C OV E R
POLI
Helping hand
Retail trade bodies have this week been outlining the support the sector needs from the new prime minister.
L
iz Truss has this week been voted in as the new Conservative Party leader and Prime Minister. A longtime favourite to win the election, the former Foreign Secretary beat ex-Chancellor Rishi Sunak, garnering the support of 81,326 Conservative members, compared to 60,399 for him.
Truss is yet to announce a full plan to tackle the cost-of-living crisis but has pledged cuts to National Insurance contributions and to introduce green energy levies to help with rising prices. Media reports suggest the government is planning to pay energy firms to subsidise bills so that customers
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will not be expected to repay the support. The reports suggest energy bosses believe that a ‘government-backed superfund’ from which they could borrow to subsidise bills “is the only game in town”. Further details are expected to be revealed on Thursday (8 September), the reports suggest.