Tory leadership – latest: Rishi Sunak says ‘mistake’ to empower scientists in Covid pandemic

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Boris Johnson meets with Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv on Independence Day

Tory leadership candidate Rishi Sunak has claimed it was a “mistake” to empower scientists during the coronavirus pandemic.

The former chancellor said he “wasn’t allowed to talk about the trade-off” of lockdowns during the early phases of the Covid crisis, which he said could have been “quicker”, and claimed to have fought against the “fear narrative” which drove public messaging.

Both he and frontrunner Liz Truss are set to take part in the penultimate hustings debate this evening, in Norwich.

The rivals have been urged to “think the unthinkable” and consider raising income tax to fund further support for those struggling with rocketing energy bills, with the Resolution Foundation think-tank saying a 1 per cent rise – largely funded by the wealthiest fifth of the UK households – would raise £9.5bn a year.

It came as a report found that the government would need to spend more than £110bn to cover almost all of Britons’ extra energy costs over the next year – or £23bn to freeze the price cap in October.

Key PointsShow latest update 1661413446Scientists advising government on Covid edited minutes to hide dissenting opinions, Sunak claims

Rishi Sunak has claimed the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) group advising Boris Johnson’s government edited its minutes to hide dissenting opinions.

“The Sage people didn’t realise for a very long time that there was a Treasury person on all their calls,” the former chancellor told The Spectator. “A lovely lady. She was great because it meant that she was sitting there, listening to their discussions.”

Mr Sunak claimed that he became “emotional” during fraught meetings with ministers and top scientists. “Those meetings were literally me around that table, just fighting. It was incredibly uncomfortable every single time.”

“I was like, ‘Forget about the economy – surely we can all agree that kids not being in school is a major nightmare.’ There was a big silence afterwards. It was the first time someone had said it. I was so furious.”

Government wrong to ’empower scientists’ on Covid lockdowns, says Rishi Sunak

Lockdown could have been shorter, says Tory hopeful – who shares fury over ‘nightmare’ schools closure

Andy Gregory25 August 2022 08:44

1661412029More help will be coming on bills, says minister

The next prime minister will introduce an additional package of support on the cost of living, schools minister Will Quince has said.

“There is no question in my mind, listening to the two leadership candidates … that the government is going to act and put in place a further package of support measures,” the Rishi Sunak supporter told LBC.

Mr Quince added: “We will have to wait a couple of weeks … Both contenders have been clear, there will be a fiscal event, and more help will be coming.”

Andy Gregory25 August 2022 08:20

1661411406’Active agent of Tory party’ shaping BBC news coverage, says Emily Maitlis

A BBC board member who acts as an arbiter of the broadcaster’s impartiality is an “active agent” of the Conservative Party, according to former Newsnight presenter Emily Maitlis.

Ms Maitlis, who left the BBC this year for rival media group Global, is understood to have referred to Theresa May’s former communications director Sir Robbie Gibb in a speech that was scathing about the corporation’s alleged closeness to No 10.

Tory party ‘agent’ shaping BBC coverage, says Emily Maitlis

Our political correspondent Adam Forrest has the full report:

‘Active agent of Tory party’ shaping BBC news coverage, says Emily Maitlis

Former Newsnight presenter says broadcaster ‘ought to pacify’ No 10

Andy Gregory25 August 2022 08:10

1661410216Energy firm forced to refund thousands of overcharged customers

Shell Energy will be forced to pay out more than half a million pounds for charging thousands of customers more than the price cap allows it to.

Energy regulator Ofgem said the company had overcharged 11,275 pre-payment customers by a total of £106,000 between 2019 and 2022.

It will be forced to repay this, shell out an extra total of £30,970 in goodwill payments to the customers and put £400,000 towards a fund run by Ofgem. Customers are being refunded an average of £9.40 each.

Andy Gregory25 August 2022 07:50

1661409625Businesses need grants for energy bills, PM and chancellor warning

The British Chamber of Commerce has called for action to “protect businesses, livelihoods and jobs” in a letter to Boris Johnson, chancellor Nadhim Zahawi and both candidates for the Tory leadership.

The business group urged the politicians to consider Covid-style grants for small and medium-sized firms, a temporary cut in VAT to 5 per cent, and for Ofgem to be given more power to strengthen regulation.

“We simply cannot afford to see another month of the same old news,” said the group’s director general, Shevaun Haviland. “The problems are well understood … It is now over to the government to take action to protect businesses, livelihoods and jobs.”

Andy Gregory25 August 2022 07:40

1661409463’Solidarity tax’ of 1% for all earners needed to raise more energy bill support, says think tank

Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak have been urged to “think the unthinkable” and consider raising income tax in order to fund further support with the cost of living crisis.

The think tank said a 1 per cent hike in income tax on all rates – with 60 per cent paid by the wealthiest fifth of UK households – would raise £9.5bn a year for more support with gas and electricity bills.

The foundation also urged the next prime minister to work with the energy companies on creating a new “social tariff” to reduce bills for hard-pressed Britons on low and middle incomes.

Our political correspondent Adam Forrest reports:

‘Solidarity tax’ of 1% needed for more energy bill support, says think tank

Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak must ‘think the unthinkable’ and consider tax rise, says Resolution Foundation

Andy Gregory25 August 2022 07:37

1661405395Language used by ministers during Covid briefings was ‘slippery and ambiguous,’ study says

Language used by the government during its Covid-19 briefings throughout the pandemic was “vague, slippery and ambiguous” so as to reduce accountability, a new study has found.

Researchers from Nottingham Trent University found that ministers adopted “lexicogrammatical strategies” to share responsibility for policy decisions with the public.

Read the full story here:

‘Slippery and ambiguous’ language used by ministers during Covid briefs, study says

‘The government speakers employed different lexicogrammatical strategies to reduce and mitigate the amount of responsibility to themselves, while increasing the amount assigned to the general public’

Maroosha Muzaffar25 August 2022 06:29

1661404752Freezing energy bills will not help people, minister says

Freezing energy bills will not help people who need the most support with the cost of living crisis, a minister has said.

Armed Forces Minister James Heappey said the “eyewatering” sum would not be the best way through a winter of price hikes.

Speaking to Sky News he said: “I don’t think that a universal freezing of everybody’s energy bill really helps to get taxpayer’s money into the bank accounts of the people who need support the most.”

Instead, he said both Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak had proposed the “better solution” of “more targeted packages” of support to the least well off.

Maroosha Muzaffar25 August 2022 06:19

1661403930Government ‘must do more’ to help energy consumers pay soaring bills

The government must increase its energy bills discount by at least 150 per cent, a consumer group has warned.

The government “must do more” to help energy consumers pay soaring bills, the consumer group “Which?” Warning ahead of Friday’s announcement of the energy price cap for the three months from October.

The current package of government support was announced in May, but price cap forecasts have risen massively since then.

Maroosha Muzaffar25 August 2022 06:05

1661403621Rishi Sunak says it was a ‘mistake’ to empower scientists during pandemic

Rishi Sunak said that one of the major mistakes was to empower scientists during the Covid pandemic.I

n an interview with The Spectator, he said that it was a mistake to allow the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) to have so much sway over policy.

He also revealed that he was banned from discussing “trade-offs” of restrictions, such as missed doctor appointments and mounting NHS backlogs.

He claimed during the interview that he became “very emotional” at times about the damage closing schools would cause children, but said his objects were met with a “big silence” from colleagues.

Maroosha Muzaffar25 August 2022 06:00

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