Truss accused of evading scrutiny as MPs told energy bills announcement being made in debate, not ministerial statement
Peter Walker
Liz Truss is to present her plans for cutting energy bills as a general debate on the subject, rather than the normal ministerial statement, with Labour saying this could allow her to evade proper scrutiny.
Making a brief statement on business for Thursday, Penny Mordaunt, the new leader of the Commons, outlined the plan.
Thangam Debbonaire, her Labour shadow, questioned the choice, noting that the format of a ministerial or prime ministerial statement means that the person presenting it, in this case Truss, would have to answer repeated questions from MPs. A debate means she will most likely only speak once, at the start.
Debbonaire also noted that unlike with a statement, there is no need for the government to provide any details of the policy to the opposition or MPs in advance.
Mark Harper, the Tory former chief whip, then spoke to request that MPs get proper sight of the plan.
Mordaunt said she would “make representations” about this to the business and energy department, which is leading on this.
Earlier, at PMQs, Truss said she would unveil her plans for dealing with the energy bills crisis tomorrow.
Key events
49m agoRobert Jenrick returns to government as health minister
1h agoTruss’s cabinet most privately-educated since John Major’s, says Sutton Trust
2h agoTruss accused of evading scrutiny as MPs told energy bills announcement being made in debate, not ministerial statement
2h agoNo dedicated Brexit opportunities minister being appointed to replace Rees-Mogg, No 10 says
3h agoPMQs – verdict from Twitter commentariat
3h agoPMQs – snap verdict
4h agoBill of rights bill to be shelved
5h agoTruss to face Starmer at PMQs for the first time
5h agoRebates, rather than price cap, would be better and cheaper way to tackle energy bills criss, says Tony Blair’s thinktank
6h agoFracking not solution to energy crisis, says chair of Committee for Climate Change
6h agoBoE governor says he is open to Truss’s plan for review of its mandate, but rejects suggestions current system not working
6h agoBoE governor sidesteps questions at Treasury committee about whether energy bills package might be inflationary
6h agoNew cabinet ‘represents depth and breadth of talent’ in Tory party, No 10 says
7h agoFreezing energy bills helps richer people most, says IFS director Paul Johnson
7h ago1m more people face poverty this winter, even with energy bills frozen, says Tory thinktank
7h agoSpending on health and social care will stay ‘exactly the same’ despite health and social care levy being scrapped, says Coffey
7h agoDeputy PM Thérèse Coffey denies claims Truss put loyalty ahead of competence when appointing new cabinet
Protesters from Animal Rebellion, a group campaigning against diary farming because of its impact on the climate crisis, threw paint over a wall at parliament earlier today. The police said 10 people were arrested for criminal damage.
Libby Brooks
The SNP has been blocked from making oral arguments in the supreme court case over whether Holyrood has the power to hold an independence referendum, although it can make a written submission.
The party had requested the chance to put its arguments in person when the case is heard in London next month but the court ruled on Wednesday that it could only make a written submission of up to 20 pages and avoiding repetition of the Scottish government’s arguments.
In June Nicola Sturgeon announced that she had requested the lord advocate, Dorothy Bain QC, write to the supreme court asking it to establish whether the Scottish government had the necessary legal powers to stage a consultative referendum without Westminster approval.
The SNP’s application to intervene in the case has reinforced speculation that the Scottish government is concerned that Bain’s own submission wasn’t strong enough.
The court is due to hear arguments from both sides on 11 and 12 October, with a judgment possibly coming in the new year.
And we have had yet more minister of state appointments.
Jesse Norman returns to government as a Foreign Office minister. Norman was a Treasury minister until he was asked to resign in September last year because Boris Johnson wanted more diversity in government.
Leo Docherty also becomes a Foreign Office minister. He was a defence minister.
Tom Pursglove remains as a Home Office minister.
Jeremy Quin becomes a Home Office minister. He was a defence minister.
Jackie Doyle-Price becomes a business minister. She had been a backbencher, but she supported Liz Truss in the Tory leadership contest.
Conor Burns becomes an international trade minister. He had been a Northern Ireland minister.
And Mark Spencer becomes an environment minister. He had been leader of the Commons, and so he has been demoted.
Here is a Guardian graphic showing the winners and losers in the cabinet reshuffle.
Cabinet reshuffle – winners and losersCabinet reshuffle – winners and losersRobert Jenrick returns to government as health ministerDowning Street has announced another tranche of ministerial appointments. They are all ministers of state (non-cabinet ministers, but more senior than parliamentary under-secretaries of state, who are at the most junior rank) except the solicitor general.
Robert Jenrick, housing secretary until he was sacked in 2021, becomes a health minister. Jenrick backed Rishi Sunak for the Tory leadership, and so this appointment boosts Truss’s claims that she is including all factions in the party in her government.
