The leveling up secretary, Simon Clarke, is the second cabinet minister to officially back Boris Johnson as Tory Party leader.
In a joint statement to Daily Telegraph with the Tees Valley mayor, he says Johnson would lead “a broad-based, inclusive government drawing on talent from right across the Conservative Party, driven by a disciplined Downing Street”.
Business Secretary Jacob Rees-Mogg has already backed Johnson, while Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said he was “leaning” towards supporting him.
Clarke, a Truss loyalist, said Johnson “is the person we need to lead our country and our party” as he can unite the UK, make Brexit a success, and control illegal immigration.
No one has yet confirmed they are entering the race, but the BBC’s latest tally suggests Rishi Sunakwould have the backing of 56 MPs, Johnson would have 33 and Penny Mordaunt would be on 17.
Last night, after news emerged that Kwasi Kwarteng had been sacked as chancellor, several cabinet members spoke up in support of the prime minister.
Business Secretary Jacob Rees-Mogg
The prime minister has acted decisively to provide the economic stability our country needs.
As a government, we must now get on and deliver the pro-growth reforms that will lay the foundations for our future prosperity.
Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Nadhim Zahawi
It’s time to get Britain moving. We are determined to grow the economy, eliminate the COVID backlog and protect people from Putin’s energy warfare. With Liz Truss, Jeremy Hunt and the rest of the team, we will do all of that and more.
Health Secretary Therese Coffey
The PM is right to act now to ensure our country’s economic stability – key for families and businesses – and reassure the markets of our fiscal discipline, especially in light of the worsening global economic conditions with Putin’s illegal invasion of Ukraine.
International Trade Secretary Kemi Badenoch
To say it’s been a difficult day would be an understatement. We knew the scale of the challenge this autumn given multiple global headwinds would be unprecedented. Our prime minister is working flat out to get the country through these turbulent times. She has my full support.
Despite the UK’s current economic unrest, Jacob Rees-Mogg said earlier today that the King’s coronation next year “has to be done well.”
Given that Labour supported the idea, Downing Streetstated that “all options” are still on the table with regard to moving the early May bank holiday to coincide with the King’s coronation.
The event is due to take place on 6 May next year in Westminster Abbey, eight months after the monarch’s accession and the death of the Queen.
Number 10 said a bank holiday for King Charles’s coronation is still “on the table”.
The prime minister’s official spokesman said: “Obviously, this will be a historic event. We are carefully considering our plans. All options remain on the table.”
Meanwhile, Labour has suggested that pushing the 1 May bank holiday back until Monday 8 May to give the country a long weekend would be a “good way for the country to be able to celebrate”.
Sir Keir Starmer’s spokesperson said: “Moving the May bank holiday that there is for that weekend would be a good idea.”
The announcement of the date for the King’s coronation yesterday sparked calls from a number of MPs for a change to the May bank holiday in order to mark the event.
Tory former cabinet minister David Jones told the Daily Mail: “To combine the two events would be welcomed by the entire nation.
“It would make a very special memory for all of us.”
Former Labour frontbencher Khalid Mahmood agreed, adding: “We can move the holiday back to the coronation weekend.
“We have a unique system with the monarchy and an independent parliament – I would back Britons having a three-day weekend to mark the occasion.”
Earlier today, Jacob Rees-Mogg told Sky news that the King’s coronation next year “needs to be done properly” despite the current economic turmoil in the UK.
The business secretary said “we don’t have coronations very often” and disputed that conversations about the cost of the ceremony could be compared to debates about rising wage demands.
But he refused to speculate how much the event will cost.
It is thought the coronation will be more modest and shorter than previous ceremonies, with some suggesting it will last one hour.
King’s coronation date announced
Buckingham Palace has confirmed the Queen Consort will be crowned alongside the King.
The palace said the ceremony would “reflect the monarch’s role today and look towards the future” while staying “rooted in longstanding traditions and pageantry”.
The Queen’s coronation on 2 June 1953 was three hours long and had a congregation of 8,000 dignitaries. The event was broadcast live on television, attracting record-breaking audiences around the world.
Although the King succeeded to the throne when the Queen died, the coronation ceremony marks the formal investiture of a monarch’s regal power.
The King will be 74 next May, making him the oldest person to be crowned in British history.
The question of whether the Bank of England was correct to indicate the end of its market intervention was repeatedly avoided by the business secretary.
