Labour ‘in crisis’ as they lose three council seats in ‘voter backlash over winter fuel’
“Labour has been dealt three huge blows in council elections as voters revolt against the winter fuel payments cut. The Conservatives gained two council seats from Labour last night, and a third just two nights ago. In Marine ward, Worthing, the Tories took the seat with a swing of 12% from Labour. In West End ward, Westminster, the Tories took the seat with a swing of 9.5% from Labour. Just two days ago in Gedling, a key red wall seat the Tories won in 2019 but lost in July, the Tories took the council ward with a 14.3% swing away from Labour. Meanwhile the Lib Dems also benefitted last night from Labour’s growing political troubles, with a huge 27% swing from Labour to them, handing them a council seat in Bromsgrove.” – Daily Express
Gray 1) Starmer insists ‘he’s in control’ after pay row
“Sir Keir Starmer has insisted he is “completely in control” of his government despite a bitter Downing Street briefing war over the salary of his chief of staff. The prime minister said he was not going to justify his £170,000 pay package for Sue Gray — an award that has been criticised by other Labour advisers, who had their salaries cut when they entered Whitehall. He said the whole of the government was united behind his “big mandate to deliver change” despite a series of damaging and distracting briefings against Gray from inside the government. “I’m not going to get into discussions about individual salaries about any members of my staff,” Starmer told BBC South East, in a series of regional interviews before the Labour Party conference next week.” – The Times
- He launches leak inquiry into ‘hostile briefing’ against Gray – The Daily Telegraph
- ‘Appalling’ rows over Gray must stop, senior ministers say – The Guardian
- Controversy over the Prime Minister’s taste for gifts and his chief of staff’s pay is not mere tittle-tattle – Editorial, The Times
- Labour had no plan – and it is showing – Editorial, The Daily Telegraph
- Labour needs to break out of the Gray zone – Patrick Maguire, The Times
- Why has Gray’s salary stoked unease and hostile briefings? – Stephen Bush, The Financial Times
- It is the arrogance of Number 10 that is causing jitters in the Labour Party – Kate McCann, The I
- Coming apart at the seams already? Starmer’s sartorial saga rumbles on – Tom Peck, The Times
- Labour is in danger of losing the crowed – Peter Foster, The Financial Times
- Part political update, part group therapy: inside Starmer’s Cabinet meeting – Kitty Donaldson, The I
- Starmer is defining his premiership with his own goals – Greg Smith, Daily Express
Gray 2) Case ‘expected to resign’ amid tensions with the Prime Minister’s chief of staff
“Britain’s most senior civil servant is expected to formally resign next month amid tensions with Sue Gray, The Telegraph understands. Simon Case, the Cabinet Secretary, has long been tipped to leave the role in the New Year after overseeing Labour’s move into office. The Telegraph understands that he is expected by figures close to the process in Whitehall to announce his departure next month…Figures close to Mr Case have always insisted that he is planning to step back, in part because of ill health. He took a period off work earlier this year owing to an undisclosed illness, missing his originally scheduled appearance at the Covid-19 Inquiry…Multiple figures who have worked with Ms Gray…have also suggested she has a fraught relationship with Mr Case…” – The Daily Telegraph
Starmer ‘faces backlash’ over early failure to disclose £16, 200 in donor-funded clothing…
“Sir Keir Starmer initially failed to disclose he received £16,200 of free clothing from Labour donor Lord Waheed Alli, in a move that risks fuelling the controversy around the prime minister’s acceptance of freebies. In April, Starmer first recorded a donation from Alli worth £16,200 in the register of MPs’ financial interests under the category of “any other support”…The following month, Starmer altered his entry in the register, placing Alli’s donation under the category of “gifts, benefits and hospitality’” and disclosed for the first time that it was “work clothing, value £16,200”. A spokesperson for the prime minister said Starmer was advised to change the record after more information was requested about the nature of the support he had received from Alli…” – The Financial Times
- His £100,000 of gifts and tickets – and how it compares to Sunak, Johnson, and May – The I
