Liz Truss Rishi Sunak latest news: Spending plan ‘risks £60bn black hole’ and police plan ‘meaningless’

Controversial legislation that would empower UK ministers to take unilateral action over the Northern Ireland Protocol is “testing and fraying” the partnership between Britain and Ireland, the Irish premier has said.

Micheal Martin warned in a speech to the British-Irish Association conference in Oxford that the move risks “further instability” in Northern Ireland, saying it will damage key sectors of the economy.

The Taoiseach also said that Brexit has “fundamentally changed” the relationship between the UK and the EU.

“It is critical therefore that we find a way through this undeniably difficult phase to build better relationships,” Mr Martin added.

“Like all long-term relationships, there are times when we don’t understand each other as well, perhaps misunderstand each other’s actions and the resulting consequences, but ultimately we both want and need to make it work.

“Regrettably, unilateral action on the protocol and on legacy is at odds with the spirit of partnership that is needed to underpin the Good Friday Agreement.

“It is testing and fraying that partnership between us. It risks further instability in Northern Ireland and damage to key sectors of the economy.”

Many care homes could be forced to close because of sky high energy bills this winter putting further strain on the NHS, experts in the sector have warned.

Providers cannot cut back on consumption and will “go to the wall” because “there’s nowhere to go”, they warned.

Our Whitehall editor Kate Devlin reports:

Have I Got News for You viewers are reacting to Boris Johnson’s “brutal” send-off episode.

As the end of Johnson’s time as prime minister grows nearer, the satirical series recorded a special instalment, titled “Have I Got News for Boris: A Very Special Tribute”, which was broadcast on Friday (2 September).

Jacob Stolworthy reports:

A Labour frontbencher has accused the Conservatives of intentionally trying to lose the next general election.

The comments by Wes Streeting, Labour’s shadow health secretary, come just days before the Conservative Party announces is new leader and the country gets a new prime minister.

He said the Telegraph: “I think the Conservatives are planning to lose the next general election.”

According to the newspaper, the 39-year-old points to the decision by the current Government to cap the number of medical students as evidence for his claim.

The Conservatives have “concluded there’s no point recruiting medicine trainees because they’re not going to come into work until there’s a Labour government in place. I think that’s recklessly short-sighted”, he is quoted as saying.

“I don’t know what other explanation there is. For them to turn away bright young people from university places they desperately want to take up. That is threatening the future pipeline. We should be developing our homegrown talent for the NHS.”

Barring a major upset, Liz Truss will replace Boris Johnson as prime minister next week.

She is currently the foreign secretary and before that served as the international trade secretary.

What else do we know about the South West Norfolk MP? My colleague Joe Sommerlad takes a look:

A total of 221 people in five small boats crossed the Channel to the UK on Friday, according to the Ministry of Defence.

A baby dressed in pyjamas and wearing a life vest was among those to have made the crossing, along with several groups of men and another young boy wrapped in a blanket.

It comes as the Home Office said it had appointed an independent panel to oversee the plan to send migrants to Rwanda.

Liz Truss could lift the ban on fracking within days of winning the Tory leadership contest, it is claimed.

According to a report in The Sun, Ms Truss would follow up on one of her policy promises by moving quickly to lift the ban on fracking.

The paper reports that lifting the effective ban on fracking could happen in the first few days of a Truss administration, and under her plans she would only allow fracking to happen with the backing from local communities.

Gas prices could double leaving leave the UK competing with Europe in a bid to avoid rationing after Russia escalated its energy war, an expert has warned.

Leon Izbicki, a European natural gas analyst, said that prices could leap again now Moscow has stepped up its proxy battle against the West.

Our Whitehall editor Kate Devlin reports:

Therese Coffey is set to take on the role of health secretary under Liz Truss after holding meetings with the current permanent secretary, The Independent understands.

Two sources said that Ms Coffey, a long-standing ally of Ms Truss, was a favoured candidate for the position as NHS backlogs are considered a critical issue ahead of the next general election, expected in 2024.

Our economics editor Anna Isaac has the story:

Angela Knight, former chief executive of Energy UK, told Times Radio: “We’ve had our energy policy wrong for a long, long time.

“It’s a really nasty shock that we’ve had.

“We can get through this winter. It’s going to be difficult, it’s going to be pricey and there is going to have to be some assistance given to various groups of people and some assistance into industry.

She added: “At the same time, there is a huge ability to reset a lot of our strategies and our policies and do that quickly so we get some more back of that sufficiency, and that will be helpful not only in the short-term but actually in the medium and long-term as well.”