On Friday 23 September parliament returned for a short period before the 2022 conference recess to pass a ‘mini-budget’ to set out in more detail the energy price guarantee announced by the prime minister on 8 September and the wider fiscal questions the energy crisis provokes.

This was one of the first major political and policy moments for the new administration. It was expected that the financial support package would cost anywhere between £130bn and £200bn – one of the largest one-off spending decisions since the second world war – representing the government’s primary response to rising energy bills.

The energy price guarantee, the mini-budget and ministerial appointments are significant indicators of how the new government would approach the broad public policy agenda over the next 18 months.

Green Alliance’s expert staff responded to the mini-budget and other recent announcements, and discussed what they might mean for people and the environment.

Panel

• Chair: Shaun Spiers, executive director, Green Alliance
• Roz Bulleid, research director, Green Alliance
• Sam Alvis, head of economy, Green Alliance
• Sarah Williams, head of Greener UK unit, Green Alliance
• Chris Venables, head of politics, Green Alliance