Cost of living - live: Sunak says he ‘wouldn’t take a job’ under rival Liz Truss’s cabinet

Jacob Rees-Mogg has backed Liz Truss after the Tory leadership candidate suggested that British workers need “more graft”.

Rees-Mogg spoke to the Mail on Sunday to say Truss’s comment was “sensible” and that it reflected the “poor productivity in the British economy”.

It comes after he’s already publicly criticised what he calls the “rotten culture” of working from home.

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Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss will take part in the 10th hustings that will take place in Birmingham on Tuesday, 23 August.

They will go head-to-head in front of an audience of more than 1,000 Conservative Party members in Birmingham.

Times Radio’s John Pienaar will present the sold-out event where he will interview each candidate and moderate questions from the audience.

The two-hour debate will be broadcast live on Times Radio from 7pm to 9pm and streamed in vision on the Times Radio YouTube channel.

Key dates to follow ahead:

25 August: Tory members’ hustings in Norwich 31 August: Tory members’ hustings in London 2 September: Deadline for ballots to be returned 5 September: Announcement of new conservative leader and prime minister

Families that have taken Ukrainian refugees should receive double payment to help them continue hosting for longer than six months amid the spiralling cost of living crisis, the minister responsible has said.

Lord Harrington, the refugees minister, said around 25,000 offers of accommodation from hosts under the Homes for Ukraine scheme have been taken up so far, with an average of three Ukrainians living in each home.

He fears that around a quarter of households hosting people might pull out, leading to homelessness, amid deepening cost-of-living crisis with energy bills expected to soar by 80 per cent going into winter, rocketing inflation and rising interest rates.

Mr Harrington added that he has been lobbying the Treasury “very hard” to double the £350-a-month “thank you” payment for sponsors who house refugees for longer than half a year - the minimum period expected of hosts.

He told the PA news agency: “The costs... they’re paying maybe a big chunk of rent themselves, the mortgage payments have gone up and everything, and I think it’s perfectly reasonable, in my view, to increase the amount that we’re paying them.”

The Northern Ireland Business Brexit Working Group has said there was an “urgent” need for compromise with Brussels because of soaring inflation.

The business leaders from groups, including Logistics UK, CBI NI and Manufacturing NI, warned against the UK government’s plan to tear up part of its Brexit deal with the EU and replace the Northern Ireland Protocol unilaterally, saying it will create a “myriad” of new problems.

The trade coalition said the legislative plan put forward by foreign secretary Liz Truss in June would put the region’s export economy at risk, as well as creating “legal and commercial risks” for its businesses.

Business chiefs also warned that some families in Northern Ireland “are amongst the least well-placed” to manage the cost of living crisis – arguing that the tough winter ahead demanded a “swift resolution”.

Both Truss and her Tory leadership rival Rishi Sunak have vowed to push through parliament the controversial Northern Ireland Protocol bill – including plans for a new, dual regulatory system.

After Rishi Sunak made the promise of turning UK into a “science superpower”, Liz Truss has revealed her growth plan for West Midlands.

Ahead of the Conservative Party hustings in Birmingham, the foreign secretary said she will put the second most populous county in England after Greater London “at the heart of our economic revival”.

“I will put the West Midlands at the heart of our economic revival with my Conservative plan to level up.

“My bold vision for lower taxes, supply side reform and regulation that works for our businesses will utilise the power of the West Midlands economy to boost opportunity for people across the region.

“From Coventry’s cars to Stoke’s ceramics, the West Midlands is a vital part of the UK’s economic engine, and plays host to some of the most innovative industries and companies in the country.

“My plan will support and harness that power, helping our businesses grow and provide the high quality jobs that we need.

“The West Midlands can play a critical role in a new economic revolution in Britain.

“I will cut taxes on families and firms, support vital infrastructure and create new Investment Zones to deliver for the people of the West Midlands.

“I will also strengthen devolution to put more power in the hands of our excellent local leaders like Andy Street.”

Rishi Sunak has suggested he would turn down a job in a Liz Truss cabinet if he were to lose the Conservative leadership contest, saying he would not want to disagree with another prime minister on “big things”.

“You really need to agree with the big things, because it’s tough, as I found out, when you don’t. And I wouldn’t want to end up in a situation like that again,” he said.

Read Adam Forrest’s full report.

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