It’s one law for King Charles the billionaire and another for his struggling subjects | Aditya Chakrabortty

It is only proper that the new King pays no inheritance tax - says the state that makes citizens choose between heating or eating

During that soggy afternoon when the Queen was still said to be only ill, the BBC's Clive Myrie was filling time. Only hours before, he noted, Liz Truss had been making a rather important statement" on just how families would pay their heating bills this winter. All was now insignificant". It was, the usually excellent presenter later admitted, a poor choice of word".

Except it wasn't. If anything, it was painfully on the nose. The man on the TV unwittingly but precisely anticipated how the financial crisis engulfing millions of Britons would be treated in the coming days: as a matter of no consequence. In Tuesday's Daily Mail, it took until page 28 to crop up. In that day's Sun, page 20. The Times and the Telegraph yawned it off altogether.

Our MPs have been worse. Last Thursday, the new prime minister set out a plan to cap energy costs. Tagged at 150bn, it's easily the single biggest fiscal intervention by any government since the second world war - a vast sum that these Tory tailenders seem determined to spend as badly and unfairly as possible. To take one example: the 4.5 million people on pre-pay meters will get zero extra help from Truss. And another: the churches and community centres hosting the food banks that will be a lifeline to millions this winter will only get a few months' help.

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