Victoria Prentis becomes a welfare minister. She was a farming minister, and she had also backed Sunak in the Tory leadership contest.
Rachel Maclean becomes a justice minister. She was minister for safeguarding until she resigned in July, as part of the walkout by ministers who had lost faith in Boris Johnson.
Julia Lopez becomes a culture minister again. She had been at the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport until July, when she also resigned in protest against Johnson.
And Michael Tomlinson becomes solicitor general. He had been a whip.
Truss’s cabinet most privately-educated since John Major’s, says Sutton Trust
Richard Adams
Liz Truss has appointed a higher proportion of cabinet ministers who attended private schools than even Old Etonian Boris Johnson, according to figures collected by the Sutton Trust. Hers is the most privately-educated cabinet since John Major’s.
The trust – which campaigns on widening access to education – found that 68% of the new cabinet were educated at fee-paying schools. That is a higher proportion of privately educated cabinet ministers than Johnson’s first cabinet (64%), and more than twice that of Theresa May’s 2016 cabinet (30%), and more than both Cameron’s 2015 cabinet (50%) and the 2010 coalition cabinet (62%).
Only 19% of Truss’s first cabinet attended a comprehensive – including Truss herself – which is lower than the 27% in Johnson’s first cabinet.
The Sutton Trust noted:
The prime minister herself was comprehensively educated, but some of those heading up key departments – including the foreign secretary, the home secretary and the education secretary – are among those educated at independent schools.
The proportion of independently educated ministers attending cabinet is less than earlier cabinets under Conservative prime ministers, John Major (71% in 1992) and Margaret Thatcher (91% in 1979). Tony Blair and Gordon Brown both had 32% of those attending cabinet privately educated, while 25% of Clement Attlee’s first cabinet had been privately educated.
Of the 31 ministers attending Liz Truss’s new cabinet, 35% went to Oxford or Cambridge universities. This compares with 27% of all Conservative MPs, 18% of Labour MPs and 21% of all MPs. 29% of Truss’s cabinet were educated at other Russell Group universities (excluding Oxbridge). 26% of the new cabinet went through a ‘pipeline’ from fee-paying schools to Oxbridge.
Truss continues the academic dynasty at Number 10 that stretches back to the start of second world war: except for Gordon Brown, every prime minister since 1940 who attended university was educated at Oxford.
Truss accused of evading scrutiny as MPs told energy bills announcement being made in debate, not ministerial statement
Peter Walker
Liz Truss is to present her plans for cutting energy bills as a general debate on the subject, rather than the normal ministerial statement, with Labour saying this could allow her to evade proper scrutiny.
Making a brief statement on business for Thursday, Penny Mordaunt, the new leader of the Commons, outlined the plan.
Thangam Debbonaire, her Labour shadow, questioned the choice, noting that the format of a ministerial or prime ministerial statement means that the person presenting it, in this case Truss, would have to answer repeated questions from MPs. A debate means she will most likely only speak once, at the start.
Debbonaire also noted that unlike with a statement, there is no need for the government to provide any details of the policy to the opposition or MPs in advance.
Mark Harper, the Tory former chief whip, then spoke to request that MPs get proper sight of the plan.
Mordaunt said she would “make representations” about this to the business and energy department, which is leading on this.
Earlier, at PMQs, Truss said she would unveil her plans for dealing with the energy bills crisis tomorrow.
No dedicated Brexit opportunities minister being appointed to replace Rees-Mogg, No 10 saysHere are the main points from the post-PMQs Downing Street lobby briefing.
The PM’s spokesperson said the government will keep the current windfall tax on energy companies introduced by Rishi Sunak earlier this year – but that no further windfall tax will be introduced. He said:
The Prime Minister is clear that we will not be introducing any further taxes in this space, given that we want to see broader investment in domestic oil and gas production as a transition fuel during this current global crisis we face.
The spokesperson would not say whether the bill of rights, which has been shelved (see 12.45pm), would be reintroduced in the current parliament. He said:
A new secretary of state will consider all policies in their area, that will include ongoing bills proceeding through parliament. This is no different.
No 10 hinted that the ban on fracking will be lifted this week. During the leadership contest Truss said: “I support exploring fracking in parts of the United Kingdom where that can be done”. Asked if the fracking ban would be lifted this week, the press secretary would not comment on the announcement tomorrow, but he said Truss made her views clear during the campaing. This is from LBC’s Ben Kentish.
