Ofgem is expected to announce next week an increase in the price cap, which is supposed to protect consumers. This could mean annual bills rising from £1,971 on average to £3,582. The opposition party has written to Boris Johnson, as well as Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss, to ask MPs to return to Westminster on Monday in a bid to put forward their plan to freeze the cap. Asked by Sky News what the purpose of a recall would be, shadow Commons leader Thangam Debbonaire said: It would be so that we could pass the legislation that would be necessary to override the price rise, the increase in the price cap that Ofgem will announce in seven days. That could happen next week if we return to parliament on Monday. This is for the government to ask the President and they can do it. The Prime Minister is perfectly capable of opening his email I sent him last night asking him to do just that. I also asked both leadership candidates to support this call. If they are truly serious about helping struggling workers and households and businesses through this cost of living crisis, they should support our appeal right now and we should pass this legislation next week. The Labor frontbencher added: The time for action is now. the government failed. They could have acted weeks ago, they could have acted months ago, in fact, when Labor first called for a windfall tax on oil and gas in January. Welcome to today’s political liveblog. I’ll be covering Andrew Sparrow today. Drop me a line if you have any questions or think I missed something. My email is [email protected] and I’m @Nicola_Slawson on Twitter. Updated at 09.58 BST Important events BETA filters Key Facts (3) Liz Truss (4) Rishi Sunak (3) Tory leadership candidates face further backlash with party members voting in Manchester on Friday as frontrunner Liz Truss was accused of showing “her true colours” in a leaked 2009 document that pushed for huge cuts to government spending. Truss called for charging patients to see their doctor and cutting doctors’ fees by 10 percent in the controversial report she authored when she was deputy director of the think tank Reform, PA News reports. Polls have consistently shown Truss as the clear favorite to win the No 10 race, with election guru Sir John Curtice saying he would be “extremely surprised” if she does not take office. He told The Times that the foreign secretary “would have to foul in some spectacular way” to get her rival Rishi Sunak into Downing Street. Labor said Truss’s report 13 years ago, Back to Black, revealed that “the reality of her agenda is devastating cuts”. In the paper, the seven authors – including Truss – recommended cutting £28bn a year by introducing “user charges for GPs” and cutting the fees of registrars, consultants, GPs and directors by 10%. The report also called for the abolition of universal child benefit, the scrapping of the winter fuel payment and the removal of several major military procurements, including the planned aircraft carriers HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales – which were described as “inappropriate defense projects”. The Truss campaign tried to remove the Tory leadership candidate from the paper, with a campaign spokesman saying: Co-authoring a document does not mean that one supports every proposal made. Liz is focused on her bold economic plan to boost growth, cut taxes and put money back into the pockets of working people. Labor deputy leader Angela Rayner said: Liz Truss’ track record shows her true colors. She is irrelevant to the audience. The reality of her agenda is devastating cuts that put national security at risk, punishing patients who already face record wait times and slashing the pay of frontline workers. Her desperate attempts to distance herself from her own views now won’t fool anyone. Updated at 10.46 BST
Transport Minister threatens to impose railway reforms
Jasper Jolly Rail reforms will be imposed if workers do not agree to new deals, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said. The Conservative party has repeatedly targeted unions with criticism, in a move the Trades Union Congress argued was deliberately “picking a fight” for electoral purposes. Shapps is likely to stay on as transport secretary until at least September 5, when a new Tory leader – likely to be Liz Truss if recent polls are correct – will be in his place. There is little sign that there will be a change of attitude under a new leader. Asked on Friday by Sky News whether there would be compulsory redundancies for rail workers, Grant Shapps said (reported by the Press Association): The deal on the table means virtually no mandatory redundancies at all. If [the unions] you are not willing to submit this agreement to your membership, we will never know if members will accept it. What I do know and can say for sure is that if we can’t sort it out in the way that we’re suggesting, which is ‘please put the agreement in your subscription’, then we’re going to have to go into what’s called a section 188? it is a process that actually requires these changes to be implemented in order to become mandatory. That’s the direction it’s headed now. Shapps claimed that antiquated working practices needed to be updated – a characterization of the industry disputed by unions, which argue that employers are trying to use modernization as an excuse to reduce members’ real pay and conditions. Shapps said: “If we can’t implement these modernizations, we will have to impose these modernizations, but we would prefer to do it through these offers that will actually be given to their members.” Follow our business liveblog for more on rail strikes:
