Energy secretary says government wants to focus on cutting taxes once inflation falls
Grant Shapps has suggested it is unlikely the government will step in to protect households from rising energy bills this winter.
The energy secretary said in an interview with the Times that once inflation had fallen the government would “absolutely” need to cut taxes.
Continue reading...Chiefs say UK’s troubled economy and political uncertainty is dampening enthusiasm for clean energy rollout
The bosses behind Britain’s multibillion-pound clean energy rollout have warned the government that the UK’s difficult economic circumstances and political uncertainty have taken a toll on investor confidence.
About 20 industry bosses representing companies from across the sector attended a summit at No 10 to discuss their plans to invest more than £100bn in the UK economy.
Continue reading...Energy secretary backs voluntary price comparison scheme in meeting with supermarket bosses rather than new law
The energy secretary, Grant Shapps, appears to have rowed back on plans for a law to force supermarkets to make fuel prices more transparent, instead backing a voluntary price comparison scheme in a meeting with supermarket bosses.
Shapps on Monday endorsed the non-mandatory scheme, which had been suggested by the competition regulator, after a summit with retailers that he had promised would involve him holding “rip-off retailers” to account.
Continue reading...Energy security secretary Grant Shapps will this week outline plans for Britain’s atomic power’s renaissance and 2050 emissions commitment
In London’s Science Museum sit full-size turbine engines that tell the story of 300 years of steam power. This week, the museum will play host to the government’s dreams for a new industrial renaissance – this time for nuclear energy.
The secretary of state for energy security and net zero, Grant Shapps, has chosen the venue to set out his ambitions for the UK’s nuclear programme. He is expected to illuminate the path towards the government’s existing commitment to build 24 gigawatts of nuclear power capacity – the equivalent of a quarter of Britain’s total generating capacity – by 2050.
Continue reading...Minister points to arrivals from Ukraine and Hong Kong as government sources confirm record increase is likely
Grant Shapps has stressed the importance of post-Brexit controls on work visas after government sources confirmed that ministers are braced for a record increase in immigration figures this month.
Reports have suggested that official data will show annual net immigration of between 650,000 and 997,000 fuelled by a rise in non-EU immigration from people entering the UK to work and study.
Continue reading...Suppliers in Great Britain have agreed code banning them from installations in homes of over-85s
The energy secretary, Grant Shapps, has urged Ofgem to turn words “into action” to ensure new industry rules designed to protect vulnerable people from being forced on to prepayment meters are properly enforced.
The Guardian revealed on Monday that all energy suppliers in Great Britain had signed up to a code of conduct banning them from putting the meters in the homes of people aged 85 and over as well as those with severe health conditions.
Continue reading...Latest updates: Labour leader to launch campaign for local elections with tax pledge that Conservatives have criticised as worthless
The Commons standards committee says Margaret Ferrier should be suspended for 30 days for breaches of Commons rules related to the incident where she travelled by train from London to Scotland after testing positive for Covid in 2020.
Last year a court sentenced her to 270 hours of unpaid work in relation to the offence, but the standards commmittee says a further sanction by the Commons is required.
The threshold for a breach of paragraph 17 of the code [which says MPs should “never undertake any action which would cause significant damage to the reputation and integrity of the House of Commons as a whole”] is necessarily high. However, any finding that a member’s actions have brought the house into disrepute must be considered to be a serious breach. The 2019 Code states that “members have a duty to uphold the law”; something the public rightly expect. If Ms Ferrier had been a public sector employee in a position of trust or leadership, she could have faced severe disciplinary consequences, potentially including dismissal, for these or similar actions.
We therefore recommend that Ms Ferrier is suspended from the service of the house for 30 days.
Labour’s announcement isn’t worth the paper it’s written on. They have no plan to introduce this if elected. They’re taking the British people for fools.
If Labour were serious about cutting council tax Labour councils would be doing it now.
Continue reading...Grant Shapps to tell suppliers that reduced wholesale prices must be seen in consumer prices
Ministers have warned energy firms that they must pass on the benefits of lower wholesale prices to consumers, amid concern that bills could rise this spring.
In a speech on Wednesday, Grant Shapps will tell energy suppliers that reduced wholesale prices must be seen in consumer prices, “no ifs, buts or maybes”.
Continue reading...Sources say prime minister also wants to split Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
Rishi Sunak is planning a mini-reshuffle to replace Nadhim Zahawi as Conservative party chair as he tries to reassert his grip over his divided party, according to reports.
