Prime minister accused of lacking ‘guts’ to confront Britain’s problems

The Independent's Morning Headlines email

View online October 07, 2021   1 / Boris Johnson ignores current problems as he delivers vision of bright future Anti-poverty campaigners accused Boris Johnson of lacking the "guts" to tackle the cost-of-living crisis facing millions of British families, after he delivered his high-profile speech to his party's annual conference without mentioning the £6bn welfare cut happening the same day.   The prime minister's 45-minute address was branded "vacuous" and "the most out-of-touch display in decades" as he found time to launch a sustained attack on Labour rival Keir Starmer, praise the return of beavers to the wild and boast of his own "radical optimism", but offered no solutions to the issues of soaring food and energy prices and petrol shortages.   The solitary policy announced in what is generally the most significant speech of the PM's year – a £3,000 "levelling up premium" for maths and science teachers in disadvantaged areas – was swiftly revealed to be a retread of a similar scheme scrapped by Mr Johnson last year.   2 / Malaria vaccine to be rolled out for African children after WHO issues historic approval 'The long-awaited malaria vaccine for children is a breakthrough for science, child health and malaria control,' says World Health Organisation   3 / Prince Andrew's lawyers to review settlement agreement they claim will end sex assault lawsuit Virginia Giuffre has accused royal of sexually abusing her when she was a teenager   4 / More than one million waiting for mental health treatment with one in 10 doctor posts empty 'We simply can't win this fight without enough psychiatrists'   5 / Tory MP says living on £82,000 salary is 'really grim' Financial situation 'desperately difficult' for younger MPs, Father of the House suggests The Big Question     What does the Universal Credit cut mean for families? The UK government's £20 per week boost to the Universal Credit scheme, which was brought in to support struggling families at the outset of the coronavirus pandemic, came to an end on Wednesday 6 October, just as the prime minister was attempting to underline his leadership credentials in his address to the Conservative Party conference in Manchester.   Boris Johnson's decision to slash the benefit will affect an estimated 6m claimants in England, Scotland and Wales, 60 per cent of whom are unemployed and 40 per cent working in low-paid jobs, leaving them £1,040-a-year worse off.   Under pressure to reverse the move from political rivals and charities, who warned of dire consequences, Mr Johnson's administration remained unmoved, insisting it is employers paying higher wages, not claimants receiving taxpayer-funded benefit rises, that will put Britain back on its feet after being blasted by the "fiscal meteorite" of the coronavirus.   But what will the consequences be for those who have come to depend on the benefit to make ends meet? Read the full story >   Watch / Anti-Brexit protestor interrupts Tory conference event in Soviet uniform NUMBER OF THE DAY 30 Hundreds of thousands of travellers and much of the travel industry are celebrating a Foreign Office decision to remove advice against travel to more than 30 countries. QUOTE OF THE DAY "The prime minister has not had the guts to look the millions of people whose incomes are being cut today in the eye and tell them how they are expected to get through the year ahead."   –  Katie Schmuecker, from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, on the cuts to Universal Credit coming into force Other stories you might like Energy bills set to rise by £400 for millions this spring Foreign Office drops warning against travel for more than 30 countries Brighton footballer arrested on suspicion of sexual assault If you can spare a minute we'd love your feedback on our newsletters.     Join the conversation or follow us 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.   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.