Inside Politics: UK on fire

Hello there, I’m Matt Mathers and welcome to The Independent’s Inside Politics newsletter.

Heatwaves. Drought. £5,000 energy bills. It all feels a bit like the end of days, doesn’t it? There is more good news this morning as official figures show the economy shrunk in the three months to June. Try to have a good weekend.

Parliament is not sitting.

Shadow business secretary Jon Reynolds on Sky News Breakfast at 8.05am.

Tory leadership hopeful Rishi Sunak on Times Radio at 11am.

Later today the government is set to declare drought in parts of England hardest hit by the recent dry spell, with more hosepipe bans expected to follow as officials seek to shore up supplies amid the sweltering heatwave.

A decision will be made after ministers meet with the National Drought Group, which will also be attended by water companies – who are increasingly coming under fire for failing on waste targets as taps run dry – and other groups, such as the National Farmers’ Union.

The meeting comes on day two of an amber warning for “extreme heat” issued by the Met Office, with highs of 35C forecast, making it hotter than some parts of the Caribbean.

Labour has accused the Tories of putting “the smoke alarm on snooze” as wildfires break out across the country. The party claimed the government has been “asleep at the wheel” in response to the extreme heat, with resilience planning “nothing short of woeful”.

A government spokesperson said ministers are “committed to ensuring fire services have the resources they need to keep us safe”. “We will set out our approach for the country’s resilience to 2030 and make sure we continue to be prepared to meet all future challenges,” the spokesperson added.

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Not only are the country’s water supplies drying up but so too, it appears, are ideas on how to tackle the cost of living crisis.

After a government meeting yesterday with energy companies ended, as expected, with no plan on how to bring down costs for consumers, Rishi Sunak has this morning set out a plan which he claims would cover the total cost of rising energy bills for up to 16 million vulnerable people.

Sunak, who accepts that he might have to borrow some money for the support, says he is prepared to find up to £10 billion to tackle fuel and energy bills and has challenged Liz Truss, the foreign secretary, to set out how she would help with the worsening crisis. Truss, meanwhile, has ruled out another windfall tax as she insisted energy giants’ huge profits should not be seen as either “dirty or evil”.

Labour, meanwhile, has today launched the first part of its plan to beat the cost of living crisis, with a proposal to scrap “outrageous” rules which see customers using prepayment meters pay a higher price for energy.

Amid increasingly bleak warnings that the domestic energy price cap could top £5,000 by April, the party said its move would save up to 4 million of the poorest and most vulnerable Britons around £100 during the months of January, February and March when heating need is high.

The interventions come on another bleak day for the UK economy: Office for National Statistics figures published in the past hour show that GDP fell by 0.1 per cent in the three months to the end of June, amid warnings of an imminent recession.

See all of The Independent’s daily cartoons here

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Sunak says he will provide help to those who need it while taking a swipe at rival Truss.

“As I campaign to be the next prime minister, I’m totally focused on tackling these challenges because they are the most serious that households currently face. People need reassurance now about what we will do and I make no apology for concentrating on what matters most. Because whatever the ‘boosterish’ talk of others, you can’t heat your home with hope.That’s why I am unequivocal that, if I enter 10 Downing Street next month, I will provide the support required to the people who need it.”

New Statesman senior editor George Eaton on Truss channelling former PM in last night’s hustings.

“The religion of Thatcherism is increasingly at odds with the historical reality of Thatcherism.”

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