- Stop trying to justify freebies, Harman tells Starmer – The Times
- Alli funded at least seven Cabinet ministers – The Daily Telegraph
- Rayner dragged into Labour freebie row over New York holiday in £2 million flat – Daily Express
- How Labour donor’s largesse tarnished the Government’s squeaky clean image – The Financial Times
- ‘Unseemly’ to take gifts while cutting benefits, rebel MP warns Starmer – The I
- Starmer’s £35,000 in free tickets puts football regulator plans under scrutiny – The Guardian
- Starmer turns hypocrisy into an art form – Editorial, The Daily Mail
- Socialism means never having to say you’re sorry – David Frost, The Daily Telegraph
- Starmer’s luxury laundry has been hung up in full view – Leo McKinstry, Daily Express
>Today:
…as he ‘hints at’ backing for HS2 North replacement rail link…
“Sir Keir Starmer has given a major hint that he may be willing to back plans to build a replacement to HS2 rail link between Birmingham and Manchester. The Prime Minister has said he is currently in discussions with the Mayors of Manchester and the West Midlands about pushing ahead with a feasibility study on the proposal to build a new, slower rail line between the UK’s second and third largest cities. The two regional leaders believe a new rail line could be built more quickly and at a fraction of the cost compared to the original northern leg of HS2, which was cancelled last year by Rishi Sunak… The comments will be warmly welcomed by the Greater Manchester and West Midlands Authorities, which have been pushing for a new line…as part of their regional growth plans.” – The I
…and he is ‘under fire’ from the Conservatives over failure to charge Fayed as chief prosecutor
“Sir Keir Starmer has come under fire over the failure to charge Mohamed Fayed with sexual assault while he was chief prosecutor. In 2008, Fayed, the then owner of Harrods, was interviewed by the Metropolitan Police under caution after a 15-year-old girl told detectives he had sexually assaulted her at the London department store. In February 2009, when Sir Keir was director of public prosecutions (DPP), the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) announced that no charges would be brought because there was “no realistic prospect of conviction”. Downing Street claims Sir Keir…had no involvement in the decision. However, the Conservatives said it was “yet another instance of failure” of the organisation under his watch, after it also failed to prosecute Jimmy Savile.” – The Daily Telegraph
Reeves’s ‘£10 billion windfall’ raises pressure to drop winter fuel cut
“Rachel Reeves, the chancellor, has been given a £10 billion budget boost by the Bank of England, increasing pressure on her to ease spending cuts and tax rises. Labour MPs are calling for the extra cash to be used to delay scrapping pensioners’ winter fuel payments and cancel other spending cuts being prepared for the budget next month. However, Reeves is understood to be holding firm against such demands, and is planning to bank the windfall to underline her commitment to fiscal discipline and increase her scope for extra spending later in the parliament. Sir Keir Starmer, the prime minister, said on Thursday that “tough decisions” were essential to stabilising the economy and boosting growth, urging voters to blame the Tories for leaving the public finances in a mess.” – The Times
- Labour ‘could spend more without big tax rises’ under new Budget rules – The I
- Confidence slumps amid concerns Labour is talking Britain into a recession – The Daily Telegraph
- Why the OBR’s QT assumptions could be worth £15.5 billion to Reeves – Louis Ashworth, The Financial Times
- Starmer needs optimism to beat the black hole – not fear – Mariana Mazzucato, The Times
>Today:
Lammy sparks diplomatic row with blog post on Armenia crisis…
“David Lammy has been branded “highly improper” and “callous” after writing that Azerbaijan had been able to “liberate” territory in a conflict described as ethnic cleansing. The Foreign Secretary’s recent blog post led Armenia’s ambassador to urgently seek clarification on the apparent change in the Government’s position over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region. It was internationally recognised as part of Azerbaijan but governed by ethnic Armenians, who represent the vast majority of people there and declared it the breakaway state of Artsakh. After Azeri forces subjected Nagorno-Karabakh to a nine-month blockade, they attacked in September 2023 in a violation of a ceasefire deal agreed after a war in 2020.” – The Daily Telegraph
