Evening briefing: Today’s essential headlines
Energy price shock | British households could see their energy bills hit £500 for a single month by next year as Vladimir Putin’s latest gas supply cuts drive up prices across Europe, analysts have warned. A new report predicts that the energy price cap will rise to £3,420 at the next increase in October before surging to £3,850 in the first quarter of 2023. Read why the predictions are getting bleaker in our business live blog.
The big story: Truss vows to halt ‘militant unions’
It has been another day of frustration for rail commuters – but could the days be numbered for these kinds of walkouts?
Liz Truss has vowed to introduce new laws to prevent militant unions crippling the rail network within a month of taking office as the next prime minister – but Rishi Sunak has so far disclosed little of his plans.
The Foreign Secretary said that rail workers are “well rewarded for the work they do” and accused the unions of “holding the travelling public to ransom”.
But the former chancellor has yet to set out his stall on what he would do to protect the public from the threat of industrial action.
Indeed, it has been a tricky day for Mr Sunak, as his U-turn on VAT cuts appeared to backfire as the IFS warned it would be inflationary.
Rail strikes will continue despite an offer from Network Rail to increase pay by 8pc.
The RMT’s assistant general secretary, Eddie Dempsey, said the offer represented “progress” but would not be enough to prevent further industrial action by itself.
The general secretary of the RMT, Mick Lynch, suggested “trial by combat” against Grant Shapps in an effort to resolve the impasse.
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Tens of thousands of rail workers have already lost £1,500 from strike action as commuters ignored advice to work from home and take the train to the office.
Staff that walked out on the fourth day of industrial action by the RMT have lost around 4pc of their annual pay – equivalent to more than two weeks’ wages.
Not only have workers foregone their pay for the day, but they have lost cash bonuses that they would have otherwise been entitled to.
This disruption will run into tomorrow, with fresh strikes on Saturday.
Train drivers at nine rail companies will strike on August 13, their union Aslef said. Here is what you need to know.
Labour on picket lines
The strikes have raised questions for Labour, whose frontbenchers were expected to refrain from demonstrating, after being banned from pickets during strikes last month.
That did not stop shadow transport minister Sam Tarry joining striking workers on the picket line at Euston Station in London.
This evening, he was sacked by Sir Keir Starmer, a decision made all the more delicate by the fact that Mr Tarry is Angela Rayner’s boyfriend.
Jeremy Corbyn and John McDonnell have also been pictured joining striking workers, as well as other backbench MPs.
Tom Harris warns the strikes will derail Sir Keir if the Tories get their act together.
£800 taxi
As some of the very limited services wrapped up for the day around lunchtime, many people have faced severe disruption to their journeys.
A group of holiday-makers were forced to spend nearly £800 on a taxi from London to Hartlepool as a result of strike action and problems on the line this week.
With seemingly no end in sight for the dispute, we want Your View. Tell us what you think should be done to solve the disruption. The best comments will be included in an article on Friday.
Just email two or three sentences to yourstory@telegraph.co.uk along with your name – and remember to put “Front Page” in the subject line.
Comment and analysis
World news: Zelensky and wife’s love stronger in war
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky has said the war has only made his marriage stronger, despite the couple’s long periods of separation. Mr Zelensky, 44, and wife Olena opened up about her family’s forced separation in a series of interviews when Olena visited her husband in the heavily fortified presidential palace. Mr Zelensky described wife Olena, whom he met 26 years ago when they were still in high school, as his “best friend”. Read why he said: “The war is making our relationship stronger, that’s for sure.” On the front line, authorities in the Russian-controlled Ukrainian city of Kherson have closed the city’s only bridge across the Dnieper river after it came under fire from US-supplied high mobility artillery rocket systems (Himars), according to reports today.
Wednesday big-read
Inside an Irish billionaire’s plan to make Britain pay for slavery
Telecoms tycoon Denis O’Brien’s campaign for reparation in the Caribbean follows multiple controversies, writes Matt Oliver
Sport briefing: Football reacts to Russo’s backheel goal
The gasp of amazement before the roar of celebration captured the moment perfectly inside the stadium. It was a goal so audacious, so cheeky, you could not quite believe what you had seen. Luke Edwards analyses Alessia Russo’s backheel goal in England’s Women’s Euro 2022 semi-final victory against Sweden. A young England fan who captured the hearts of the nation with her joyful celebration caught on camera is hoping to roar the Lionesses on to Euros success in the final at Wembley. Meanwhile, British sprinter Dina Asher-Smith has been ruled out of the Commonwealth Games due to the hamstring injury. Today, marks the 10th anniversary of the opening ceremony of the London 2012 Olympics, and Ben Rumsby investigates whether the Games were a failure while athletes, writers and spectators share their favourite moments.
Editor’s choice
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Favourite tourists | The French really do love the British – don’t let its officialdom fool you
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Models over 50 | ‘A woman can feel invisible here, yet attractive in Milan or Paris’
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Seaside charm | The coastal corner of Scotland that’s shamefully under-visited
Business briefing: HSBC to be told to break up bank
The boss of HSBC will be urged to carve the bank in two when he meets retail investors in Hong Kong for the first time in three years and China ramps up its campaign to take control of the business. Noel Quinn, chief executive, and chairman Mark Tucker are to hold an informal meeting with shareholders on Tuesday, following the publication of HSBC’s half-year results. It will be the first time since April 2019 that executives have met with Asian retail investors, who own around one third of HSBC’s shares. Read how bosses are battling calls from top shareholder Ping An, the Chinese insurance giant, to spin off the Asian part of the bank into a separate entity – a move many in Hong Kong would support.
Tonight starts now
Phoebe Bridgers, review | The screaming began a good five minutes before Phoebe Bridgers took to the stage. The 27-year-old, searing-blonde indie singer-songwriter from California might be musically distinct from pop acts such as One Direction, but the last time Alice Vincent saw a crowd like this – this engaged, this vocal, this devoted – she was at a Harry Styles show. At the Brixton Academy until July 29, read why she is a furious, thoughtful and thoroughly modern rock star.
Three things for you
And finally… for this evening’s downtime
Which UK city could host Eurovision 2023? | The beauty parade has begun. Cities from across the United Kingdom have started their publicity drives to host next year’s Eurovision. Yet doing so is costly, complex and relies on a functioning transport network. James Hall wonders why would any city want to host the song contest.
