Thursday 8 September 2022 01:08 AM DAILY MAIL COMMENT: A fine start, but now the real work begins trends now
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If Liz Truss suffered from nerves during her first Commons Question Time as Prime Minister, she certainly didn't show it.
Contrary to the expectations of her critics, her demeanour at the despatch box was confident, her delivery assured, and there was no doubting her passion for Tory values.
When Sir Keir Starmer attacked her over refusing to impose a second windfall tax on energy producers and cancelling planned business tax rises, her riposte was withering. He didn't understand aspiration or opportunity, or the fact that people wanted to keep more of their own money.
Turning his 'same old Tories' jibe on its head, she said: 'There is nothing new about a Labour leader who is calling for more tax rises. Same old tax and spend.'
Liz Truss is due to announce her plan to freeze energy bills and mitigate the cost of living crunch today
But important as this combative performance was for party morale, PMQs is essentially theatre. The real work of government begins today, when Miss Truss announces her plan to freeze energy bills and mitigate the cost of living crunch.
It will be eye-wateringly expensive and incur a massive rise in short-term debt. So it cannot be more than a temporary fix. It must be accompanied by a broad and radical strategy for the better exploitation of domestic supplies, from the North Sea, new nuclear generators and possibly fracking.
Though the Green lobby will howl, we must do all we
