Summary

  • Conservative Party leadership frontrunner Liz Truss says if she becomes PM tomorrow she will act on energy bills within a week

  • She says she wants to help with bills, but also improve energy security and would allow fracking for gas if local people support it

  • Rival Rishi Sunak says he cannot rule out blackouts this winter if he becomes PM, as the UK is facing "a genuine emergency" on energy

  • He says he will stay on as a MP if he loses the leadership race, but doesn't rule out running again to be PM

  • One of the two will be announced as the new Tory leader tomorrow, and on Tuesday become the UK's new prime minister

  • Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg interviews the biggest names inside and outside of politics each week

  1. Thanks for joining uspublished at 11:24 British Summer Time 4 September 2022

    Thanks for joining us for our live coverage this morning. The page was brought to you by Kate Whannel, Catherine Evans, Jo Couzens, Rob Corp and Claire Heald.

    You can watch Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg here and read our latest on the leadership campaign, the war in Ukraine and all the day's politics, here.

  2. Almost time to say goodbyepublished at 11:21 British Summer Time 4 September 2022

    Rob Corp
    Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg

    You would expect to get a news line out of a Sunday morning interview show, and today's has certainly delivered.

    We learned that Liz Truss, if she wins the Tory leadership election tomorrow and becomes prime minister on Tuesday, will act within a week to help businesses and households with their energy bills - although she wouldn't tell us exactly how.

    She also spelled out her economic leanings: that she believes cutting taxes for everyone will boost the economy, meaning more money for the NHS (which is facing arguably its toughest winter ever).

    In his interview, Truss' rival Rishi Sunak - who many think will not be the crowned the winner tomorrow - said he had put the public finances on a sound footing while in government, and that would help deal with this current crisis.

    And he said he would stay on as MP for Richmond in North Yorkshire if he loses out to Truss. But he didn't rule out another tilt at the leadership if a vacancy arises in the future.

  3. How much protection from disconnection?published at 11:16 British Summer Time 4 September 2022

    Reality Check

    Laura asked Rishi Sunak if people who could not pay their energy bills should be cut off.

    “We have actually protection for these people,” he responded.

    It is relatively unusual to be disconnected, with companies generally installing prepayment meters instead. The meters make customers pay for energy before they use it.

    According to figures, external from the regulator Ofgem, 21 households had their supply disconnected last year.

    If energy companies want to disconnect the supply of a customer who has not paid a bill after 28 days there are restrictions on that.

    They would need to give the customer a chance to clear their bill through a payment plan and they may need to apply to a court for a warrant to enter the property to disconnect the supply.

    There are also rules preventing certain vulnerable people being disconnected - such as people of state pension age who live alone or people who live with children.

    You can read more about it here.

  4. Analysis: Quick action on bills - but how much and who for?published at 11:06 British Summer Time 4 September 2022

    Chris Mason
    Political editor

    The biggest moment of the summer’s campaign to replace Boris Johnson as Prime Minister was when Liz Truss said there would be support for people paying their energy bills, having previously rejected the idea of what she called “handouts”.

    Vanishingly few people, if anyone, now seriously disputes that she is going to win.

    Strikingly, Liz Truss did not dispute the Sunday Times’ suggestion this morning the intervention could be huge – costing around £100bn.

    And we now know she’ll set out her plans within a week of taking office.

    But we still await the information which really matters: who will get support, how much support and for how long?

  5. Not the slickest candidate, but has Truss outwitted the rest?published at 11:00 British Summer Time 4 September 2022

    Laura Kuenssberg
    Presenter, Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg

    What was also intriguing about Liz Truss' ideas for government - should she win tomorrow - is that she defended her plan to cut National Insurance, saying it was fair for people who earned more to get more back.

    What's obvious from that part of our conversation is that Liz Truss thinks differently about how policymakers think about choices for the economy.

    She raised a smile when I asked her about people poking fun at her over the years - and perhaps even poked fun at herself.

    She might not be the slickest candidate but it looks like she has outwitted the rest.

  6. Analysis: Truss faces a dilemmapublished at 10:57 British Summer Time 4 September 2022

    Liz TrussImage source, Reuters

    The most notable policy promise from Liz Truss was the timing of significant changes to tax and spend - the announcement of help on energy bills is coming within a week, then within a month we will get wider policy changes, including the reversal of the National Insurance rise (announced by Rishi Sunak as chancellor) and the cancellation of planned rises to Corporation tax (also Sunak).

    This sets up a dilemma for her, should she win tomorrow.

