UK Politics

Boris Johnson’s government has been urged to take action to tackle rising gas and electricity prices, amid growing concerns over the cost-of-living crisis faced by families across the UK.Business secretary Kwasi Kwarteng is expected to hold “emergency” meetings with energy chiefs on Monday to address rapidly rising wholesale gas prices, which are set to have a knock-on impact on household bills.Industry bosses are reportedly ready to ask for tax cuts and the relaxation of green levies in a bid to avoid further bankruptcies in the sector.Ovo chief executive Stephen Fitzpatrick said the impact of soaring wholesale gas prices would be “an enormous crisis for 2022”.“We’ve seen this energy crisis unfold now for the last three months, and we’ve watched as energy prices have spiked, fallen back, and spiked again,” he told the BBC. “We’ve had more than 30 bankruptcies in the sector, we’ve had millions of customers forced to change supplier.”Mr Fitzpatrick added: “The cost to the consumer has already been more than £4bn. We haven’t seen any action from the government or from the regulator. There’s an acceptance that there’s a problem – but nowhere near enough urgency to find a solution.”Fears of runaway fuel bills in 2022 have been mounting since rising gas prices began bankrupting suppliers in September. Since then, prices have risen from 54p per therm of gas to £4.50.Household energy bills have been tipped by experts to jump to a record £2,000 a year, after the energy regulator authorised suppliers to increase bills by 12 per cent for a typical household on standard tariffs.A further announcement on the energy price cap is due in February ahead of a second rise in April – with another hike expected to pay for the collapse of more than two dozen energy firms in recent months.“We suggest that the tariff cap could jump by 56 per cent, reaching £2,000 [a year] for the summer 2022 period,” Martin Young, an analyst at the investment bank Investec, said shortly before Christmas.Labour has urged Rishi Sunak to use a “windfall” of £3.1bn to help hard-pressed families, and has called on the chancellor to take action on reducing household energy bills.New analysis by the party, based on figures from research carried out by the House of Commons library, projected that the government would receive £3.1bn extra in VAT receipts in 2021-22.The sum would cover the estimated £2.4bn cost of removing VAT from fuel bills over the winter, said Labour.“Right now, people are being hit by a cost-of-living crisis which has seen energy bills soar, food costs increase and the weekly budget stretched,” said shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves.“That’s why Labour is calling on the government to immediately remove VAT on household heating bills over the winter months.”A government spokesperson said: “We regularly engage with the energy industry and will continue to ensure that consumers are protected through the energy price cap, which is insulating millions from record global gas prices.” More

Boris Johnson has been warned by hospital doctors that it would be “ludicrous” not to tighten restrictions in England in response to the rise of the Omicron variant of coronavirus.The prime minister will be presented with the latest Covid data on Monday as he weighs up whether to impose fresh curbs before New Year to stem the spread of the new strain.The trade union for hospital doctors has urged him to bring in further measures now – including limits on household mixing and table service only in pubs and restaurants – to stop the NHS being overwhelmed.Dr Paul Donaldson, general secretary of the Hospital Consultants and Specialists Association (HCSA), said “it would be ludicrous” not to act immediately to tackle Omicron.“There is a high probability we are moving too late,” Dr Donaldson told The Guardian. “We will soon start to see the impact of Christmas. We are holding out hope that hospitalisations are at the lower end of projections. But given the uncertainty we face it would be ludicrous not to take additional precautions.”Mr Johnson is expected to be briefed by chief medical officer for England Professor Chris Whitty and chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance on Monday.If the figures are positive, Mr Johnson could be persuaded to stick with the lighter touch measures introduced under Plan B. However, if cases were beginning to put pressure on the NHS, the PM may feel the need to bring in more stringent restrictions.A crucial issue will be whether daily hospital admissions from Covid have breached 400 in the London –thought to be an informal threshold for further action. The capital, the national hotspot for Omicron, had 386 admissions on 22 December.New measures restricting large outdoor events and a tightening up of pubs and restaurants have already come into force in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland – but No 10 has delayed a decision on any new rules for England.If Mr Johnson decides further measures are needed, they could involve a return to curbs seen during the step 2 phase earlier this year – including a ban on indoor mixing, the “rule of six” for outdoor gatherings and outdoor service only in pubs and restaurants.Modelling by the PM’s scientific advisory group, the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage), found that a two to three-week “circuit breaker” based on such measures could cut deaths by 18 per cent.Dr Julia Paterson, chief executive of the campaign group Every Doctor, said: “If we were to listen to the experts who do the modelling on these situations, we would have acted a lot sooner.”She urged the government to heed warnings from Sage advisers and others about a surge in hospitalisations in the weeks ahead. “There seems to be a reticence to listen to experts, which is deeply concerning – we’ve seen this so many times before,” she told Sky News on Monday.If the PM decides the data shows that the NHS is at risk of being overwhelmed, he is likely to call a meeting of the government’s Covid-O committee, or a full cabinet, to approve emergency moves.Mr Johnson has promised to recall parliament for a vote on any new legal curbs, giving him up to 72 hours to secure cabinet approval and force any restrictions into law ahead of New Year’s Eve.A senior Conservative backbencher has urged Boris Johnson to be “very cautious” before applying further restrictions. Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown said it would “not be a cop-out at all” for the PM to introduce new guidance rather than written into law, adding: “I think that would be a very sensible way to go forward.”An announcement of any new measures could be made as early as Tuesday, though The Times cites government sources saying ministers were “cautiously optimistic” that legal restrictions will be unnecessary this week. The newspaper also says weddings and funerals would be exempt from any new rules.Meanwhile, The Telegraph reported that schools were drawing up plans to send whole year groups home for remote learning if staff shortages due to Omicron hit after the Christmas holidays.It is understood school closures are not being considered by ministers for January. A source close to education secretary Nadhim Zahawi said: “The PM and Nadhim are fully committed to keeping schools open … school closures are not something being considered.”But Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said headteachers were “hoping for the best but planning for the worst”.It comes as the latest NHS figures showed that more than 10,000 patients waited 12 hours before being admitted to hospital in November, up from 2,148 the same time last year.While a record number of NHS trusts recorded patients had waited nearly 24 hours between arriving at hospital by ambulance and being assessed. Data from NHS England for October 2021 records the longest waits between arriving at A&E and an initial assessment.Labour’s shadow health secretary Wes Streeting said: “24 hours in A&E isn’t just a TV show, it’s now what patients are forced to go through under the Tories.” More

Boris Johnson faces a crunch decision on Monday on whether to trigger new coronavirus restrictions to prevent a renewed wave of Omicron infections around the new year.The prime minister will be briefed by chief medical officer Chris Whitty and chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance on the latest data on infections, hospitalisations and deaths for the first time in three days, after a break for Christmas.A crucial issue will be whether daily hospital admissions have breached 400 in the hotspot of London – a number that is thought to be an informal threshold for further action.Mr Johnson has promised to recall parliament for a vote on any new legal curbs on social and economic activity, giving him up to 72 hours to secure cabinet approval and force any restrictions into law ahead of the traditional party night of New Year’s Eve, viewed by scientists as a moment of maximum peril for virus spread.If the PM decides the data shows that the NHS is at risk of being overwhelmed, he is likely to call a meeting of the government’s Covid-O committee, or a full cabinet, to approve emergency moves. An announcement of proposed new restrictions could be made as early as Tuesday.England currently has lesser restrictions than Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, after the cabinet rejected recommendations for action from Prof Whitty last week.Encouraging figures on Monday could allow Mr Johnson to stick to his relatively mild plan B restrictions through the new year, mandating face-coverings in many public places and Covid passes for entry to mass-audience venues like nightclubs and sports stadiums.But if the soaring number of Omicron infections appears to be translating into more hospital admissions, more patients in intensive care and a higher number of deaths, he is likely to try once more to persuade fellow ministers to accept tougher restrictions.This “plan C” could involve a return to the measures seen during the step 2 phase of emergence from lockdown in the spring, including a ban on indoor mixing, outdoor service only in pubs and restaurants, and the “rule