TRUSS: IF LONDON DOES WELL SO DOES BRITAIN

TORY LEADERSHIP HOPEFUL 'WON'T LEAVE CAPITAL BEHIND' AS PRESSURE MOUNTS OVER COSTS CRISIS | Truss 'plans emergency budget and tax cuts within weeks of entering Downing Street'

- David Bond and Rachael Burford

LIZ TRUSS today pledged to help Londoners weather the growing economic storm as the two Tory leadership candidates came under growing pressure to do more to deal with the financial "timebomb" facing millions of families.

Writing in the Evening Standard, the frontrunner to become Britain's next Prime Minister acknowledged: "Londoners are struggling with the cost of living, and some of the poorest parts of our country are in the capital". But, sticking to her commitment to immediately slash taxes to help ease the cost-of-living crisis, the Foreign Secretary, inset, vowed not to leave the capital behind as the Government presses ahead with its flagship policy of levelling up the UK.

"When London does well, Britain does well," she said. "It is vital London thrives not just for people in the capital but across our country. People can trust me to lead us through these turbulent times and ensure our greatest days lie ahead."

With analysts forecasting that energy bills could rise by 70 per cent in October to almost £3,360 a year per household, Ms Truss and her rival for No10, Rishi Sunak, were facing growing calls to announce more plans to ease the crisis.