this week. Mr Skidmore wrote: “The status quo cannot be an option. Initially, … [Read more...] about First Tory MP switches support from Rishi Sunak to Liz Truss in leadership race

Every day, it seems, brings another development in the energy market guaranteed to make this winter miserable for millions. The price cap which artificially holds down bills against wholesale price rises has to be regularly adjusted to avoid suppliers going bust. In April, gas and electricity bills rose by more than 50 per cent to account for increases brought about by the war in Ukraine. In October, average annual bills are set to soar to around £3,582 from £1,971 today, before rising even further in the New Year. Forecasts from an energy consultancy, Cornwall Insight, suggest that the regulator, Ofgem, will increase the cap to £4,266 for the average household from the beginning of January. This is around £650 more than earlier predictions. For most people such costs will be hard to absorb. For many they will be impossible. A serious issue is looming, not least if householders refuse to pay. A campaign to this effect is under way, with one group called Don’t Pay UK claiming that … [Read more...] about Energy price rises are a looming calamity

There is one word for Labour’s attempt to scupper the boundary review: gerrymandering. The present system that they seek to retain is so flawed, so indefensible, that the only reason they could have for doing so is self‑interest. The Government proposes cutting the Commons down to size with constituencies that each contain roughly the same number of souls. It’s an idea that the Chartists have been pushing since the 1830s. Of course there would be losers, including Tories . Boris Johnson’s seat would probably become more marginal. Popular MPs Priti Patel and James Cleverly would have to find a new place to stand. And David Davis would see Haltemprice and Howden cut in two. But there’s no denying that Labour would also suffer because for so long it has benefited from the uneven distribution of voters: the region with the largest number of “lost” seats in England would be the North East. Jeremy Corbyn’s constituency, Islington North, would vanish, placing him, possibly, in … [Read more...] about The Left shows naked self-interest over boundary review

Homes and businesses that provide electricity to the grid will be guaranteed payments from suppliers under new laws introduced this week. Small-scale electricity generators, which install solar, wind or other forms of renewable energy generation at a ­capacity of up to 5MW, will be ensured a payment for each unit of electricity they sell to the grid under the smart ­export guarantee. The legislation will put a legal obligation on energy suppliers with over 150,000 customers to introduce export tariffs by Jan 1 and is part of the Government’s bid to make the UK a net zero emissions country . According to Chris Skidmore, the energy and clean growth minister, the new laws can encourage further small-scale electricity generation. “The future of energy is local and the new smart export guarantee will ensure households that choose to become green energy generators will be guaranteed a payment for electricity supplied to the grid,” he said. “We want the energy market to … [Read more...] about Homes to be paid for export of electricity to the grid

This legislation was approved with little scrutiny, all to boost the ego of one of Britain’s worst prime ministers Never let it be said that Parliament cannot get things done when it wants to. In the three years since the referendum, MPs have not only rejected Theresa May’s Withdrawal Agreement but have failed to produce a majority for every other conceivable plan to exit the European Union. Those who never wanted Brexit in the first place say that it will cost the country billions. Britain is too small and insignificant to stand alone, they say. Nobody voted to be poorer, they say. Contrast this parliamentary rigor mortis with the passage of the Climate Change Act 2008 (2050 Target Amendment) Order which was nodded through on Monday evening, just twelve days after being first laid before the House of Commons. Unanimously approved after a self-congratulatory, back-slapping debate that lasted 90 minutes, it is now on its way to the House of Lords for a second round of … [Read more...] about These green targets waved through by MPs will make the cost of no deal look like small change

Britons are closer to walking on the Moon after Chris Skidmore, the science minister,  announced a new partnership between the UK Space Agency and Nasa. On the 50th anniversary of the launch of Apollo 11, the heads of the two space agencies signed a ‘statement of intent’ agreeing to work together on a future lunar mission . US vice president Mike Pence has already committed Nasa to landing on the Moon within the next five years and the collaboration could see British technology used in satellite communication and navigation services on the lunar surface. But Mr Skidmore said he would eventually like to see a Briton on the Moon, as well as the development of a National Space Programme. Speaking of putting a Briton on the Moon, he said: “I would hope one day that something like that will be possible. “The first priority is around Earth observation and working for Tim Peake getting back up to the International Space Station (ISS). “But we know that today’s announcement … [Read more...] about Britain a step closer to having astronaut on Moon after UK Space Agency signs agreement with Nasa

Record numbers of patients have been forced to endure 12-hour waits in Accident and Emergency departments - with cases up one third in a month, official figures show . NHS statistics show 29,317 people had to wait more than 12 hours in A&E departments in England in July from a decision to admit to actually being admitted. It comes amid increasing struggles to secure GP appointments, with growing numbers giving up because they find it too difficult, heaping pressures on hospitals. The NHS figures show 12-hour A&E waits rose 33 per cent in July, with a record spike of 7,283 - up from 22,034 the previous month. Before the pandemic the figure for the same month was just 450, with a figure of just 22 recorded back in 2015. It follows claims from the Health Secretary that “a real sprint” is required by Government to avert a winter crisis. The new figures also show the number of patients seen within four hours reached a record low, with just 71 per cent of patients … [Read more...] about Record numbers forced to endure 12-hour waits in A&E

A Thames Water van was blocked in by a father who claims he and his young family had been left without water for 62 hours. Car salesman Chris Oxley, 40, and his partner Sarah McCrory, 43, said that their water supply had been cut off since 7pm on Monday evening due to a reported leak. Ms McCrory has been forced to drive 20 miles from their home in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, to her mother's house to wash her nine-month-old baby's clothes. The couple describe Thames Water's inability to resolve the problem as "total incompetence" and asked "Is this what we should expect from our water companies?" Mr Oxley, who filmed the aftermath of the incident, said he had to "force the situation" when a Thames Water engineer turned up with bottled water, but failed to fix the leak. Mr Oxley claims he asked the man to call his manager, but the worker refused and began swearing at him. He said: "The reality is we have called [Thames Water] ten times between us and our neighbours. … [Read more...] about Thames Water van blocked by father of nine-month-old baby after leak left them without water

Albanians are exploiting modern slavery laws to avoid deportation after crossing the Channel, government sources have suggested, as figures showed record numbers are claiming to be victims of trafficking. Official data, published on Thursday, shows Albanians are now the top nationality claiming to be victims of modern slavery or trafficking, overtaking UK nationals. They accounted for more than a quarter (27 per cent) of the record 4,171 potential victims of modern slavery referred to the Home Office, under legislation brought in by Theresa May, in the second quarter of this year. The 1,130 Albanians claiming to be victims of trafficking or slavery are now ahead of UK nationals referred to the Home Office, at 1,013 or 24 per cent of the total. Third were Eritreans, substantially lower at 293 or seven per cent. The figures come just days after it emerged that Albanians accounted for nearly four in 10 migrants crossing the Channel over a six-month period this summer even … [Read more...] about Record numbers of Albanians claiming to be victims of slavery ‘to avoid deportation’