Jenrick ‘vows to curb drama’ in battle with Badenoch…
“Robert Jenrick has vowed to lead the Conservative Party away from “needless drama” and avoid picking fights on Twitter, in a veiled criticism of Kemi Badenoch, his rival for the leadership. The former immigration minister urged Tory members to get behind his “serious plan” for taking the party back into government, in his first major speech of the next phase of the contest to replace Rishi Sunak. However, a group of Tory moderates said they could not back either candidate, while others who supported James Cleverly and Tom Tugendhat said they would spoil their ballot or boycott the contest amid frustrations at the choice between the final two… The comments will be seen as a swipe at Jenrick’s rival, Kemi Badenoch, who narrowly beat him to first place in the final ballot…” – The Times
- Who will win the Tory leadership race? – The Times
- ‘Badenoch is a Thatcher for our times’: Readers on who should be the next Tory leader – The Daily Telegraph
- Councillor who oversaw Grenfell works donated to Badenoch’s Tory leadership bid – The Guardian
- The Tories need a plan for government – Editorial, The Daily Telegraph
- Jenrick and Badenoch must now convince Tories, not left-wing voters, they have what it takes – Editorial, The Sun
- Is Jenrick a genuine pretender for Tory crown? – Tom Peck, The Times
- This Tory leadership ballot suits nobody, only perhaps Starmer – Stephen Bush, The Financial Times
- Cleverly’s leadership exit and the Tory Party’s abject stupidity – Carole Malone, Daily Express
>Today:
…as Tory centrists warn ‘they may bin leadership ballots’…
“Moderate Conservatives are threatening to throw their ballots away after Kemi Badenoch and Robert Jenrick were selected as the final two candidates in the bid for Tory leadership. One supporter of James Cleverly said moderate members told him they were putting their ballot papers “in the bin” following the surprise exit of their contender, who was considered the most centrist candidate. Both Mr Jenrick and Mrs Badenoch are seen as being on the Right of the party. Mr Jenrick is promising to withdraw from the European Convention of Human Rights, while Mrs Badenoch has made a stand against “woke” policies. It raises the prospect of a damaging split in the party, with those on the centre feeling they have no say over its future direction.” – The Daily Telegraph
- Tory Reform Group refuses to back Badenoch or Jenrick – The Guardian
- ‘The choice is s**t’: Tory moderates say neither Jenrick or Badenoch will last – The I
…as the 1922 Committee aims to make it tougher for future leader to be ousted by doubling ‘no confidence’ threshold…
“The Tory party is to change its rules to make it tougher for Rishi Sunak’s successor to be ousted in a coup. Bob Blackman, chairman of its backbench 1922 Committee, said the threshold for mounting a leadership challenge would be ‘at least’ doubled, following a string of attempted coups against a succession of leaders…Mr Blackman said the party was determined to act to avoid the instability which has undermined a succession of Tory leaders in recent years…At present, a leadership challenge can be mounted if 15 per cent of Tory MPs submit letters of no-confidence. Following the party’s landslide defeat, this means just 18 MPs can trigger a challenge. Mr Blackman said this would be raised to at least 30 per cent under a review of the rules this year.” – The Daily Mail
…and as ‘postal vote chaos risk’ means Tory leader can’t be decided before Budget
“The vote to decide the Tory leadership race cannot be brought forward to before the Budget because of the risk that postal delays would prevent party members’ ballots being counted, the chairman of the 1922 Committee has said. Robert Jenrick, who is running against Kemi Badenoch for the leadership, has pushed for the final round of the contest to be brought forward so the winner can respond to the Budget in the Commons. But Bob Blackman, who chairs the 1922 Committee of Conservative backbenchers and is in charge of the leadership contest, said a shortened contest would risk ballot papers not arriving in time for all Tory members to be able to cast their votes… Tory members will receive ballot packs through the post from Oct 15…” – The Daily Telegraph
Johnson: I would have kept the Tories together and seen off Reform
“Boris Johnson insisted he would have kept the Conservative Party together and fended off the Reform Party if he had remained leader. The former prime minister said that while there had been “very big” immigration numbers in the aftermath of the pandemic, he could have “reassured people that we had control”. He told The Times and The Sunday Times Cheltenham Literature Festival that he accepted his government had “overcompensated” and allowed too much immigration during the first years of this decade. Johnson, who resigned as prime minister in September 2022, said that the doors had been opened because “every single government department and every business group was screaming for more labour” with inflationary spirals a risk.” – The Times
- Sturgeon: I felt affinity with Johnson while reading his memoirs – The Daily Telegraph
- I’ve glimpsed the next Conservative psychodrama: the return of Johnson – Fraser Nelson, The Daily Telegraph
>Today:
Starmer 1) Workers’ rights bill to boost Labour’s cash from unions
