Sunak and Truss are ‘fighting each other like rats in a sack’, says shadow justice secretary
Liz Truss‘s claims that she will tackle “woke” Civil Service culture that “strays into antisemitism” are “inflammatory” and will be viewed as “insulting and abhorrent”, a union leader has warned.
The foreign secretary was blasted by the head of the FDA, which represents civil servants, for providing “no evidence for her accusation”, which he said “goes further than the usual dog-whistle politics” of the leadership election.
It comes after the Truss campaign said she would “change woke Civil Service culture that strays into antisemitism”.
In response, FDA general secretary Dave Penman said: “The Conservatives have been in Government for more than 12 years now and, for most of that time, Liz Truss has been a minister.
“A prime minister is also minister for the Civil Service, and throwing around such unfounded inflammatory accusations illustrates a lack of leadership, the very thing that she claims to be demonstrating.”
More than 21,000 people brought to safety from Afghanistan
More than 21,000 people have been brought to safety to the UK from Afghanistan, the government has said.
This includes British nationals and their families, Afghans who worked for the UK, and people identified as high-risk, such as women’s rights campaigners, journalists and members of the LGBT+ community.
The update was provided following calls for information on the arrival of Afghan refugees ahead of the one-year anniversary of Taliban forces taking over the country by capturing Kabul on August 15 2021.
A separate up-to-date total for the number of Afghan refugees who have arrived in the UK was not given.
The total includes about 15,000 people who were evacuated during Operation Pitting, the initial British military rescue mission.
About 5,000 people have been brought to safety since the evacuation in August last year.
And about 2,000 locally employed Afghan staff and their families were taken out of the country before Operation Pitting under the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (Arap), which launched in April 2021.
So far, 10,000 people have been brought to the UK under Arap.
Matt Mathers12 August 2022 14:37
Companies could get more help with energy bills
The government is considering ways to give further help to businesses struggling under the weight of their energy bills.
Business secretary Kwasi Kwarteng said that it is “essential” to help heavy industry to cut production costs. He is proposing that the government increases the exemption from some environmental and policy costs that certain companies were given in March.
The new proposal – published as part of a consultation – would increase the exemption from 85 per cent to cover 100 per cent of the costs.
Kwarteng said: “With global energy prices at record highs, it is essential we explore what more we can do to deliver a competitive future for those strategic industries so we can cut production costs and protect jobs across the UK.”
Companies could get more energy bill help from ministers
It is ‘essential’ that heavy industry cuts production costs, Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng said.
Matt Mathers12 August 2022 14:08
‘That horrible woman up north’: Jeremy Kyle attacks Nicola Sturgeon over independence
Presenter Jeremy Kyle described Nicola Sturgeon as “that horrible woman up north” as he attacked Scotland’s first minister over her campaign for independence.
He wrongly suggested that the Tory Party’s handling of the cost of living crisis could see Ms Sturgeon end up in “power in a minute” and that he would be “happy” to see Scotland leave the UK.
‘That horrible woman up north’: Jeremy Kyle attacks Nicola Sturgeon over independence
Matt Mathers12 August 2022 13:50
Liz Truss Civil Service antisemitism claims ‘abhorrent,’ union boss warns
Liz Truss’s claims that she…
Read More: Truss vs Sunak – live: Foreign Secretary’s civil service anti-semitism claims ‘abhorrent’