    Assuming that the Truss energy policy will not save everyone from the incredible bill rises in the pipeline, she will inevitably have to deploy the argument that the public finances won’t allow such ongoing open-ended support.

    But presumably she will have accounted for the tens of billions of pounds that the government number crunchers will say her tax cut policies cost.

    That will lead to many more of the questions, such as that posed by Laura, about how such tax cuts mainly benefit the rich, which Ms Truss acknowledged was “inevitable”.

  7. Watch: I can't solve energy bill problem for everyone - Sunakpublished at 10:52 British Summer Time 4 September 2022

    Media caption,

    Rishi Sunak says he can't solve the issue around energy bills for everyone

    Rishi Sunak has said he cannot solve everybody's energy bill problems, should he win the leadership context.

    Instead, he's outlined how his plans include targeted support for pensioners and those on the lowest incomes.

    But he told Laura Kuenssberg, if elected, he would go further than the support already announced and said everyone would receive some financial assistance.

  8. Lib Dems say lack of detail so far 'worrying'published at 10:45 British Summer Time 4 September 2022

    Ed DaveyImage source, PA Media

    During this morning's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme, Liz Truss was asked if she would freeze energy bills, as proposed by Labour and the Liberal Democrats.

    Truss said it would be wrong to go into details on what it is she would do should she win power, but promised to act within a week.

    In response, Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey says: "Liz Truss' refusal to come clean on her plans is leaving people worried sick about how they will afford to heat their homes this winter."

    He says his party will introduce a proposed law to Parliament in the coming days implement a bill freeze - however, unless it has government support it is extremely unlikely to become law.

  9. Watch: Truss promises immediate action on energy billspublished at 10:40 British Summer Time 4 September 2022

    Media caption,

    Liz Truss promises to act immediately on bills and energy supply

    Conservative leadership hopeful Liz Truss says if she is elected she will immediately act to help people with soaring energy bills.

    Speaking on Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, she promised an announcement on energy bills and supply within a week if she is elected.

  10. What did we learn from Truss?published at 10:38 British Summer Time 4 September 2022

    Laura Kuenssberg
    Presenter, Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg

    Liz Truss promised within a week - if she wins the Conservative leadership election, and so becomes prime minister - that she will come out with a substantial package of support on energy bills - including for businesses as well as households.

    She also wants us to think she has a long-term plan to sort out our energy supply.

    What's tricky is that she's so close to winning power that she didn't want to elaborate on the kind of real support firms and families will actually receive.

    There are suggestions she might be prepared to spend tens and tens of billions of pounds on this - but simply we are going to have wait another few days to hear what that looks like.

  11. What's the reaction from Labour?published at 10:35 British Summer Time 4 September 2022

    Emily Thornberry on the show's panel

    You probably wouldn't expect glowing reviews of two Tory leadership candidates coming from the opposition.

    But Labour MP Emily Thornberry, who was on today's panel, started off by calling Liz Truss a "lightweight", saying that in her opinion, the foreign secretary has little regard for detail.

    Following both Truss's and Sunak's interviews, Thornberry says she's "disappointed that we're yet to hear a proper plan coming from either of these leadership candidates" regarding the energy crisis facing the country.

  12. Truss could be a disaster, says Sturgeonpublished at 10:32 British Summer Time 4 September 2022

    Nicola SturgeonImage source, PA

    Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has also been out and about on the political programmes this morning.

    Speaking to Sky News, she predicted Liz Truss would be a "disaster" as prime minister, if she governs the way she has campaigned.

    She accused Ms Truss of focusing too much on tax cuts adding: "The obsessions of a tiny, tiny number of Conservative Party members are not the right priorities for the country."

    But, the SNP leader went on to say, whoever becomes the next prime minister should get a chance to prove themselves, and that she hoped for a constructive relationship with them.

  13. Does cutting corporation tax increase revenue?published at 10:27 British Summer Time 4 September 2022

    Reality Check

    Laura asked each of leadership rival guests about how they would handle the economy and plans for tax and spending, should they become prime minister.

    Liz Truss discussed her proposal to cancel the planned increase in corporation tax.

    The tax on company profits is due to rise from 19% to 25% in April 2023 - a plan implemented by her predecessor and rival, former chancellor Rishi Sunak.

    "Last time we cut corporation tax we saw the revenues increase," she said.

    The idea is that keeping taxes low increases economic growth, which means the tax take increases even though the rate is lower.

    The economic think-tank the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) has warned against this assumption saying: "The effect would certainly not be big enough for the tax cut to pay for itself".

    In fact, Laura Kuenssberg put exactly this point to the would-be prime minister.