of six” for outdoor gatherings.Modelling by the PM’s scientific advisory group, Sage, found that a two- to three-week “circuit breaker” based on such measures could cut deaths by 18 per cent, while keeping the restrictions in place until the end of March could cut deaths by 39 per cent.However, if the data suggests Omicron is approaching its peak, the PM could dodge the danger of another rebellion by Tory MPs by issuing stronger guidance to the public, warning people not to mix indoors.This would not require new regulations or a recall of the Commons from its festive break, but would provoke howls of rage from the hospitality industry, which fears “lockdown by stealth” as customers decide to stay at home without being required to do so by law.The latest interim data issued by the Office for National Statistics for the period to 19 December showed that an estimated one person in 20 in London had Covid-19. Across the UK, some 1.7 million people were estimated to be infected, with increases in all age groups and all areas of England in the previous week.Hospital admissions in the capital reached 386 on 22 December, but it is not yet clear whether they have since moved beyond 400.Hopes that further restrictions could be avoided were buoyed last week by a UK Health Security Agency study, which found that people catching Omicron are 50 to 70 per cent less likely to need hospital care than those suffering from earlier strains of Covid-19, such as Delta.But scientists are warning against complacency over the supposedly “milder” variant, pointing out that Omicron’s extreme transmissibility means that many more people are likely to become infected with it.Epidemiologist Deepti Gurdasani, of Queen Mary University London, warned: “In simple terms, because Omicron can escape immunity from past infections and vaccines, your protection against infection with Omicron is vastly lower than with Delta.“All the ‘mild’ takes compare Omicron hospitalisations once infected, without accounting for the fact that Omicron is infecting people who are vaccinated and had past infection, who wouldn’t have been infected with Delta at all because they were protected.“So it’s increasing risk, rather than reducing it, by infecting people who wouldn’t have been infected with Delta, which means we are actually at higher risk of severe disease because of lower protection from infection with vaccination.“A huge part of the Omicron advantage is being able to infect people with previous immunity that Delta wouldn’t have been able to penetrate. To argue that this somehow leads to a reduction in risk is, frankly, nuts.”Meanwhile, mobile phone companies collaborated with the Department of Health in a Boxing Day drive to send out appeals by text message for people to come forward for the booster vaccination, which is believed to greatly reduce the risk from Omicron.Health and social care secretary Sajid Javid said: “It has never been as important to get protected with the booster – so whether it is in between turkey sandwiches or before the Boxing Day fixtures, whatever your traditions, make the booster a part of them this year.“Millions of vaccine slots are available through the festive calendar, so if you’re not boosted and you get this text, take up the offer and get vaccinated.”Amid reports that the government is determined to reopen schools following the Christmas break, there were renewed calls for better measures to reduce the risk of spreading Covid in the classroom.Mathematical biologist Kit Yates of the University of Bath asked: “Why is the only plan to keep schools open a plan which involves recruiting vulnerable retired teachers back to the classroom to deliver patchwork coverage?“Surely, two years in, we can do better than that: Ventilation, masks, filters, vaccines? It’s past time to start putting in mitigations in schools.“Sure, even if we start now they won’t all be completed by the time schools go back, but we will have made a start. If you don’t start, you can’t hope to finish.” More

Pubs, bars and clubs are set to be allowed to stay open later to mark the Queen’s platinum jubilee in June.Ministers have launched a consultation on extended licensing hours for venues serving alcohol in England and Wales, from 11pm to 1am for three evenings between 2 and 4 June.The late drinking will form part of a four-day bank holiday weekend, stretching from Thursday to Sunday, which has already been announced to mark the 70th anniversary of the Queen’s accession to the throne.The commemorative weekend will include nationwide street parties, a service of thanksgiving, and a “platinum pageant” and concert, as well as the ceremony of Trooping the Colour.Queen Elizabeth II came to the throne on 6 February 1952 on the death of her father George VI, though her coronation did not come until more than a year later on 2 June 1953. She became the longest-reigning monarch in UK history in 2015, and will be the first ever to reach her platinum jubilee.Announcing the proposals for extending licensing hours, home secretary Priti Patel said: “Her Majesty the Queen is an example to us all – she has served the UK and the Commonwealth with the utmost dignity, steadfastness, and resolve throughout her remarkable reign.