“Sir Keir Starmer will make it easier for unions to raise money for Labour as part of employment reforms that give trade unions a far greater role in the workplace. Unions will be given greater powers to recruit members and stage strikes under the Employment Rights Bill published on Thursday, which ministers said would reset industrial relations. The 149-page bill gives staff new rights to sick pay, parental leave and flexible working, with businesses particularly alarmed about day-one rights to take bosses to a tribunal for unfair dismissal. A fifth of the bill is devoted to extending the powers of trade unions, with bosses required to tell workers of their right to join a union and give representatives the right to enter workplaces to recruit and organise.” – The Times
- Unions gain strike powers – and able to donate more to Labour – under Rayner law – The I
- Employments rights bill: Labour reforms promise to ‘upgrade’ UK laws – The Times
- Labour’s workers’ rights bill: a ‘sea change’ for UK employment? – The Financial Times
- Why Labour’s workers rights bill splits small and big businesses – The Times
- Five takeaways from UK employment rights bill – The Financial Times
- 28 ways Rayner’s new workers’ rights law could affect you – The I
- Union leader slams Labour’s workers’ rights shake-up and says it has ‘more holes than Swiss cheese’ – The Sun
- The legislation threatens to undermine Britain’s competitiveness – Editorial, The Times
- Our workers’ rights bill is good for business – Angela Rayner, The Financial Times
- Labour’s flagship workers’ rights bill is a mess that pleases no one – Kate McCann, The I
- There’s one phrase every minister spouts…if Labour’s first hundred days had a cliché, it’s ‘working at pace’ – Quentin Letts, The Daily Mail
Starmer 2) Swinney to ask the Prime Minister for more public spending
“John Swinney is to use face-to-face talks with Sir Keir Starmer to try and persuade him to increase public spending after an audit warned the SNP Government is running out of money. The First Minister is to meet Sir Keir privately in Edinburgh…ahead of the Labour Government’s inaugural meeting of its Council of Nations and Regions. Mr Swinney said he wanted to persuade the Prime Minister of “the transformative potential of public sector investment to stop the austerity agenda”. Referring to higher spending, he argued that “we must acknowledge the barriers that prevent the Scottish Government advancing our progressive agenda” and said his government had shown that “public sector investment is a force for good”…with a budget shortfall of more than £1 billion projected.” – The Daily Telegraph
- Gray set to miss inaugural meeting of council of nations and regions – The Guardian
Starmer 3) Gray ‘takes break’ as ousted chief ‘fights over payoff or new salary’
“Sue Gray is taking a career break, sources have said, amid claims the embattled former chief of staff in No 10 is pushing for a payoff or a bumper salary for her new job. Days after she was told to stand down as Sir Keir Starmer’s top aide, it emerged that she would miss the first session of an important forum she would be expected to attend in her new role. Gray was appointed envoy for the nations and regions after a stand-off with the prime minister last week when he pressed her to quit after aggressive briefings against her by other senior Labour aides and ministers. She will skip the first meeting of the Council of the Nations and Regions (CNR), taking place in Scotland on Friday. Sources said Gray was taking a career break in the hope of reducing public and media interest in her…” – The Times
- Starmer’s former chief of staff expected to take part-time job as envoy for the ‘regions and nations’ in coming weeks – The Daily Telegraph
- New chief McSweeney to ‘disrupt and break things’ until Labour delivers – The I
- McSweeney looks to give PM new grounding – Patrick Maguire, The Times
- Gray’s replacement quells Number 10 spad rebellion – for now – Pippa Crerar, The Guardian
Reeves weighs up capital gains tax rise
“Ministers are concerned that plans to increase capital gains tax will not raise enough money as Labour struggles to meet its pledge to balance the books while avoiding a return to austerity. Rachel Reeves is considering plans to raise capital gains tax (CGT), which is levied on profits from the sale of shares and additional properties, for her budget on October 30. The rate of taxation is significantly lower than the amount of tax people pay on their wages. Ministers are concerned about the “behavioural” impact of the plans, which could see wealthy individuals put off selling assets rather than pay higher rates of tax. Just 12,000 people pay two thirds of the £15 billion a year raised from CGT. CGT is currently levied at a maximum rate of 20 per cent for shares and 24 per cent for property.” – The Times
- UK executives dump shares on fears of Labour capital gains tax raid – The Financial Times
- Rates of 33 per cent to 39 per cent being tested as Treasury source says tax-raising plans are in ‘complete disarray’ – The Guardian
- Reeves slapped with warning huge capital gains tax hike would cost £2 billion – Daily Express
- Treasury rules out ‘exit tax’ on those who leave Britain to avoid being hit – The Financial Times
- The Chancellor denies plans to increase capital gains tax to 39 per cent – The Daily Telegraph
- CEOs waver over flying in for UK investment summit – The Financial Times
- Doctors threaten to strike if Reeves slashes 25 per cent tax-free lump sum for pensioners – The Daily Mail