The prime minister is also believed to be considering a shake-up of Whitehall by splitting the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy into two or three new departments to better reflect his priorities.
Continue reading...Industrial action expected to be biggest in history of health service as minister insists pay will not be renegotiated for this year
A health minister has insisted there can be no re-examination of NHS pay for this year as the health service in England faces what is expected to be the biggest strike in its history, with no signs of a government plan to end the impasse.
The industrial action on Monday will be the first time that both NHS nurses and ambulance staff in England have stopped work simultaneously, amid an ongoing dispute over pay and staffing.
Continue reading...Angela Rayner claims people in certain job categories could lose the right to withdraw their labour under Tory plans
Rishi Sunak’s new anti-strike laws would prevent certain job holders from ever being able to take industrial action, Labour’s deputy leader said during fiery exchanges in the House of Commons.
Angela Rayner promised on Monday that Labour would repeal the government’s anti-strikes bill, saying it was one of the most “indefensible and foolish pieces of legislation to come before this House in modern times”.
Continue reading...Legislation to be published today particularly aimed at firefighters; Shapps denies new laws would increase risks of strikes
The anti-strikes bill being published today is aimed particularly at firefighters. Fire and rescue is one of the areas where minimum service levels will definitely be set; in other areas, the government says mandatory MSLs will just be a last resort, because it is hoping the voluntary agreements can be reached. (See 9.21am.)
Matt Wrack, the general secretary of the Fire Brigades Union, said the bill was a “shameful attack” on democratic rights and he called for a “mass movement of resistance” against it. He said:
This represents one of the most shameful attacks on the democratic rights and liberties of working people in decades …
This is an attack on all workers – including key workers, who kept our public services going during the pandemic.
Continue reading...Business department says bill will enforce ‘basic’ level of service from different sectors during stoppages
Ministers are to unveil controversial new legislation designed to curb the effectiveness of strike action as industrial disputes continue to paralyse services across the UK.
The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has previously said the bill will enforce a “basic” level of service from different sectors if workers choose to strike.
Continue reading...Legislation will allow bosses of key public services to sue unions and sack employees who refuse to work
Rishi Sunak’s new anti-strike legislation to enforce “minimum service levels” in key public sectors including the NHS and schools has drawn a furious reaction from unions as the prime minister scrambles to get a grip on industrial disputes.
The law, which the government plans to introduce in the coming weeks, will allow bosses in health, education, fire, ambulance, rail and nuclear commissioning to sue unions and sack employees if minimum levels are not met.
Continue reading...Three campaign groups challenge plans to award up to 130 new licences for exploration
The UK government is facing a fresh challenge in the courts over plans to award up to 130 new licences for North Sea oil and gas exploration, in the latest attempt to stop ministers’ proposed expansion of the country’s fossil fuel production.
Three campaign groups have written to the business secretary, Grant Shapps, explaining the grounds on which they consider the latest offshore oil and gas licensing round to be unlawful. They call for the decision to award the new licences to be reversed, arguing that new oil and gas exploration and development is incompatible with the UK’s own rules and international climate obligations.
Continue reading...E.ON reports up to 15% drop as Grant Shapps writes to firms customers cutting back on energy use should not face direct debit rise
Britons have cut their gas and electricity use by more than 10% since October in the first evidence of the impact of the energy crisis on household habits, according to two of Britain’s biggest suppliers.
E.ON, Britain’s second-largest supplier, and the owner of Utility Warehouse have reported “double-digit” declines in recent weeks.
Continue reading...George Eustice says the free trade deal with Australia – hailed by Boris Johnson as one of the big gains from Brexit – was poor. This live blog is now closed
James Cleverly, the foreign secretary, was criticised last month for saying that gay football fans visiting Qatar for the Word Cup should “be respectful”, and make allowance for the country’s intolerance of homosexuality.
In an interview on ITV’s Good Morning Britain, Cleverly defended his comments, saying that the Foreign Office always advises people to obey local laws when they are travelling. He told the programme:
My focus is to make sure that British visitors, particularly LGBTQ+ visitors to Qatar going to enjoy the World Cup, are safe and that they enjoy their tournament. So my advice was purely about ensuring that they have a safe and secure time at the World Cup.
We always say that you have to respect the laws of your host nation. That is a universal element of British travel advice.
I’ve spoken at length with the Qatari authorities on this and it’s worth bearing in mind that men and women don’t typically hold hands in Qatar, and other conservative Muslim countries like Qatar, so my strong advice is to look at the UK government’s travel advice.