“The platinum jubilee is a truly historic occasion, and it is right that the country should mark this celebration in a special way.“This extension will enable families, friends and communities across England and Wales to raise a glass to toast Her Majesty the Queen and mark her incredible service to our country.”Section 172 of the Licensing Act 2003 allows the home secretary to make a licensing hours order giving permission to premises to open for specified, extended hours to mark occasions of exceptional international, national or local significance.Similar extensions have previously been put in place for the Queen’s 90th birthday in 2016, the diamond jubilee in 2012, and the weddings of Prince William and Kate Middleton in 2011 and Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in 2018, a well as for the FIFA football World Cup in 2014.A month-long consultation will consider the views of the public on the plans, as well as those of key players like the police, licensing authorities and alcohol awareness groups.Since 2005, pubs in England and Wales have been able to apply for licences permitting the sale of alcohol on a 24-hour basis, but in practice local councils tend to restrict opening times for individual premises, with most shutting their doors at 11pm. More

After a lengthy fight to convince voters that Labour has changed since the Jeremy Corbyn years, Sir Keir Starmer has told The Independent that he wants to use 2022 to position Labour as a government in waiting, ready to “build a new Britain” after the pandemic.Starmer set himself three challenges when he took over from Corbyn in 2019 – first, to transform the party, and to expose the failings of Boris Johnson’s administration, and then to show voters that Labour is ready to govern.Having completed internal changes to the party rulebook to break the hold of the left, drawn a firm line under the Corbyn era with his conference speech in Brighton, and appointed an unapologetically centrist shadow cabinet, he feels voters are once again ready to contemplate the prospect of Labour in power. “I think that one thing the public know very well is that the Labour Party is now led by Keir Starmer, not Jeremy Corbyn, and we’re a changed party,” he said.Looking back over the 18 months since he took over following Labour’s worst election defeat since 1935, Sir Keir said: “We’ve made real progress. We’re confident but we’re not complacent.”His choice of the phrase “new Britain” to describe his election offer will raise hackles among the Labour left, as it closely echoes the “New Labour, New Britain” slogan used by Tony Blair when he became the party’s last leader to go from opposition into power in 1997.One veteran of past elections told The Independent: “It’s clear the direction he’s taking. He stood for the leadership as Jeremy Corbyn’s successor, and he is going to win the next election as Tony Blair’s successor.”Despite the 10 pledges he made during his leadership election to preserve elements of his predecessor’s agenda, Starmer has made it increasingly clear that he is determined to shift Labour’s direction.Justifying his strategy, he said: “If you lose that badly you don’t look at the electorate and say, ‘What on earth were you doing?’ You look at your own party and say, ‘What on earth are we doing, and how do we need to change?’”November’s shadow cabinet reshuffle completed the clearout of Corbynites from his top team, and brought centrist figures like Yvette Cooper and Wes Streeting into key posts.Sir Keir told The Independent that the current shadow cabinet is the one he wants to fight the next election, and he has told the party to prepare for it to come in May 2023. Though Corbyn remains suspended from the parliamentary party, Starmer accepted that the work of demonstrating how Labour has moved on cannot be declared complete.The phase of reforming party management, as well as putting in place new structures to deal with the problem of antisemitism, may have largely been concluded, but the job continues of persuading voters to look again at the party they turned away from at the last election.“We have to constantly show that we’ve changed,” said Starmer. “We have to constantly show that we have recognised the scale of defeat in 2019.” But he added: “That on its own isn’t enough. Exposing the government on its own isn’t enough.“We also have to show we’re a government in waiting. I think already people are beginning to see that. We have better answers, clearer answers, and more confidence than the government going forward.”Public confidence in the Conservative government is “draining away” in the wake of the series of blunders, scandals and broken promises in recent weeks, he claimed.Voters are no longer willing to give Boris Johnson “the benefit of the doubt” in the way that has allowed him to sail through previous setbacks unscathed, making victory for Labour – buoyed by growing leads in a string of recent polls – an “achievable” prospect, he said.

