Defending Sunak’s record as Chancellor and countering Truss’ claim that there had been decades of low growth, Raab said: She can answer about her policies when she was general secretary of the Ministry of Finance. People can see if spending and the number of employees in the public administration increased or decreased. It’s not just Rishi who will be held responsible for what he has done in the face of a massive pandemic. So, did he cut taxes at the time? Did the expenditure increase or decrease during the CST period? I think, without criticizing her personally, I think it’s right that all their records are scrutinized. Important events: Show only key events Please enable JavaScript to use this feature Both Liz Truss and Tom Tugendhat seem to have “roofing” written all over their media networks this morning as they both tweeted about the issue in short succession. Truss linked to a Telegraph article published late yesterday in which he vowed to end what he called “Stalinist” housing targets, saying: I want to scrap the Stalinist housing targets inspired by Whitehall – this is the wrong way to create economic growth. The best way to stimulate economic growth is from the bottom up with tax incentives for investment and simplified regulations. I want to scrap the Stalinist housing targets inspired by Whitehall – this is the wrong way to create economic growth. The best way to stimulate economic growth is from the bottom up with tax incentives for investment and simplified regulations.https://t.co/r51NBChnYF — Liz for Leader (@trussliz) July 17, 2022 Tugendhat, after 12 years of Conservative government, says “I’m serious about fixing the housing crisis”. His plan is to increase building on brownfield sites, introduce “street voting” to inform hyperlocal development decisions and “build beautifully” by building “homes that reflect our heritage and history”.
Badenoch accuses Labor of “poisoning the well of society” through racism
Kemi Badenoch has given an interview to the Sunday Times in which she talks about racism in the UK and attacks Labour’s stance on the issue. He told the paper: What’s amazing is how when you talk to some Labor people they still pretend it’s 1955 or 1948 and just the same as when the Windrush generation arrived. It’s like they have to pretend nothing has changed to justify their argument. It’s devastating for young people, because what they hear is the message that no matter what you do, people will try to stop you. It means they are not bothered, they are defeated before they start. She continued by saying: The argument I make to people is that we’ve all been victims of crime, but we don’t all think our country is institutionally criminal. That’s not to say that racism doesn’t exist in this country, but pretending that’s all there is and … overemphasizing it will only make the country more divided. I don’t think people who make this argument understand that they are playing with fire. They poison the well of society. Read more here: The Sunday Times – Kemi Badenoch: Labor is still living in the past about the games [£] Updated at 09.39 BST
Truss backer Iain Duncan Smith questions Mordaunt’s record in government
Iain Duncan Smith devoted part of his appearance on Sky News this morning to an attack on Penny Mordaunt, questioning how hard she had worked and what she had achieved. He said: “I have just said that everyone’s record should be fully scrutinized in the open for their achievements. “Everybody in the Tom Tugendhat bar, I think, is in the government. Everyone should be judged on what they have achieved. The one person I personally don’t know what her big accomplishments are is Penny. “For me, the bottom line is that we are not electing a leader of the Conservative party who has two years to build his reputation. We elect someone to be prime minister on day one. So you must know when they have power and authority in government, what do they do with it? What did they achieve? What were their core beliefs? What happened to the car? What tough decisions did they have to make that actually sometimes had to go against their public servants to get these things done?’ He added: “I know what others have done. So I want to know, what does she think her big accomplishments are? And where was he actually fighting for things? How many hours did you spend working on it? Where did he face these tough decisions?’ Updated at 09.39 BST Former Tory leader Ian Duncan Smith is also in the media this morning, backing Foreign Secretary Liz Truss’ bid for the top job. He told Sky News viewers: “We can’t pick anyone up without a trace.” “Most of the main candidates in this debate have all been in government for the better part of two and a half years,” he said. “So it’s very important to know what their record says about them when they have the power to do things.” Of Truss, he said: “He has done these amazing trade deals, particularly with Australia, by the way, which was not a continuation of the trade deal, as well as the Trans Pacific Partnership, which opens us up to the Far East, which is really offering Brexit. “And the other, of course, stood in favor of Ukraine. She’s been very, very strong about supporting our involvement in Ukraine, which is a really, really vital issue, and also now Northern Ireland, where she’s helping to resolve that. So her record is strong.” Updated at 09.40 BST
Zahawi urged to explain the source of the mysterious £26m loans
