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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Politics
Dan Bloom

7 policies from Liz Truss's 49-day regime that Rishi Sunak binned in 48 hours

Rishi Sunak has started his stint as PM by driving a coach and horses through Liz Truss’s 49-day reign.

The outgoing leader urged her successor to continue her rather unsuccessful push for “growth” in her final speech in Downing Street.

But so far there’s no sign Mr Sunak is planning to replicate the policies that drove her from office.

And in his first hours in the job, he U-turned on many of the things she had promised - so many, in fact, that it’s hard to keep track.

Instead of sticking to his leadership rival’s pledges, Mr Sunak is instead vowing to "deliver on the promise" of the Tories’ 2019 manifesto.

But his Press Secretary repeatedly refused to say he’ll actually deliver “all” the promises contained within it.

Liz Truss demanded her successor carry on her policies. It's fair to say he's not listening (Ian Vogler / Daily Mirror)

And Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said: “You can’t set out a manifesto and assume nothing significant is going to happen in the four or five years of a parliament.

“There was no global pandemic in the 2019 manifesto.

“There was no invasion of Ukraine in the 2019 manifesto. We have got to respond to the world as we find it, not the one we wish it to be.”

To help you keep track, here are a few Liz Truss policies that have been immediately junked by Rishi Sunak.

Fracking

Rishi Sunak has brought back England’s fracking ban in a Tory ‘O-turn’ - after the divisive drilling was allowed for just 48 days.

The new Prime Minister U-turned on Liz Truss ’s original U-turn, bringing the party full circle back to its 2019 manifesto “moratorium” on shale gas extraction.

The PM’s official spokesman gave the confirmation after Mr Sunak was pressed on the issue at his first Prime Minister's Questions.

Asked by a reporter if fracking was "back in the bin", the new PM’s official spokesman said "That's correct."

Rishi Sunak dropped the fracking policy pushed by Liz Truss live at PMQs (JESSICA TAYLOR/UK PARLIAMENT/UNPIXS)

Pensions triple lock

Downing Street refused to rule out hitting millions of Brits with a real-terms pensions cut next April.

Failing to raise the state pension by 10.1% inflation, and instead using the earnings figure, would deprive people on the New State Pension of £443 a year.

It would be a U-turn on a U-turn on a U-turn on a U-turn on a U-turn, after Liz Truss threw the triple lock into doubt, then said it was safe a day before she resigned last week.

The 2019 Tory manifesto promised to raise pensions by the triple lock - the highest of earnings, inflation, or 2.5%.

The PM’s Press Secretary said he would “do what is right and compassionate” but would not give further details. “I’m not getting into speculation on what is going to happen,” she said.

“A lot of these things have to be discussed with the Prime Minister and the Chancellor I’m not going to speculate on what is and isn’t going to be in the Budget."

Rishi Sunak on a visit to a care home back when he was Chancellor (Andrew Parsons / No10 Downing Street)

October 31 fiscal plan

Rishi Sunak delayed the government's much-anticipated fiscal statement - which is expected to unleash a new wave of Tory austerity - until next month in one of his first decisions as PM.

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt had been set to announce his financial plan on Monday - which is also Halloween - amid warnings of devastating public service cuts.

But the new Cabinet was told this has been pushed back to November 17 and upgraded to a full autumn statement - the most important Treasury event outside a Budget.

Mr Hunt now needs to find tens of billions of pounds in cuts.

Rishi Sunak and his new Chancellor at PMQs yesterday (JESSICA TAYLOR/UK PARLIAMENT/UNPIXS)

Supply side reforms

Rishi Sunak has abandoned Liz Truss's “supply-side” reform plans - which she had repeatedly claimed would come forward before the October 31 plan.

Supply-side means cutting taxes and regulation for business to increase productivity and grow the economy.

The Prime Minister's official spokesman said: "There are no plans for supply-side reforms as we previously discussed.

"That's not to say there won't be elements the Chancellor may or may not wish to come forward with in his autumn statement."

Defence spending

No10 put Liz Truss's commitment to spend 3% of GDP on defence by 2030 in doubt.

That is despite a minister, James Heappey, saying he will resign if it is broken.

Downing Street said it will only be spelt out in the November 17 Autumn Statement.

The Prime Minister's official spokesman said: “No decisions have been made on defence spending or significant spending as is custom ahead of a fiscal event."

Advisor on ministerial interests

Downing Street confirmed Mr Sunak will "shortly" appoint an independent advisor on ministerial interests - a job that has been vacant since the days of Boris Johnson.

Liz Truss had continued to leave the role empty, saying she would review the whole system and possibly abolish it.

Now Rishi Sunak will restore the job after promising “integrity and accountability”.

But the PM's spokesman was unable to say if the advisor will be asked to investigate Ms Braverman, or allowed to initiate investigations of their own accord.

Suella Braverman

In a bid to form a unity Cabinet, Mr Sunak brought the Home Secretary back six days after she resigned for a security breach under Liz Truss.

Cabinet Secretary Simon Case - the head of the civil service who found two breaches of the ministerial code last week - is “livid and very concerned”, according to The Times.

Questioned on Wednesday, both Mr Sunak and his spokesman refused to say if officials had raised concerns about the appointment.

Keir Starmer said: "We can all see what’s happened here. He’s so weak he’s done a grubby deal trading national security because he was scared to lose another leadership election.”

He brought the Home Secretary back six days after she resigned for a security breach (REUTERS)

But at least some things will stay…

No10 confirmed the Energy Price Guarantee - which caps bills at an average of £2,500 a year - will last through to the end of March.

Beyond then, we don’t know. Liz Truss originally said it would last two years but her Chancellor Jeremy Hunt shortened it to six months.

No10 also suggested the cut in National Insurance from 13.25% to 12% - due to take effect next month - will still go ahead.

“It’s now gone through the house and it’s been voted on,” his Press Secretary said

That is despite the fact Rishi Sunak was the chancellor who raised it from 12% to 13.25% in the first place.

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