Full story: Recall parliament early to tackle rising energy bills, Labor urges PM
Pippa Crear Labor has urged Boris Johnson to recall parliament next week so the government can offer more help to struggling households before the new energy price cap is announced. The opposition has written to the prime minister and both Tory leadership candidates, warning it is a “critical deadline” for government action to tackle rising energy bills after inflation topped 10% for the first time in 40 years. Ofgem will announce the new level at which energy bills will be capped next Friday, with forecasts predicting a rise to £3,582, or 82% above the current cap. Annual energy bills are expected to reach £4,500 a year from January and £5,456 from April, with warnings that households across the country face severe hardship without government intervention. Labor this week unveiled a £29bn plan to freeze the cap at its current level of £1,971 for six months from October, which would save the average household £1,000, piling pressure on the next prime minister to follow suit . Thangam Debbonaire, the shadow leader of the House of Commons, has now written to the prime minister, Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak, calling on them to recall parliament two weeks early and freeze the price cap before winter. Across Britain, people are having to make unimaginable choices about how to pay their bills, causing endless worry for households and businesses. In seven days, Ofgem will announce the increase in the energy price cap. With inflation rising to 10.1%, this will not just send households into a new spiral of worry, prompting them to cut even further ahead of winter. But it will create another shock for our economy. With businesses and households on the brink, we cannot wait to act. Families deserve a government that is on their side and is ready to take the steps needed now to respond to the magnitude of this national emergency. Earlier this month, Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey called on the government to announce an emergency budget to tackle the cost of living crisis. Ian Blackford, the SNP leader at Westminster, also urged the Prime Minister to bring back MPs before the end of the summer break. Read more here: Alex Lawson A former BP oil executive has called for energy price cap rises to be scrapped and suppliers that fail to help households struggling with bills to be nationalised. Nick Butler, who worked for BP for nearly 30 years and was group vice-chairman of strategy and development, said the expected increases in the cap should be abandoned by industry regulator Ofgem, which said had been “overwhelmed by events” after Turmoil in global energy markets sent 29 British energy retailers to the wall. Butler is also calling for a “forensic review” of the remaining suppliers’ accounts to ensure they are still viable businesses. Ofgem is expected to announce next week an increase in the price cap, which is supposed to protect consumers. This could mean annual bills rising from £1,971 on average to £3,582. Butler, who was a senior policy adviser to Gordon Brown, echoed the former prime minister’s view that energy companies that cannot offer lower bills should be renationalised. Writing for the Guardian, Butler said: As with the financial sector in 2008, if the private energy sector fails to meet the needs of the society it serves, its functions must and will be taken over by government. Companies now taking part must demonstrate that they understand that they must use their skills and resources in the public interest. Butler’s comments come as the government assesses options to help households facing rising energy bills this winter. Former BP employer has been accused of “unlimited…
title: “Labor Urges Tories To Show Serious About Bills Crisis And Recall Parliament Uk Politics Live Policy Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-11-27” author: “Josephine Melo”
Ofgem is expected to announce next week an increase in the price cap, which is supposed to protect consumers. This could mean annual bills rising from £1,971 on average to £3,582. The opposition party has written to Boris Johnson, as well as Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss, to ask MPs to return to Westminster on Monday in a bid to put forward their plan to freeze the cap. Asked by Sky News what the purpose of a recall would be, shadow Commons leader Thangam Debbonaire said: It would be so that we could pass the legislation that would be necessary to override the price rise, the increase in the price cap that Ofgem will announce in seven days. That could happen next week if we return to parliament on Monday. This is for the government to ask the President and they can do it. The Prime Minister is perfectly capable of opening his email I sent him last night asking him to do just that. I also asked both leadership candidates to support this call. If they are truly serious about helping struggling workers and households and businesses through this cost of living crisis, they should support our appeal right now and we should pass this legislation next week. The Labor frontbencher added: The time for action is now. the government failed. They could have acted weeks ago, they could have