Ahead of the Queen’s funeral at Westminster Abbey on Monday and her burial at St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle, Truss will appear on the steps of No 10 on Sunday night at 8pm. as part of a final national “moment of reflection” on the monarch’s life and legacy. Downing Street hopes people will get involved in their homes and on their doorsteps across the UK. Sailors, soldiers and aircrew of the armed forces stationed abroad will also stop, including at ships and bases, in what government officials believe could become a global event. But with the period of national mourning ending after the funeral, when Truss flies to New York to attend the UN general assembly and with MPs returning to Westminster on Wednesday or Thursday, the transition to normal politics will be sudden and potentially bruising for a Prime Minister who had only taken office two days before the Queen’s death. On Saturday night, leading UK business organizations pressed ministers for “absolute clarity” on what help the government would offer them with their energy bills, warning of dire consequences if they continued to be tight-lipped about the level of support. mid. term. The new business secretary, Jacob Rees-Mogg, will make an announcement on business support on Wednesday, followed by a mini-budget from the new chancellor, Kwasi Kwarteng, on Friday. British Chambers of Commerce director general Shevaun Haviland said Truss’ earlier announcement that businesses would benefit from a cap on bills similar to that for domestic users, for six months – which came hours before the news broke of the Queen’s death 10 days before – she was very welcome. But he insisted more details were now urgently needed if many companies were not to curtail operations and some to close due to an inability to plan for the future. “This cap will be good for business,” Haviland said. “But now we need to know two things: first, what is the size of this? Then very quickly we’ll have to get into what’s going to happen in six months.” He said many businesses had seen their energy costs rise by 300% or more compared to last year, adding to a list of problems that had many questioning their future. Liz Truss leaving Westminster Hall after the House of Commons and Lords met on Monday to express their condolences. Photo: Markus Schreiber/AP “I’ve had a lot of businesses tell me this is worse than Covid. Rising raw materials, rising costs including labour, inflation at 10% and now energy prices. They don’t know where to turn. In May, 23% of our businesses said they would have to reduce production or stop trading. Since then it will have risen significantly. The government should continue it.” Emma McClarkin, chief executive of the British Beer & Pub Association, said: “Pubs and brewers will not be able to wait days, let alone months, to get clarity on their energy bills. Businesses are now making decisions about whether they will be able to make it through the winter. It is no exaggeration to say that the impact of this energy crisis could be worse than the pandemic in terms of permanent shutdowns. “We urgently need full clarity from the Government on whether this cap will help pubs and breweries out of a crisis that has been building for months. We urge the chancellor to seriously consider what immediate assurances she can provide for the thousands of business owners who are currently in despair.” Kwarteng is expected on Friday to unveil a massive package detailing the energy price cap and £30 billion in tax cuts – including reversing April’s rise in national insurance – as promised during the leadership election Tory. Tory MPs are already worried that Friday’s event, which is also expected to include the axing of the cap on bankers’ bonuses, will provide an “open target for Labour” in Truss’ first weeks as prime minister. Keir Starmer’s party is determined to highlight the contrast between what it will portray as Tory tax cuts for the rich and its policy of paying for the energy price cap freeze for those most in need by taxing excess profits of energy companies. The £13 billion a year cut in national insurance also helps the wealthiest households more than the poorest. Economists say a key challenge for Truss will be to prevent international money markets from losing confidence as Britain’s struggling economy enters its worst period since the 1970s, when oil price crises forced the Ministry of Finance in the arms of the International Monetary Fund. With inflation hitting levels not seen in 30 years and the pound sinking to a 37-year low, there is the possibility that a bet on tax cuts and deregulation of the City will spook markets and leave the Treasury struggling to cope with a wave of business closures and millions of households in fuel. Forecasts for the economy now show it will contract in the second half of this year and all of next year, although the extent of the recession is unclear after £150bn was pumped into the economy through the government’s new energy price cap of £2,500 pounds The gloomy outlook is not expected to prevent the Bank of England from raising its key interest rate from 1.75% this week. Meanwhile, mourners will be told today (SUNDAY) not to set off to join the queue to see the Queen’s Majesty. – State as it nears full capacity. Tens of thousands of people have filed past the Queen’s coffin in Westminster Hall since Wednesday afternoon, with the ‘Ling-in-State’ ending at 6.30am on Monday morning ahead of the funeral But entry to the queue should be closed hours earlier so that as many people as possible who are already in line can pay their respects.