This deal is just the same as previous deals - spending money and resources on intercepting and obstructing people crossing the Channel, while doing nothing to address their need for safe access to an asylum system.
The inevitable result will be more dangerous journeys and more profits led by ruthless smuggling gangs and other serious criminals exploiting the refusal of the UK and French government to take and share responsibility.
Continue reading...Rees-Mogg resigns as business secretary and Lewis relinquishes justice secretary role as Sunak begins to assemble cabinet
Jacob Rees-Mogg and Brandon Lewis have resigned from the government as Rishi Sunak begins to assemble his new cabinet, with the prime minister also sacking Chloe Smith and Wendy Morton.
Sunak is expected to keep Jeremy Hunt as chancellor, at least for the short term, and return Suella Braverman to the cabinet, as well as handing new posts to key leadership allies Oliver Dowden, Mel Stride and Dominic Raab.
Continue reading...New prime minister likely to prioritise unity in offering ministerial jobs, although leading Trussites can expect the chop
Rishi Sunak has pledged to build a cabinet of all the talents but, given the swiftness of the leadership competition, relatively little has been briefed about his potential cabinet.
His team say no roles have been promised to any backers and Sunak was in the enviable position as the frontrunner of not needing to promise roles to anyone.
Continue reading...Truss, who became Britain’s PM last month but has already overseen two major departures from her cabinet and several policy u-turns, is facing calls to resign
The British government appears at risk of collapse after home secretary Suella Braverman launched a stinging attack on the prime minister, Liz Truss, after being forced to resign.
Braverman’s resignation letter included a pointed rebuke of Truss. Braverman said she resigned because she sent an official government document to an MP and this was “a technical infringement of the rules”. However, her letter also contained sharp comments about Truss’s leadership, saying: “I have concerns about the direction of this government. Not only have we broken key pledges that were promised to our voters, but I have had serious concerns about this government’s commitment to honouring manifesto commitments …” In a cursory reply, Truss told Braverman: “I accept your resignation and respect the decision you have made.”
Keir Starmer, leader of the opposition, said the Tory party was “imploding” after a day of chaos in Westminster. Yvette Cooper, the shadow home secretary, said the government was “falling apart at the seams”.
Truss appointed a new home secretary, Grant Shapps, on Thursday afternoon, to replace Braverman. Shapps is seen as more of a moderate. He was sacked as transport secretary by Truss after she reportedly told him there was “no room at the inn” for him after she became PM. He backed Truss’s rival, Rishi Sunak, after dropping his own run for the party leadership.
With a tenure of 43 days, Braverman is the shortest-serving home secretary since the Duke of Wellington who lasted just a month in 1834. Her exit comes just days after Kwasi Kwarteng was replaced as chancellor by Jeremy Hunt, anther Conservative moderate.
The chorus of voices demanding Truss resign after a series of policy u-turns and departures from her cabinet is growing. Lord David Frost, who was Boris Johnson’s former Brexit negotiator, has written in the Telegraph calling on Truss to resign. “Truss just can’t stay in office for one very obvious reason: she campaigned against the policies she is now implementing.”
Sir Charles Walker, a veteran Tory backbencher, said on Wednesday night that he expected Truss to resign “very soon”, and that he was “really pleased” at Braverman’s resignation. He told BBC Radio 4’s The World Tonight: “I expect the prime minister to resign very soon because she’s not up to her job either … I will shed no tears for either of them.” Earlier in the Commons he spoke of his anger at the scenes in Westminster, calling them a “pitiful reflection of the Conservative parliamentary party at every level”.
William Wragg, a Conservative MP, said he has written a letter to Sir Graham Brady, the chairman of the influential 1922 Committee of backbench Tory MPs, calling for a vote of no confidence in Truss.
The Conservative chief and deputy chief whip “remain in post”, Downing Street said, after earlier reports suggesting Wendy Morton and Craig Whittaker had quit after chaotic scenes in parliament over a vote on fracking.
Labour’s Chris Bryant said he saw Tory MPs being “physically manhandled” and “bullied” in the voting lobbies during the vote, which the government ultimately won. Bryant told Sky News: “There was a bunch of Conservative members who were completely uncertain about whether they were allowed to vote with the Labour motion because of what had been said in the chamber about whether it’s a free vote or a confidence vote. There was a group – including several cabinet ministers – who were basically shouting at them. At least one member was physically pulled through the door into the voting lobby.”
You can see how the other UK papers reported on the tumultuous day at Westminster here.
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