Newslinks for Friday February 7th 2025 | Conservative Home

Starmer signals plan to approve North Sea oil project…

“Sir Keir Starmer has signalled plans to approve a major oil development in the North Sea despite opposition within his Cabinet. The Prime Minister on Thursday suggested he would not stand in the way of the Rosebank oil field as a license had previously been granted. The future of Rosebank, which is backed by Norway’s Equinor, has been in doubt after a court overturned its permit by ruling the previous government had failed to take into account climate concerns. Equinor has now been told to reapply for its licence… It comes despite comments from Ed Miliband, the Energy Secretary, who has previously attacked Rosebank as “climate vandalism”. He has also banned all new North Sea oil and gas developments.” – The Daily Telegraph

• The Prime Minister is adamant he will ‘make the tough decisions’ to revitalise Britain’s economy – The Times
• He pledges to ‘build, baby, build’ as green groups criticise nuclear plans – The Guardian
• How do small nuclear reactors work and why would they help Britain? – The Times
• The Government must deliver on its promise of a renaissance in nuclear power – Editorial, The Times
• Labour pledges new nuclear push, 15 years after first attempt – Tom Peck, The Times

…as EU splits over fishing boost his Brexit reset

“The delicate, diffident dance surrounding Keir Starmer’s push for a softer Brexit finally seems poised to give way to the UK and EU actually thrashing out a deal. It’s not just this week’s announcement of an UK-EU summit in May indicating that things have turned serious. The diplomatic niceties of recent months are fading as hard-headed negotiation begins. And splits on both sides of the talks have already emerged. This week, The i Paper revealed Cabinet tensions over the EU’s demand for a youth mobility scheme. Reports have meanwhile suggested Brussels will demand a deal on fishing rights before considering agreeing any other agreements or co-operation, in what was seen as a blow to Starmer. But both EU and UK sources believe this is far from a settled position in Brussels…” – The I

Robert Jenrick: Britain needs to channel Trump’s fighting spirit

“If there’s one thing everyone can agree on, it’s that Trump gets stuff done. Compared to the UK where the business of government moves at glacial speed, the pace at which he has executed his agenda is remarkable… Trump’s willingness to flex the state’s muscles to protect his citizens from unfair practices is a lesson to leaders across the West. We could learn a lot from his muscular approach. The UK’s pathetically weak elite have made a habit of sacrificing the UK’s material interests, lulled by fairytale stories about international law and the UK’s historical obligations to other countries. The traitorous capitulation to Mauritius is the latest sorry example. If Starmer had a spine he would reject the ICJ’s non-binding judgment…” – The Daily Telegraph

• Jenrick won’t rule out deal with Reform after Farage’s party beat Labour in bombshell poll – The Sun
• Starmer and his five-star Mauritius trip discussing ‘the Chagos issue’ – The Times

>Today:

Pressure mounts on Reeves as Bank cuts interest rates…

“Rachel Reeves’s plans for economic growth have been dealt a significant blow after the Bank of England halved its forecast for the year and hinted at a fresh squeeze on living standards. The Bank cut interest rates to 4.5 per cent on in a bid to stimulate the economy as it warned that growth is weak and productivity is “tepid”. The markets have priced in three more cuts this year. Growth forecasts for 2025 were downgraded from 1.5 per cent to 0.75 per cent, with the Bank warning that “business and consumer confidence has declined” since Reeves’s budget was announced last October. The budget included a £24 billion increase in the employers’ rate of national insurance, which the Bank said will lead to job cuts and pay restraint for companies employing the lowest earners.” – The Times

• ‘Stagflation’ fears as Bank of England cuts growth forecast and warns of price rises – The Guardian
• Bloated public sector is damaging economy, warns Bailey – The Daily Telegraph
• BoE’s grim outlook highlights scale of the challenge for Reeves – The Financial Times
• New growth and inflation warning piles pressure on Reeves – her options rated – The I
• The public sector is strangling growth – Editorial, The Daily Telegraph
• Reeves’s Budget, the slow-mo car crash – Editorial, The Daily Mail
• Britain is inexorably heading for bankruptcy – David Frost, The Daily Telegraph
• Stagflation’s back and it’s a disaster entirely of Reeves’s making – Alex Brummer, The Daily Mail
• Bailey is right to blame the public sector – but he’s part od the problem – Matthew Lynn, The Daily Telegraph

