Badenoch’s first approval ratings as Tory leader worse than Sunak and Johnson
“Kemi Badenoch’s personal approval ratings at the start of her Tory leadership are worse than those recorded by Rishi Sunak and Boris Johnson at the start of their reigns, according to the latest Opinium poll for the Observer. The new Tory leader’s net approval rating – the difference between those who approve or disapprove of the job she is doing – sits at -5%. The only former party leader of the past five years that she beats in terms of her starting popularity is Liz Truss, whose first approval rating was -9% after she won the leadership. Badenoch’s net approvals show that she has divided voters, with 20% approving of her and 25% disapproving. About 46% of voters who backed the Tories at the last election say they approve of her, though a third (36%) say they feel neutral.” – The Observer
- Truss ‘psychologically unfit to be PM’, say aides – The Sunday Times
- Sunak’s top aides advised against early election, memo reveals – The Observer
- Badenoch says police visit to journalist’s home was ‘absolutely wrong’ – The Mail on Sunday
- How Sunak’s election nightmare unfolded – Tim Shipman, The Sunday Times
- Why Badenoch should put two-parent families at the heart of her drive to rebuild the shattered Tories – David Goodhart, The Mail on Sunday
- We must stop rewarding ministers for managerialism – and reprogram the state – Kemi Badenoch, The Sunday Times
>Today:
Wragg describes ‘enormous guilt’ over honeytrap scandal
“Former MP William Wragg has admitted feeling “enormous guilt” after realising that he had fallen victim to a scam targeting Westminster politicians. The 36-year-old resigned the Conservative whip and did not stand in his former constituency of Hazel Grove amid the fallout from the “honeytrap” scandal. A police investigation suggested that at least 12 men with links to Westminster received unsolicited messages from someone using the aliases “Charlie” and “Abi”. The fake accounts were allegedly engaged in a sophisticated scam designed to coax MPs and other figures in political circles into sending explicit pictures and other private or sensitive information. Wragg has previously admitted passing on the phone numbers of some of the victims to “Charlie” after the pair met on…Grindr.” – The I
Starmer ‘rebukes Streeting’ for assisted dying remarks
“The health secretary has been personally rebuked by the prime minister over his repeated public interventions opposing a move to legalise assisted dying in England and Wales. Sir Keir Starmer spoke to Wes Streeting after the health secretary ordered his officials to review the costs of implementing any changes in the law. Streeting has also repeatedly said he intends to vote against the assisted dying bill when it is debated later this month despite cabinet ministers being warned by Simon Case, the cabinet secretary, to remain neutral and not to enter into the public debate. MPs will be given a free vote on the bill when it is given its second reading on November 29, meaning they do not have to vote along party lines and can make their own decision.” – The Sunday Times
- Cancel study into the cost to the NHS of assisted dying, Harman tells Streeting – The Observer
- Rayner joins ranks as most senior Cabinet minister opposing the bill – The Mail on Sunday
- Politicians must not rush into a decision on assisted dying – Editorial, The Sunday Telegraph
Farmers besiege Welsh Labour conference
“Angry farmers have besieged the Welsh Labour Party conference with tractors and farm trucks in protest at the Government’s inheritance tax changes. More than 100 vehicles massed near the conference centre in Llandudno early Saturday morning, with campaigners claiming the “tractor tax” will mean the end of many family farms. Their anger was targeted at the Prime Minister as he addressed the conference, telling delegates he would “defend our decisions in the Budget all day long”. A convoy of machinery honking horns and flashing lights stretched into the distance on both sides of the coastal town’s promenade. One tractor drew laughter by playing a horn version of Old McDonald Had a Farm on repeat.” – The Sunday Telegraph
- ‘You betrayed us’: how UK farmers swiftly turned on Labour over inheritance tax plans – The Observer
- Starmer vows to ‘stay the course’ on tax-hiking Budget measures – The Financial Times
- ‘Back to the 70s’: How Starmer forgot the failures of old Labour – The Sunday Telegraph
Reeves accused of exaggerating time spent working for the Bank of England