Although he stated his support for the Bank of England governor, Jacob Rees-Mogg challenged the idea that pension funds face “systemic” risk.
Speaking to Sky News, the business secretary said “of course” he has confidence in Andrew Bailey, describing him as “respected”.
He questioned, however, whether there was a “systemic problem” with pensions after the Bank of England expanded its market intervention to help pension funds for the second time in two days on Tuesday by buying up index-linked gilts.
The Bank had warned of a “material risk to UK financial stability” with “fire sales” of assets if it did not act.
The business secretary said that on the whole, pension funds “aren’t at risk”, but added: “Some pension funds have taken some high risk investments.”
He told Sky News that the “rightly independent” Bank intervened to protect these “risky investments”.
The Bank confirmed yesterday that its emergency support operation to protect pension funds would end this week.
Mr Rees-Mogg repeatedly refused to be drawn on whether the Bank was right to signal an end to its market intervention.
“I’m not going to criticise the Bank of England or the governor,” he said. “It is not for me to speculate on what the Bank of England is doing.”
He also insisted to Kay Burley that parts of the economy were in a “good state” as he admitted that after the economic turmoil of recent weeks his own mortgage payments have gone up.
“Mortgage rates have gone up for everyone who has a mortgage, and I have a mortgage,” he said.
“Any floating rate mortgages have gone up.”
Earlier this morning, new Office for National Statistics figures indicated that the economy shrank by 0.3% between July and August, a fall from downwardly revised growth of 0.1% the previous month.
Mr Rees-Mogg urged caution in interpreting them.
“The previous quarter’s figure showed a contraction [and] was then revised to show economic growth. So, be very careful about how you interpret figures immediately after they’re released,” he told Sky News.
“It’s a small amount of a very large economy, but these figures are notorious for being revised afterward.”
The business secretary also refused to indicate his own view on whether benefits should rise in line with inflation, an issue that has split the Conservative Party.
“We haven’t yet had the inflation figure on which benefits will be set. So, that is something that will be decided once the figure is available,” he said.
“Most predictions, most economic forecasts, turn out to be inaccurate rather than spot on. So, one has got to be careful about forecasts.”
Are we set for another era of austerity?
‘Routine decision-making’
Mr Rees-Mogg said the decision on benefits would be made once inflation figures come out.
“There is a process for making this decision,” he said.
“The statutory instrument has to be laid in November to put through the increase. That will be done in the normal way. This is completely routine governmental decision-making.”
In the Commons on Tuesday Julian Smith, a former cabinet minister, warned Kwasi Kwarteng, the chancellor, that the government must not balance tax cuts “on the back of the poorest people in our country”.
The government has already been forced to abandon plans to scrap the top 45p rate of tax in the face of a threatened revolt.
Liz Truss, the prime minister, will face MPs in the Commons on Wednesday for the first time since Mr Kwarteng’s £43bn tax-cutting mini-budget caused economic turmoil.
On Tuesday, the International Monetary Fund warned that Mr Kwarteng’s package of unfunded tax cuts was making it harder for the Bank to get soaring inflation rates under control.
The Institute for Fiscal Studies has warned the chancellor he will have to find £60bn in public spending cuts if he persists with his tax plans.
Jacob Rees-Mogg has declared his confidence in the governor of the Bank of England, but disputed that pension funds are at “systemic” risk.
Speaking to Sky News, the business secretary said “of course” he has confidence in Andrew Bailey, describing him as “respected”.
He questioned, however, whether there was a “systemic problem” with pensions after the Bank of England expanded its market intervention to help pension funds for the second time in two days on Tuesday by buying up index-linked gilts.
The Bank had warned of a “material risk to UK financial stability” with “fire sales” of assets if did not act.
The business secretary said that on the whole, pension funds “aren’t at risk”, but added: “Some pension funds have taken some high risk investments.”
He told Sky News that the “rightly independent” Bank of England intervened to protect these “risky investments.”
Yesterday, the Bank confirmed that its emergency support operation to protect pension funds would end this week.
Mr Rees-Mogg repeatedly refused to be drawn on whether the Bank was right to signal an end to its market intervention.
“I’m not going to criticise the Bank of England or the governor. It is not for me to speculate on what the Bank of England is doing,” he said.
The business secretary also insisted to Kay Burley that parts of the economy were in a “good state” as he admitted that after the economic turmoil of recent weeks his own mortgage payments have gone up.