>Yesterday:

…as second watchdog chief ousted in her clampdown on anti-growth regulation

“The head of a leading consumer watchdog has been ousted amid Rachel Reeves’s push to spur growth. Abby Thomas unexpectedly quit as chief executive of the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) on Thursday, which is responsible for resolving disputes between City firms and their customers. Her abrupt departure comes weeks after Marcus Bokkerink was removed as head of the Competition and Markets Authority after failing to convince the Government that he was sufficiently focused on growth. The FOS confirmed Ms Thomas was stepping down but failed to provide any further detail. She was appointed as chief executive in October 2022. City sources indicated that her exit reflected the Government’s pro-growth shake-up…” – The Daily Telegraph

• Why Lower Thames Crossing is taking so long…36 years and counting – The Times

Deputy Prime Minister 1) Rayner’s Grenfell demolition meeting an ‘aggressive car crash’

“As Angela Rayner arrived at the Museum of Brands in west London on Wednesday night, it was clear that she was about to undertake one of the toughest tasks of her political career. Faced by a room of those impacted by the Grenfell Tower disaster, the deputy prime minister said that after years of inaction the residential block would be dismantled to ground level. Her words provoked a collective gasp in the room, even though it was known that an announcement on the fate of the building, where 72 people died in 2017, was coming. To many of those at the meeting who view the charred remains of the 24-storey tower as a sacred site, the suddenness and finality of the plan caught them off guard. Rayner… found herself confronted by a torrent of angry questions.” – The Times

• How will Grenfell Tower be demolished? – The Times

Deputy Prime Minister 2) Sebastian Payne: Rayner’s council plan isn’t a ruse – it’s about the bins, Nigel

“I’d hazard that most taxpayers neither know nor care about the overlapping fabric of our local government. But hang with me because it does matter and it’s about to change quite radically. England has 317 local authorities, made up of (breathe) 164 district councils, 62 unitary authorities, 36 metropolitan districts, 32 boroughs in London and 21 county councils — plus the City of London and the Isles of Scilly who get away with one council each. It is little surprise no one has much clue who is responsible for running what. England has too many councils, too many councillors (17,000!), too much duplication in what they do with too little expertise… It is costing too much, contributing to the financial ruin some councils are facing. Angela Rayner has decided to do something about it.” – The Times

• Labour’s meddling won’t stop us winning at the next general election – Nigel Farage, The Daily Telegraph

Introduce ‘kill switch’ to smartphones to stop mugging epidemic, says Cooper

“Smartphone companies should introduce “kill switches” in devices to combat the epidemic of muggings and thefts, Yvette Cooper has said. The Home Secretary has backed police chiefs’ demands that the phone companies have easy-to-use safety features that allow them to be disabled as soon as they are stolen. Ms Cooper is also looking to hand police extra powers so that they can more easily enter homes where they suspect stolen phones are being stored and re-registered, ready for sale on the second-hand market. The Home Secretary on Thursday chaired a summit of police and phone companies to discuss ways to tackle the surge in mobile phone thefts. Street crime, including phone snatching and robberies, soared by 43 per cent in the year to September…” – The Daily Telegraph

Labour launches ads in Reform-style branding to boast about deportations

“Labour has launched a series of adverts with Reform-style branding and messaging as the party seeks to combat the rise of the rightwing party. The Facebook adverts include a series from a group called UK Migration Updates boasting about how many people the government has deported. The adverts do not display the Labour logo and are in a similar shade of blue to that used by Reform UK. The party has also set up a Facebook group called Protect Britain’s Communities designed to highlight the government’s record on crime and antisocial behaviour. The page also does not display any Labour livery but sports a large union flag. Labour sources say the adverts are part of a broader push to target Labour voters thinking about defecting to Reform …” – The Guardian

• Reform councillor reprimanded after calling mental health ‘modern bad back excuse’ – The Daily Telegraph