If I could snap my fingers and force him to resign, then of course, we’d force him to resign. But in the end, it’s for the Tory party to decide what they want to do about Boris Johnson“We know what seats we have got to retain. We know what seats we’ve got to win. And we’re utterly focused on that,” said Starmer. “And do I think it’s achievable? Yes, I do think it’s achievable.”Meeting The Independent as the UK prepared for a Christmas overshadowed by Omicron, the Labour leader said that the “partygate” scandal and the Tory rebellion over Covid restrictions, along with a “litany of broken promises” on rail, social care and tax, had exposed the prime minister’s weakness to voters just as the country enters a cost-of-living crisis caused in part by his policies.“I think he is now being seen for what he is, which is a leader who over-promises and under-delivers; a leader without a real plan for government or strategy for government; an unserious leader rather than a serious leader,” said Sir Keir.“He has enjoyed the benefit of the doubt for two years now during the pandemic. But I think that over the last few weeks or months, more and more people are now saying that they’re removing the benefit of the doubt from him. Once that is gone, I think he then is seen for what he is.”Regaining the trust of voters who abandoned Labour in 2019 – including in the so-called red wall seats of the Midlands and north of England that fell to the Tories – is “absolutely crucial” to any prospect of success, he said. More

The Liberal Democrats’ historic victory in North Shropshire shows the party can play a “crucial role” in removing Boris Johnson from office at the next general election, deputy leader Daisy Cooper has claimed.Her comments, in an article for The Independent, come a fortnight after the party overturned a 23,000 majority in an ultra-safe Conservative seat and delivered a major blow to the prime minister’s authority.The by-election was triggered after the government abandoned their attempt to prevent a 30-day suspension for Tory MP Owen Paterson, resulting in his resignation from the Commons and a toxic row over sleaze in politics.Offering a glimpse of the Liberal Democrats’ electoral strategy going forward, Ms Cooper said a formal pact with the Labour Party would be “counterproductive” and described the concept of a progressive alliance as “flawed”.However, she stressed that tactical voting would be crucial during the next general election in unseating Tory MPs, and hinted that opposition parties should concentrate on informal pacts, targeting resources wherever they have the “best chance of winning”.Recalling conversations on the doorstep in North Shropshire, the deputy leader claimed lifelong Tory voters had switched to the Liberal Democrats because they were “fed up with the current government and Boris Johnson’s lack of decency”.“Just like in Chesham and Amersham in July, people were switching to the Liberal Democrats in their droves because they were sick of being taken for granted,” she said. “Like the political earthquake that saw the red wall crumble in 2019, this is part of a seismic shift in British politics.”Ms Cooper went on: “The Liberal Democrats have shown that we can play a critical role in beating the Tories at the next election. There is no credible route to removing Boris Johnson’s Conservatives from power without us winning a substantial number of seats in the so-called ‘blue wall’, where we are the main challengers.”But in her article, she claimed that many of the voters who elected the party’s candidate, Helen Morgan, to parliament at the North Shropshire by-election “simply never have voted Labour”, adding that if a formal deal had been made with Labour, “many would likely not have voted for us either”.“Voters don’t like stitch-ups: they can make their own decisions on who they vote for and why. An electoral pact, where one party stood down for another, would not have delivered that staggering majority for the Lib Dems nor that defeat for the Tories,” she said.Insisting both Labour and the Liberal Democrats had to be “strategic” at the next election, she went on: “It makes perfect sense for opposition parties to put their resources into beating the Tories wherever they think they have the best chance of winning. And tactical voting will remain crucial to beating Conservative incumbents.”“North Shropshire showed that we don’t need stitch-ups between political parties to beat the Conservatives. Voters should be trusted to make up their own minds about who to back and why.