Today’s news summary – Paper Talk
Thursday’s front pages are dominated by the new prime minister as Liz Truss is to announce her government support plans for lowering bills this winter. The papers also give their analysis of the PM’s first PMQs session yesterday.
Liz Truss to announce energy bills plan
The Daily Mirror claims “About time” – and says the intervention can not come soon enough for struggling families, pensioners and businesses.
It’s a “make or break moment” according to the Guardian as Liz Truss’s entire premiership hinges on uniting a Tory party. The paper says senior Tories think the package of support will “generate enough goodwill” to guarantee her survival in Downing Street until Christmas – but keeping MPs in line beyond the new year could be a major challenge, the paper warns.
The Daily Express does in the complete opposite direction – saying Truss is “hitting the ground running” and getting straight down to work by tackling the energy crisis “head on.”
The i newspaper describes the scheme as a “gamble” – with questions about how the £150bn package will be paid for.
The Financial Times says the sharp slide in the pound reflects the “daunting scale” of the economic challenges facing the new government. The paper notes that at one point sterling fell lower than in the aftermath of the Brexit vote of 2016 – and lower than the depths of March 2020 as the pandemic took over. FT claims that ministers were still trying to finalise the details of the package for businesses as late as yesterday.
Revolutionising energy supply is the focus of the Daily Mail and Daily Telegraph – as PM Truss promised to “revolutionise” energy supply in the UK and ensure households won’t face paying exorbitant bills in the future.
“Truss vows never again” is the Telegraph’s headline. The paper says Truss will scrap the moratorium on fracking in a written statement to Parliament rather than full legislation – speeding up the removal of the ban.
The Times says ministers are drawing up plans for a public information campaign to encourage households to reduce their energy this winter.
PM Liz Truss PMQs
Liz Truss’s first ever PMQs is also examined in the papers.
The Telegraph says Truss silenced her critics with her “calm and considered” performance at the despatch box. The Times says she was “unflappable” whilst a sketch in the Guardian says it made for a “refreshing change” – a PMQs where the PM actually answered the questions.
