The next Conservative leader will be from the right wing of the party.

The surprise elimination on Wednesday of the final moderate Tory candidate in the race — James Cleverly — leaves Tory party members with a choice between Kemi Badenoch and Robert Jenrick.

Both have set out a staunchly right-wing prospectus, proposing a smaller state, a crackdown on immigration, and outlining scepticism about net zero targets.

As leader of the opposition, the winner will hold Sir Keir Starmer to account each week at Prime Minister’s Questions in the Commons — and will hope to lead the Tory party into a general election within the next five years.

Kemi Badenoch

Kemi Badenoch was the bookmakers’ favourite going into the Tory leadership race this summer.

The former business secretary has styled herself as a truth-teller who will deliver difficult messages to the party, which she says needs to rebuild from first principles.

She has said truth, family, citizenship, personal responsibility and equality under the law are the principles that would underpin her leadership.

Allies say she has the most intellectual critique of where the party should go, publishing a 40-page pamphlet during the party conference entitled “Conservatism in Crisis: Rise of the Bureaucratic Class”.

Her contention is that this ballooning group, who inhabit roles linked to the state, is socially intolerant and driving an economic slowdown.

She describes herself as a “net zero sceptic”, has challenged views around the rights of transgender people, and revels in attacking what she proclaims to be “left-wing nonsense”.

Known for her pugilistic style and sometimes brusque manner, her critics say she would cross a road to get into an argument, and wanders too easily into controversy. She says she fights on behalf of her party, not with it.

During the party’s annual gathering she sparked rows with suggestions that maternity pay was “excessive” and that the minimum wage too great a burden on some businesses.

Badenoch, 44, also raised eyebrows by signalling the public may back a move to charge for access to healthcare and suggesting, apparently in jest, that a large number of UK civil servants deserve to be in prison.

A raft of Tory rising stars on the front bench have backed Badenoch during the contest, including former energy secretary Claire Coutinho and former Treasury chief secretary Laura Trott, alongside party grandees such as former Cabinet Office minister Lord Francis Maude.

Born in the UK, she grew up in Nigeria before returning to Britain as a teenager. She studied engineering and worked for private bank Coutts and in a digital role at the Spectator magazine before entering politics through the London Assembly.

Badenoch was first elected to the House of Commons in the Essex seat of Saffron Walden in 2017.

Liz Truss first put her in the cabinet as international trade secretary and women and equalities minister. Rishi Sunak appointed her business secretary.

She ran for leader after Boris Johnson resigned in 2022 and came fourth, a result that gave her the confidence to try again given her low profile going into that race.

Badenoch has two daughters and a son with her husband Hamish, who works for Deutsche Bank.

Robert Jenrick

Robert Jenrick gathered momentum early in the Tory leadership contest, topping the first two MP ballots and impressing colleagues with a slick campaign.

The former communities secretary has focused heavily on immigration, becoming the only candidate vowing outright to quit the European Convention on Human Rights, or ECHR, if he comes to power.

He is also one of only two Tory leadership candidates — the other was Tom Tugendhat — who has called for a concrete ceiling on net inward legal migration to the UK, which he says should be capped at 100,000 people a year.

Jenrick, 42, has said he would reject mass migration, focus on cheap and reliable energy, get Britain building again, cut the size of the state and build a more united country.

He opposes “crazy interim binding targets” on net zero, and has vowed to cut the international aid budget to fund an increase in defence spending to 3 per cent of GDP.

After winning the first two rounds of voting, his momentum had appeared to have stalled, when he lost ground in the third round of voting by Tory MPs on Tuesday.

Tory MPs believed then that his lacklustre speech at the party’s annual gathering in Birmingham last week may have dented his chances.

He also stoked controversy by claiming in a campaign video that Britain’s special forces are “killing rather than capturing terrorists” due to the constraints of the ECHR, raising questions about his judgment.

Jenrick is viewed as a centrist who has tacked to the right in order to curry favour in the race with the party base and MPs. However, some in the Tory fold say he is a natural right winger who kept his true colours hidden during the Coalition years when the party was led by moderate Conservatives.

He backed Remain in the EU referendum, but has since said he would back Brexit if he had his time again.

Last month he told the Financial Times that he believed the Treasury and the UK’s independent fiscal watchdog had been “gaslighting” the British public over the benefits of migration.

Right-wing Tory veterans Sir John Hayes and Mark Francois have backed Jenrick, alongside centrist former health secretary Victoria Atkins.

He won his seat of Newark in a 2014 by-election and joined the government ranks four years later, when Theresa May made him a Treasury minister.