“That’s why the concept of a progressive alliance based on parties standing down for each other is flawed. It would risk repelling the very people the Liberal Democrats need to win over to defeat Conservative MPs in the seats where Labour will never win.”Speaking earlier this month, Labour frontbencher Wes Streeting said he did not see the result in North Shropshire as a “disappointment” – despite the party coming third – and appeared to echo some of Ms Cooper’s comments.“Looking at the lie of the electoral map, there will be some parts of the country where, getting rid of a Conservative MP – the best route, the easiest route to that is to vote Liberal Democrat,” he told Sky News.“There are far more places in the country where the route to getting rid of a Conservative MP and delivering a Labour government is by voting Labour, and voters can make their own decisions.” More

The death of Archbishop Desmond Tutu was met by an outpouring of tributes in the UK, where the Archbishop of Canterbury hailed him as “a healer and apostle of peace” and leading anti-apartheid activist Peter Hain said he was an “indispensable” part of the struggle against white minority rule in South Africa.Prime minister Boris Johnson described Tutu as “a critical figure in the fight against apartheid and in the struggle to create a new South Africa”.Mr Johnson said he would be remembered “for his spiritual leadership and irrepressible good humour”.And Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said: “Desmond Tutu was a tower of a man, and a leader of moral activism.“He dedicated his life to tackling injustice and standing up for the oppressed. His impact on the world crosses borders and echoes through generations.”Archbishop Welby, leader of the Anglican Church of which Tutu was the most globally prominent member, described him as “a prophet and priest, a man of words and action, one who embodied the hope and joy that were the foundations of his life”.Welby said: “He was a man of extraordinary personal courage and bravery: when the police burst into Cape Town Cathedral, he defied them by dancing down the aisle.“He was a man of enormous vision: seeing the possibilities for building the Rainbow Nation long before anyone else, except perhaps President (Nelson) Mandela.“His vision and bravery were allied with a canny political sense and wisdom, enabling him to be a healer and apostle of peace while so many still saw wounds and war.”The Archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell, said that Tutu was “one of the great saints of the last 100 years” and a role model for all church leaders.He told Times Radio that he would do a dance in York Cathedral in honour of the former Archbishop of Cape Town.Looking back on Tutu’s role in the early days of the fight against racial discrimination in South Africa’s political, social and legal systems, Lord Hain said: “He represented that bubbling enthusiasm of the anti-apartheid struggle with his enormous charisma, his courage.”The Labour peer, who led direct action disruption of South African sporting tours of the UK in the 1970s, added: “At a time when Nelson Mandela and his fellow leaders of the anti-apartheid campaign were locked up on Robben Island, Desmond Tutu held the flame high of freedom and non-racialism and a fierce commitment to human rights and equal opportunities for all.“He has a special place in the hearts of millions across the world as somebody who spoke the truth in a compassionate way but a strong and a fearless way as well. We don’t see many Desmond Tutus in the history of the world, sadly. If we did, the world would be a much, much better place.”Former prime minister Gordon Brown said he was “privileged” to count Tutu as a friend, adding: “His values will live on in the influence he has on the people he leaves behind.”And Scottish first minister Nicola Sturgeon said: “His was a life that made the world a better place.”Foreign secretary Liz Truss said: “Saddened to hear of Archbishop Desmond Tutu’s death. He was a driving force behind ending apartheid in South Africa and a worthy winner of the Nobel Peace Prize. My thoughts are with the people of South Africa.”And deputy prime minister Dominic Raab said that Tutu was “a truly great figure, who I had the privilege to meet in The Hague when he was working for the victims of war crimes.”He added: “His adage, ‘Don’t raise your voice, improve your argument’, has never felt more apt.”Green MP Caroline Lucas was one of many to cite Tutu’s words that “If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor”.She said: “The world has lost a shining star of hope and humanity, but his spirit will live on.”Shadow foreign secretary David Lammy recalled how the Archbishop had sent a prayer to be read at his wedding in 2005.