Also from this AM's Front Page newsletter: Four ways to pay for energy giveaway & Allison Pearson's top 10 tips for new PM. Sign up below
After entering Downing Street as Prime Minister, Liz Truss spent her first hours in the job conducting a brutal Cabinet cull.
In a sweeping reshuffle late into the evening, she sacked members of Boris Johnson’s team and rewarded her allies with ministerial jobs – rejecting calls from senior Tories to give top roles to supporters of Rishi Sunak, her leadership rival, to create a unity front bench.
Thérèse Coffey, one of Ms Truss’s closest friends in politics, was named Deputy Prime Minister and Health Secretary, in a signal of the importance she places on tackling the NHS backlog.
For the first time, none of the great offices of state – Prime Minister, Chancellor, Home Secretary and Foreign Secretary – is held by a white man.
Deputy political editor Daniel Martin reports on the most diverse Cabinet ever assembled. This is a full list of who is in and who is out.
And associate editor Gordon Rayner explains Ms Truss’s strategy for keeping the political knives at bay with a team of trusted lieutenants.
Ms Truss will hold the debut meeting of her new-look Cabinet this morning, as ministers seek to finish an emergency package to ease the cost-of-living crisis.
She will unveil a package of measures to help with energy costs as early as tomorrow, when she is expected to freeze annual energy bills for households at about £2,500 – an intervention that has stoked hopes that inflation has already peaked.
Speaking from the steps of Downing Street last night, Ms Truss declared that Britain could "ride out the storm".
At lunchtime, Ms Truss will face Sir Keir Starmer in her first Prime Minister’s Questions. Follow all the action here.
Liz Truss did not used to be a fan of dishing out cash. She began her campaign by stating her goal is "lowering the tax burden, not giving out handouts".
But circumstance forced her hand. Spiralling energy bills mean Ms Truss has conceded she will be forced to dig deep into the Treasury’s pocket.
The anticipated cost to the Exchequer of freezing bills for households and businesses could be up to £170bn over two years, which is equivalent to more than double the cost of the furlough scheme.
After borrowing more than £300bn in 2020-21 and almost £150bn last financial year, how can the Government pay for a gigantic energy bailout now? Tim Wallace and Rachel Millard consider the four main options.
Our fourth prime minister in six years, Ms Truss inherits a teetering pile of national woes. Over the next few days, the new Prime Minister will be getting plenty of advice.
Allison Pearson thinks mess could be an opportunity for Britain’s new leader – if she follows her 10-point plan.
PS: What next for Boris Johnson? Christopher Hope exclusively reveals he could make a comeback as a Red Wall MP at the next general election.
Matt tries to see the energy price crisis through young eyes in today’s cartoon, while cartoonist Blower focuses on Labour’s predicament.
Quantum tech | British military research scientists are testing new gadgets that would allow them to detect enemy submarines using quantum technology, which measures distortions of the Earth’s gravitational field. Experts at the Defence Science Technical Laboratory are experimenting with quantum clocks, using new tech they say might be able to replace traditional timekeeping and navigational instruments. Gareth Corfield reports on the examples he was shown.
Shelling has damaged radioactive waste stores at the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant and could have caused "safety significant" impacts, UN inspectors have warned. In a long-awaited report, the International Atomic Energy Agency said it was "gravely concerned" by the situation at Europe’s largest nuclear power plant following an inspection of the premises. As Joe Barnes reports, it called for a special security zone to be established around the facility to prevent disaster.
Thomas Tuchel admitted that "everything is missing" when it came to his Chelsea team’s performance in their latest defeat – beaten 1-0 on their opening Champions League night by Croatian champions Dinamo Zagreb. The German coach expressed his anger at the team’s performance and at himself. Chief football writer Sam Wallace has our match report from the Maksimir Stadium. Meanwhile, Sir Andrew Strauss has warned counties that English cricket faces an exodus of its playing talent unless reforms to the domestic game are adopted.
Russia is hunting for Western semi-conductors built by the Chinese-backed owner of a Welsh factory as it seeks to restock critical hi-tech components for its war machine. Ukrainian intelligence has reportedly warned Vladimir Putin’s regime is desperately seeking chip technology built by European and American companies. It came as leaked papers revealed what the Kremlin really thinks will happen to its economy.
Comprising a series of villages and hamlets along the South Fork of Long Island, New York, the Hamptons has been the chosen retreat for the well-heeled ever since the Long Island Rail Road connected this former farming outcrop with New York City in 1834. Thought it was reserved for the in-crowd? Think again. Travel writer Tyler Wetherall has our guide to the best places to stay if you do not have a friend with a second home.
Menemen (Turkish eggs) | This one-pan Turkish dish of eggs and peppers by Diana Henry is incredibly versatile and ready in 35 minutes.
Shining brightly (or not so brightly) | Some Hollywood stars (see Brendan Fraser) go woefully under-appreciated for years. Then there is Gal Gadot… Our critics Robbie Collin and Tim Robey right some wrongs about the most underrated – and overrated – actors.
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