Boris Johnson later made him housing secretary, a job in which he sparked a slew of negative headlines after he approved a controversial planning application submitted by Tory donor Richard Desmond after sitting beside him at a party fundraising dinner.

In 2019 he was one of three rising stars in the Tory party who joined forces to back Johnson for the party leadership — alongside Rishi Sunak and Oliver Dowden.

Friends said he later felt let down when Sunak arrived in No 10 and appointed Dowden as deputy prime minister, but did not give Jenrick a full cabinet role, appointing him immigration minister instead.

Jenrick dramatically resigned from the role around six weeks later, insisted Sunak’s legislation to save his Rwanda deportation plan was too weak to succeed.

He is married to Anglo-Israeli lawyer Michal Berkner, with whom he has three daughters.

IF you’re concerned about keeping warm this winter, turning the heating on doesn’t have to be the only option.

Millions are predicting tough times this winter with an increased energy price cap and a raid on winter fuel payments for pensioners.

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But with some simple everyday household items, you could prolong having to splash out on bills.

We’ve put together a list of DIY ideas which could add some warmth to you and your home this winter for free.

However, remember that if you are vulnerable due to illness or old age and you’re really cold, you should still turn on your heating.

You should reach out your local council or supplier, and some available schemes will also be detailed at the end of this article.

It is also worth keeping in mind for all readers that the NHS currently advises to switch the heating on when temperatures dip below 15C.

But if you’re simply looking for some new ways to adapt to the colder weather, here are a few basic items you can use.

You likely already have them around the house – meaning it won’t cost you a penny.

Bubble wrap

Yes, bubble wrap. If you have this item lying around your home, you could be just steps away from some free insulation.

DIY buffs have said that if you cut some bubble wrap to fit your window, spray the window with water, then press the bubble side of the wrap against the glass, you can make your own double-glazing.

Bubble wrap is a good insulator as the air gets trapped in the bubbles and reduces heat transfer, preventing it escaping your home.

According to Urbane Eco, around 15% of heat is lost through windows.

And window insulation film can typically reduce heat loss by 35%, while double-glazing saves 70%.

By double glazing your windows, you could save £155 a year and 375kg of carbon dioxide.

While bubble wrap may not be as effective, it certainly helps the cause, and for free – the average cost of secondary glazing is £1,000 to £2,000 per window.

And if you don’t have bubble wrap at home, you can buy 5m for just £1 at Wilko and Asda.

A blanket

Another trick which can help prevent heat from escaping through windows is doubling up your curtains.

Some people buy special thermal curtains for winter, such as a set on Dunelms website which is selling for £145.

However, if you have spare curtains lying around, those will work just as well – if not, you could simply hang up a blanket for extra insulation.

If you really want to block out the cold, you could hang a quilt and attach velcro to the curtain hanger to keep it from being too heavy and falling down.

You should also remember to close your curtains during the night and open them when the sun shines, so your house can soak up all the rays.

Any fabric you have lying around

Another culprit for heat escaping the home are gaps under doors, with heat rising through rooms and up and out the house.

Draft excluders are really useful, and there are some really simple instructions online on how you can make your own.

All you need to do is measure the length of your door or window and cut a piece of fabric, sew it together and fill with stuffing.

With your own creative input and fabric prints you could end up with a prettier product than one you would buy.

If you don’t have the sewing skills then stuffing tights with old T-shirts will do the trick and you can just tie up the ends.

Tape

Another unexpected place where heat may leave your home is your letter-box or cat flap.

Sometimes these are slightly opened without you noticing and bring in cold drafts.

A simple way to patch this problem up is to seal the flap with duct tape.

If you have a cat which likes to go outdoors, you can take this off and put it back on when you need, or just keep an extra eye on when they need to be let out over the colder months.

The same trick works on draughty keyholes too.

Move your rug

Over the winter 10-20% of heat loss happens through floors on average.

Insulating your floor is a good preventative method, but can cost as much as much as £3,000 for suspended insulation, and £80 per square meter on average for solid insulation.

While it may not make quite the same impact, you’ll be surprised how much warmth could be locked in your home by covering drafty floorboards.

By moving your rug, or even your furniture, on top of these areas, you could stop a lot of precious warmth leaving the home.

Newspaper

If you have a chimney, you’ll definitely be using it to stay cosy this winter – but when its not in use, it could actually be costing you money.

All you need is a bin bag filled stuffed newspaper to fill your fireplace to stop heat escaping.

According to the chimney draught excluder brand Chimney Sweep, preventing chimney draught can cost you around £90 per year and reduce bills by about 5%.

Aluminium foil

If you are turning your heating on, it really helps to make sure you’re making the most of it.