acted months ago, in fact, when Labor first called for a windfall tax on oil and gas in January. Welcome to today’s political liveblog. I’ll be covering Andrew Sparrow today. Drop me a line if you have any questions or think I missed something. My email is [email protected] and I’m @Nicola_Slawson on Twitter. Updated at 09.58 BST Important events BETA filters Key Facts (3) Liz Truss (4) Rishi Sunak (3) Tory leadership candidates face further backlash with party members voting in Manchester on Friday as frontrunner Liz Truss was accused of showing “her true colours” in a leaked 2009 document that pushed for huge cuts to government spending. Truss called for charging patients to see their doctor and cutting doctors’ fees by 10 percent in the controversial report she authored when she was deputy director of the think tank Reform, PA News reports. Polls have consistently shown Truss as the clear favorite to win the No 10 race, with election guru Sir John Curtice saying he would be “extremely surprised” if she does not take office. He told The Times that the foreign secretary “would have to foul in some spectacular way” to get her rival Rishi Sunak into Downing Street. Labor said Truss’s report 13 years ago, Back to Black, revealed that “the reality of her agenda is devastating cuts”. In the paper, the seven authors – including Truss – recommended cutting £28bn a year by introducing “user charges for GPs” and cutting the fees of registrars, consultants, GPs and directors by 10%. The report also called for the abolition of universal child benefit, the scrapping of the winter fuel payment and the removal of several major military procurements, including the planned aircraft carriers HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales – which were described as “inappropriate defense projects”. The Truss campaign tried to remove the Tory leadership candidate from the paper, with a campaign spokesman saying: Co-authoring a document does not mean that one supports every proposal made. Liz is focused on her bold economic plan to boost growth, cut taxes and put money back into the pockets of working people. Labor deputy leader Angela Rayner said: Liz Truss’ track record shows her true colors. She is irrelevant to the audience. The reality of her agenda is devastating cuts that put national security at risk, punishing patients who already face record wait times and slashing the pay of frontline workers. Her desperate attempts to distance herself from her own views now won’t fool anyone. Updated at 10.46 BST
Transport Minister threatens to impose railway reforms
Jasper Jolly Rail reforms will be imposed if workers do not agree to new deals, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said. The Conservative party has repeatedly targeted unions with criticism, in a move the Trades Union Congress argued was deliberately “picking a fight” for electoral purposes. Shapps is likely to stay on as transport secretary until at least September 5, when a new Tory leader – likely to be Liz Truss if recent polls are correct – will be in his place. There is little sign that there will be a change of attitude under a new leader. Asked on Friday by Sky News whether there would be compulsory redundancies for rail workers, Grant Shapps said (reported by the Press Association): The deal on the table means virtually no mandatory redundancies at all. If [the unions] you are not willing to submit this agreement to your membership, we will never know if members will accept it. What I do know and can say for sure is that if we can’t sort it out in the way that we’re suggesting, which is ‘please put the agreement in your subscription’, then we’re going to have to go into what’s called a section 188? it is a process that actually requires these changes to be implemented in order to become mandatory. That’s the direction it’s headed now. Shapps claimed that antiquated working practices needed to be updated – a characterization of the industry disputed by unions, which argue that employers are trying to use modernization as an excuse to reduce members’ real pay and conditions. Shapps said: “If we can’t implement these modernizations, we will have to impose these modernizations, but we would prefer to do it through these offers that will actually be given to their members.” Follow our business liveblog for more on rail strikes:
Full story: Recall parliament early to tackle rising energy bills, Labor urges PM
Pippa Crear Labor has urged Boris Johnson to recall parliament next week so the government can offer more help to struggling households before the new energy price cap is announced. The opposition has written to the prime minister and both Tory leadership candidates, warning it is a “critical deadline” for government action to tackle rising energy bills after inflation topped 10% for the first time in 40 years. Ofgem will announce the new level at which energy bills will be capped next Friday, with forecasts predicting a rise to £3,582, or 82% above the current cap. Annual energy bills are expected to reach £4,500 a year from January and £5,456 from April, with warnings that households across the country face severe hardship without government intervention. Labor this week unveiled a £29bn plan to freeze the cap at its current level of £1,971 for six months from October, which would save the average household £1,000, piling pressure on the next prime minister to follow suit . Thangam Debbonaire, the shadow leader of