Starmer 1) The Prime Minister vows to ‘rip out bureaucracy’ to aid growth at investment summit
“Sir Keir Starmer will on Monday ask Britain’s competition watchdog to soften its approach as he vows to “rip out bureaucracy” in order to make the UK a more attractive investment destination. The prime minister will tell executives gathered at its international investment summit that Labour’s landslide victory will “end chop and change” over policy and bring political stability that allows them to back new projects in the UK. He will unveil commitments from the private sector to invest more than £50bn into the econom…according to people briefed on the plans. “We will rip out the bureaucracy that blocks investment and we will make sure that every regulator in this country takes growth as seriously as this room does,” Starmer will tell the event at London’s Guildhall.” – The Financial Times
- Why Starmer needs Labour’s flagship investment summit to succeed – The Times
- Unions express as concern as he is to say the Government will ‘rip out the bureaucracy that blocks investment’ – The Guardian
- Britain is ready for investment, say big banks and companies – The Times
- Starmer says new investors are coming to the UK despite new worker rights rules – The I
- To prosper outside the EU, Britain must be open to international investment – Editorial, The Times
- Labour is embracing the ideology of ineptitude – Tim Stanley, The Daily Telegraph
Starmer 2) He removes paintings of Queen Elizabeth I and Sir Walter Raleigh from No 10
“Sir Keir Starmer has taken down portraits of Elizabeth I and Sir Walter Raleigh that were on display in Downing Street, The Telegraph can reveal. The paintings of the last Tudor monarch and the famous explorer of the Americas were previously on the walls of a room used for prime ministerial meetings with world leaders. Both have now been replaced with scenes from Crivelli’s Garden, a mural by Dame Paula Rego, the late Portuguese-born artist, whose work focuses on “strong and courageous women”. It comes after Sir Keir faced critism when it emerged he had also removed portraits of William Ewart Gladstone and Margaret Thatcher. On Sunday night, Downing Street said the changes to the artwork had actually been drawn up under the previous government.” – The Daily Telegraph
Starmer 3) He is preparing for small boat crossings ‘to continue until 2036’
“The Home Office is preparing for small boat crossings to continue for more than a decade after inviting companies to bid for contracts worth more than £500 million to manage migrant arrivals. The department is seeking commercial partners to manage two sites in Kent that process and look after migrants after they arrive in small boats. The contracts are to manage the Western Jet Foil where migrants are brought for initial checks in Dover after being picked up in the Channel and the Manston reception centre 20 miles north where they are taken for processing…The contracts are to deliver security, healthcare facilities, catering, accommodation, transportation, manage staffing operations and to “provide a safe and secure environment” at the two sites.” – The Times
- Home Office seeks commerial partners to run two facilities to receive and process migrants from January 2026 – The Daily Telegraph
- Starmer has already betrayed us on small boats – but I have a clear plan – Robert Jenrick, Daily Express
Nick Timothy: When we cannot even expel foreign criminals, it’s time to leave the ECHR
“As the number of Channel crossings under Labour suggests, the correct response to this failure is not to give up the deterrent, but to radically reform human rights laws. And this, whatever is said by critics on Right and Left, must mean leaving the European Convention on Human Rights. Some try to muddy the waters, and say judicial rulings are often based on other treaty obligations, such as the Refugee Convention. But treaties like that are different to the ECHR. They are not incorporated into British law, and lack a supranational Court willing to declare national laws incompatible…Parliament can pass laws using its own interpretation of our Refugee Convention obligations, or legislate notwithstanding the provisions of the treaty we signed in 1951. This is not possible with the ECHR.” – The Daily Telegraph
>Today:
>Yesterday:
Labour ‘hints at national insurance rice for employers’
“Ministers have given the clearest hint yet that Rachel Reeves is looking to raise national insurance contributions for employers in the budget, provoking accusations the chancellor is preparing to break a Labour manifesto pledge. Jonathan Reynolds, the business secretary, suggested that the chancellor could increase the levy on employers, which is charged at a rate of 13.8 per cent of most workers’ salaries. He stood by the party manifesto, which ruled out raising income tax, VAT or national insurance, but refused to say that this applied to the rate paid by employers as well as that paid by employees. “That pledge, it was taxes on working people, so it was specifically in the manifesto a reference to employees and to income tax,” Reynolds told Sky News on Sunday.” – The Times
- Labour’s tax on jobs ‘will scare away business’ – The Daily Telegraph
- Business fears big rise in UK national insurance – The Financial Times
- Reeves ‘urged to scrap’ flat rate of inheritance tax – The Times
- She must keep promise to ease business rates burden, say retailers – The Guardian
- Chancellor warned women are being priced out of pubs due to rising taxes – The I
- A tax on jobs will only deter investment – Editorial, The Daily Telegraph
- How Reeves can fix capital gains tax – Paul Johnson, The Times
- Reeves’s Budget must rescue Britain from its growth trap – Martin Wolf, The Financial Times