DIY lovers have discovered they can attach aluminium foil to a large square of cardboard and place it behind their radiator so it reflects extra heat into the home and away from walls.

By enhancing your radiator use, you could have it on for less time over the day.

If you’re really worried

We’d like to remind readers that while these hacks are useful, they won’t always cut it if you’re struggling with bills this winter.

If you are in this position you could be eligible for the Household Support Fund, and information is available via the Gov.uk website.

Plenty of energy suppliers are also offering support schemes for customers, such as Octopus Energy which is offering pensioners discretionary credit of between £50 and £200 this winter.

To find out what help your supplier is offering, ring their phone line or visit their website.

Some energy support funds are also offering free electric blankets to customers who are struggling this winter.

OVO and Octopus Energy are both suppliers who have aimed at “heating the human, not the home”.

Octopus have said they will distribute 20,000 electric blankets from Dreamland to its most vulnerable customers, keeping them warm for “as little as 3p an hour”.

While OVO Energy has launched a £50 million Extra Support Package which includes complimentary energy-conserving items.

Electric blankets are also sometimes available from your council under the Household Support Fund, which renews a fresh pot of £421 million today.

To find out if this is available with your supplier or council, and whether you are eligible, go to their websites and read the terms and conditions of the scheme.

Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing money-sm@news.co.uk.

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Sir Keir Starmer has opened the door to a multibillion-pound increase in employer national insurance contributions in this month’s Budget, in a move that critics say would add to the tax burden on business.

Labour’s election manifesto appeared to rule out an increase in national insurance, but in the House of Commons on Wednesday Starmer refused to exclude increasing the rate paid by employers, as opposed to employees.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves could raise billions of pounds in her Budget by including employer pension contributions in the NI system, according to pensions experts.

Rishi Sunak, leader of the opposition, asked Starmer on Wednesday whether he would exclude a rise in employer NI contributions, but the prime minister ducked the question.

Starmer said he would not be drawn on specific tax decisions in the Budget. “We made an absolute commitment in relation to not raising tax on working people,” he said.

Labour’s manifesto said: “We will ensure taxes on working people are kept as low as possible. Labour will not increase taxes on working people, which is why we will not increase national insurance, the basic, higher, or additional rates of income tax, or VAT.”

Starmer’s spokesman on Wednesday refused to say whether the apparent pledge to “not increase national insurance” applied to the employer component, adding: “It means what it says.”

Sir Steve Webb, former Liberal Democrat pensions minister, published a report last month for the pensions consultancy LCP, predicting that Reeves would levy NI on employer pension contributions.

Levying NI on employer pension contributions at a flat 13.8 per cent rate would raise up to £18bn per year by the end of the decade, according to recent research by the Resolution Foundation think-tank.

Public sector employers would need to be reimbursed for their extra costs, meaning up to £12bn per year could be raised by ending the current tax break. 

The think-tank suggested that of this, about £3bn should be used to give full employee NI relief on employee pension contributions, which it said would particularly benefit basic-rate taxpayers. This means the tax change could raise up to £9bn a year for Reeves, although the Treasury could choose to impose a lower rate.

Jeremy Hunt, shadow chancellor, has warned that if Reeves went down that route, it would be a “straight tax on business”.

Raj Mody, partner and pensions specialist at PwC, said there could be implications for employee salary sacrifice schemes.

“If the NI regime was changed, employers may well want to reconsider whether these arrangements are still sensible.”

A poll of large employers found that 42 per cent of those that pay pension contributions greater than the auto-enrolment minimum would reduce them if NI was introduced. 

The poll by the Association of British Insurers (ABI) and the Reward and Employee Benefits Association found that 40 per cent would try to maintain their current pension contribution levels despite the increased cost, with some respondents suggesting they would reduce their investment in other employee benefits or stick to the minimum contribution level in future. 

Sunak has accused the government of drawing up plans for much higher borrowing if — as expected — it introduces a new fiscal rule in the Budget later this month.

Reeves is looking to change the measurement of debt to allow her to borrow billions of pounds more for capital investment, a move supported by some economists but which has caused jitters in bond markets.

In the House of Commons on Wednesday, Starmer sought to turn his fire back on Sunak, saying that the last Conservative government had left a £22bn fiscal black hole. “Unlike them, we won’t walk past it,” he said.

Additional reporting by Mary McDougall and Michael O’Dwyer in London

THOUSANDS on benefits could save themselves hundreds of pounds a year on NHS prescriptions once the reach a certain age.

The cost of taking medication daily can rack up fast too if you’re suffering from a long-term illness.

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NHS prescriptions currently cost £9.90, but there are ways to get them for free.

People that fall into specific age brackets and those on certain benefits, or health conditions, can qualify for free prescriptions.