Interesting. Liz Truss’s Press Secretary says the new PM will stick to the Conservatives’ 2019 manifesto promises, saying: “The manifesto stands.” Repeats this line when asked about fracking, which Liz Truss has suggested she would lift the ban on. Here’s what the manifesto said: pic.twitter.com/lw69sx51HX
— Ben Kentish (@BenKentish) September 7, 2022 The spokesperson said Truss was still deciding whether or not to appoint an ethics adviser to replace Lord Geidt, the independent adviser on ministers’ interests (to give him his formal title) who resigned when Boris Johnson was PM. The spokesperson said:
The prime minister wants to consider the best way to achieve the functions of that role, that level of oversight, and to ensure the government is held to the highest standards as the public expect.
No 10 said the government had abandoned the move to put Tory MP Sir Christopher Chope onto the privileges committee, which is investigating whether Johnson misled MPs over Partygate, because this was a decision for the new chief whip. Chope was meant to fill a space created by the resignation of Tory MP Laura Farris from the committee before the summer recess. The move was controversial because of suspicions that Chope might try to obstruct the inquiry.
No 10 confirmed that Jacob Rees-Mogg will not be replaced as Brexit opportunities minister. Rees-Mogg will still address this agenda as business secretary, and ministers in other department will consider Brexit opportunities too, Downing Street said.
Liz Truss and Keir Starmer face off for first time at PMQs – videoPMQs – verdict from Twitter commentariatAnd this is what other journalists and commentors are saying about PMQs. Mostly people were just glad to hear the two main party leaders have a proper argument about policy.
From my colleague Rafael Behr on PMQs.
That’s a more substantial exchange of opinions on actual policy than we’ve had in pmqs for a while. Low bar, I know, but it’s definitely an improvement.
— Rafael Behr (@rafaelbehr) September 7, 2022 So strategic lines clear. Truss is betting that politics of tax will cycle back to April 1992 and Starmer is Neil Kinnock. Starmer is betting that it’ll be more late-era Major and Tory brand is contaminated by arrogance of power and callous indifference to poverty.
— Rafael Behr (@rafaelbehr) September 7, 2022 From Global’s Lewis Goodall
Weirdly, though neither are the most electric of performers, that was the most sharply focussed ideological clash we’ve seen at PMQs for some time. Which is exactly what many Tory MPs wanted.
— Lewis Goodall (@lewis_goodall) September 7, 2022 Ideological contours on display as we haven’t seen for some years. But should also remember that tonororw Liz Truss is going to announce borrowing and an intervention on a beyond Corbyneseque scale. Everything is still in flux.
— Lewis Goodall (@lewis_goodall) September 7, 2022 From my colleague Nesrine Malik
Reckon with that Truss has given the right wing media and the pundits enough for a coronation. Watch the front pages tomorrow.
— Nesrine Malik (@NesrineMalik) September 7, 2022 From the New Statesman’s George Eaton
“I am against a windfall tax.”
Truss positions herself to the right of Margaret Thatcher (whose government imposed windfall taxes on banks and oil firms). #PMQs
— George Eaton (@georgeeaton) September 7, 2022 From Global’s Jon Sopel
Can’t help feeling Labour will be taking a deep gulp after #PMQs. @trussliz looking sure-footed, with some zinger one liners. And no shortage of intellectual self confidence.
— Jon Sopel (@jonsopel) September 7, 2022 From my colleague John Crace
Truss making huge mistake of answering questions at PMQs
— John Crace (@JohnJCrace) September 7, 2022 From Sky’s Sophy Ridge
People might have been expecting less fireworks between Truss & Starmer at #pmqs but the clear blue water between their two ideologies is there for anyone to see…
— Sophy Ridge (@SophyRidgeSky) September 7, 2022 From the Sun’s Harry Cole
Some pretty clear blue water here. Truss sticking to her low tax growth guns. Starmer seems almost surprised.
— Harry Cole (@MrHarryCole) September 7, 2022 From the Mirror’s Kevin Maguire
Big #PMQs takeaway is a thick red dividing line is Truss will borrow, add debt, to fund an energy package while Starmer would fund one at least in part with a windfall tax on excess profits.
— Kevin Maguire (@Kevin_Maguire) September 7, 2022 From the FT’s Robert Shrimsley
First PMQs for a while in which both leaders argued the case for their competing economic ideas. Rather liked it.
— robert shrimsley (@robertshrimsley) September 7, 2022 PMQs – snap verdictEvery former prime minister says that taking PMQs is the most scary ordeal of the week and, even after 10 years in post, people like Margaret Thatcher and Tony Blair regarded it as one of the ultimate challenges of the job – an encounter when a few wrong words could spell disaster. For any new prime minister, the first question is, are they up to it? And Liz Truss clearly is. She looked like a prime minister, she performed reasonably well, and she even managed a decent joke (on Labour leaders and north London – see 12.20pm.) It was not a triumph, but it was not a catastrophe either, and on day one that is a bonus.
