In her most thorough interview in the Conservative leadership campaign, a day before she is widely expected to be declared the winner, Truss said she would provide immediate help over energy bills, but declined to say what.
“What I can say is that if I’m elected as prime minister, within one week I will make sure there is an announcement on how we are going to deal with the issue of energy bills, and of long-term supply, to put this country on the right footing for winter,” Truss told BBC One’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg show. “I understand that people are struggling, that businesses are also concerned about their energy bills and the impact it could have on their future. So what I want to reassure people is, I will act.”
But under repeated questioning, Truss refused to give any details, saying she would only set this out if she defeated Rishi Sunak to become Tory leader on Monday. She would then take over from Boris Johnson as prime minister the next day.
Truss did, however, insist she would not be deflected from her prioritisation of tax cuts, and her efforts to cut regulation, saying it was more important to grow the economy than to try to reduce economic inequalities.
Shown calculations setting out that her planned reversal of a recent rise in national insurance would benefit top earners by around £1,800 a year, and the lowest earner by about £7, and asked if this was fair, Truss said: “Yes, it is fair.”
She said: “The people at the top of the income distribution pay more tax, so inevitably when you cut taxes, you tend to benefit people who are more likely to pay tax."
Dim Truss preaches to the converted again but her logic will not impress the electorate …
"A leaked recording of Ms Truss in illuminating conversation confirms that “idle” is precisely what she believes British workers to be. And more. Speaking privately when chief secretary to the Treasury – a post she held between 2017 and 2019 – Ms Truss deplores the “mindset and attitude” of workers outside London. The country is being held back, she says, because too many employees have little appetite for “graft”. "
Yup, she truly thinks that a bit of cold and hunger will get the poor motivated to improve the UK productivity.
There’s also the teensy point that people in eg London quite often have to have more than one job on the go due to the price of houses/rent and more expensive goods, and that they’re working through necessity and not for the love of it.
I suppose Truss’ and the Tory POV is that if Londoners can work two jobs to pay fro essentials, then why shouldn’t those outside London do it too, to pay for necessities like food, housing and heating?
The majority of workers with second jobs are doing so because sluggish pay growth has forced them to find ways to top up their monthly income, a survey has found, resulting in calls for organisations to make sure employees don’t feel they have to pick up a “side hustle”.
In a poll of 1,200 full-time UK employees, conducted by CV-Library, more than one in 10 (16 per cent) admitted to taking on jobs on the side. Of these, 60 per cent felt they had to work more due to the salary of their primary job being insufficient.
For a Tory high-earner, attending three separate afternoon company board-meetings a week once a month (all expenses paid) for a retainer of £200,000 (and perks) would be seriously hard graft (ask Dido Harding) …
Truss also said something about:
the UK needed to “take the difficult decisions to ensure we are not in this position every autumn and winter”, adding: “Sticking plasters and kicking the can down the road will not do.”
Which would be laudable apart from two quite important things. First, she had nothing to say on what these long term fixes would be. It seems that wish for a long term fix is just another one of Truss’ empty promises.
Second, sticking plasters have a purpose and address the immediate issue. If there is a trip hazard then certainly the long term solution is to remove the hazard. But if there is someone with a nasty cut from falling due to the hazard, you do not fix that cut by getting out tools to remove the hazard. You put a bleedin’ bandage on the cut because that is what needs to be addressed today.
There is supposed to be work, though, isn’t there? unemployment is low?
It’s just that it’s low paid jobs with poor terms and conditions
And I’m sure if the energy crisis means people are desperate enough to be forced into those type of jobs to be exploited that will suit the Tory’s agenda very nicely. Uppity peasants made to know their place
Ironically, for me to take on a second job, we’d have to get a second car. The income from the second job would probably not cover the cost of buying and running it.
Originally I had her down to last until the next GE in late 2024. My quip to Bruce about the next leadership vote being in May 2023 might actually not turn out to be a joke after all.
It always annoys me when politicians say they will have to make difficult decisions, which is always aimed at the ordinary people, what about making a difficult decision regarding a windfall tax on the energy companies, ?