“Mortgage rates have gone up for everyone who has a mortgage, and I have a mortgage,” he said.
“Any floating rate mortgages have gone up.”
Prior to his interview, new Office for National Statistics figures revealed that Britain’s economy fell by 0.3% between July and August, down from downwardly revised growth of 0.1% the previous month.
But Mr Rees-Mogg urged caution in interpreting them.
“The previous quarters figure showed a contraction, was then revised to show economic growth. So, be very careful about how you interpret figures immediately after they’re released,” he told Sky News.
“It’s a small amount of a very large economy, but these figures are notorious for being revised afterwards.”
The business secretary also refused to indicate his own view on whether benefits should rise in line with inflation amid an internal Conservative Party row over the issue.
“We haven’t yet had the inflation figure on which benefits will be set. So, that is something that will be decided once the figure is available,” he said.
“Most predictions, most economic forecasts, turn out to be inaccurate rather than spot on. So, one has got to be careful about forecasts.”
Mr Rees-Mogg continued: “There is a process for making this decision. This decision will be made once the figures come out.
“The statutory instrument has to be laid in November to put through the increase. That will be done in the normal way. This is completely routine governmental decision-making.”
In the commons on Tuesday former cabinet minister Julian Smith warned Mr Kwarteng that the government must not balance tax cuts “on the back of the poorest people in our country”.
The government has already been forced to abandon plans to scrap the top 45p rate of tax in the face of a threatened revolt.
Prime Minister Liz Truss will face MPs in the commons on Wednesday for the first time since Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng’s £43 billion tax-cutting mini-budget caused economic turmoil.
On Tuesday, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) warned Mr Kwarteng’s package of unfunded tax cuts was making it harder for the Bank to get soaring inflation rates under control.
While the Institute for Fiscal Studies has warned the chancellor he will have to find £60 billion in public spending cuts if he persists with his tax plans.
The programme, according to the government and organisers, has expanded employment possibilities and access to culture in more than 100 towns, cities, and villages across the United Kingdom.
An investigation has been launched into the £120m “festival of Brexit” amid concerns visitor numbers were less than 1% of early targets.
A cross-party parliamentary committee has asked the National Audit Office (NAO), the public spending watchdog, to look into how the project was managedto “help get to the bottom of how so much taxpayer money could be frittered away for so little return”.
Originally unveiled in 2018 by Theresa May as Festival UK 2022 – it was supposed to be a nationwide celebration of creativity following the departure from the EU.
Jacob Rees-Mogg dubbed it the “Festival of Brexit“ before it was rebranded as the Unboxed festival.
However, earlier this year Politics Home reported that the festival – which is supposed to evoke the spirit of the Great Exhibition of 1851 and the 1951 Festival of Britain – had received 238,000 visitors compared with organizers’ initial “stretch target” of 66 million.
And last month the Commons Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee (DCMS) called for the investigation after finding it to be an “irresponsible use of public money” and criticising its planning as a “recipe for failure”.
Its chairman, the Conservative MP Julian Knight, said: “That such an exorbitant amount of public cash has been spent on a so-called celebration of creativity that has barely failed to register in the public consciousness raises serious red flags about how the project has been managed from conception through to delivery.
Image:People at the opening of PoliNations in Birmingham’s Victoria Square
Calling for the investigation in September, Mr Knight said the design and delivery of the festival “have been an unadulterated shambles”.
“The paltry numbers attracted to the festival despite such a hefty investment highlight just what an excessive waste of money the whole project has been,” he added.
The NAO’s comptroller and auditor general Gareth Davies has proposed a “short, focused report on Unboxed” which could be completed and published by the end of this year.
Meanwhile, the government and organisers claim the programme has reached every part of the UK, in more than 100 towns, cities, and villages, spreading work, and opportunities and opening up access to culture.
A spokesperson for the Department for Digital Culture Media and Sport(DCMS) said: “More than four million people have engaged in Unboxed programming so far and these numbers are set to rise further.”
Image:The SEE MONSTER is a decommissioned North Sea offshore platform that has been transformed into one of Unboxed’s largest public art installations
And a spokesperson for Unboxed: Creativity in the UK said: “The numbers reported misrepresent the public engagement with Unboxed and reflect attendance at only eight of the 107 physical locations within the programme.
“Unboxed’s art, science, and tech commissions have been presented in over 100 towns, cities and villages, engaged millions across live and digital and employed thousands of creatives around the UK.