the House of Commons, has now written to the prime minister, Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak, calling on them to recall parliament two weeks early and freeze the price cap before winter. Across Britain, people are having to make unimaginable choices about how to pay their bills, causing endless worry for households and businesses. In seven days, Ofgem will announce the increase in the energy price cap. With inflation rising to 10.1%, this will not just send households into a new spiral of worry, prompting them to cut even further ahead of winter. But it will create another shock for our economy. With businesses and households on the brink, we cannot wait to act. Families deserve a government that is on their side and is ready to take the steps needed now to respond to the magnitude of this national emergency. Earlier this month, Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey called on the government to announce an emergency budget to tackle the cost of living crisis. Ian Blackford, the SNP leader at Westminster, also urged the Prime Minister to bring back MPs before the end of the summer break. Read more here: Alex Lawson A former BP oil executive has called for energy price cap rises to be scrapped and suppliers that fail to help households struggling with bills to be nationalised. Nick Butler, who worked for BP for nearly 30 years and was group vice-chairman of strategy and development, said the expected increases in the cap should be abandoned by industry regulator Ofgem, which said had been “overwhelmed by events” after Turmoil in global energy markets sent 29 British energy retailers to the wall. Butler is also calling for a “forensic review” of the remaining suppliers’ accounts to ensure they are still viable businesses. Ofgem is expected to announce next week an increase in the price cap, which is supposed to protect consumers. This could mean annual bills rising from £1,971 on average to £3,582. Butler, who was a senior policy adviser to Gordon Brown, echoed the former prime minister’s view that energy companies that cannot offer lower bills should be renationalised. Writing for the Guardian, Butler said: As with the financial sector in 2008, if the private energy sector fails to meet the needs of the society it serves, its functions must and will be taken over by government. Companies now taking part must demonstrate that they understand that they must use their skills and resources in the public interest. Butler’s comments come as the government assesses options to help households facing rising energy bills this winter. Former BP employer has been accused of “unlimited…
title: “Labor Urges Tories To Show Serious About Bills Crisis And Recall Parliament Uk Politics Live Policy Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-07” author: “Mark Briseno”
Ofgem is expected to announce next week an increase in the price cap, which is supposed to protect consumers. This could mean annual bills rising from £1,971 on average to £3,582. The opposition party has written to Boris Johnson, as well as Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss, to ask MPs to return to Westminster on Monday in a bid to put forward their plan to freeze the cap. Asked by Sky News what the purpose of a recall would be, shadow Commons leader Thangam Debbonaire said: It would be so that we could pass the legislation that would be necessary to override the price rise, the increase in the price cap that Ofgem will announce in seven days. That could happen next week if we return to parliament on Monday. This is for the government to ask the President and they can do it. The Prime Minister is perfectly capable of opening his email I sent him last night asking him to do just that. I also asked both leadership candidates to support this call. If they are truly serious about helping struggling workers and households and businesses through this cost of living crisis, they should support our appeal right now and we should pass this legislation next week. The Labor frontbencher added: The time for action is now. the government failed. They could have acted weeks ago, they could have acted months ago, in fact, when Labor first called for a windfall tax on oil and gas in January. Welcome to today’s political liveblog. I’ll be covering Andrew Sparrow today. Drop me a line if you have any questions or think I missed something. My email is [email protected] and I’m @Nicola_Slawson on Twitter. Updated at 09.58 BST Important events BETA filters Key Facts (3) Liz Truss (4) Rishi Sunak (3) Tory leadership candidates face further backlash with party members voting in Manchester on Friday as frontrunner Liz Truss was accused of showing “her true colours” in a leaked 2009 document that pushed for huge cuts to government spending. Truss called for charging patients to see their doctor and cutting doctors’ fees by 10 percent in the controversial report she authored when she was deputy director of the think tank Reform, PA News reports. Polls have consistently shown Truss as the clear favorite to win the No 10 race, with election guru Sir John Curtice saying he would be “extremely surprised” if she does not take office. He told The Times that the foreign secretary “would have to foul in some spectacular way” to get her rival Rishi Sunak into Downing Street. Labor said Truss’s report 13 years ago, Back to Black, revealed that “the reality of her agenda is devastating cuts”. In the paper, the seven