Cost of living: New prime minister must hit ground running, Crabb says

Tory leadership hopefuls Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak will find out on Monday who has won

The new prime minister will need to "hit the ground running" to tackle the cost of living crisis as a priority, a Conservative MP has said.

Stephen Crabb's comments come a day before contenders Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak find out who will take the reins.

Former Welsh Secretary Mr Crabb said they would have a "very, very narrow window of opportunity to establish credibility on this issue".

Both candidates pledged to help those struggling in BBC interviews on Sunday.

Foreign Secretary Ms Truss, who is tabled as the front runner, told the programme Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg that she would act within a week.

Ex-chancellor Mr Sunak said he had set out a clear plan for direct payments to people struggling with bills.

One of them will be announced as the new Tory leader on Monday, a day before officially becoming the UK's new prime minister with Boris Johnson stepping down.

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"The new PM will need to hit the ground running and, certainly within days, have something very strong and credible and specific to start saying about this issue," Mr Crabb, the Preseli Pembrokeshire MP, told BBC Radio Wales' Sunday Supplement.

"I think the plan they need to come up with is about providing direct assistance to households - particularly those on the lowest incomes - and small businesses."

Jo Stevens, Labour's shadow Welsh secretary, said either appointment would lead to "more of the same" so a general election "can't come soon enough".

The Cardiff Central MP has called for a freeze on the energy price cap - which will see a typical household bill rise 80% to £3,549 a year on 1 October - "so households are not paying a penny more on their energy bill this winter".

Meanwhile, Plaid Cymru treasury spokesman, Ben Lake, called for the new prime minister to adopt a "furlough level of support" for small businesses during the energy crisis as costs are not capped like they are for domestic customers.

"Without the same level of support for businesses as was given during the pandemic, our economy will simply collapse," the Ceredigion MP said.

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