Inside Politics: U-turns
Tory leadership candidates make policy pledges after second TV debate is pulled after host faints, writes Matt Mathers
Hello there, I’m Matt Mathers and welcome to The Independent’s Inside Politics newsletter.
England’s lionesses were the pride of the country last night as they roared into the Euro final after mauling Sweden 4-0. Is it game over for Rishi Sunak in the Tory leadership contest? The former chancellor has thrown some red meat to Tory members with a U-turn on a big policy area as he attempts to claw background on rival Liz Truss.
Inside the bubble
Parliament is not sitting.
Party chair Anneliese Dodds is out on the broadcast round for Labour, appearing on Sky News at 8.05am.
Kwasi Kwarteng, the business secretary and Truss supporter, will appear on Sky News at 8.30am.
Grant Shapps, transport secretary and Sunak backer, is on LBC at 8.50am.
Daily briefing
Tax appeal
Both candidates in the race to replace Boris Johnson made policy pledges late last night after their second head-to-head TV debate got cancelled after the host fainted.
Rishi Sunak, still with it all to do in the contest, promised a temporary cut to VAT on household energy bills if prices continue to soar later in the year (which looks almost certain), prompting accusations by rival Liz Truss of a “screeching” U-turn.
Team Truss responded with its own announcement: a return to national crime targets, with plans for a 20 per cent reduction in murders, other violence and burglaries within two years of entering 10 Downing Street.
Sunak’s pledge is a big change of strategy and the fact he made it underlines the scale of the challenge he has in trying to reign in the big lead built up by Truss. Most readers will remember that it was only a few months ago that Sunak, then the chancellor, denounced the pledge – first called for by Labour – as an untargeted measure that would disproportionately benefit the wealthy and also voted against it.
After failing to land a decisive blow last night or in Monday’s debate (snap polls after that contest showed the candidates neck and neck among the general public when asked who won, with Truss well ahead among Tory members) Sunak obviously felt he had to do something drastic to change minds before ballot papers are sent to the Conservative ‘selectorate’ on 5 August. This pledge is undoubtedly a pitch to them but the accusations by Team Truss of a U-turn are well founded and will cause Sunak trouble throughout today and beyond.
The Conservative Party’s record on crime in government since 2010 is pretty abysmal; if Truss does win the contest, keeps the pledge but fails to deliver on it, it will be another easy attack line for Labour at the next general election.
Last night’s debate, before it was taken off air (Talk TV journalist Kate McCann is fine and well), was a far less acrimonious affair than Monday’s offering. Both were again criticised for failing to address the climate crisis.
Sunak learned his lesson by not interrupting Truss less, with both candidates refraining from personal attacks. But unfortunately for Sunak, it looks increasingly like Tory members have already made up their minds about who they want as their next leader and prime minister.
Strike action
England’s railways will grind to a halt again today as workers take industrial action over pay, conditions and job security. The latest round of strikes goes ahead after talks between unions and Network Rail concluded without an agreement.
Mick Lynch, the RMT union boss who has won plaudits throughout the dispute for his punchy media performances, accused Network Rail of failing to make an improved offer on pay and the government of “interfering” in the process.
“Network Rail have not made any improvement on their previous pay offer and the train companies have not offered us anything new,” he said. “The government need to stop their interference in this dispute so the rail employers can come to a negotiated settlement with us.”
The government’s position throughout the row has been that it is the job of unions and their employers to reach a settlement. Shapps stuck to that line while out on the broadcast round earlier, claiming union calls for him to join negotiations to resolve rail strikes as “a complete red herring”.
“It’s just a game by the unions. It’s a complete red herring as well, by the way, and it’s simply not how strikes are resolved. It can only ever be the employer, in this case Network Rail, the train operating companies and the unions.”
He added: “We have to have this modernisation. It’s there to be sorted out and therefore a pay rise can be had as well, but I’m afraid the unions have been incredibly militant about this.”
Today’s cartoon
On the record
Mark Jenkinson, Tory MP and Truss supporter, on Sunak’s plan to cut VAT on energy bills.
“It’s great to see Rishi Sunak now looking to cut VAT on energy bills, after denouncing so many of us that have been calling for it for months. Up until this point, he’s been saying tax cuts are ‘irresponsible’ and ‘fairytale economics.’”
From the Twitterati
Paul Waugh, i’s chief politics commentator, gives his take on last night’s debate.
“Before the debate unfortunately ended, felt to me like Sunak was pulling his punches a bit more than last night – whereas Truss came out swinging more than last night. She’d decided to sledge him as he talked, in a way not seen before.”
Essential reading
- John Rentoul, The Independent: Does the Conservative Party have a death wish?
- Sean O’Grady, The Independent: Keir Starmer is looking ahead to an election – hence his political rethink
- Jess Phillips, The Independent: David Trimble was a political giant – but his legacy is at risk
- Tom McTague, The Atlantic: The work of giants crumbles
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