and the heat is on the met office says today could be the hottest day of the year so far. some parts of the uk will be hotter than athens and ibiza today. what s it like where you are and how are you coping? get in touch @annitabbc and use the #bbcyourquestions. also coming up, birth control for grey squirrels as scientists hope to control an expanding population and save our native reds. hello and welcome to bbc news. the foreign secretary, liz truss, is the latest senior cabinet member to enter the conservative leadership race. ii contenders are now in the running. conservative backbenchers will meet later this afternoon to finalise the contest s rules, which will aim to thin the field quickly. my colleague ben brown is live in westminster for us this morning and we canjoin him now. another very busy day in politics. on that number could grow further still? .. , ., , still? exactly. the weather is heatina still? exactly. the weather is heating up still? exactly. the wea
and i asked how the transport secretary would fund those cuts if he became prime minister. there is a lot of pressure on the cost of living and low income households are struggling because of inflationary pressures and we should bring forward a tax reduction. tax cuts add to inflation, put more money in people s pockets adds to inflation. they don t because if you borrow money to fund tax cuts, yes, that can put pressure on inflation, but if you are doing what grant shapps is suggesting, take a tough look at government spending, government spending as a percentage of gdp has risen inexorably in recent decades, we can, through digital approach, which is what they have done in some of those department for transport agencies, you can actually make some reductions. government at the moment is under a big exercise to try to reduce spending and reduced civil service head count, for instance. some of that work will come up
are thrown their way and how handle them. i have seen in grant shapps in them. i have seen in grant shapps in the two years i have worked with him around the cabinet table, good judgment, good analysis of the problem and solutions. yes, of course, there is pressure for pay rises, we are getting strike action, but we should notjudge him based on that, but how he is dealing with the situations and i think he is dealing with them well. he situations and i think he is dealing with them well. situations and i think he is dealing with them well. he has promised tax cuts like a lot with them well. he has promised tax cuts like a lot of with them well. he has promised tax cuts like a lot of the with them well. he has promised tax cuts like a lot of the candidates - with them well. he has promised tax cuts like a lot of the candidates in i cuts like a lot of the candidates in this race, rishi sunak says that is fairly tales. where, if you are cutting taxes, where will the cuts come? what
add to inflation, more forward a tax reduction. tax cuts add to inflation, more money - forward a tax reduction. tax cuts add to inflation, more money in i add to inflation, more money in people s pockets adds to inflation. but if you borrow money to fund tax cuts, yes, that can put pressure on inflation but if you are doing what grant shapps is suggesting, take a tough look at government spending, government spending as a percentage of gdp has risen inexorably in recent decades, we can, through digital approach, as it is what they have done in some of those department for transport agencies, you can actually make some reductions. government at the moment is under a big exercise to try and reduce spending, and reduced civil service head count, for instance. some of that work will come up with solutions to reduce costs and that will enable us to make some of those tax reductions. and bring them forward. ~ ., , , forward. would you reverse the rise in national insurance forward. woul