Sunak condemns Truss’ economic plan as she tries to ‘avoid scrutiny’

The Independent's Morning Headlines email [View online]( August 22, 2022 [Morning Headlines]( 1 / [Liz Truss will cause inflation spiral with ‘dangerous’ tax cuts, Rishi Sunak warns]( Liz Truss will plunge the economy into an “inflation spiral” if she pushes ahead with her “dangerous” economic policy, Rishi Sunak’s campaign team has warned. Ms Truss’s leadership rival said the frontrunner had to choose between cutting taxes and offering help to struggling families over the winter, or risk wrecking the economy. To push ahead on both fronts would mean “increasing borrowing to historic and dangerous levels, putting the public finances in serious jeopardy and plunging the economy into an inflation spiral”, the former chancellor’s camp said. The striking intervention comes after Ms Truss softened her stance on providing help for families over the winter, saying she would provide support “across the board”. The foreign secretary had previously insisted she was focused on tax cuts rather than what she termed “giving out handouts”.   2 / [Revealed: All wastewater companies miss targets for tackling pollution or sewage spills]( Exclusive: ‘The data lays bare the negligence of water companies,’ says shadow secretary of state for environment 3 / [Government ‘has lost the plot’ over plan for GPs to prescribe heating bill discounts]( Labour dismisses idea reportedly being discussed by Treasury officials 4 / [Diana note ‘predicting death’ not handed to investigators for six years, new documentary claims]( Infamous ‘Mishcon note’ featured in new series ‘Investigating Diana: Death in Paris’ which debuts on Channel Four ahead of the 25th anniversary 5 / [Jacob Rees-Mogg backs Liz Truss’s ‘workers need more graft’ comment amid Tory leadership race]( Truss said she believes in ‘hard work’ after the leaked clip of her criticising British workers     The Big Question What cost of living payment scams do you need to watch out for? The UK faces dire economic circumstances, with inflation at a 40-year high of 10.1 per cent and driving up the cost of consumer goods, wages dropping 3 per cent in value between April and June and a bleak winter of spiralling energy bills on the horizon. With the Tory leadership contest still unresolved and outgoing prime minister Boris Johnson seemingly seeing out his premiership from the beaches of Greece, no meaningful help for the British people looks likely before 6 September. Such desperate circumstances make for ideal conditions for scammers, with one recent report warning that £1.3bn was stolen from British consumers in 2021, up from £1.2bn a year earlier, and that 140,000 calls have been put into Stop Scams UK’s dedicated helpline since it was launched last September. Here is how you can avoid being ripped off. [For the full story click here >](   Watch/ [Felixstowe port: Why are dock workers striking?](   NUMBER OF THE DAY £3,600 – The amount the energy price cap is forecast to rise to in October, as [experts deliver their final predictions](, confirming the bleak outlook feared for some time.   QUOTE OF THE DAY “Research suggests that a failure to heat our homes can contribute about 10,000 additional deaths a year. Now that is in a normal year. And we know that pressures are going to be much greater for people and unless we do something to help people with energy costs there will be an unprecedented number of people who won’t be able to heat their homes.” – Matthew Taylor, the chief executive of the NHS Confederation, issues [a dire warning for the coming winter](.       Other stories you might like   [Warning of sea lice bites at British lakes as swimmers report ‘nips’ and ‘stings’](   [Police file terrorism charges against Pakistan's Imran Khan](   [Two arrested after Tyson Fury’s cousin knifed to death in double stabbing, police confirm](       Articles available exclusively to subscribers Adam Forrest, The Independent - [Is our next PM really prepared for crisis on all fronts?](   Other newsletters you might like [The Race Report] The Race Report Fortnightly, 7am (UK time) Written by Nadine White [Sign up]( [Inside Politics] Inside Politics Weekdays, 8am (UK time) Written by Matt Mathers [Sign up](   If you can spare a minute we’d love your [feedback]( on our newsletters. [The Independent]( Join the conversation or follow us [Facebook]( [Twitter]( Please do not reply directly to this email You are currently registered to receive The Independent's Morning Headlines newsletter. Add us to your safe list of senders. If you do not want to receive The Independent's Morning Headlines newsletter, please [unsubscribe](list_name=IND_Headlines_Masterlist_CDP). If you no longer wish to receive any newsletters or promotional emails from The Independent, you can unsubscribe [here](. This e-mail was sent by Independent Digital News and Media Ltd, 2 Derry Street, London W8 5HF. Registered in England and Wales with company number 07320345. Read our [privacy notice]( and [cookie policy](.