UK's Liz Truss still favours tax cuts over direct support on energy bills

Liz Truss, the frontrunner in the race to replace Boris Johnson as British Prime Minister, said she still favoured tax cuts to grow the economy instead of providing direct support to households facing unprecedented rises in energy bills.

Charities, business groups and politicians have called on Truss and her rival, former finance minister Rishi Sunak, to set out how they would help Britons cope with a forecast 82% rise in energy prices in October.

Asked if she would provide direct support to households, Truss told reporters: "What I don't believe in is taxing people to the highest level in 70 years, and then giving them their own money back."