End of day summary
Here’s a roundup of the key developments from the day:
Keir Starmer has unveiled his pledge that families would not “pay a penny more” on energy bills this winter after unveiling a £29bn plan. Under the proposals, Labour would freeze the energy price cap at £1,971 for six months this winter, saving households £1,000.
The government needs to spend another £12bn to maintain the scale of support pledged to help families cope with the cost of living crisis as energy prices continue to soar, according to analysis by the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS). The economics thinktank said the additional funding would be needed to achieve the £24bn package of aid announced in May, largely because the forecast increase in energy prices over the next year has jumped from 95% to 141%.
The Tory leadership contenders have not produced any “credible proposals” to tackle the energy crisis, Keir Starmer has said. “On the cost-of-living crisis they’re not saying anything meaningful,” he said.
Boris Johnson should intervene urgently to start insulating British homes and introduce fiscal policies to reduce bills, as further delay will mean more people face “extreme suffering” this winter as energy bills soar, a former government chief scientific adviser has warned. David King said: “This could be the worst possible time for the leadership of this country to be simply sitting back. We’re waiting until what? We have an energy crisis right now and we need good leadership.
Brandon Lewis played down suggestions that Boris Johnson has “thrown in the towel” after reports emerged at the weekend that he was on his second holiday in two weeks. The former Northern Ireland secretary told LBC: “Even when you are not in the office in Downing Street you are working.”
Guest speakers at the Cabinet Office will have their social media accounts vetted to check whether they have ever criticised government policy before they can take part in events, according to new rules. Angela Rayner, the deputy Labour leader, criticised the new rules for providing “a draconian excuse to block critics of government policy from even setting foot in Whitehall buildings”.
Two RAF flights carrying as many as 500 Afghans who worked with British forces and their relatives are landing in the UK each month from Pakistan but there is deep frustration within the Ministry of Defence about others, including those in government, are struggling to accommodate arrivals. It comes as the Taliban and western allies mark the first anniversary of Nato’s withdrawal from Afghanistan.
Ministers have been accused of neglecting the farming industry and “worrying about votes tomorrow” after it emerged that labour shortages had left crops rotting in the fields. The boss of one global food business said farmers were being “nannied” by the government, taking aim at caps on the number of foreign workers allowed into the country.
Two large removal lorries turned up in Downing Street on Monday, fuelling expectations that Boris Johnson is likely to spend little further time in No 10. The prime minister is entitled to take furniture and fittings that he paid for in his refurbishment of his No 11 flat, theoretically including the Lulu Lytle gold wallpaper that was initially funded by a Tory donor.
Downing Street has admitted that Boris Johnson will not be working on his holiday unless he is needed urgently, after he faced criticism for taking a second break abroad within three weeks amid the energy crisis. Johnson is believed to be in Greece with his family, despite having just three weeks left in the job amid accusations he is leading a “zombie” government.
That’s it for today. Thanks so much for joining me today. We’re closing this liveblog but I’ll be back again tomorrow.
Earlier, Sinn Féin’s Stormont leader, Michelle O’Neill, said she had no confidence that Shailesh Vara intended to call fresh assembly elections if the power-sharing institutions are not restored by the end of October.
She told the Financial Times:
These are people who continually find ways to go around the law.
Responding, Vara said he was sorry that O’Neill took that view of him.
He said:
I have spoken to her on a couple of occasions and I certainly haven’t indicated to her anything about what I would or would not do at the end of October.
Right now there are several weeks before the end of October. My intention is to try and get the assembly up and running.
Be in no doubt, the law is clear, right now as the law stands I will have to call an election at the end of October if we don’t get an executive up and running.
I very much hope that we don’t get to that stage because I know the people of Northern Ireland won’t want an election just before Christmas ... people just want to get on with their lives and they want the politics to be left to one side, and the politicians to do what’s right, and right now what is right is for the politicians to get the executive up and running, and do what they’re supposed to do, and that is serve the people of Northern Ireland.
Updated
