The Independent - July 22, 2022

In this issue

July 22, 2022

Truss tax cut plans would be inflationary, say economists

The £30bn tax-slashing plans of Liz Truss have been savaged by economists, who are warning they will fuel inflation and risk a return to austerity while breaking Treasury rules.

3 mins

Ethics adviser role to return if Sunak wins race for No 10

Rishi Sunak has insisted that reappointing an independent ethics adviser will be "one of the first things" he does in government if he wins the race to succeed Boris Johnson in No 10.

1 min

Sunak trails Truss by 24 points, Tory poll reveals

Liz Truss has widened her lead over Rishi Sunak in the race to succeed Boris Johnson in No 10, according to a new poll of Tory members.

2 mins

Trussonomics, like cakeism, is a morally bankrupt policy

Liz Truss’s idea would crash economy, writes Sean O’Grady

5 mins

Something borrowed and blue... the new Tory cabinet will look like the old one

Bad news for those hoping that the new prime minister will provide a fresh start.

3 mins

Labour: Sack Tory Treasury minister over tax haven jobs

Labour is urging the next Tory leader to commit to sacking a Treasury minister who is paid multiple salaries from companies with links to a notorious tax haven. Richard Fuller, who was appointed in the dying days of Boris Johnson's premiership, is paid £80,000 a year by the finance firms, which the opposition describes as a “shocking conflict of interest”.

2 mins

PM could face by-election over Partygate, says speaker

Boris Johnson might face a recall petition that could trigger a byelection if he is suspended by MPs investigating whether he lied over Partygate, the Commons speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle has confirmed.

2 mins

Brexit divorce bill has risen by £10bn, ministers admit

The Brexit divorce bill negotiated by Boris Johnson has increased by nearly £10bn compared to the official estimate when the UK left the EU, ministers have admitted.

2 mins

Conservationists hail new legal protections for beavers

Conservationists concerned that the government had unexpectedly shelved plans to protect beavers are breathing a sigh of relief after the legislation was introduced at the last minute before parliament's summer recess.

2 mins

Fuel protests set to block roads nationwide today

Fuel protests set to erupt across the country today are threatening to wreak havoc on Britain's major roads.

2 mins

MPs call for passport extensions to beat backlog

Travellers whose journeys are jeopardised because their passports are about to expire could soon win a reprieve.

2 mins

Draghi resigns as Italy’s PM after government collapses

Italy's prime minister Mario Draghi resigned yesterday, setting the country on course for a general election.

1 min

Biden has ‘mild symptoms’ after a positive Covid test

President Joe Biden has tested positive for Covid-19, the White House said yesterday. In a statement, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Mr Biden, who is screened for Covid-19 on a regular basis, tested positive yesterday morning.

2 mins

Sri Lanka's new president sworn in facing tough task

Sri Lanka's new president Ranil Wickremesinghe will have his work cut out for him to handle the country's collapsed economy after he was chosen to carry out his self-exiled predecessor Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s full term.

4 mins

EU bank imposes biggest interest rate rise in 20 years

The European Central Bank increased interest rates for the first time in 11 years yesterday in an attempt to cool inflation in the eurozone.

3 mins

Stanway's perfect timing keeps Euros dream intact

It was the type of goal that Georgia Stanway, growing up in the footballing outpost of Barrow-in-Furness, playing in the back garden with her brothers, would always have imagined herself scoring.

3 mins

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The Independent has been at the frontline of journalism since 1986, with its mission to challenge and debate always ahead of its time. The Independent is free-thinking and free of bias in an increasingly fragmented world where communities locally, regionally and across continents are disenfranchised with traditional establishments. They want real facts and frank opinions delivered first-hand from a news source that is ready to stand for something, not everything.