>Yesterday:
Haigh gives train guards £300 bonus for working six-day week
“Louise Haigh has signed off on a deal which means train guards will receive a £300 bonus for working a six-day week. The Transport Secretary struck an agreement in September to prevent strikes by Cross Country, which is based in the West Midlands and runs intercity services across the country. It comes after Ms Haigh’s description of P&O Ferries as a “rogue operator” last week almost led its parent company DP World to withdraw £1 billion of investment in Britain. Train guards will receive £300 a day as a bonus if they agree to work for a sixth day each week as part of the overtime deal…Members of the RMT union had voted to strike after CrossCountry used managers to fill in for staff at weekends…The deal was criticised by the Conservatives…” – The Daily Telegraph
- Rash Haigh must wise up to the real word – Libby Purves, The Times
- Lavish public sector pay deals are about to deliver a rude awakening for Labour – Roger Bootle, The Daily Telegraph
Hermer ‘facing questions’ over Swift’s police escort
“The attorney-general is facing questions over pressure allegedly placed on the police to bolster Taylor Swift’s security during her London concerts. Lord Hermer KC was called in by the government to press the Metropolitan Police into providing Swift with a taxpayer-funded “VVIP” blue-light escort to her Wembley concerts, The Sunday Times reported. His intervention has been described as highly unusual by critics, who questioned ministers’ actions in light of some senior Labour figures receiving free tickets to Swift’s shows. It is not clear who in the government called Hermer in. Yvette Cooper, the home secretary, went as a guest of her husband, Ed Balls, while the mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, also got free tickets.” – The Times
- Senior Conservatives have demanded answers amid claims ministers improperly interfered – The Daily Telegraph
- Swift answer needed on police escort row – Editorial, The Daily Mail
Let Lammy secure slavery reparations, says Caribbean leader
“A Caribbean leader has called for David Lammy to be given the power to secure reparations from Britain over its role in the slave trade. Sir Hilary Beckles, the chairman of the Caribbean Community (Caricom) reparations commission, said the Foreign Secretary should have a free hand on the issue of compensation. Academics and lawyers have claimed the reparations bill owed by Britain for its part in the slave trade could be worth anything from £206 billion to £19 trillion. Mr Lammy has previously argued that “hard truths” need to be told about slavery. He was one of the leading campaigners for payouts for the Windrush generation. Caricom’s 14 member states are expected to push Mr Lammy…on the issue at next week’s Commonwealth heads of government meeting.” – The Daily Telegraph
- Britain rejoins the EU foreign affairs council – for lunch – The Financial Times
- How can Barbados demand billions in reparations from Britain whilst cosying up to the Chinese who today enslave millions? – Stephen Glover, The Daily Mail
Labour ministers delay 40 per cent of infrastructure projects
“Ministers have been accused of neglecting their pledge to “get Britain building”, after new analysis showed four in ten major infrastructure project decisions have been delayed by the government. Concerns were raised at the length of time taken to sign off several nationally significant infrastructure projects (NSIP), which are meant to go through a “fast-track” planning system for approval by ministers to avoid delay at a council level. Figures show that four in ten NSIP decisions have been delayed since Labour came to power, according to analysis by the Britain Remade campaign group. Under the Conservatives, the figure was 10 out of 26 — or 38 per cent — excluding projects delayed by the general election.” – The Times
- How will the UK government pay for much-needed infrastructure upgrades? – The Financial Times
- The GP crisis on Britain’s new-build estates – The I
Jenrick wants Mordaunt back in front-line politics if he wins Tory leadership…
“Robert Jenrick has said he wants to bring Penny Mordaunt back into front-line politics if he wins the Tory leadership race. The former immigration minister, competing with Kemi Badenoch for Conservative Party members’ votes, said the move would be part of an attempt to create a “unity cabinet”. Ms Mordaunt would have been a potential Tory leadership frontrunner had she had not lost her Portsmouth North seat at the general election in July. She is also seen as a more centrist figure amid concerns among some MPs…that the final choice between two ostensible Right-wingers in Mr Jenrick and Mrs Badenoch could stifle more moderate Tory voices…It comes after he told The Telegraph that he would make Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg party chairman if he won…” – The Daily Telegraph
>Today:
…as he urges the BBC to stage head-to-head clash with Badenoch
“Robert Jenrick has asked the BBC to host a TV debate between the two final Tory leadership contenders. In a letter to the director-general…he said he and Kemi Badenoch should have the chance to be grilled on the different choices they would offer as the next leader of the opposition. Jenrick’s allies say he will meet his rival her “any time, anywhere”…However, a Badenoch campaign source suggested that she was more focused on meeting members than on “getting on the TV”. In the letter Jenrick wrote: “Elections come down to choices, and we are putting forward two different agendas.”… Jenrick also said “we will only regain people’s trust if we set out detailed answers to the challenges we face” — veiled criticism of what his supporters see as Badenoch’s policy-light platform.” – The Times
