A key ally of Liz Truss has admitted it could be "a matter of weeks" before she presents an emergency budget - despite the foreign secretary previously vowing to slash taxes from "day one" if she enters No10.
The Northern Ireland secretary Brandon Lewis made the remark as Keir Starmer piled pressure on Ms Truss and her rival Rishi Sunak to act immediately on surging energy bills and freeze the pay cap.
Appealing to the Tory grassroots as she launched her leadership bid last month, the frontrunner in the contest to succeed outgoing PM Boris Johnson said she should would "act on tax from day one" in No 10.
