Israel launches “limited” ground invasion against Hezbollah in Lebanon
“Israel has launched a ground invasion against Hezbollah in Lebanon. The Israeli army confirmed it has begun what it says is a “limited, localised and targeted” ground assault close to the border. Hezbollah targets located near the border pose “an immediate threat to Israeli communities”, the IDF said in a statement. “The Israeli Air Force and IDF artillery are supporting the ground forces with precise strikes on military targets in the area,” the statement added.” – Daily Telegraph
- UK charters flight for British nationals to leave Lebanon – BBC
- Sadiq Khan fears rise in UK hate crime linked to Middle East violence – The Guardian
- Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah was assassinated ‘after being smeared with chemical that allowed Israeli spies to track him’ – Daily Mail
- The West’s true enemy is clear. We must strike now before it’s too late. – Jordan Peterson, Daily Telegraph
Moore: Israel shows us how terror can be defeated
“Israel’s actions which culminated in the killing of Nasrallah make September 28 2024 the permanent warning in history to October 7 2023. It is a most powerful reaffirmation of what a free country can achieve because of the skill, courage and – at least when it really matters – unity of its people. Israel’s opponents now look like bloodthirsty idiots. It stands strong. The fact that Israel has had to defy the world to do this will not surprise those who have observed current attitudes to the Jewish nation, even in its greatest ally, the United States. But it should be no end of a lesson to all of us that when we unambiguously resist terror and tyranny, we will win. And when we don’t, we won’t.” – Charles Moore, Daily Telegraph
- The reality is Iran’s leaders are scared and cowed – for now. That’s why they must never get the bomb – Andrew Neil, Daily Mail
- Without a vision of peace, Israel must fight on – William Hague, The Times
- Netanyahu’s military gains are no substitute for a strategy to end cycle of conflict – Leader, Financial Times
- Iran is losing its hydra-headed network of terrorist proxies to Israel’s pinpoint attacks – Leader, The Times
- It is absurd to support Israel’s right to defend themselves and then baulk when they do just that – Leader, The Sun
Migrants 1) ‘Stop the boats’ slogan was an “error”, Cleverly declares
“Rishi Sunak’s “Stop the boats” slogan was an “error”, Conservative leadership contender James Cleverly has said. The slogan, adopted in January 2023, referred to the then government’s efforts to curb the number of people trying to reach the UK by crossing the English Channel in small boats. Cleverly, who later used the phrase numerous times when he was home secretary, told a fringe event at the Tory conference in Birmingham it “distilled a very, very complicated and challenging problem into a soundbite”. When even one boat crossing could be deemed “a failure”, it was “an unachievable target”, he said.” – BBC
Migrants 2) Asylum backlog “to continue for years”
“Migrants will continue to be housed in hotels for up to three years because the asylum backlog will take significantly longer to clear than Labour expected, The Times has been told. There are nearly 30,000 migrants living in more than 250 hotels at a cost of £4.2 million per day. Sir Keir Starmer pledged in Labour’s election manifesto to “end asylum hotels, saving the taxpayer billions of pounds”. The party did not set a timeframe on closing hotels but Home Office officials had been expected to close the last hotel within a year.” – The Times
Badenoch claims her views are being misrepresented as Thatcher’s were
“Kemi Badenoch has said that she is being “attacked” like Margaret Thatcher over her claim that maternity pay places an “excessive” burden on businesses. The Conservative MP, who is vying for the party leadership against three other candidates, accused her rivals of trying to turn her remarks into “something else”. She compared the controversy to the fallout from Thatcher’s infamous claim that “there’s no such thing as society” in an interview with Women’s Own magazine in 1987. Addressing party members in Birmingham, Badenoch said she believed that maternity pay was “quite important” but said: “Let’s take a step back, who remembers the phrase ‘There is no such thing as society’? Everybody remembers. She [Thatcher] was talking about people wanting government handouts, that there are only individual people and families, and that very good explanation got cut down into the soundbite that was used to attack her. When you are a leader, when you are a Conservative, when you are making the argument for Conservative principles, your opponents are going to try to turn it into something else. We need to decide who will be leader of the party, not the left, not the Guardian, not the BBC, just Conservatives.” – The Times