- Jenrick vs Badenoch: Pros and cons according to their supporters – The Daily Telegraph
- Badenoch pamphlet ‘stigmatises’ autistic people, says top Tory – The I
- Neither Badenoch nor Jenrick can save the Tories, predicts Curtice – The Daily Telegraph
- Only one of these Tories is fit to lead the party – Matthew Parris, The Times
Britain faces freedom of speech crisis, says Braverman, as she pulls out of addressing students
“Ex-Home Secretary Suella Braverman says Britain faces a freedom of speech crisis after she had to pull out of addressing students. She revealed police had warned her the event at Cambridge University was unsafe after it was targeted by pro-Palestinian protesters. The Cambridge for Palestine campaign group had urged supporters to “no platform” the “far right” Tory MP last Thursday. She complained she was prevented from addressing university Conservatives in a “proper, peaceful and legitimate” way. She added: “I’ve been gagged. We’ve been bullied into hiding away.” Ms Braverman warned there is “a freedom of speech crisis, particularly in higher education”… The uni said it was not an official event and it only found out about it after it was postponed.” – The Sun
Tory MPs ‘consider resigning’ over Labour’s second job crackdown
“Up to a dozen Conservative MPs are considering standing down before the next election because of Labour’s imminent clampdown on second jobs. Senior party sources told The Times that they expected “a drip of resignations” to begin after the Tory leadership contest…Those who served in Rishi Sunak’s government and who were passed over for senior shadow cabinet roles are said to be most likely to quit. One former cabinet minister has told colleagues that they are “growing tired of the job” and “thinking about how much more they can make on the outside”, the MP’s spouse having privately said the same…Another who has been offered a job in the United States has told allies that they are considering their position if they are not given a senior role under the next Conservative leader.” – The Times
>Today:
Osborne backs ‘HS2 light’ plan for Manchester-Birmingham route
“The former Tory chancellor George Osborne has thrown his weight behind a proposal nicknamed “HS2 light” that would deliver new high-speed train links between Manchester and Birmingham. Osborne said the worst thing Rishi Sunak did as prime minister was cancelling the northern arm of HS2. “It was an act of infrastructure vandalism,” he said. More than 20 business leaders and university vice-chancellors have written to the chancellor, Rachel Reeves, calling for the government to support the new proposal in the budget. They said doing nothing risked the Midlands in effect being cut off from northern cities. The HS2 light proposal would allow trains to travel at a maximum of 186mph, slower than the 225mph speeds of HS2 but far faster than the current west coast mainline.” – The Guardian
Salmond ‘died on spot’ from suspected massive heart attack
“Alex Salmond “fell sick and died on the spot” from a suspected massive heart attack, police have said. “Time stopped” when the former Scottish first minister fell backwards in his chair and was caught by a fellow speaker at a diplomacy conference in North Macedonia at around 3.30pm on Saturday, delegates said. Efforts were made to resuscitate Mr Salmond, 69, with CPR, but when paramedics arrived they concluded there was nothing that could be done to save him. Friends and family in Scotland were informed of his death by Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh, a former SNP MP and close associate of Mr Salmond, who had accompanied him to the event in the city of Ohrid. Sources who were close to Mr Salmond described a race to inform his 87-year-old wife, Moira, of his death…” – The Daily Telegraph
- SNP expels MSP over ‘utterly abhorrent’ comments on Israel-Hamas conflict – The Guardian
- Salmond allies want his lawsuit against the Scottish executive to continue – The I
- Davis vows to clear friend Salmond’s name – The Times
- I will miss my friend Salmond, a political titan – Iain Dale, The I
- Pragmatic Salmond was not a conventional nationalist – Iain Macwhirter, The Times
- They publicly humiliated him. It was unjust and malicious. But history will be his ultimate judge – Jim Sillars, The Daily Mail
Reform breaks Commons rules by offering £300 tours of Parliament
“Reform supporters were offered paid tours of parliament with an MP in an apparent breach of House of Commons rules. A fundraising email was sent to some activists offering the tours for up to £300…However, there are strict rules around how MPs can use their access to parliament…Previously MPs have been censured for offering paid tours of parliament, with punishments including suspension and having the whip removed. The latest set of rules says members of the Commons “must ensure that the use of facilities … is in support of their parliamentary activities, and is in accordance with all relevant rules”… The Times has been told an email to Reform supporters…was sent out in recent weeks advertising a Christmas party for supporters at a central London bar and nightclub.” – The Times
News in Brief:
- Potato crisps and the British character – Olivia Potts, The Spectator
- Jenrick is playing a risky game on the ECHR – Lee David Evans, UnHerd
- Starmer’s government is blinded by ideology – Marc Sidwell, CapX
- Why Ukraine almost certainly cannot win – Phillipe Lemoine, The Critic
- Why it’s so hard to get a GP appointment – Sam Freedman, Comment is Freed
- McSeeney’s Brave New World: Downing Street 2.0 – Eliot Wilson, The Ideas Lab