    The IFS said that the fact that tax revenues had risen in 2019 despite lower headline rates of corporation tax did not provide evidence that cutting rates automatically raised more revenues - with other things going on such as the continuing recovery from the financial crisis.

  14. Truss says inflation will peak, but how high?published at 10:18 British Summer Time 4 September 2022

    Woman shopping in supermarketImage source, Getty Images

    Talking about the cost of living, Liz Truss said this morning: "Inflation is projected to peak, so we do know that inflation will come down."

    That's what the Bank of England has said. It expects inflation to hit 13.1% this winter when the full impact of the (latest) rises in energy bills reaches households.

    However, economists reckon the peak could be much higher. US investment bank Citigroup predicts it would reach 18%, which would be the highest for nearly 50 years. It should be noted that Citi's prediction is on the more aggressive side, though consultancy firm EY-Parthenon has also predicted high inflation - at 15.4%.

    But how much are prices rising for you? Use our inflation calculation here

  15. What did we learn from Sunak?published at 10:12 British Summer Time 4 September 2022

    Rishi Sunak took his turn answering Laura's questions - so what did the rival leadership contender have to say?

    • On energy bills, he said he has set out a clear plan for direct payments to people struggling with bills. He said he can't solve everybody's problems, but he pointed to his time as chancellor, saying it showed he would support the most vulnerable
    • Asked about potential blackouts and energy rationing as part of the coming winter with strong demand for and cost of fuel, he said nothing can be ruled out, because the situation is serious. "We need to have every tool in the toolbox," he said
    • Referring again to his time as chancellor, he said he put significant funding into alternative energy, adding that the UK needs more of it's own energy - and energy efficiency - to combat soaring prices
    • Asked what he will do if he is loses out tomorrow to Liz Truss, he directly answered that he would stay on as an MP for Richmond in North Yorkshire, to support the government
    • Sunak did not rule out running for the Tory leadership again, but said he needs to recover from this leadership campaign.
  16. Analysis: What next for the NHS?published at 10:08 British Summer Time 4 September 2022

    Hugh Pym
    BBC News Health Editor

    Earlier on, Liz Truss was asked by Laura Kuenssberg about the current state of the NHS.

    Truss said if she wins the Tory leadership election tomorrow to become prime minister on Tuesday, a key priority of her administration will be primary care and GP appointments.

    She said this was “absolutely critical and very difficult at the moment”. That is a different emphasis to past health ministers - who have said cutting ambulance handover delays is the main focus this winter.

    Liz Truss did say waiting times for hospital treatment would come down and she would ask her health secretary to come up with a clear plan of how to achieve that.

    This begs the question of what happens to the existing recovery plan drawn up by NHS England and agreed by a previous health secretary Sajid Javid.

    Against the backdrop of a very tough winter ahead exactly what Liz Truss has in mind for improving GP access and cutting waiting lists will be keenly anticipated by health leaders and patients.

  17. That's a wrap on the showpublished at 10:02 British Summer Time 4 September 2022

    Rob Corp
    Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg

    After checking back in with the panel - Emily Thornberry notes the interview with Olena Zelenska on the situation in Ukraine was a moving one, the closing credits roll and the first Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg is off the air.

    I'll head to the post-show gathering to get the thoughts of Laura on how she felt the show went and whether we now know more about what additional help a government led by either Liz Truss or Rishi Sunak might give to people trying to deal with steep rises in the cost of day-to-day life.

  18. Sunak doesn't rule out running again if he losespublished at 09:59 British Summer Time 4 September 2022

    Asked what his plans are for the future if he doesn't the Tory leadership tomorrow, Sunak says he will stay on as MP for Richmond, in North Yorkshire.

    He's reminded that before entering politics, he lived and worked in California - might he go there is the hint. But he's clear he's staying on in Parliament.

    He adds his role now is to support the government.

    Would he run again?

    He doesn't rule it out. He says he needs to recover from this campaign first and adds that his job now is to support the Conservative government.

  19. Should people be cut off?published at 09:58 British Summer Time 4 September 2022

    Should people who cannot pay their bills be cut off, Sunak is asked.

    Sunak says he doesn't want that situation to arise, and adds there are protection for people struggling.

    He says his record during the Covid pandemic shows he would support the most vulnerable.

  20. We're facing a genuine fuel emergency - Sunakpublished at 09:58 British Summer Time 4 September 2022

    Asked if he would plan for blackouts and energy rationing if he became prime minister, Sunak says "we shouldn't rule anything out".

    "We're facing a genuine emergency," he says.