- Reeves must keep tight hold of the Ming vase – Emma Duncan, The Times
- The battle of Labour’s three brains – Robert Shrimsley, The Financial Times
- The big tax rises Reeves has no choice but to make – Sebastian Payne, The I
- No wonder businesses are running scared at anti-growth policies – Hugh Osmond, The Daily Mail
No national security seat for ‘sidelined’ Rayner…
“Angela Rayner has been passed over for a seat on the national security council (NSC), fuelling concern among her allies that the deputy prime minister is being further sidelined. It emerged on Thursday that seven permanent members had been chosen to attend the meetings of the government group that discusses and assesses the biggest threats facing Britain. Chaired by Sir Keir Starmer, confirmed attendees include: Rachel Reeves, the chancellor; Pat McFadden, the Cabinet Office minister; Yvette Cooper, the home secretary; and David Lammy, the foreign secretary. John Healey, the defence secretary, and the attorney-general Lord Hermer complete the group…Rayner was not given a spot, in a break from convention, prompting suggestions she had been sidelined.” – The Times
…as she is to give housebuilders a deadline to fix dangerous cladding
“UK housebuilders will be given 18 months to start fixing dangerous cladding on blocks of flats under government proposals following the damning report of the Grenfell Tower inquiry. The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has proposed a five-point plan it hopes to agree with big developers to tackle the slow progress on fixing fire safety issues in their buildings, according to a document seen by the FT. Housebuilding bosses are due to meet deputy prime minister Angela Rayner later this month to finalise the plans, which could mean a financial hit for companies that have not yet set aside enough money to fix the problems… Rayner said she was “astonished” how many companies had not yet started the work and pledged to speed it up.” – The Financial Times
Alli investigated over declared role in tax-haven firm
“The Labour donor at the heart of Sir Keir Starmer’s freebies row is facing an expanded investigation by parliament’s standards watchdog. It emerged last week that Lord Alli, the longstanding Labour backer and peer, was being investigated by the Lords commissioner for an alleged failure to register interests. At first the investigation only concerned a category in which a charity interest was registered. However, The Times has been told that it has been expanded after a subsequent complaint to consider Alli’s declaration of a directorship at Mac (BVI) Ltd, based in the British Virgin Islands. It is a subsidiary of 450 PLC, an investment firm of which Alli declared his chairmanship. Neither presently make Alli money.” – The Times
- Vorderman: Starmer accepting free clothes would be understandable if he was a woman – The Daily Telegraph
Ex-Darktrace head Gustafsson named UK investment minister
“Darktrace co-founder Poppy Gustafsson has been appointed as the UK’s investment minister ahead of the government’s international business summit on Monday, according to officials. Gustafsson, who left Darktrace last month ahead of a £4.3bn takeover of the cyber security group, will be charged with promoting the UK as a place to invest and do business. Filling the vacancy before the investment summit was seen as an important step with a shortlist whittled down in the weeks since the governing Labour party’s annual conference in late September. The junior ministerial role is regarded as particularly important given Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s focus on growing the economy and attracting international investment.” – The Financial Times
Labour whips warn party’s MPs not to try to amend bills or disagree in public
“Labour MPs have been warned they must not put down any amendments on government bills and must resolve disagreements privately with ministers, in a crackdown on dissent…In a private message, seen by the Guardian, Labour whips told MPs they could no longer act as if they were in opposition and said amendments suggested a lack of trust in the government. The message said MPs should be speaking with “one voice” in public. There are a number of bills where there is pressure for the government to go further…But the whip warned it was “not very helpful” for MPs to be putting amendments against their own government, adding: “We are not in opposition any more.”… The whips suggested MPs could seek reassurance on issues they were passionate about in different ways…” – The Guardian
Replace Bonfire Night fireworks with laser shows, says Labour MP
“A Labour MP has backed a report calling for laser light shows to replace fireworks on Bonfire Night. More than 60 per cent of the public would support fully or partially replacing Nov 5 fireworks with alternatives such as lasers, drones or “silent” displays because of the impact on animals and the environment, according to the report by the Social Market Foundation (SMF), a think tank. The SMF has recommended new restrictions on the noise levels and size of fireworks as well as giving councils powers to designate “firework-free zones” and to put on alternative laser light or drone shows rather than traditional pyrotechnics… Nearly a quarter (24 per cent) of those surveyed believed the UK should stop using traditional fireworks and use alternatives…” – The Daily Telegraph