- No wonder Starmer looks so bewildered behind his freebie specs when he’s presiding over this circus of clowns – Tom Utley, The Daily Mail
…as he seeks ‘emergency boost’ to aid cash to offset rising cost of migrant hotels
“Britain’s foreign secretary David Lammy is pushing for an emergency top-up to development spending as ballooning costs of supporting asylum seekers threaten to drain overseas aid to its lowest level since 2007. The UK government spent £4.3bn hosting asylum seekers and refugees in Britain in the last financial year, more than a quarter of its £15.4bn overseas aid budget, according to official data. This more than consumed the £2.5bn increases in the aid budget scheduled between 2022 and 2024 by former Conservative chancellor Jeremy Hunt. People familiar with Lammy’s thinking say he fears that if Rachel Reeves, the chancellor, resists calls to at least match Hunt’s offer, the aid budget will be further eviscerated, undermining the government’s ambitions on the global stage.” – The Financial Times
Workers’ rights 1) Ministers and union leaders to hold crunch talks over plans
“Trade union leaders will meet senior ministers on Saturday for crunch talks on the government’s workers’ rights package, as the government looks to head off a potentially damaging row at Labour conference. General secretaries from the 11 unions affiliated to Labour will meet Angela Rayner, the deputy prime minister, and Jonathan Reynolds, the business secretary, on the eve of conference to thrash out details of the package, sources have told the Guardian. With just weeks to go until ministers are due to publish their proposals and several points of dispute still outstanding, ministers are hoping to avoid a damaging row with union backers so soon into the new government. Labour has promised to come forward with its proposals in the first 100 days of government, giving a month to do so.” – The Guardian
Workers’ rights 2) Amazon ‘ignoring evidence’ by ending WFH, says Reynolds
“The business secretary has suggested that Amazon is wrong to force its staff back to the office five days a week. Jonathan Reynolds said letting staff work from home was good for both companies and staff, and insisted the practice can help revive “low-productivity, low-growth Britain”. Labour is planning to give workers the default right to flexible working under an Employments Rights Bill in October, which will stipulate that employers can only refuse such requests when it is not reasonably practicable. In an interview with The Times this week, Reynolds argued that encouraging flexible working would boost productivity, spread economic growth around the country and make staff more loyal to their employers.” – The Times
Labour has ‘big hill to climb’ to win next Scottish election, says Murray
“Labour faces big challenges to win the next Scottish election because of the “dire” economic situation and the country’s volatile electorate, the Scotland secretary has said. Ian Murray said the Labour government and the wider party had to accept they had “a big hill to climb” to regain power in Holyrood…He will tell delegates at the party’s annual conference…that they cannot assume Scottish voters will deliver a landslide election victory…unless Keir Starmer’s government can prove Labour deserves it. “The message to delegates is that we’ve come a long way, we’ve done exceptionally well, but the electorate in Scotland hasn’t come home. They’ve lent us their vote … to kick out the Tories and deliver the change that was in our manifesto,” Murray said.” – The Guardian
>Yesterday:
Labour MP’s nurseries breached child safety rules, Ofsted finds
“A nursery company founded by a Labour MP who is the biggest landlord in the House of Commons breached child safety rules at its sites, the education inspector has said. Jas Athwal, the MP for Ilford South, founded Village Day Nurseries in 2007 and is a director of the company. It has three sites in Essex and Derby that care for up to 300 children aged under five. Ofsted, the government’s education standards watchdog, criticised all three nurseries in recent inspections, including one where there was a “significant event relating to the supervision of children”. Athwal, who was only elected in July, has faced recent pressure over his business dealings away from parliament, with tenants at some of the 15 rental properties he owns claiming they were living with black mould and ant infestations.” – The Times