- Badenoch: outspoken, unpredictable … unstoppable? – The Times
- She is incisive but Badenoch needs to connect – Melanie Phillips, The Times
- Badenoch hints at axing net zero target in party conference pitch – The Sun
- Clash with Emily Maitlis over maternity pay – Daily Express
- Badenoch ‘quit magazine job rather than take unfair maternity leave’ after having her second child, biographer reveals (and cut short time off with third to run for re-election) – Daily Mail
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Cleverly calls on Tories to “build, build, build”
“James Cleverly will tell the Tories on Tuesday that they must promise to “build, build, build” if the party is to find a way back to power. In a speech to the Conservative conference, the former home secretary will argue that the party has to be “for” things again, rather than always appearing to be against change. He will argue that the Tories need to remake the argument for conservatism and capitalism, support people to build a family, and build more homes. They must also cut red tape to enable Britain to build vital infrastructure to inculcate a “new generation of optimism in the tradition of Macmillan and Thatcher”. The policy on housing could prove a dividing line with other leadership candidates, who may accuse him of putting the green belt at risk.” – Daily Telegraph
- Conservatives need to be able to appeal to successful economically liberal graduates again – Stephen Bush, Financial Times
Tugendhat warns Britain is in danger without higher defence spending
“Tom Tugendhat will warn that Britain will be more dangerous if Labour don’t commit to spending three per cent of GDP on defence by 2030. The Tory leadership candidate, who previously served in the military, will say that the armed forces should be equipped with an increasingly volatile world. The shadow security minister told the Mail that he had seen first-hand the dangers of not equipping soldiers properly during his time in Iraq and Afghanistan. He warned that keeping the UK safe has to the ‘number one priority’ of any government, and has committed to meeting the spending pledge if he becomes the next prime minister.” – Daily Mail
- Starmer and the Labour Party are punishing our Armed Forces heroes – Lord Kempsell, Daily Express
Jenrick criticised over “incendiary” video claims
“Robert Jenrick has been accused of “impugning our armed forces” after he claimed that special forces soldiers were deliberately killing terrorists rather than capturing them because of the European Convention on Human Rights. The former immigration minister made the remarks in a video published on X, explaining why he believed Britain should stop being a signatory to the convention, which in 2022 stopped migrants being flown to Rwanda. He claimed: “Our special forces are killing rather than capturing terrorists because our lawyers tell us that if they’re caught the European Court [of Human Rights] will set them free.” The Conservative leadership candidate’s claims were described as “incendiary” by a source in a rival candidate’s camp. The source added: “He had better have the evidence to back it up if he’s impugning our armed forces.” Jenrick appeared to be referring to a claim by Ben Wallace, the former defence secretary.” – The Times
Hunt warns Reeves against tax rises
“Rachel Reeves must avoid catastrophic Budget mistakes by raising taxes and stunting growth, Jeremy Hunt says. The Chancellor was targeted by her predecessor who suggested there could be a £39billion surplus instead of her supposed £22billion black hole. The warning shot came as official figures showed the economy grew by 0.5 per cent in the three months to June, down from earlier estimates of 0.6 per cent. When asked if the economy will get worse before it gets better, he said: “They will get worse if Labour makes catastrophic mistakes in the budget and hikes up tax in a way that destroys growth. “I think one of the biggest lies we’ve had since Labour came to office is this nonsense about having the worst economic inheritance since the Second World War.” He also claimed the Government could even have a budget surplus of £39 billion to play with in next month’s Budget.” – The Sun
Elderly “struggle to understand doctors”