authors – including Truss – recommended cutting £28bn a year by introducing “user charges for GPs” and cutting the fees of registrars, consultants, GPs and directors by 10%. The report also called for the abolition of universal child benefit, the scrapping of the winter fuel payment and the removal of several major military procurements, including the planned aircraft carriers HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales – which were described as “inappropriate defense projects”. The Truss campaign tried to remove the Tory leadership candidate from the paper, with a campaign spokesman saying: Co-authoring a document does not mean that one supports every proposal made. Liz is focused on her bold economic plan to boost growth, cut taxes and put money back into the pockets of working people. Labor deputy leader Angela Rayner said: Liz Truss’ track record shows her true colors. She is irrelevant to the audience. The reality of her agenda is devastating cuts that put national security at risk, punishing patients who already face record wait times and slashing the pay of frontline workers. Her desperate attempts to distance herself from her own views now won’t fool anyone. Updated at 10.46 BST
Transport Minister threatens to impose railway reforms
Jasper Jolly Rail reforms will be imposed if workers do not agree to new deals, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said. The Conservative party has repeatedly targeted unions with criticism, in a move the Trades Union Congress argued was deliberately “picking a fight” for electoral purposes. Shapps is likely to stay on as transport secretary until at least September 5, when a new Tory leader – likely to be Liz Truss if recent polls are correct – will be in his place. There is little sign that there will be a change of attitude under a new leader. Asked on Friday by Sky News whether there would be compulsory redundancies for rail workers, Grant Shapps said (reported by the Press Association): The deal on the table means virtually no mandatory redundancies at all. If [the unions] you are not willing to submit this agreement to your membership, we will never know if members will accept it. What I do know and can say for sure is that if we can’t sort it out in the way that we’re suggesting, which is ‘please put the agreement in your subscription’, then we’re going to have to go into what’s called a section 188? it is a process that actually requires these changes to be implemented in order to become mandatory. That’s the direction it’s headed now. Shapps claimed that antiquated working practices needed to be updated – a characterization of the industry disputed by unions, which argue that employers are trying to use modernization as an excuse to reduce members’ real pay and conditions. Shapps said: “If we can’t implement these modernizations, we will have to impose these modernizations, but we would prefer to do it through these offers that will actually be given to their members.” Follow our business liveblog for more on rail strikes:
Full story: Recall parliament early to tackle rising energy bills, Labor urges PM
Pippa Crear Labor has urged Boris Johnson to recall parliament next week so the government can offer more help to struggling households before the new energy price cap is announced. The opposition has written to the prime minister and both Tory leadership candidates, warning it is a “critical deadline” for government action to tackle rising energy bills after inflation topped 10% for the first time in 40 years. Ofgem will announce the new level at which energy bills will be capped next Friday, with forecasts predicting a rise to £3,582, or 82% above the current cap. Annual energy bills are expected to reach £4,500 a year from January and £5,456 from April, with warnings that households across the country face severe hardship without government intervention. Labor this week unveiled a £29bn plan to freeze the cap at its current level of £1,971 for six months from October, which would save the average household £1,000, piling pressure on the next prime minister to follow suit . Thangam Debbonaire, the shadow leader of the House of Commons, has now written to the prime minister, Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak, calling on them to recall parliament two weeks early and freeze the price cap before winter. Across Britain, people are having to make unimaginable choices about how to pay their bills, causing endless worry for households and businesses. In seven days, Ofgem will announce the increase in the energy price cap. With inflation rising to 10.1%, this will not just send households into a new spiral of worry, prompting them to cut even further ahead of winter. But it will create another shock for our economy. With businesses and households on the brink, we cannot wait to act. Families deserve a government that is on their side and is ready to take the steps needed now to respond to the magnitude of this national emergency. Earlier this month, Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey called on the government to announce an emergency budget to tackle the cost of living crisis. Ian Blackford, the SNP leader at Westminster, also urged the Prime Minister to bring back MPs before the end of the summer break. Read more here: Alex Lawson A former BP oil executive has called for energy price cap rises to be scrapped and suppliers that fail to help households struggling with bills to be