Iran faces retaliation after attack on Israel
“The US vowed that there will be “severe consequences” for Iran after it launched a ballistic missile attack on Israel in a “significant escalation” of the conflict in the Middle East. Around 200 missiles rained down on Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, according to to senior Israeli official, who said: “Iran has declared war directly on the State of Israel.” Footage showed missiles and explosions lighting up the night sky, arriving thicker and faster than in a previous Iranian strike on Israel in April…It left the Middle East on Tuesday facing the prospect of a direct war between Israel and Iran, somewhat both countries have been at pains to avoid despite simmering tensions for years.” -Daily Telegraph
- Israel’s Iron Dome — and perhaps a warning — averts disaster – The Times
- UK forces involved in response to Iran attacks on Israel – BBC
- Iran has revealed just how impotent it is against Israel – Lewis Page, Daily Telegraph
- Flight for British nationals to leave Lebanon – BBC
- Terrorists shoot six people dead in Tel Aviv – Daily Mail
- Now everyone can see Iran is the aggressor – Leader, Daily Telegraph
- Israel’s conflict with Hezbollah is growing – Leader, The Guardian
- My Israeli sources say there’s never been a better time to destroy those who want them dead. All of us who hope to live in peace must pray they succeed – David Patrikarakos, Daily Mail
- Israel is doing the West a huge service – Leader, Daily Mail
- Netanyahu shows us how to win in Ukraine – hit your enemy ruthlessly – Ben Wallace, Daily Telegraph
Jenrick defends special forces claim after backlash
“Tory leadership contender Robert Jenrick has stood by his claim that British special forces are “killing rather than capturing terrorists”. The former immigration minister made the comment in a video, external promoting his bid to be the party’s leader. Tory leadership rivals James Cleverly and Tom Tugendhat, who have both served in the military, are among those who have criticized Jenrick’s comments during their party’s annual conference. When asked if he backed his claim about the conduct of special forces, Jenrick told activists in Birmingham: “I do” . Speaking on stage at a conference event, Jenrick said human rights laws would make it “difficult” for British forces to “conduct a similar operation to the one that the United States did to kill or capture Osama bin Laden.” “That’s wrong,” Jenrick said. – BBC
- Jenrick to channel Blair as he declares: ‘It’s time for New Tories’ – Daily Telegraph
- Special forces claims fact-checked – The Times
- Jenrick reveals daughter’s middle name is Thatcher – The Guardian
- ‘Ordinary lad’ Jenrick is still Tory frontrunner – but for how long? -Tim Stanley, Daily Telegraph
- Jenrick inches ahead, but Badenoch isn’t out of the race yet – Kitty Donaldson, The i
- Call this a party conference? It’s more like a weird Tory festival of mass delusion – Polly Toynbee, The Guardian
>Today:
Some civil servants are so bad they should be in prison, jokes Badenoch
“Kemi Badenoch has said she believes up to 10% of civil servants are so bad they should be in prison, claiming they leak official secrets and “agitate” against ministers. At a fringe event at the Conservative party conference in Birmingham, the leadership contender said she did not want to criticize all civil servants but said there were a few who were obstructive. “There’s about 5-10% of them who are very, very bad. You know, they should be-in-prison bad,” Badenoch. said. “Leaking official secrets, undermining their ministers… agitating. I had some of it in my department, usually union-led, but most of them actually want to do a good job. And the good ones are very frustrated by the bad ones. .” – The Guardian
- Wealth is not a dirty word. ‘It pays for schools, our health service, we should encourage it’, Badenoch will tell Tory conference – Daily Telegraph
- The latest poll gives Kemi Badenoch a narrow lead – how reliable is it? – The Independent
>Yesterday: Miles Celic: The next Conservative leader must back financial and professional services
Cleverly to promise ‘Conservatism with a smile’
“James Cleverly is to promise Conservatism “with a smile” if he becomes leader, telling colleagues on Wednesday to stop being the “grumpy party”. In a deliberately upbeat message to the party conference in Birmingham, Mr Cleverly will urge Tories to be “ enthusiastic” and “positive” in opposition. There will also be a call from the former foreign secretary and home secretary to defend the achievements of 14 years of Conservative government, which ended in July The plea to stop being the “grumpy party” has. Echoes of Theresa May’s infamous warning during the New Labor years that some voters saw the Tories as the “nasty party” Mr Cleverly’s optimistic tone matches his overall leadership pitch, which is that if an experienced, media-savvy candidate wins, then the party. can unite and take the fight to Labour.” -Daily Telegraph
- I will abolish BBC license fee if I become PM, Cleverly pledges – The Sun
- Cleverly’s shoulders rolled, his buttocks wiggled. He was Eric Morecambe in a beard – Quentin Letts, Daily Mail
- Do Tories have any right to be so darn happy? – Madeline Grant, Daily Telegraph
>Yesterday: Andrew Gimson’s Conference sketch: Cleverly emerges as the unexpected victor of the Chopper round in the leadership race
Tugendhat to call Labor ‘selfish, greedy socialists’