“Elderly people are being deterred from going to hospital because they cannot understand their doctors, a Conservative MPs has claimed. Neil O’Brien, a former health minister, said that the government needed to be “much more demanding” about the English language skills of those in the NHS. He cited the examples of two of his constituents who said that they had struggled to communicate with doctors and nurses, describing it as a “bloody dangerous thing.” – The Times
Johnson: Why I was ousted as PM
“I don’t think you should underestimate my many goofs. I made too many duff appointments, a couple of whom turned out to be homicidal maniacs. I badly mishandled our response to some of the crises. Above all, and partly because of Covid, I did nothing like enough to explain myself to the parliamentary party and keep them onside. Too often I would go back to the No 10 flat, tired out, and work into the evening, when I should have been talking to colleagues and keeping them cheerful…I was complacent and thought I could charm people into sticking with me, when actually I should have taken more time with them and, if necessary, had a row. I am afraid I was also sometimes arrogant. I should have realised that, as Prime Minister, you serve not just at the pleasure of the people but of your colleagues. I don’t blame Rishi for prematurely wanting to be PM; in fact, I don’t blame any of them, really, for trying to turf me out. It’s just what Tory MPs do.” – Boris Johnson, Serialised from his memoirs Unleashed – Daily Mail
- Johnson: Sunak assassinated me like Brutus killed Caesar – Daily Telegraph
- Rishi Sunak? He’s not even a mug on a memorabilia stall – Andrew Pierce, Daily Mail
Rees-Mogg proposes the Conservatives stand down in a hundred seats where Reform can win
“Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg has suggested the Tories should stand aside in nearly 100 seats where Reform UK are second to Labour. The former cabinet minister said that the Conservatives should make a “big and generous offer” to the party led by Nigel Farage in a bid to unite the Right. Sir Jacob, who lost his Somerset seat to Labour’s Dan Norris at the general election, made the remarks at a Popular Conservative event on the fringes of the Tory conference in Birmingham.” – Daily Telegraph
Case to step down at end of the year
“The cabinet secretary, Simon Case, has announced he will stand down as the UK’s most senior civil servant at the end of the year. In an email to the civil service, Case, who has served four prime ministers and 120 cabinet ministers in the role, said he would stay in post while the process to replace him began. His long-planned departure on health grounds comes after a turbulent few weeks for the Downing Street operation marked by damaging leaks and internal rows, and Keir Starmer is understood to have grown increasingly frustrated.” – The Guardian
- Who will be the next head of the UK civil service? – Financial Times
- Runners and riders in the race to replace Simon Case – The Times
Other political news
- Labour left red-faced after leaked ‘cheat sheet’ to help MPs seem normal revealed – The Sun
- Unions fear not all staff will get fair share despite tip-sharing law – The Guardian
- Sue Gray enjoyed hundreds of pounds-worth of hospitality tickets to several football matches – Daily Mail
- UK regulator preparing for ‘strong action’ against tech giants – Financial Times
- Starmer urged to help households as energy bills rise by £149 a year – The Guardian
- Far-right group using sports to ‘build militia’ – BBC
- Red lines remain as Starmer and Von der Leyen attempt to reset UK-EU relations – Financial Times
- Labour MPs push for increase in paternity pay – The Sun
- As waiting lists grow, why are 70,000 council homes lying empty? – The Times
- Former Tory MP Jonathan Gullis claims he is struggling to get a job as a teacher because of his ‘political views’ – Daily Mail
- Teachers in England vote overwhelmingly to accept pay rise offer – The Guardian
- SNP’s Humza Yousaf facing ‘code breach’ allegations over family’s escape from Gaza – Daily Express
News in brief
- Liz Truss: I would have won more seats than Rishi – James Heale, The Spectator
- Tories must not make the mistake of opposing wealth creation – Shanker Singham, CapX
- Israel should hit Iran where it hurts Choking its oil revenue could topple the regime – Edward Luttwak, Unherd
- What makes a good leader, according to Tory members – Tim Bale, The House magazine
- The public sector must reform or die – Sebastian Milbank, The Critic