“Rachel Reeves has been accused of exaggerating the length of her service working at the Bank of England. In an interview from Stylist magazine in 2021, the Chancellor said she had spent a decade working as an economist at the Bank of England (BoE) and “loved it”. After the interview, she said in a social media post: “A real pleasure to speak to @StylistMagazine about my time as an economist at the Bank of England.” However, Ms Reeves’s LinkedIn page lists only a six-year period of service at the Bank from September 2000 to December 2006. According to her LinkedIn profile, during her time at the Bank she worked in the international economic analysis division, then, at the British Embassy Washington as Second Secretary of the economic division…” – The Sunday Telegraph
Cooper plans Meloni-style migrant deals with Kurdistan and Vietnam
“Ministers are preparing to strike a series of Italy-style deals with several countries to help them stop thousands of illegal migrants setting off on the perilous journey to Britain. Yvette Cooper…is expected to emulate Italy’s model of paying millions of pounds to countries in return for them doing more to stop small boat crossings. She is in discussion with a number of governments, including Kurdistan, a semi-autonomous region of Iraq, Turkey and Vietnam, with “co-operation and security” agreements expected to be concluded before the end of the year. It comes just weeks after Sir Keir Starmer met his Italian counterpart, Giorgia Meloni…The pair discussed how her…government had succeeded in reducing the number of migrants reaching Italy’s shores by boat…” – The Sunday Times
- Record number of asylum seekers claiming to be gay allowed to stay under ECHR rules – The Sunday Telegraph
- Crime targets to be brought back for police forces – The Sunday Times
- Trump ‘looking at Tory plan to send illegal migrants to Rwanda’ after deterrent scheme was ditched by Starmer – The Sun on Sunday
- UK ministers admit to Brexit pains, but the relief is on hold – Stephen Bush, The Financial Times
- Why Labour’s high command has become very obsessed with bills and borders – Andrew Rawnsley, The Observer
Miliband’s 2030 net zero target ‘not feasible’, says top windfarm executive
“Ed Miliband’s plan to make the energy grid net zero by 2030 is “not feasible” and risks sparking a price surge, a boss at one of Britain’s leading wind farm operators has warned. A senior executive at RWE, which operates 10 offshore wind farms in the UK, said the Energy Secretary’s ambitions were not “grounded in realism”. Adam Ezzamel, who is the company’s head of offshore development, told a business conference the “consumer risks losing out” under the plans. His remarks will add to growing doubt among experts that Mr Miliband’s aim to completely decarbonise Britain’s energy grid by 2030 is a realistic aim. There are fears that shutting off gas power stations before renewables are ready to replace them will leave the UK dependent on costly energy imports.” – The Sunday Telegraph
Prisons minister opens door to allowing female criminals to avoid jail
“The prisons minister has opened the door to allowing criminals to avoid full jail terms under a Spanish-style scheme that could reduce the number of women behind bars. Lord Timpson said that there was “a lot to learn” from the Spanish approach to electronic monitoring, in which prisoners served part of their terms in society with the aid of comprehensive tagging. It is particularly used for women prisoners who have children. The minister has planned an official visit to the country in order to find out “how we can manage offenders with electronic monitoring”… The Spanish model of electronic monitoring, sometimes known as “semi-freedom”, attempts to reintegrate prisoners into society by giving them early release from prison with electronic monitoring.” – The Sunday Telegraph
Labour set to build fewer houses than the Tories, says the OBR
“Fewer homes will be built under the new Labour government than were constructed under the last Conservative administration, according to forecasts prepared by the UK’s official spending watchdog. The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) is projecting that 1.3 million homes will be built across the UK over the course of the current parliament — lower than the 1.6 million built in the preceding years under the Conservatives. Labour’s target of 1.5 million is for England alone. By stripping out new homes built in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, based on historical norms, analysis reveals that the OBR is actually forecasting that Labour will oversee the building of 1.1 million homes in England, nearly a third lower than the government’s official target.” – The Sunday Times
News in Brief
- Mince, glorious mince – Olivia Potts, The Spectator
- A farmers’ revolt is coming – James Rebanks, UnHerd
- Dissolve the hotbeds of wokery – William Atkinson, The Critic
- Meet the Musk of 1909 – Oni Oviri, CapX
- Trump and the triumph of illiberal democracy – John Gray, The New Statesman