Too many young people find doing a day’s work ‘stressful’, says Kendall

“Too many young people are finding the prospect of going out to work a problem, a Cabinet minister has claimed. Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall said she wanted to change the thinking among some of the younger generation where “doing a day’s work is in itself seen as stressful”. The Government is attempting to get more people off benefits and into work to improve people’s long-term prospects and cut billions of pounds off the welfare bill. In an interview with ITV News, Kendall said there were people who should not be on benefits who were “taking the mickey”. A survey by the Department for Work and Pensions has found that 49 per cent of people on benefits say they cannot work.” – The I

• Long-term sickness ‘is not an automatic reason not to work’, she says – The Times
• Labour may have to revive Tory plan to slash benefits by £400 a month – The I
• Ideas on how to tackle the staggering rise in the UK benefits bill – The Financial Times
• Child-benefit caps leave mothers in fear over how to feed and clothe their children – The I

Hermer called the British Empire ‘deeply racist’ and fought for reparations

“The Attorney General has described “almost every element” of the British Empire as racist and revealed he fought to get reparations. Lord Hermer, speaking on a podcast for his former chambers Matrix, said the British Empire enforced a “racial superiority that allows you to treat entire populations like school children”. He said “almost every element” of the empire was racist and that all children should be made to learn about its “legacy of violence”. Lord Hermer’s comments led Robert Jenrick, the shadow justice secretary, to describe him as “Jeremy Corbyn in a barrister’s wig”… In 2013, Lord Hermer helped force the Conservative government to pay out £19.9 million in reparations to more than 5,000 Kenyans seeking damages for abuses under British rule…” – The Daily Telegraph

• How do you solve a problem like Lord Hermer? – Patrick Maguire, The Times
• Ministers will only put up with looking like schmucks for defending Starmer’s old chum for so long – Quentin Letts, The Daily Mail

Labour MPs criticise Leadbeater over posts on assisted dying evidence

“Four Labour MPs have sent a mass email to colleagues with a stinging rebuke of the assisted dying bill’s sponsor, accusing her of portraying a one-sided view of expert evidence. In a significant escalation of the “red-on-red” dispute over the legislation, the MPs emailed all their Labour colleagues with a lengthy critique of Kim Leadbeater’s social media posts in which she highlighted key moments of evidence given to the committee scrutinising the bill. In the email, seen by the Guardian, the MPs said the committee’s evidence was “weighted towards voices that were known to be supportive of the bill” and criticised the lack of expert witnesses on several subjects, including coercive control. It was signed by the Treasury select committee chair…” – The Guardian

More than half of migrant workers to be barred from staying in UK under Tory plans

“More than half of migrant workers would be barred from remaining in Britain indefinitely under Tory immigration plans because they do not earn enough. Kemi Badenoch has announced that migrants will only be entitled to indefinite leave to remain if they have been working and have not claimed benefits or used social housing during 10 years in Britain. They would also have to have been “net contributors” to the economy over the decade, meaning their tax payments outweigh the costs to the state of their children and any benefits. Official data suggests that more than half the two million migrants who will become eligible for indefinite leave to remain in the next four to five years will not be earning enough to cross the threshold of being net contributors.” – The Daily Telegraph

• How would the new Conservative immigration policy work? – The Times
• Why Badenoch’s new immigration policy is unlikely to work – The I
• Badenoch’s immigration proposals are welcome – Editorial, The Daily Telegraph
• The Conservative leader is right that foreign workers must be net contributors to Britain’s economy. But she must also face up to the reasons behind high immigration – Editorial, The Times
• Badenoch has taken the first step in undoing the Conservative Party’s migration mistakes – Guy Dampier, The Daily Telegraph

News in Brief:

• What I learned from my meeting with the Education Secretary – Katharine Birbalsingh, The Spectator 
• The folly of a British Silicon Valley – Travis Aaroe, UnHerd
• There’s no such thing as Brexit – Henry Hill, The Critic 
• Blair’s bad laws have broken Britain – Dr Jake Scott, CapX
• Beware a return of Johnson – Tim Chapman, J’accuse 
• Gaza, Inc. – Curtis Yarvin, Gray Mirror