LIVE: Liz Truss outlines early priorities as Prime Minister | Boris Johnson no longer PM | Nicola Sturgeon to announce Scotland's Programme for Government
Boris Johnson pledged his “fervent support” for successor Liz Truss as she prepared to take over as prime minister and deliver a plan to address the energy crisis.
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Hide AdMs Truss, who travelled to Balmoral to accept the role of prime minister from the Queen, is thought to be drawing up plans for a freeze in bills which could cost around £100 billion.
Meanwhile, Scotland’s First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon has announced the programme for government for the coming year at Holyrood later this afternoon.
To stay up to date with all the latest on these issues, follow along here on The Scotsman’s live blog.
LIVE: Liz Truss to become Prime Minister as Boris Johnson leaves Downing Street | Truss to travel to Balmoral to visit Queen
Key Events
- Liz Truss outlines “three early priorities” as she arrives at Downing Street
- Nicola Sturgeon announced Programme for Government including rent freeze and expansion of free school meal plan
- Boris Johnson no longer PM as Buckingham palace confirms Queen accepts his resignation
Liz Truss outlines three early priorities
Liz Truss promised to pursue three early priorities as Prime Minister: Tax cuts and reforms, deal with soaring energy bills and securing the energy supply, and also put the NHS “on a firm footing”.
Ms Truss said in her first speech at Downing Street: “As Prime Minister, I will pursue three early priorities.
“Firstly, I will get Britain working again. I have a bold plan to grow the economy through tax cuts and reform.
“I will cut taxes to reward hard work and boost business-led growth and investment.
“I will drive reform in my mission to get the United Kingdom working, building and growing.
“We will get spades in the ground to make sure people are not facing unaffordable energy bills and we will also make sure that we are building hospitals, schools, roads and broadband”.
Nicola Sturgeon recommits to free school meals for P6 and P7 pupils after dropping August 2022 roll-out target
Older primary school pupils will receive free school meals under refreshed plans from the SNP/Green government. Our deputy political editor, Conor Matchett, has more on the story here:
Nicola Sturgeon recommits to free school meals for P6 and P7 pupils after dropping August 2022 roll-out target
Older primary school pupils will receive free school meals under refreshed plans from the SNP/Green government.
Nicola Sturgeon announces rent freeze to help tackle cost-of-living crisis
Nicola Sturgeon has announced a rent freeze for tenants in the private and social rented sectors in a bid to help tackle the cost-of-living crisis.
Nicola Sturgeon announces rent freeze to help tackle cost-of-living crisis
Nicola Sturgeon has announced a rent freeze for tenants in the private and social rented sectors in a bid to help tackle the cost-of-living crisis.
Political reaction to FM programme for government statement
Anas Sarwar, Scottish Labour leader, welcomed rent freezes, however, said there is more the Scottish Goverment can do.
Mr Sarwar said: “Politics is about choices.
“Today I want to welcome some moves the First Minister has made in the right direction but it is not enough - and we will need to go further as this crisis continues.
“This cannot be just another Programme for Government that goes through the motions of promising change and delivers nothing.
“First Minister, use your power and use your status to change people’s lives and improve Scotland now.”
The Scottish Liberal Democrats said the programme delivers a ‘winter of discontent’ which does nothing for health.
Alex Cole-Hamilton, Scottish Liberal Democrat leader said: “.
“This is a meagre programme. Nothing new for health when a staggering one in seven Scots is on a waiting list, nothing on long Covid, nothing significant to boost the economy despite the country’s slide towards recession.
“It continues to astonish me that the SNP have used this summer to focus solely on their efforts break up the United Kingdom
“Meanwhile wasteful spending continues. The First Minister should abandon the costly ministerial power grab of social care, scrap national testing and stop spending her time and our money on a referendum that is not wanted by the people of Scotland.
“This is a programme for a winter of discontent.”
Summary of Nicola Sturgeon’s announcement to help with Cost of Living crisis
Here are a list of measures the First Minister mentioned the Scottish Government has committed to in their programme for government to help with the cost of living crisis:
-Expansion of universal free school meals to those in primary 6 and 7
-Rent freezes until at least March 2023
-Temporary ban on evictions
-ScotRail train fares frozen until at least March 2023
-Scottish Child Payment risisng to £25 per week
FM commits to working with Gillian Mackay to safeguard access of women to abortion services
The First Minister has committed to working with a Green MSP to safeguard the access of women to abortion services without harassment or intimidation in her programme for government.
