Liz Truss Rishi Sunak latest news: Frontrunner warned to take care of ‘deeply divided’ Tory amid Partygate

The Metropolitan Police must learn from the “appalling mistakes of the past”, the Home Secretary has said in a letter to new commissioner Sir Mark Rowley.

It was announced in July that the former counter-terrorism policing chief would replace Dame Cressida Dick following her resignation, and in the letter Priti Patel refers to the need to restore “trust and confidence”.

In the three-page letter, dated September 2, Ms Patel references a host of recent controversies and failings as she stresses the need for a “transformation” of the Met.

She writes: “Several recent high-profile incidents have affected public trust and confidence across communities particularly in London – raising serious questions about the culture and standards in the MPS.

“These include Sarah Everard’s murder, strip searches of children, the vetting of police officers, basic respect and standards as exposed in the misconduct at Charing Cross police station in Operation Hotton, and the findings of the inquest into the handling of the deaths of Anthony Walgate, Gabriel Kovari, Daniel Whitworth, and Jack Taylor.

“Londoners need to be assured that improvements are being made immediately and will have an impact.

“I expect the MPS, under your leadership, clearly to demonstrate that it will learn from the appalling mistakes of the past and move the culture away from the organisational defensiveness that has hindered progress and damaged public trust.

Sir Mark, whose tenure will begin on September 12, takes over at a difficult time for the Met, with a new Home Secretary likely to be appointed once either Liz Truss or Rishi Sunak takes over as prime minister.

Ms Patel writes elsewhere in the letter: “It is absolutely vital that trust and confidence is restored and that visible, responsive policing which cuts crime is at the forefront.

“I expect the Metropolitan Police under your leadership to get the basics right and provide the first-class service expected of it.

“Leadership is central to delivering these changes and I support your ambition to ensure a strong top team that can deliver the extensive reform that is required.

“I also expect you, as commissioner, to promote better leadership and higher standards at every level throughout the force.”

Ms Patel, who is likely entering her final few days as Home Secretary, also told the incoming Met chief that the force is “failing to get the basics right”.

Liz Truss has said she will set out “immediate action” on energy bills during her first week in office, if she becomes prime minister on Tuesday.

The Foreign Secretary, widely tipped to defeat rival Rishi Sunak when the Tory leadership winner is announced on Monday, has said she will be capable of making “difficult decisions” as prime minister to get the UK through the energy crisis.

There have been ever-louder calls in recent weeks that the government intervene to support the most vulnerable, with energy bills set to rise to around £3,500 this winter for the average household.

Writing in the Sunday Telegraph, Ms Truss said she would appoint a council of economic advisers to help guide her and her chancellor.

She says: “I understand how challenging the cost of living crisis is for everyone. These are tough times and the months ahead will be hard.

She said that she will take “immediate action” to tackle the cost-of-living crisis for families and businesses, while also delivering a “broader plan to get our economy growing, make it more resilient and make it more competitive”.

“A fiscal event would follow later this month from my chancellor, with a broader package of action on the economy.”

“We need to take the difficult decisions to ensure we are not in this position every autumn and winter.

“Sticking plasters and kicking the can down the road will not do. I am ready to take the tough decisions to rebuild our economy.”

Support to tackle the cost-of-living crisis will be “front and centre” of the Scottish government’s plans for the next year, Nicola Sturgeon has said.

The first minister will lay out her government’s legislative agenda for the year ahead when Holyrood returns on Tuesday and the programme for government will be published.

The announcements come during a period of high anxiety for Scots as energy bills and household costs are on the rise.

But the first minister also hit out at the UK government, which she claimed was in “hibernation” as a result of the ongoing Tory leadership contest, with the winner due to be announced on Monday before taking office the following afternoon.

“On Tuesday, the Scottish government will publish its programme for government for the year ahead, and tackling the cost crisis will be front and centre of our plans,” Ms Sturgeon said in a statement.

“The steps we outline this week will build on the actions we have already taken with the limited powers of the Scottish parliament to support household budgets, such as the Scottish child payment, the carers allowance supplement and the council tax reduction scheme.”

Twelve Conservative MPs disgruntled with the candidates for the party leadership are planning to submit letters of no confidence in the new prime minister as early as this week, it has been reported.

In defiance of the widely-considered frontrunner Liz Truss, MPs are planning to submit letters to Sir Graham Brady, chair of the 1922 committee, to signal their intentions of challenging the new prime minister, according to the Sunday Mirror.

The newspaper reports the plotting MPs want a leadership vote by Christmas to bring Boris Johnson back as leader.

Liz Truss has been warned the Tories are “deeply divided”, with a former minister urging her to appoint MPs from across the party to her cabinet.

David Davis told the Observer: ““It is incredibly important that the incoming leader knits the party together. It was one of Boris’s earliest failures that he did not do that.

“He just picked the loyalists and as a result it made it more and more difficult to manage the party.”

And Amanda Milling, former party chair, told the newspaper: “This leadership contest has been toxic and bruising for the Conservative party brand.

“As it concludes, the whole party, from the frontbench to the backbench, has to come together as one united team in order to deliver for the British people and defeat Labour. If we don’t, we risk being out of power for a decade.”

As the ballot votes drew to a close, John Rentoul argued that Conservative members shouldn’t be allowed to choose their leader.

Read John’s full piece here:

The Rwanda policy has no parliamentary endorsement. The use of a memorandum of understanding instead of a formal treaty meant that there was no parliamentary scrutiny before it was announced, writes Nicolas Bratza.

Read Nicolas’s full piece here:

The Irish premier said the forthcoming announcement of a new British prime minister offers a chance to “reset” the fractured relationship between the UK and Ireland.

Micheal Martin said he is “anxious” that a window of opportunity is opening to repair relations between the two governments.

Mr Martin made the comments at the British-Irish Association conference in Oxford, just days before the Conservative Party announces its new leader.

Foreign secretary Liz Truss is widely tipped to defeat Rishi Sunak and become the new prime minister.

Mr Martin told RTE: “We are very anxious that a window of opportunity is opening up, the election of a new British prime minister and new government presents an opportunity to reset the British-Irish relationship and also the European Union and United Kingdom relationship in context of the protocol.

“The spirit within which we are approaching next week and beyond is a constructive one. We believe the breadth and depth of the UK-Irish relationship is such that there’s an imperative on us all to work together in a constructive way.

“We are prepared to do that and also in the context of Northern Ireland, in terms of resolutions of issues around the protocol.”