“Tom Tugendhat will brand Labor “selfish, greedy socialists” on Wednesday as he uses his Tory conference speech to attack Sir Keir Starmer. The former security minister will say that the Government is already “rudderless” just months after taking power in a landslide election victory. Addressing the party faithful in Birmingham, he will also warn that five years of Labor will mean “higher taxes, more regulation, more control.” can only do so if they end their internal squabbling.” -Daily Telegraph
Finkelstein: Tory hopefuls need to repeat Cameron’s warning against shifting to the right
“Cameron was daring also by telling the conference that it would be a mistake to move further to the right. And activists agreed. The Conservative Party has changed a good deal since then but even now I think members can see that simply winning back votes from Reform will not be enough. There is no point, and no future, for a Conservative Party that is not a mainstream party of government. If voters want a populist right party they already have one, led by Nigel Farage. enough to say this explicitly might benefit, even when many observers might predict they would not. Cameron showed that members responded well to someone who shows a little courage and leadership.” – Daniel Finkelstein, The Times
- Andy Street “is ready to walk if party sees to the Right” – Andrew Pierce, Daily Mail
Farage: I won’t deal any deals with the Conservatives
“Reform is here to stay. The Tories had their chance and they blew it. All talk of whether a future deal between me and the Conservatives can be done is irrelevant. It is not even on my agenda, I simply don’t trust them There is a misunderstanding about the new centre-Right in the Western world. Whether it’s Donald Trump’s takeover of the Republican Party in America or the Freedom Party’s performance in Austria, the old centrist, conservative, stuffy approach to politics no longer inspires. .Our aim is not to reach a compromise with the Conservatives. It is to replace them as the real opposition to a socialist Labor Party that is in trouble already. Yes. – Nigel Farage, Daily Telegraph
- Reform UK can not afford to ignore Northern Ireland – Ben Habib, Daily Express
Ministers being asked to cut billions from infrastructure projects
“Ministers are being asked to draw up billions of pounds in cuts to infrastructure projects over the next 18 months despite Rachel Reeves pledging to invest more to grow the economy, the Guardian has learned. Members of the cabinet have been asked to model cuts to their investment plans up to 10% of their annual capital spending as part of this month’s spending review, government sources said. The demands would mean big projects such as hospital improvements, road building and defense projects being slowed down or stopped altogether as the government looks. for ways to repair what they say is a £22bn black hole in the public finances.” – The Guardian
Labor received gifts worth £1m from betting firms
“Sir Keir Starmer and three other cabinet ministers have received tens of thousands of pounds in corporate hospitality and donations from betting companies and senior figures in the sector, parliamentary records show. At the same time, the Labor Party has received more than £1 million in donations from casino bosses who made their fortunes in the sector in the past two years.” – The Times
- Starmer needs to put a top team in No 10 and fast – Anthony Seldon, The Times
Walz stumbles in TV debate with Vance
“Democratic vice presidential nominee Tim Walz initially failed to answer a question about his time in China just hours after inaccuracies about his previous statements were exposed. It followed reports Walz wrongly claimed he was in Hong Kong during the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre when Chinese authorities brutally crushed pro-democracy protesters. This despite the fact that publicly available evidence suggests Walz was not in Hong Kong or Mainland China at the time. The Minnesota governor and Ohio senator JD Vance clashed on issues including the border and abortion in heated exchanges during Tuesday’s vice. -presidential debate on CBS.” – The Sun
- Tim Walz had a strong finish — but JD Vance gave the slicker performance in this vice-presidential showdown – The Times
- JD Vance has microphone switched off during clash over immigration in Springfield – Daily Telegraph
Other political news
- Former Conservative deputy leader Michael Ancram dies, aged 79 – BBC
- EU to demand concessions on migration, fishing and youth mobility – The Times
- City minister Tulip Siddiq is pushing for the UK to start issuing “digital gilts” on the blockchain – Financial Times
- Ex-Fujitsu boss admits to Post Office meetings – BBC
- Ben Wallace to join defence-focused investment firm – Financial Times
- Migrant Channel crossings fall to lowest in four years in boost for Yvette Cooper – The Sun
- Campaigners claim monitoring UK bank accounts for benefits fraud would be ‘huge blow to privacy’ – The Guardian
- Business owners look at leaving UK over prospect of capital gains tax rise – Financial Times
- Le Pen threatens to topple French government over immigration – The Times
- Ministers win key legal challenge making it easier to kick EU criminals out of the UK – Daily Mail
- Conservatives ‘send signal’ by appointing Yorkshire MP as first ever shadow minister for transport in North – Yorkshire Post
- ‘Bankrupt’ Labor council to pay pensioners winter fuel support – Daily Telegraph
News in brief
- Iran launches a missile attack on Israel – Stephen Daisley, The Spectator
- Tory leadership candidates will be tested by the Middle-East – Rachel Cunliffe, New Statesman
- Why is the Prime Minister picking a fight with Elon Musk? -Eliot Wilson, CapX
- VP debate proves neoliberal consensus is dead – Michael Baharaeen, Unherd
- Kemi is right – not all cultures are ‘equal’ – Rakib Ehsan, Spiked Online