Truss also marks a very welcome change from Boris Johnson, in that (for the most part) she was willing to answer questions, and engage in an argument about policy and ideas. This, of course, is what is meant to happen. But for the last three years we have been governed by a prime minister much more interested in politics as performance and entertainment, and so it is refreshing to tilt back to ideas.
But that is where the whole encounter was less positive for Truss. She won the Conservative leadership contest on a low-tax, small-state agenda that put her well to the right of any Tory leader for a generation. Truss has always been a libertarian (it’s why she joined the Liberal Democrats at university), but during the summer it was never entirely clear to what extent she was just pandering to her party’s cruder, Thatcherite instincts. But now we know; it’s worse than that (to quote an old Westminster joke) – she really does believe it.
Starmer exposed this clearly with questions that illuminated what may become the key dividing line in British politics. Truss has already shifted on to Labour territory by conceding the need for a price cap of some sort on energy bills. But while Labour is proposing to fund this through a windfall tax, Truss is resisting this and today she dug in firmly on this point, declaring categorically that a windfall tax would be wrong. Starmer said this was prioritising the interests of an industry making £170bn in profits and that as a result she was going for “more borrowing than is needed”, with taxpayers paying the price for years to come.
Maybe you can win a general election on this sort of purist, ideological Laffer curve worship? But it seems extremely unlikely. Tories like Rishi Sunak believe the claim that tax cuts alone will always promote growth is nonsense, and even figures in the energy industry are finding it hard to justify their excessive profits. Starmer did not put on a particularly flashy performance, but he sounded much closer to where the public opinion is on these issues and ultimately that is what matters.
Truss also had no convincing answer to the question posed to her by several MPs: how could people trust her to sort out the nation’s problems when she had been in government for the past 10 years? (Boris Johnson did not have this problem, because he was out of parliament for most of the David Cameron era, and he resigned from Theresa May’s government.) Starmer summed this all up in his final question. He told Truss:
The prime minister claims to be breaking orthodoxy but the reality is she’s reheating George Osborne’s failed corporation tax plans – protecting oil and gas profits and forcing working people to pay the bill.
She’s the fourth Tory prime minister in six years – the face at the top may change but the story remains the same.
There’s nothing new about the Tory fantasy of trickle-down economics, nothing new about this Tory prime minister who nodded through every decision that got us into this mess and now says how terrible it is, and can’t she see there’s nothing new about a Tory prime minister who when asked: who pays? says: ‘It’s you, the working people of Britain’?”
In response Truss said there was “nothing new about a Labour leader who is calling for more tax rises” and that Starmer was just offering “the same old tax and spend”. It demonstrated that she can think on her feet, but that won’t help much if voters conclude that what Starmer is saying makes more sense.
Bill of rights bill to be shelvedThe government is shelving the bill of rights bill, my colleague Jesssica Elgot reports. Whitehall sources say it needs a comprehensive rewrite.
This was the legislation drafted by Dominic Raab that was intended to give British courts more leeway to diverge from European court of human rights rulings.
Whitehall source says government is pulling second reading of the bill of rights – describes it as a “total mess” and that it needs a radical overhaul to stop it being vulnerable to multiple amendments
— Jessica Elgot (@jessicaelgot) September 7, 2022 Truss says she is committed to following through on the early years agenda championed by Dame Andrea Leadsom.
Helen Hayes (Lab) asks if the government will publish an action plan to deliver for vulnerable children before the end of the year – yes or no?
Yes, says Truss.
Sir Jeremy Wright (Con) asks for an assurance that the online safety bill will come back to the Commons.
Truss says it will come back, but there are some issues she wants to address. Some “tweaks” may be required to it, she says, to ensure it does more to protect free speech.
Rachel Hopkins (Lab) asks why people should trust Truss to deliver on the NHS when she has been in government while the problems have been created.
Truss accuses Hopkins of “talking down” the NHS. The NHS is recovering from the problems caused by Covid, she says.
Shailesh Vara (Con), who was sacked as Northern Ireland secretary last night, asks Truss to commit to proceeding with the Northern Ireland protocol bill if the EU does not compromise.
Truss says she wants a negotiated solution. But she will not allow this to drift. Her priority is protecting the supremacy of the Good Friday agreement.
Tony Lloyd (Lab) says child poverty has been growing. Can Truss promise that no child will have to go to bed in a cold, damp house?
Truss says that is why the government wants to ensure people can afford their energy bills, and why it wants to tackle the long-term supply issues.
Dame Caroline Dinenage (Con) asks if the government will pursue a strategy for child cancer.
Truss says the government will proceed with a strategy on this.