Tory leadership – live: Liz Truss civil service anti-semitism claims ‘abhorrent’

The FDA boss which represents civil servants said the foreign secretary’s comments are ‘inflammatory’

Sunak and Truss are ‘fighting each other like rats in a sack’, says shadow justice secretary

Liz Truss's claims that she will tackle “woke” Civil Service culture that “strays into antisemitism” are “inflammatory” and will be viewed as “insulting and abhorrent”, a union leader has warned.

The foreign secretary was blasted by the head of the FDA, which represents civil servants, for providing “no evidence for her accusation”, which he said “goes further than the usual dog-whistle politics” of the leadership election.

It comes after the Truss campaign said she would “change woke Civil Service culture that strays into antisemitism”.

In response, FDA general secretary Dave Penman said: “The Conservatives have been in Government for more than 12 years now and, for most of that time, Liz Truss has been a minister.

“A prime minister is also minister for the Civil Service, and throwing around such unfounded inflammatory accusations illustrates a lack of leadership, the very thing that she claims to be demonstrating.”

Key Points

• Liz Truss Civil Service antisemitism claims ‘abhorrent,’ union boss warns
• Zahawi: Cost of living options ‘ready’ for next PM to choose
• Sunak warns Truss plan could put vulnerable at risk of ‘destitution’
• Rishi Sunak reveals Boris Johnson has been ignoring his calls
• Johnson claims he is pressing energy firms to ease cost of living crisis
• Liz Truss ‘asked Nicola Sturgeon about how to get into Vogue’
• Boris Johnson won’t say whether he will keep ignoring Rishi Sunak’s calls

[12 August 2022 13:02 · Thomas Kingsley]

Boris Johnson won’t say whether he will keep ignoring Rishi Sunak’s calls

Boris Johnson has refused to say whether he will continue to ignore calls from his former chancellor Rishi Sunak.

The Tory leadership contender – who resignation last month help spark the cabinet revolt which ended Mr Johnson’s premiership – revealed the PM was no longer returning his calls and messages.

Grilled about the fall-out and whether he had spoken to Johnson since he quit, Sunak told a hustings event: “I haven’t – I’ve messaged and called but, unsurprisingly, he hasn’t returned my calls.”

Read the full story below:

[12 August 2022 13:20 · Matt Mathers]

ICYMI: Rishi Sunak’s unimaginable crapness in this contest has surely even taken him by surprise

He still has plenty of time to reflect on possibly the most pyrotechnic political self-immolations of all time, writes Tom Peck.

Read Tom’s article here:

[12 August 2022 13:30 · Thomas Kingsley]

Liz Truss Civil Service antisemitism claims ‘abhorrent,’ union boss warns

Liz Truss's claims that she will tackle “woke” Civil Service culture that “strays into antisemitism” are “inflammatory” and will be viewed as “insulting and abhorrent”, a union leader has warned.

Dave Penman, general secretary of the FDA, which represents civil servants, said: “The Conservatives have been in government for more than 12 years now and, for most of that time, Liz Truss has been a minister.

“So, accusations of 'Civil Service wokeism' are a little ironic, given it's essentially a criticism of their own leadership.

“However, Truss's accusation of antisemitism goes further than the usual dog-whistle politics that has been on display during this leadership campaign when it comes to the Civil Service.

“She provides no evidence for her accusation that many civil servants will find both insulting and abhorrent.

“A prime minister is also minister for the Civil Service, and throwing around such unfounded inflammatory accusations illustrates a lack of leadership, the very thing that she claims to be demonstrating.”

[12 August 2022 13:50 · Matt Mathers]

'That horrible woman up north': Jeremy Kyle attacks Nicola Sturgeon over independence

Presenter Jeremy Kyle described Nicola Sturgeon as “that horrible woman up north” as he attacked Scotland’s first minister over her campaign for independence.

He wrongly suggested that the Tory Party’s handling of the cost of living crisis could see Ms Sturgeon end up in “power in a minute” and that he would be “happy” to see Scotland leave the UK.

Watch the clip below:

[12 August 2022 14:08 · Matt Mathers]

Companies could get more help with energy bills

The government is considering ways to give further help to businesses struggling under the weight of their energy bills.

Business secretary Kwasi Kwarteng said that it is “essential” to help heavy industry to cut production costs. He is proposing that the government increases the exemption from some environmental and policy costs that certain companies were given in March.

The new proposal – published as part of a consultation – would increase the exemption from 85 per cent to cover 100 per cent of the costs.

Kwarteng said: “With global energy prices at record highs, it is essential we explore what more we can do to deliver a competitive future for those strategic industries so we can cut production costs and protect jobs across the UK.”

August Graham reports:

[12 August 2022 14:37 · Matt Mathers]

More than 21,000 people brought to safety from Afghanistan

More than 21,000 people have been brought to safety to the UK from Afghanistan, the government has said.

This includes British nationals and their families, Afghans who worked for the UK, and people identified as high-risk, such as women's rights campaigners, journalists and members of the LGBT+ community.

The update was provided following calls for information on the arrival of Afghan refugees ahead of the one-year anniversary of Taliban forces taking over the country by capturing Kabul on August 15 2021.

A separate up-to-date total for the number of Afghan refugees who have arrived in the UK was not given.

The total includes about 15,000 people who were evacuated during Operation Pitting, the initial British military rescue mission.

About 5,000 people have been brought to safety since the evacuation in August last year.

And about 2,000 locally employed Afghan staff and their families were taken out of the country before Operation Pitting under the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (Arap), which launched in April 2021.

So far, 10,000 people have been brought to the UK under Arap.

[12 August 2022 15:15 · Matt Mathers]

BT and Post Office announce new strike action in rows over pay

Workers for the Post Office, BT and Openreach are all set to stage fresh strikes in a dispute over pay, continuing the summer of industrial action by hundreds of thousands of union members.

More on this story as it comes in here:

[12 August 2022 15:45 · Matt Mathers]

Liz Truss comments about woke civil service ‘straying into antisemitism’ condemned as ‘abhorrent’

Tory leadership favourite Liz Truss’s vow to tackle “woke” civil service culture that “strays into antisemitism” have been strongly condemned by government staff and union leaders.

The FDA organisation representing civil servants said the “inflammatory” comments were “insulting and abhorrent” – saying they “go further than the usual dog-whistle politics” of the Conservative leadership election.

Adam Forrest and Anna Isaac report:

[12 August 2022 16:15 · Matt Mathers]

Labour MPs fear Keir Starmer’s cautious approach could help Liz Truss

MPs increasingly fear the party leader has swallowed whole a New Labour playbook 25 years out of date, writes Andrew Grice.

Read Andrew’s full piece here:

[12 August 2022 16:47 · Sam Rkaina]

Johnson promises “meaningful ministerial meeting” on cost of living

Boris Johnson has instructed senior officials to plan a “meaningful ministerial meeting” with devolved governments on cost-of-living support.

Nicola Sturgeon has demanded a meeting with UK ministers to discuss help for households as prices soar.

In a letter to Mr Johnson on Monday, the Scottish First Minister said an emergency meeting, scheduled for September, cannot wait and must happen immediately.

Mr Johnson has now written back to Ms Sturgeon, saying: “I agree that the response to these pressures will be best served by the UK and devolved governments working collaboratively to navigate these challenges together.”

He has asked his permanent secretary for the union to “continue working with your officials to plan for a meaningful ministerial meeting with heads of devolved governments to consider how best to further support hardworking families”.

It is not known when a meeting will take place.

Boris Johnson has been answering questions on cost of living (PA Wire)