Summary
“We have witnessed the most heartfelt outpouring of grief,” the prime minister, Liz Truss, said as MPs sat to pay tribute to the Queen. Addressing the House of Commons, she said: “In the hours since last night’s shocking news, we have witnessed the most heartfelt outpouring of grief at the loss of Her Late Majesty the Queen. Crowds have gathered, flags have been lowered to half-mast, tributes have been sent from every continent around the world.”
The Queen did not simply “reign over us”, she lived “alongside us”, Keir Starmer has said. Paying tribute to the Queen in the Commons, the Labour leader said: “All our thoughts are with her beloved family, our Royal Family, at this moment of profound grief. This is a deep and private loss for them, yet it’s one we all share because Queen Elizabeth created a special, personal relationship with us all.”
Boris Johnson told MPs that the Queen was “as radiant and as knowledgeable and as fascinated by politics as ever” in their last meeting. He said: “That impulse to do her duty carried her right through into her 10th decade to the very moment in Balmoral, as my right honourable friend has said, only three days ago, when she saw off her 14th prime minister, and welcomed her 15th.”
The former Tory prime minister Theresa May told the Commons that the Queen was “quite simply the most remarkable person I have ever met”. During her tribute in the Commons, the Maidenhead MP also recounted her weekly audiences with the monarch during her time as prime minister. She said: “Across the nations of the world, for so many people, meeting Queen Elizabeth simply made their day and for many will be the memory of their life.”
Liz Truss will meet King Charles III for the first time since the death of the Queen on Friday afternoon. The prime minister is expected to go to Buckingham Palace for an audience with the King after his arrival in London from Scotland. After his meeting with Truss, who has been in office for only four days, Charles is expected to give a televised address to the nation.
The UK government would go ahead with plans to introduce an energy price guarantee from 1 October, prime minister Liz Truss’s spokesperson said on Friday, despite the period of national mourning following the death of Queen Elizabeth. The government would work with the Speaker of the House of Commons to introduce any legislation needed once the mourning period had finished, the spokesperson added.
Yesterday Liz Truss set out plans to freeze energy bills at an average of £2,500 a year for two years, as part of a package of support for homes and businesses that marks one of the biggest government interventions since the financial crisis. In her first big act as prime minister, Truss said the government would fund the scheme to reduce the unit cost of energy through increased borrowing. The initiative is forecast to involve the transfer of £150bn in taxpayer funds to energy suppliers to make up the difference between what they pay for power in the wholesale markets, and the capped consumer price.
Whitehall sources said official estimates would not come until a fiscal statement – essentially an emergency budget - from the new chancellor, Kwasi Kwarteng. That was expected to come on 19 September but, following the Queen’s death, parliament is now due to be suspended for 10 days. If this is counted as sitting days only, it could leave the Commons suspended until the start of conference recess, meaning MPs would not return until 17 October, Politico reports this morning.
Strikes by postal and rail workers have been cancelled after the death of Queen Elizabeth II. Royal Mail workers were due to stage the second day of a 48-hour strike on Friday in a dispute over pay and conditions. “Following the very sad news of the passing of the Queen, and out of respect for her service to the country and her family, the union has decided to call off tomorrow’s planned strike action,” said Dave Ward, the general secretary of the Communication Workers Union, which represents posties.
Article courtasy:- Tom Ambrose https://www.theguardian.com/
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