nationalised. Nick Butler, who worked for BP for nearly 30 years and was group vice-chairman of strategy and development, said the expected increases in the cap should be abandoned by industry regulator Ofgem, which said had been “overwhelmed by events” after Turmoil in global energy markets sent 29 British energy retailers to the wall. Butler is also calling for a “forensic review” of the remaining suppliers’ accounts to ensure they are still viable businesses. Ofgem is expected to announce next week an increase in the price cap, which is supposed to protect consumers. This could mean annual bills rising from £1,971 on average to £3,582. Butler, who was a senior policy adviser to Gordon Brown, echoed the former prime minister’s view that energy companies that cannot offer lower bills should be renationalised. Writing for the Guardian, Butler said: As with the financial sector in 2008, if the private energy sector fails to meet the needs of the society it serves, its functions must and will be taken over by government. Companies now taking part must demonstrate that they understand that they must use their skills and resources in the public interest. Butler’s comments come as the government assesses options to help households facing rising energy bills this winter. Former BP employer has been accused of “unlimited…
title: “Labor Urges Tories To Show Serious About Bills Crisis And Recall Parliament Uk Politics Live Policy Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-01” author: “Robert Nutter”
Ofgem is expected to announce next week an increase in the price cap, which is supposed to protect consumers. This could mean annual bills rising from £1,971 on average to £3,582. The opposition party has written to Boris Johnson, as well as Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss, to ask MPs to return to Westminster on Monday in a bid to put forward their plan to freeze the cap. Asked by Sky News what the purpose of a recall would be, shadow Commons leader Thangam Debbonaire said: It would be so that we could pass the legislation that would be necessary to override the price rise, the increase in the price cap that Ofgem will announce in seven days. That could happen next week if we return to parliament on Monday. This is for the government to ask the President and they can do it. The Prime Minister is perfectly capable of opening his email I sent him last night asking him to do just that. I also asked both leadership candidates to support this call. If they are truly serious about helping struggling workers and households and businesses through this cost of living crisis, they should support our appeal right now and we should pass this legislation next week. The Labor frontbencher added: The time for action is now. the government failed. They could have acted weeks ago, they could have acted months ago, in fact, when Labor first called for a windfall tax on oil and gas in January. Welcome to today’s political liveblog. I’ll be covering Andrew Sparrow today. Drop me a line if you have any questions or think I missed something. My email is [email protected] and I’m @Nicola_Slawson on Twitter. Updated at 09.58 BST Important events BETA filters Key Facts (3) Liz Truss (4) Rishi Sunak (3) Tory leadership candidates face further backlash with party members voting in Manchester on Friday as frontrunner Liz Truss was accused of showing “her true colours” in a leaked 2009 document that pushed for huge cuts to government spending. Truss called for charging patients to see their doctor and cutting doctors’ fees by 10 percent in the controversial report she authored when she was deputy director of the think tank Reform, PA News reports. Polls have consistently shown Truss as the clear favorite to win the No 10 race, with election guru Sir John Curtice saying he would be “extremely surprised” if she does not take office. He told The Times that the foreign secretary “would have to foul in some spectacular way” to get her rival Rishi Sunak into Downing Street. Labor said Truss’s report 13 years ago, Back to Black, revealed that “the reality of her agenda is devastating cuts”. In the paper, the seven authors – including Truss – recommended cutting £28bn a year by introducing “user charges for GPs” and cutting the fees of registrars, consultants, GPs and directors by 10%. The report also called for the abolition of universal child benefit, the scrapping of the winter fuel payment and the removal of several major military procurements, including the planned aircraft carriers HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales – which were described as “inappropriate defense projects”. The Truss campaign tried to remove the Tory leadership candidate from the paper, with a campaign spokesman saying: Co-authoring a document does not mean that one supports every proposal made. Liz is focused on her bold economic plan to boost growth, cut taxes and put money back into the pockets of working people. Labor deputy leader Angela Rayner said: Liz Truss’ track record shows her true colors. She is irrelevant to the audience. The reality of her agenda is devastating cuts that put national security at risk, punishing patients who already face record wait times and slashing the pay of frontline workers. Her desperate attempts to distance herself from her own views now won’t fool anyone. Updated at 10.46 BST
Transport Minister threatens to impose railway reforms
