Star comment: Can Liz Truss ride out economic storm?

The era of Boris Johnson was characterised by scandal. Towards the end of his time in Number 10, hardly a day seemed to pass without a salacious headline or a new revelation.

Liz Truss is avowedly not following in those footsteps. She tows the line, keeps her nose clean and seeks to base her premiership on policy, rather than personality.

The daily headlines, however, continue to come. And in her case – and in that of her Chancellor – it’s all about the economy. Each day brings more upheaval as their economic gambles attract more criticism. While it remains possible they could pull off an economic miracle, experts seem to believe there is a greater possibility they will crash and burn.

We are in a time of unprecedented economic developments. The Bank of England and the IMF have both waded in to comment on the parlous British economy. The pound continues to suffer and thousands looking for mortgages can either not get one or are finding they can no longer afford them.

Some suggest reconsidering the policies would be the sensible thing to do but, politically, that would be damaging.

Liz Truss and the Chancellor seem intent on riding out the storm in the hope that we will see growth in the economy and all will be well. But with the Bank of England effectively working against their aims it all adds up to an economic mess.

Meanwhile the Tories head to the West Midlands for a Birmingham-based conference that is going to be uncomfortable for Ms Truss if this instability continues. She wanted to go to the ICC as a triumphant new leader. Instead, she is embattled already.

We are blessed with some of the best National Trust parks in the country. They are great to visit at any time of year, but autumn is always special. This time around, the spectacular show may be muted. The long dry summer means many of the leaves have already been shed - and forecasters are expecting strong winds in the next few days which may shift a few more.

Even so, we should take interest in our surroundings and take note of the difference in the autumn show compared to a normal year. Experts say they fear this may become a more common occurrence as our climate becomes hotter and drier. That would be a shame as it would both deprive us of an annual pleasure but also indicate the permanent and irreversible damage to our climate.

There are constant reminders of the need to take urgent action to protect the environment.