Below we have listed every age at which you can get free prescriptions, plus other ways that you can qualify too.

Age 60 and Over

In England, prescriptions have been free for women aged 60 and over since 1974.

This was extended to men in 1995. If you’re over 60, you’re entitled to claim your prescriptions without paying a penny.

However, this is now under scrutiny.

There’s growing pressure for the government to increase the age threshold for free prescriptions to 66, in line with the state pension age, according to reports.

This could mean those aged 60-65 could be forced to pay up for their medication.

Those Over 65

People aged 65 and above are still entitled to free prescriptions.

This is likely to remain the case, as the state pension age is set at 66, and cutting prescription access could become a significant political issue.

But with government spending cuts being scrutinised, this is always a point of contention.

If you’re 65 or older, it’s important that you claim your free prescriptions while you can.

Unfortunately, if you’re under 60, the options become more limited.

You can still get free prescriptions if you qualify based on income or medical need, so let’s take a look at those criteria.

Teenagers

Children under 16, or aged between 16 and 18 and in full-time education are also eligible for free prescriptions.

Plus you are turning or have turned 18 and are leaving care in north east London you are entitled to free NHS prescriptions until the age of 25.

This is available to all those who are eligible for Leaving Care Services from a north east London local authority, whether you still live in the area or not.

You simply need to ask your local authority Leaving Care Team to apply for a free Prescription Prepayment Certificate (PPC) for you as long as you:

• Are aged 18-24 years, up till your 25 birthday
• Are a care leaver from City of London, Barking and Dagenham, Hackney, Havering, Newham, Redbridge, Tower Hamlets or Waltham Forest
• Are registered with a GP
• Not already eligible for free prescriptions

Medical Exemptions

Certain conditions, like diabetes, epilepsy, or cancer, will automatically qualify you for free prescriptions, regardless of your age.

If you have a chronic illness, talk to your GP about getting an exemption certificate.

This can save you hundreds of pounds a year—especially if you require regular medication.

The full list of medical conditions that qualify you for a free prescription is on the NHS’ website.

Income-Based Free Prescriptions

Those on certain benefits qualify for free NHS prescriptions, which could save you £118 a year based on the new price kicking in in weeks.

You are eligible if you or your partner receive one of the following:

• Income Support
• income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
• income-related Employment and Support Allowance
• Pension Credit Guarantee Credit or Pension Credit Guarantee Credit with Savings Credit
• Universal Credit and meet other criteria

If you’re on Universal Credit, you are only entitled if your take-home pay in your last assessment period was £435 or less.

If your Universal Credit payment includes a child element, or you have limited capability for work and work-related activity, this limit rises to £935.

To claim a free prescription, you need to apply for a medical exemption certificate.

Just head to this link here, it takes about three minutes- https://services.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/check-for-help-paying-nhs-costs/start.

You can then ask your GP for an FP92A form to apply for a medical exemption.

This will give you free prescriptions for five years – after that you’ll need to apply the same way again.

You can use the same checker to see if you’re entitled to free prescriptions and other free health-related support, such as free glasses and sight tests or dental treatment.

Who else can get free prescriptions?

You can also get free prescriptions if you live in England and are in one of the following groups:

• You’re pregnant or had a baby in the previous 12 months and have a valid maternity exemption certificate
• You have a specific medical condition and have valid medical exemption card
• You have a continuing physical disability that prevents you going out without help from another person and have a valid medical exemption certificate (MedEx)
• You hold a valid war pension exemption certificate and the prescription is for your accepted disability
• You are an NHS inpatient

You can also get free prescriptions if you are entitled to an NHS tax credit exemption certificate.

You qualify for one of these if you receive child tax credits or working tax credits (including a disability or severe disability element).

You also need to have an income of less than £15,276 a year.

How else to save money on prescriptions

There is one other way you can save money on prescriptions if you’re not on one of the above benefits or of a certain age.

You can pay for them in advance with a prescription prepayment certificate (PPC), called “season tickets” by Martin Lewis.

You can buy three-month and 12-month certificates and pay a set price, regardless of how many prescriptions you need.

So they can be a money-saving option if you’re someone who regularly takes medication.

A three-month PPC costs £31.25 while a 12-month PPC costs £111.60. You can also pay for it in 10 direct debit instalments of £11.16 each.

How much you’ll save with a PPC depends on how often you take medication.

But, hypothetically, if you get four items a month and pay 12 months in advance (from May 1), you could save £363.60.

You can buy a PPC online via the Government’s website or call the order line and pay by direct debit or credit card.

The number to call is 0300 330 1341.

Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing money-sm@news.co.uk.

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