Jon Ungoed-Thomas Chancellor Nadhim Zahawi is under pressure to explain the source of £26m of bad loans reported by his family’s property company in 2018 as he faces questions about his tax affairs. The millions of pounds in loans helped Zahawi and his wife buy properties across Britain, including commercial and retail properties in London, Birmingham, Brighton and Walton-on-Thames in Surrey. The Observer found that new loans to property firm Zahawi and Zahawi were reported in the same year that an offshore family company linked to the chancellor sold shares in YouGov, the polling firm he founded, transferring £26m to an unknown recipient or recipients. A source close to Zahawi insisted there was no link between the money transferred from the offshore company, Balshore Investments, and unsecured loans to his family property company, Zahawi and Zahawi. A spokesman said: “Nadhim and his wife have never been beneficiaries of offshore trust structures.” The chancellor has been embroiled in a growing controversy after the Observer revealed last week that a “flag” had been raised by officials over his financial affairs. He is fielding calls to locate the lender or lenders who helped finance his real estate company. Read more about Jon Ungoed-Thomas’ report here: Zahawi urged to explain source of mystery £26m loans Updated at 09.40 BST In his television appearance on Sky News this morning, Dominic Raab outlined some of the reasons he was backing Rishi Sunak, including that he was the only candidate Raab believed could win the general election. He told Sophy Ridge: “I think people want the positive outlook and I think Rishi has three critical things: a financial plan, values and, frankly, electability. The ability to reach out, not just within the Conservative party, but across the country, whether it’s blue seats or red seats, he’s the type to win. At the end of the day. I think it’s very important.” Specifically on the economy, he said: “I think he is the one who has a credible economic plan to reduce inflation. If we can’t do that. We’re not going to leave people with money in their pockets from tax cuts or anything. “He then drove forward, raised some further ideas about strengthening through deregulation, smarter regulation. “I also think he has the right values. I have known Rishi since he first became a member of parliament, the values he grew up with, a gritty history of family entrepreneurship, I have heard it privately let alone during these leadership discussions. About how when his mom ran the pharmacy, he helped her do the books. He understands, if you will, that pocketbook economy, which I think is so important at this time of the cost of living [crisis].” Updated at 09.38 BST
Dominic Raab attacks Liz Truss’ record at the Treasury
Appearing on the Sophy Ridge program on Sky News this morning, Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab, who is backing Rishi Sunak for Prime Minister, attacked Liz Truss and her record as chief secretary to the Treasury. Defending Sunak’s record as Chancellor and countering Truss’ claim that there had been decades of low growth, Raab said: She can answer about her policies when she was general secretary of the Ministry of Finance. People can see if spending and the number of employees in the public administration increased or decreased. It’s not just Rishi who will be held responsible for what he has done in the face of a massive pandemic. So, did he cut taxes at the time? Did the expenditure increase or decrease during the CST period? I think, without criticizing her personally, I think it’s right that all their records are scrutinized.
Morning summary
Good morning. Later today, ITV will hold another live televised debate with the five remaining Conservative leadership candidates aiming to be the next prime minister. This is at 7 p.m. and it will be one of the last chances for the candidates to impress before MPs resume voting on the contest in Westminster on Monday. Before that happens – and Andrew Sparrow will be here to cover it…
title: “Conservative Leadership Race Raab Attacks Truss Record At The Till Uk Politics Live Policy " ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-15” author: “Judith Wells”
Defending Sunak’s record as Chancellor and countering Truss’ claim that there had been decades of low growth, Raab said: She can answer about her policies when she was general secretary of the Ministry of Finance. People can see if spending and the number of employees in the public administration increased or decreased. It’s not just Rishi who will be held responsible for what he has done in the face of a massive pandemic. So, did he cut taxes at the time? Did the expenditure increase or decrease during the CST period? I think, without criticizing her personally, I think it’s right that all their records are scrutinized. Important events: Show only key events Please enable JavaScript to use this feature
Raab on expected record temperatures: people should be ‘resilient’ enough to ‘enjoy the sun’
Expectations of record temperatures will dominate the headlines in the UK over the next two days. The chief executive of the College of Paramedics warned on Sky News this morning that the “savage heat” could lead to people dying. Tracy Nicholls said: “It’s not like a lovely warm day where we can put on some sunscreen, go out and enjoy a swim and a meal out. This is a serious heat that could actually, eventually, result in people dying because it is so fierce. We’re just not prepared for that kind of heat in this country.” In slight contrast, on the same programme, Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab said people should be hardy enough to “enjoy the sunshine” in the coming days. PA Media reports that he said: “Obviously, we’re talking about some practical, common sense advice – stay hydrated, stay out of the sun during the hottest times, wear sunscreen – things like that. We have to enjoy the sun and actually we have to be quite hardy.” He was not enthusiastic about the prospect of the government giving advice on working from home, saying “That is for employers to look at and for people to decide. I’m not going to start dictating such things. But obviously we have more flexible working. So that will help in that genre as well.” Labour’s shadow education secretary, Bridget Phillipson, supported pupils attending school during the high temperatures. She told viewers: ‘I’m sure headteachers will do everything they can to ensure their schools are kept as cool as possible, that children are kept out of the hot sun and indoors as much as possible. I think the kids have already lost a lot in terms of their education and it’s right that they should be there.”
