Year of war has spread ‘vile hatred’ in UK, says Starmer
“Sir Keir Starmer has warned that the conflict in the Middle East risks lighting the “touchpapers in our own communities” and called on all sides to “do everything in their power to step back from the brink”. He said hatred against Jews and Muslims had risen in Britain since the October 7 attack. Writing for The Sunday Times before the first anniversary of Hamas’s assault, the prime minister urged parties to “act with restraint and return to political, not military, solutions”. In an apparent warning to Israel, he said “a better future will not be won by traumatising, orphaning, and displacing another generation”. A new poll shows that Britain is divided along party lines over war in the Middle East, with Labour and Tory voters taking diametrically opposed views of Israel’s actions and pro-Palestinian protests in the UK.” – Sunday Times
- Starmer: Traumatising a generation won’t heal the Middle East – Sunday Times
- Protesters march through London with ‘I love Hezbollah’ banners – Sunday Telegraph
- Anti-Semitic hate crimes overtake Islamophobic incidents in London – Sunday Telegraph
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PM faces Commons vote on Chagos Islands handover
“Sir Keir Starmer will be forced to hold a vote on the Chagos Islands amid fury over his decision to hand them over to Mauritius. The Government said on Thursday that the strategically important Indian Ocean archipelago would be transferred, after being in British hands since 1814. The Prime Minister immediately came under fire over the move, which was announced during parliamentary recess without MPs getting a say in the Commons. But The Telegraph understands that the handover will require an Act of Parliament, which will therefore need to be approved in the Commons. Robert Jenrick, the frontrunner to become the next Tory leader, said the Conservative Party must display its “staunch opposition to the principle of the agreement”. – Sunday Telegraph
- Farage slams Starmer’s ‘damaging capitulation’ on Chagos Islands – Mail on Sunday
- UK forces in Falklands placed on ‘red alert – Sunday Express
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Tory leadership 1) DeSantis backs Badenoch for Tory leader
“Ron DeSantis, the governor of Florida and former Republican presidential hopeful, has backed Kemi Badenoch in the race to become the next Tory leader. He declares that she “flies the flag of bold colours” of conservatism and praised her for being “strong” and “courageous”. The pair worked together on a trade deal between Florida and the UK when Mrs Badenoch was trade secretary. In a video filmed for her campaign, Mr DeSantis said: “Our president Ronald Reagan once said that we need to stand for bold colours, not pale pastels. “Kemi flies the flag of bold colours, just like we do in Florida, just like you will do again in the United Kingdom.” – Sunday Telegraph
- Will Badenoch be squeezed out of Tory race before final round after maternity pay backlash? – Mail on Sunday
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Tory leadership 2) Robert Colvile: Out of the ashes of defeat comes a new Tory consensus
“The analysis of Sir Keir Starmer’s election victory by Sir Keir Starmer’s personal think tank is not exactly an un-smug document. But perhaps the smuggest section of Labour Together’s election post-mortem comes when the public are asked for the first word that comes to mind when thinking about the Conservatives. The top answers? Liars. Corrupt. Useless. Rich. Rubbish. Incompetent. Bad. Untrustworthy. The report notes that 87 further respondents “used words that were unprintable”. Following the Conservative Party leadership contest, however, you might well get the impression that such a word cloud would contain only two words: “immigration” and “ECHR”. – Sunday Times
- Confused and conflicted: Tory party’s future hangs in the balance after divided conference – Observer
- Johnson sets record straight on Partygate saga in defiant ITV clash – Sunday Express
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Reeves’s spending spree risks ‘mortgage misery’ for millions
“Rachel Reeves’s plan to significantly increase borrowing in the Budget risks pushing up mortgage rates, Treasury analysis suggests. An official modelling exercise indicates that the Chancellor’s plans to rewrite Britain’s fiscal rules could increase the cost of debt for consumers and businesses. The Treasury research paper warns that a “fiscal loosening” of just one per cent of GDP could lead to a “peak increase in interest rates” of up to 1.25 percentage points. The document goes on to warn that every increase in annual borrowing of £25 billion could increase interest rates by between 0.5 and 1.25 percentage points.” – Sunday Telegraph
- Why Britain risks breaking point as debt rockets towards £3 trillion – Sunday Telegraph
- Ex-Google boss to join Starmer at UK investment summit – Sunday Times
- How Labour’s flagship tax policy is fast unravelling – Sunday Telegraph
- Labour plans U-turn on investment tax crackdown – Sunday Telegraph
- Doubts grow over Labour’s VAT plan for private schools – Observer
- Labour civil war erupts as Starmer tax bombshell facing double legal challenge – Sunday Express
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Labour suffers dozen by-election defeats in less than a month
“Labour has suffered a dozen by-election defeats in less than a month as it grapples with the row over donations and freebies. Sir Keir Starmer’s party has lost council seats across the country to all parties since mid-September, in a blow to his premiership in his first months in office. Labour has had a net loss of 11 councillors since Sept 16, results far worse than the Conservatives who have gained four seats in the same period and Reform gaining two. Analysts warn that the by-election results confirm the “lack of honeymoon” for the Prime Minister, with voters already keen to “punish” Labour. It comes after weeks of negative headlines for the Government over Sir Keir and other Cabinet ministers accepting donations and freebies.” – Sunday Telegraph
- Lord Alli’s former partner gave Labour £350,000 in the run up to the election – Sunday Telegraph
Other political news
- Vote on assisted dying: the pivotal moment that began with a promise – Sunday Times
- How euthanasia works in the US state that could inspire England – Sunday Times
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News in Brief