“Tutu was the rock on which non-violent resistance to apartheid was built,” said Mr Lammy. “His integrity, passion and urgency were integral in mobilising South Africans to protest, resist and keep the faith while rallying the global community to compassion, solidarity and sanctions.”Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey said: “Desmond Tutu dedicated his life to fighting injustice, bringing both humour and sincerity to all his work. May he rest in peace.And former Irish president Mary Robinson, the chair of The Elders group of global leaders founded by Mandela, of which Tutu was an emeritus member, said: “We are all devastated at the loss of Archbishop Desmond Tutu.“’Arch’ was respected around the world for his dedication to justice, equality and freedom. Today we mourn his death but affirm our determination to keep his beliefs alive.” More

There were calls today for Liz Truss to be stripped of her role as the government’s minister for women and equalities, after it emerged that she had announced only one official engagement related to the post in the month of December.Ms Truss – seen as a potential successor to Boris Johnson as Tory leader – held on to the equalities position when she was promoted to foreign secretary in September’s reshuffle, and the prime minister has since added responsibility for the Brexit negotiations to her workload after the resignation of David Frost earlier this month.The Liberal Democrats warned that issues vital to women and equal opportunities risk being “sidelined” as a result, and called on Mr Johnson to hand the job to someone else.But the Government Equalities Office rejected the claim, arguing that the party’s analysis related only to engagements made public on the government’s website, which does not reflect the full range of work carried out by ministers.According to the Lib Dems, a total of 11 engagements by Ms Truss as foreign secretary were announced during the month of December, including hosting a summit of G7 ministers in Liverpool, visiting Sweden and Spain, and signing a joint declaration with Latvia just days after being pictured riding a tank in the Baltic state.Meanwhile, she held her first phone talks with European Commission vice-president Maros Sefcovic in the long-running saga of the Northern Ireland protocol, which had involved Lord Frost in four negotiation sessions earlier in the month before his resignation.But over the course of the month, just one equalities-related activity was publicly listed – an announcement on the extension of a public consultation on legislation to ban conversion therapy.Lib Dem spokesperson for women and equalities Wera Hobhouse said that the ministerial role had been “neglected” by Conservative leaders since the days of the coalition, when Lib Dem minister Lynne Featherstone pushed through legislation for equal marriage and to promote gender diversity in the workplace.“With inequalities rife across the country, and so much work needing to be done to protect women and girls, now is not the time for a part-time minister,” said Ms Hobhouse.“We need a minister for women and equalities with the time, energy and dedication to bring about real change. But Truss is treating this job as an afterthought, preferring to focus on jetting around the world to pose for photographs to fill her social media feed.“We should be focusing on reducing inequality, particularly the gap between the richest and poorest, and ensuring we genuinely ‘level up’ our country. Instead, Boris Johnson has further marginalised this important portfolio and shown this is not a Conservative priority.“Liberal Democrats believe that the British people deserve a society where every person’s rights and liberties are protected. This is clearly not a priority for Liz Truss, so she should stand down and allow someone else to do the job.”A government Equality Hub spokesperson rejected the claim as “completely untrue”.“Supported by a team of four equality ministers, the minister for women and equalities is taking steps to break down the barriers facing people across this country as we build back better,” said the spokesperson.“Over the past year, the government has put forward proposals to ban LGBT conversion therapy, set out action to tackle sexual harassment in the workplace, and launched a host of measures to support disabled people through the National Disability Strategy.”Since 2010, the job of minister for women and equalities has been held by a secretary of state with a separate cabinet-level role. Theresa May and Amber Rudd each held the post while serving concurrently as home secretary; Nicky Morgan and Justine Greening while serving as education secretary; Penny Mordaunt while she was defence secretary; and Maria Miller while she was culture secretary. More