Labor leads by 12%, its biggest lead since Boris Johnson resigned. Intention to vote at Westminster (August 21): Labor 43% (+2) Conservatives 31% (-3) Lib Dems 13% (+1) Greens 5% (–) SNP 5% (+1) UK Reform 3% (–) Other 2% (-1) Changes +/- August 14 pic.twitter.com/jDq52ETFns — Redfield & Wilton Strategies (@RedfieldWilton) August 22, 2022 The Redfield and Wilton poll suggests that, in the immediate aftermath of Johnson’s resignation, Labour’s lead shrunk – perhaps because, with Johnson gone, one of the factors that made the Tories unpopular was no longer at play. But more recently Labour’s lead has started to grow again. This may be a consequence of growing alarm over the energy bill crisis and support for Labour’s plan to freeze the price cap (a rare example of a policy announcement that appears to have had a significant boost in the polls in its own right). And it may be that the more people watch the Tory leadership contest, the less they like the party. Here’s a UK poll with polls from Politco showing how average poll results (based on data from all the major polling agencies) have fluctuated in recent weeks. UK poll Photo: Politico Nicola Sturgeon, Scotland’s first minister, is to chair a special summit to discuss what can be done to ease the impact of soaring energy bills, PA Media reports. PA says: With warnings that the average amount UK households pay for their gas and electricity could reach £6,000 next year, Sturgeon is bringing together representatives from both energy companies and consumer groups to consider what support can be provided. Sturgeon has already warned many families will face “impoverishment and destruction” if energy prices rise again in October. The energy price cap currently limits payments for domestic customers to a maximum of £1,971 per year. However, regulators Ofgem are due to announce the revised limit on Friday – when the cap is expected to rise to £3,576, with further increases expected in 2023. Poverty Alliance director Peter Kelly welcomed the summit, which will be attended by his organization alongside Energy Action Scotland. Kelly said: “Across the country, people are increasingly being swept up in a rising tide of hardship. But with the energy price cap set to rise in October, that tide threatens to become a flood. Households up and down Scotland are terrified of what the colder months will bring and the likelihood is that – without further action – lives and livelihoods will be at risk. The situation could hardly be more urgent.” Energy suppliers Scottish Power, Ovo Energy and E.ON are also due to attend today’s summit, with Sturgeon already insisting the October cap rise “cannot be allowed to go ahead”. Updated at 09.26 BST Sharon Graham, the general secretary of Unite, told Sky News she would like Labor to be more “upfront” about supporting workers. In an interview with Sky News, mainly about the strike by dockers in Felixstowe, she said: I really stood by a mandate that I wanted unions to go back to what it says on the union tin – a focus on jobs, pay and conditions – and that’s what I did. Of course I would like Labor to do more, of course I want them to do more to support workers in a more proactive way. But, honestly, what I focus on is the job at hand. Join members in a picket line in Felixstowe on Monday. Photo: Anadolu Agency/Getty Images Updated at 09.24 BST Good morning. We will hear from Boris Johnson for the first time since returning from his holiday in Greece later today when he addresses the Crimea International Platform, a virtual conference organized by the Ukrainian government, at 12.30pm. Tomorrow marks six months since the (most recent) Russian invasion of Ukraine. The Conservative leadership contest hasn’t been on for long (although you might like it) and at 7 p.m. Truss remains the clear front-runner but her bid to present herself to the party as the new Margaret Thatcher took a major hit last night when Paul Johnson, head of the Institute for Fiscal Studies, the highly respected public spending thinktank, said the her policies more closely resembled those of Edward Heath. It’s almost 50 years since Heath left office, but he remains a powerful figure of hatred for many right-wing Tories (which, given the party’s current make-up, means many Tories). Cutting taxes and increasing the deficit in the face of high inflation has clear echoes of Ted Heath in 1973. It couldn’t be further from Thatcher who famously took the unpopular decision to raise taxes in 1981 to manage the deficit and inflation. https://t.co/6ULlSfygrE — Paul Johnson (@PJTheEconomist) August 22, 2022 Johnson is not the first person to make this point about Trump’s policies. In an interview earlier this month, Michael Howard, the former party leader, revived the memory of the “Barber explosion” as he explained why he believed the Truss tax cuts would lead to higher inflation, more borrowing, recession and a government of Labor (as Anthony Barber’s did under Heath). Truss, of course, disagrees. Ahead of tonight’s games, she has unveiled her plan for the West Midlands economy. The following is an excerpt from the press release. Liz’s bold plan for the economy will challenge Treasury orthodoxy and unleash the power of the private sector through lower taxes, better regulation and supply-side reform. It will unleash the private sector and get behind West Midlands companies, using their growth to fuel the UK economy. Liz’s low-tax, low-regulation investment zones will enable local leaders to bring new investment to the areas that need it most. A Truss Government will deliver key infrastructure projects including the Midlands rail hub and support for Andy Street [the Conservative West Midlands mayor] to fully deliver the Wednesbury Tube extension to Brierley Hill – and his efforts to secure the necessary funds, including through the new devolution deal. It will also put the full weight of government into efforts to bring a battery gigafactory to the West Midlands, ensuring the region continues to play a critical role at the forefront of our economic growth. I’m trying to follow the comments below the line (BTL) but it’s impossible to read them all. If you have a direct question, include “Andrew” somewhere and I’m more likely to find it. I try to answer questions and if they’re of general interest I’ll post the question and answer above the line (ATL), though I can’t promise I’ll do it for everyone. If you want to get my attention quickly, it’s probably best to use Twitter. I’m on @AndrewSparrow. Alternatively you can email me at [email protected] Updated 09.02 BST