‘Red wall’ Tories warn: honor leveling promises or we’ll lose the next election
Toby Helm Senior Tories in “red wall” seats have warned Tory leadership candidates that the party will lose the next general election if they do not recommit to raising the standard of the country and boosting investment in the UK’s deprived areas. The warnings come as economists and businessmen pushing the leveling agenda in northern England say the whole project – which was at the heart of the 2019 Conservative manifesto – is at risk of being undermined as candidates to succeed Boris Johnson compete to offer more generous tax cuts cuts and money to ease the cost of living crisis. On Saturday night, Tory backbencher Jake Berry, who chairs Conservative MPs’ 50-strong Northern Research Group (NRG) and was minister for northern power from 2017 to 2020, told the Observer that if the next prime minister fails to deliver on his 2019 manifesto promise, his party will be severely punished by red wall voters. Berry agreed that if the party dropped its 2019 manifesto there would be an understandable outcry for an early election. “Those votes were borrowed, borrowed against a promise of performance and a promise of action,” he said. “If the performances and action are lacking, don’t be surprised if they don’t show up in two years. “It depends on whether we want to win the next election. Of course we can become a party that only focuses on rebuilding the blue wall in the south of England, but [if we do that] we’ll lose”. John Stevenson, the Tory MP for Carlisle, added: “We must not forget that the part of our last manifesto on which our large majority was based was the leveling agenda. It is important that the next leader is committed to this agenda.” Berry and Stevenson support Tom Tugendhat, who is calling for tax cuts as well as a broader national growth strategy to create a less economically divided country. Read more about Toby Helm’s report here: Red Wall Tories warn – honor leveling pledges or we’ll lose the next election Updated at 09.53 BST Both Liz Truss and Tom Tugendhat seem to have “roofing” written all over their media networks this morning as they both tweeted about the issue in short succession. Truss linked to a Telegraph article published late yesterday in which he vowed to end what he called “Stalinist” housing targets, saying: I want to scrap Whitehall-inspired Stalinist housing targets – this is the wrong way to create economic growth. The best way to stimulate economic growth is from the bottom up with tax incentives for investment and simplified regulations. I want to scrap the Stalinist housing targets inspired by Whitehall – this is the wrong way to create economic growth. The best way to stimulate economic growth is from the bottom up with tax incentives for investment and simplified regulations.https://t.co/r51NBChnYF — Liz for Leader (@trussliz) July 17, 2022 Tugendhat, after 12 years of Conservative government, says: “I’m serious about fixing the housing crisis.” His plan is to increase building on brownfield sites, introduce “street votes” to make hyperlocal development decisions and “build beautifully” by building “homes that reflect our heritage and history”. Updated at 09.54 BST
Badenoch accuses Labor of “poisoning the well of society” through racism
Kemi Badenoch has given an interview to the Sunday Times in which she talks about racism in the UK and attacks Labour’s stance on the issue. He told the paper: What’s amazing is how when you talk to some Labor people they still pretend it’s 1955 or 1948 and just the same as when the Windrush generation arrived. It’s like they have to pretend nothing has changed to justify their argument. It’s devastating for young people, because what they hear is the message that no matter what you do, people will try to stop you. It means they are not bothered, they are defeated before they start. She continued by saying: The argument I make to people is that we’ve all been victims of crime, but we don’t all think our country is institutionally criminal. That’s not to say that racism doesn’t exist in this country, but pretending that’s all there is and … overemphasizing it will only make the country more divided. I don’t think people who make this argument understand that they are playing with fire. They poison the well of society. Read more here: The Sunday Times – Kemi Badenoch: Labor is still living in the past about the games [£] Updated at 09.39 BST
Truss backer Iain Duncan Smith questions Mordaunt’s record in government
Iain Duncan Smith devoted part of his appearance on Sky News this morning to an attack on Penny Mordaunt, questioning how hard she had worked and what she had achieved. He said: “I have just said that everyone’s record should be fully scrutinized in the open for their achievements. “Everybody in the Tom Tugendhat bar, I think, is in the government. Everyone should be judged on what they have achieved. The one person I personally don’t know what her big accomplishments are is Penny. “For me, the bottom line is that we are not electing a leader of the Conservative party who has two years to build his reputation. We elect someone to be prime minister on day one. So you must know when they have power and authority in government, what do they do with it? What did they achieve? What were their core beliefs? What happened to the car? What tough decisions did they have to make that actually sometimes had to go against their public servants to get these things done?’ He added: “I know what others have done. So I want to know, what does she think her big accomplishments are? And where was he actually fighting for things? How many hours did you spend working on it? Where did he face these tough decisions?’ Updated at 09.39 BST Former Tory leader Ian Duncan Smith is also in the media this morning, backing Foreign Secretary Liz Truss’ bid for the top job. He told Sky News viewers: “We can’t pick anyone up without a trace.” “Most of the main candidates in this debate have all been in government for the better part of two and a half years,” he said. “So it’s very important to know what their record says about them when they have the power to do things.” Of Truss, he said: “He has done these amazing trade deals, particularly with Australia, by the way, which was not a continuation of the trade deal, as well as the Trans Pacific Partnership, which opens us up to the Far East, which is really offering Brexit. “And the other, of course, stood in favor of Ukraine. She’s been very, very strong about supporting our involvement in Ukraine, which is a really, really vital issue, and also now Northern Ireland, where she’s helping to resolve that. So her record is strong.” Updated at 09.40 BST
Zahawi urged to explain the source of the mysterious £26m loans
Jon Ungoed-Thomas The chancellor…