Nicola Sturgeon commits to working with Gillian Mackay to 'safeguard access' of women to abortion services
The First Minister has committed to working with a Green MSP to safeguard the access of women to abortion services without harassment or intimidation in her programme for government.
Scotland's controversial 'not proven' verdict set to be abolished
Scotland’s controversial not proven verdict is set to be abolished, Nicola Sturgeon has said. Our Political editor Alistair Grant has more here:
Scotland's controversial 'not proven' verdict set to be abolished
Scotland’s controversial not proven verdict is set to be abolished, Nicola Sturgeon has said.
Free school meals to be extended to primary 6 and 7 pupils
Free school meals - currently available to pupils in primary 1 to 5 - will be extended to include all pupils in primary 6 and 7 as well - The First Minister announces in her programme for government.
FM: Scot Gov will introduce bill to abolish Not Proven verdict
The First Minister has said a Criminal Justice Bill will be introduced which will provide for the abolition of the Not Proven verdict.
Ms Sturgeon said if this is approved by parliament, it will be “a change of truly historic significance in Scotland, and one firmly intended to improve access to justice for victims of crime”.
This Bill will also deliver statutory protection of the anonymity of complainers in sexual offence cases.
In the coming year, the Scottish Government will also consult on specific draft laws to give effect to the recommendations in Helena Kennedy’s report on tackling misogynistic behaviours. The SG intends to introduce a Misogyny and Criminal Justice Bill later in the parliament and a Police Complaints and Misconduct Handling Bill to improve the way in which complaints about the police are managed and investigated and a Legal Services Regulation Reform Bill to improve the accountability and transparency of the legal complaints system.
FM promises to safeguard the access of women to abortion service
Nicola Sturgeon commits to working with Gillian Mackay, and MSPs across the chamber to safeguard the access of women to abortion services without harassment or intimidation.
Scottish Child Payment
There will be an increase in the Scottish Child Payment to £25 per week, the FM has confirmed.
'Emergency legislation’ on rent freeze
Sturgeon has said the Scottish Government will take ‘temporary measures’ through emergency legislation to ensure people’s rents do not rise until at least March 2023.
Rents will be frozen from today onwards, according to FM. The emergency legislation will also include a moratorium on evictions.
She said she did not have the power to freeze energy prices but was taking measures to give people security they needed through the winter.
ScotRail fares frozen till March 2023
The FM has said ScotRail train fares will be frozen till ‘at least’ March 2023.
FM congratulates Liz Truss as new PM
Nicola Sturgeon said she congratulates the new PM’s appointment and said despite significant political differences, she will find a way to work together.
Sturgeon confirms she has written to new PM requesting an emergency 4 nations summit on the cost of living crisis.
Nicola Sturgeon gives statement on programme for government
The FM said this programme will focus on ‘the most severe’ cost of living crisis pushing ‘millions into poverty’.
Liz Truss is officially new PM
The Queen has officially appointed Liz Truss as her 15th Prime Minister.
Truss has now left Balmoral after becoming the first Prime Minister of the Queen’s reign to be appointed by the monarch at her private Scottish home of Balmoral.
Boris Johnson no longer UK PM
Boris Johnson has left Balmoral after being formally dismissed from his role as PM by the Queen.
Buckingham Palace has confirmed the Queen has accepted his resignation.
This means Johnson is no longer the UK Prime Minister.
‘Liz Truss has no mandate in Scotland’, according to SNP
SNP MSP Kenneth Gibson said both Liz Truss and Boris Johnson have no mandate in Scotland. His comment comes as Truss won slightly less than 50% support of Tory members to claim the PM appoinment.
Gibson said: “Liz Truss has no mandate to govern in Scotland.
“She visits Scotland today to be installed as UK Prime Minister – but Scotland hasn’t voted Tory for almost 70 years yet is repeatedly left to thole their ‘leadership’ and have our voice ignored at every turn.
“The ridiculous charade of the handover from Johnson to Truss comes as the Tories continue to show their utter contempt for democracy by trying to block the people of Scotland having a say on their future.
“And the suggestion that Liz Truss would now consider trying to gerrymander a referendum by rigging the rules in a way that would make even Donald Trump blush only further exposes that contempt.
“The arrival of Liz Truss as PM shows that it is more vital than ever that Scots have the choice of a better future as an independent country.”
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