Jasper Jolly Rail reforms will be imposed if workers do not agree to new deals, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said. The Conservative party has repeatedly targeted unions with criticism, in a move the Trades Union Congress argued was deliberately “picking a fight” for electoral purposes. Shapps is likely to stay on as transport secretary until at least September 5, when a new Tory leader – likely to be Liz Truss if recent polls are correct – will be in his place. There is little sign that there will be a change of attitude under a new leader. Asked on Friday by Sky News whether there would be compulsory redundancies for rail workers, Grant Shapps said (reported by the Press Association): The deal on the table means virtually no mandatory redundancies at all. If [the unions] you are not willing to submit this agreement to your membership, we will never know if members will accept it. What I do know and can say for sure is that if we can’t sort it out in the way that we’re suggesting, which is ‘please put the agreement in your subscription’, then we’re going to have to go into what’s called a section 188? it is a process that actually requires these changes to be implemented in order to become mandatory. That’s the direction it’s headed now. Shapps claimed that antiquated working practices needed to be updated – a characterization of the industry disputed by unions, which argue that employers are trying to use modernization as an excuse to reduce members’ real pay and conditions. Shapps said: “If we can’t implement these modernizations, we will have to impose these modernizations, but we would prefer to do it through these offers that will actually be given to their members.” Follow our business liveblog for more on rail strikes:
Full story: Recall parliament early to tackle rising energy bills, Labor urges PM
Pippa Crear Labor has urged Boris Johnson to recall parliament next week so the government can offer more help to struggling households before the new energy price cap is announced. The opposition has written to the prime minister and both Tory leadership candidates, warning it is a “critical deadline” for government action to tackle rising energy bills after inflation topped 10% for the first time in 40 years. Ofgem will announce the new level at which energy bills will be capped next Friday, with forecasts predicting a rise to £3,582, or 82% above the current cap. Annual energy bills are expected to reach £4,500 a year from January and £5,456 from April, with warnings that households across the country face severe hardship without government intervention. Labor this week unveiled a £29bn plan to freeze the cap at its current level of £1,971 for six months from October, which would save the average household £1,000, piling pressure on the next prime minister to follow suit . Thangam Debbonaire, the shadow leader of the House of Commons, has now written to the prime minister, Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak, calling on them to recall parliament two weeks early and freeze the price cap before winter. Across Britain, people are having to make unimaginable choices about how to pay their bills, causing endless worry for households and businesses. In seven days, Ofgem will announce the increase in the energy price cap. With inflation rising to 10.1%, this will not just send households into a new spiral of worry, prompting them to cut even further ahead of winter. But it will create another shock for our economy. With businesses and households on the brink, we cannot wait to act. Families deserve a government that is on their side and is ready to take the steps needed now to respond to the magnitude of this national emergency. Earlier this month, Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey called on the government to announce an emergency budget to tackle the cost of living crisis. Ian Blackford, the SNP leader at Westminster, also urged the Prime Minister to bring back MPs before the end of the summer break. Read more here: Alex Lawson A former BP oil executive has called for energy price cap rises to be scrapped and suppliers that fail to help households struggling with bills to be nationalised. Nick Butler, who worked for BP for nearly 30 years and was group vice-chairman of strategy and development, said the expected increases in the cap should be abandoned by industry regulator Ofgem, which said had been “overwhelmed by events” after Turmoil in global energy markets sent 29 British energy retailers to the wall. Butler is also calling for a “forensic review” of the remaining suppliers’ accounts to ensure they are still viable businesses. Ofgem is expected to announce next week an increase in the price cap, which is supposed to protect consumers. This could mean annual bills rising from £1,971 on average to £3,582. Butler, who was a senior policy adviser to Gordon Brown, echoed the former prime minister’s view that energy companies that cannot offer lower bills should be renationalised. Writing for the Guardian, Butler said: As with the financial sector in 2008, if the private energy sector fails to meet the needs of the society it serves, its functions must and will be taken over by government. Companies now taking part must demonstrate that they understand that they must use their skills and resources in the public interest. Butler’s comments come as the government assesses options to help households facing rising energy bills this winter. Former BP employer has been accused of “unlimited…