- Rogue landlord Labour MP ‘shows need for transparency on second jobs’ – The I
Wales considers 25 per cent income tax cut to tackle ‘brain drain’ crisis
“The Welsh Government is considering introducing tax breaks to stop people leaving the country and safeguard the native language. It has been urged to take inspiration from the Castilla-La Mancha region in Spain where residents in rural areas are offered a 25pc income tax reduction to stay…The Commission for Welsh-speaking Communities said targeted tax cuts could “boost economic and social activity” in areas suffering with depopulation. The commission, which was set up by the Welsh Government… to make public policy recommendations, argued that incentivising people to stay would also help the diminishing Welsh language to survive. Figures show that 81pc of young people in the west of the country believe they need to leave rural communities to progress…” – The Daily Telegraph
Blunkett: Prisons review can learn from my mistakes
“Sir Keir Starmer is considering appointing Lord Blunkett to lead a root and branch review of sentencing that will form Labour’s blueprint for fixing the prisons crisis. The former home secretary has met Shabana Mahmood, the justice secretary, and James Timpson, the prisons minister, and is understood to be on a shortlist of candidates for the role. Labour promised to carry out a review of sentencing in its manifesto in order to update the present framework, which has been criticised for its inconsistency and anomalies. Government sources have confirmed Blunkett is being considered to lead the review. Central to the review will be whether short custodial sentences should be scrapped in favour of community sentences.” – The Times
Jenrick accuses the Treasury of ‘gaslighting’ over migration benefits
“Robert Jenrick, the frontrunner in the Conservative party leadership contest, has accused the Treasury and the UK’s independent fiscal watchdog of “gaslighting” the British public over the benefits of migration. The former immigration minister declared in an interview with the Financial Times that the “economic consensus” of the past quarter century about mass migration was “fundamentally broken”. Jenrick — who quit Rishi Sunak’s government in protest at what he said was an insufficiently robust plan to tackle asylum seekers — has placed crackdowns on both legal and illegal migration at the heart of his campaign for the Tory leadership. He will go up against the three other remaining candidates…at the Conservative conference this month.” – The Financial Times
- The attitudes and policies of our metropolitan establishment have weakened English identity. They have put the very idea of England at risk – Robert Jenrick, The Daily Mail
>Yesterday:
Fraser Nelson: Farage may have just found the secret recipe for beating the Tories
“Nigel Farage has rented a conference centre near Birmingham airport and not very many lobbyists are likely to attend. But the Faragistas are opposing the smoking ban and the net-zero agenda, backing net-zero immigration (not a daydream, as Sweden recently proved) and are waving the flag of liberty. This ragtag band of mostly-unknown MPs may well succeed in luring more activists than the Tories. And, in so doing, stand as a rebuke to all other parties. I’m no great fan of Farage…But he’s the most effective political entrepreneur of modern times. He is playing a vital political service: showing all parties what happens if you take members for granted…Instead of members, today’s conferences are crawling with people who are (or want to be) in the business of politics.” – The Daily Telegraph
- He is to give up ownership of Reform UK – The Financial Times
- He claims he received ‘official advice’ not to hold constituency surgeries – The Guardian
- Inside his plot to wrestle ‘Red Wall’ seats from Labour – The I
- Reform can learn from Lib Dems on ground campaigning, says Tice – The Guardian
- Reform MP ‘faces backlash’ for giving away salary – The Financial Times
- ‘He could be here more’: Clacton split over Farage’s first months as an MP – The Guardian
News in Brief:
- The freebie scandal could cost Starmer – Luke Tryl, The Spectator
- Grooming gang victims are still being failed – Hardeep Singh, UnHerd
- Liberals beware, you’ve been burned by Labour before – David Laws, CapX
- Bring back the A-List! – Iain Mansfield, The World of Edrith
- “Britishcore” is no substitute for national identity – Fred Skulthorp, The New Statesman
