A summary of today's developments
Liz Truss is expected to announce her plan to guard households and businesses against soaring costs while ramping up domestic energy supply. The new premier is expected to tell MPs on Thursday that domestic bills will be frozen at about £2,500 as part of a package to ease the cost of living crisis. The suggestion is it will be funded through borrowing, with Truss rejecting the idea of applying a windfall tax on the bumper profits made by oil and gas companies to cover the cost – reported to be up to £150bn. Labour has accused the PM of writing a “blank cheque” to the energy giants by ruling out the levy, with the British people left to “foot the bill”.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said any efforts to undermine the Northern Ireland agreement would not create a conducive environment for trade talks between the United States and the UK.As an MP, the new British prime minister, Liz Truss, introduced legislation to undo the Northern Ireland protocol, which was part of Britain’s withdrawal agreement from the European Union.
The Queen has postponed her privy council meeting and has been advised by doctors to rest, Buckingham Palace has announced.
A palace spokesperson said: “After a full day yesterday, Her Majesty has this afternoon accepted doctors’ advice to rest.
“This means that the privy council meeting that had been due to take place this evening will be rearranged.”
During the proceedings, the new prime minister, Liz Truss, would have taken her oath as First Lord of the Treasury, and new cabinet ministers would have been sworn into their roles and also made privy counsellors, if not already appointed as one in the past.
Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, has said the process used in the UK to select Liz Truss as prime minister was not democratic. He said: “In the UK, the procedure for electing the head of state is far from democratic. It takes place within the framework of the party that won the previous parliamentary election. The UK people do not participate in the change of government in this case.”
Steve Baker, a former Brexit minister, is rejoining the government as a Northern Ireland minister. Will Quince becomes a health minister. James Duddridge becomes an international trade minister. Kelly Tolhurst becomes an education minister. Lady Williams of Trafford is the new Lords chief whip.
Nusrat Ghani has been made a minister in the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, Downing Street said.
Kevin Foster has been given a role in the Department for Transport. Alec Shelbrooke MP was announced as a minister of state in the Ministry of Defence.
Robert Jenrick, housing secretary until he was sacked in 2021, becomes a health minister. Victoria Prentis becomes a welfare minister. Rachel Maclean becomes a justice minister. Julia Lopez becomes a culture minister again. And Michael Tomlinson becomes solicitor general.
Mark Drakeford, the Welsh first minister, was serving food to pupils today to publicise the Welsh government’s decision to start offering universal free school meals to the youngest primary school pupils this wee
Sir Stephen Lovegrove has been dropped as national security adviser by Liz Truss, in one of her first civil service appointments since taking over at No 10 on Tuesday. The veteran official will be replaced by career diplomat Sir Tim Barrow, best known as the former ambassador to the European Union who handed over the UK’s article 50 notice that triggered Brexit.
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.
Key event
Ahead of Thursday’s announcement, Liz Truss acknowledged families and businesses across the country are concerned about how they will “make ends meet” over the coming months.
She blamed rising global prices on Russian president Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine and “weaponisation” of gas supply in Europe.
“This has only made clearer that we must boost our long-term energy security and supply,” she said.
“We will take action immediately to help people and businesses with bills but also take decisive action to tackle the root cause of these problems, so that we are not in this position again.
“We will set out our plans to deliver on that promise and build a prosperous Britain for everyone.”
Downing Street said the new PM would set out a “bold plan of action to support people across the UK” while also “ramping up domestic energy supply”.
