Labour will ease rules to sack failing civil servants and NHS staff
“Ministers will make it easier to sack failing civil servants and NHS staff as they seek to cut costs and reduce the ballooning size of the state. As part of a shake-up of Whitehall to be unveiled this week, Pat McFadden, the Cabinet Office minister, will say that the government is willing to “disrupt the status quo” to achieve an “active and modern state”. He will say that while Whitehall departments have grown substantially in recent years — increasing by more than 15,000 workers since the end of 2023 — people have not seen improvements to their public services. Four times as many people are now working in NHS England and the Department of Health and Social Care than in 2010, when waiting times were shortest and patient satisfaction highest.” – Sunday Times
- Under-performing civil servants to be pushed out – Sunday Telegraph
- Unions on alert as Labour prepares to unveil ‘Trumpian’ plan for civil service – Observer
- Civil servants ‘will be paid to quit’ – Mail on Sunday
Comment
Badenoch call to ban use of rights act to stop deportations
“The Conservatives have said the Human Rights Act should no longer apply to immigration decisions. They are calling for a change in the law that would stop people challenging their deportation on human rights grounds in the UK courts. Leader Kemi Badenoch has previously criticised how some foreign criminals and illegal migrants were using the act to avoid deportation. A Home Office source told the BBC the Conservatives had left the asylum system in chaos and their suggestion would be totally unworkable. Badenoch has not proposed leaving the ECHR, but has argued some foreign criminals and migrants in the UK illegally have successfully used the act to avoid deportation – saying, for example, this would undermine their right to family life.” – BBC News
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King ‘worried about Canada v Trump’ and will call for unity
“The King is said to be concerned about the discord between Canada and the US, an issue that is “particularly on his mind” as Donald Trump and Justin Trudeau continue to clash. On Monday Charles met the outgoing Canadian prime minister, who has repeatedly locked horns with the US president over Trump’s imposition of crippling tariffs on Canada and his taunting of “Governor Trudeau”. On several occasions Trump has proposed making Canada, of which Charles is head of state, into America’s “51st state”. – Sunday Times
- Charles calls on Commonwealth to join together ‘in these uncertain times’ – Sunday Telegraph
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Sunak: It’s our moral duty to seize Russian assets to help Ukraine
“We are living through the most momentous, and unpredictable, period in world affairs in decades. Amidst this uncertainty, we have a choice: to be buffeted by events, permanently scrambling to respond to the decisions of others, or to take control of our collective future and use the full spectrum of our powers — including our ability to seize Russian assets — to bolster global security. I applaud Keir Starmer for the pace and vigour of his diplomacy. The United Kingdom has a vital role to play at this moment: we are both America’s and Ukraine’s most trusted ally, and so we can act as a link between them. We must strive to make sure that they understand each other and their mutual interests. The work that the government is putting in to try to get a partnership deal signed between Kyiv and Washington is to be commended.” – Sunday Times
- Zelensky will not attend high-level talks with Americans at Saudi peace summit – Sunday Telegraph
- Russia launches devastating attack on Ukraine after Trump’s defence of Putin – Observer
- Russian strikes ‘targeted rescue workers’ as Putin ignores Trump – Sunday Express
- Can Zelensky negotiate peace and stay in power? – Sunday Times
- Revealed: What Trump said in ‘strop’ when he saw photo of King with Zelensky – Observer
- Russian spymaster’s plot to use private army to control migration into Europe – Sunday Telegraph
- Putin is trying to manipulate Trump… Bolton warns – Sun on Sunday
Comment
Labour scraps protections for villages to ramp up house building
“Villages in the greenbelt are to be stripped of protections against excessive development under Angela Rayner’s house-building drive. The Deputy Prime Minister has published plans that would remove the block on “unrestricted sprawl” around rural settlements. Under her proposed changes, villages would no longer be designated as “historic”, which grants them extra safeguards. The Tories said the changes, disclosed by Ms Rayner’s department at the end of last month, “will bulldoze Britain’s villages” and accused the Deputy Prime Minister of waging “war on the countryside”. – Sunday Telegraph
- New planning rules to halve time for major projects – FT
Starmer’s EU reset risks £1bn blow to farmers
“Sir Keir Starmer’s plans to reset relations with the European Union risk dealing a £1 billion blow to farmers, senior Tories have warned. The Prime Minister has been urged not to throw British growers “under the bus” by agreeing to adopt overly restrictive EU red tape. Brussels is demanding that the UK agrees to copy and paste its agricultural rules in return for a deal that would reduce checks on food exports. But agreeing to the terms risks killing off a booming UK industry centred on the development of new drought and pest resistant crops.” – Sunday Telegraph
Lowe, Reform and the civil war he says will tear it down
“On June 20 last year, it dawned on Rupert Lowe that he was likely to become the Reform MP for Great Yarmouth. His path to Westminster had been secured largely through Nigel Farage’s popularity, but also because people in Yarmouth liked that Lowe, a farmer and former chairman of Southampton football club, said exactly what he thought — about immigration; the plight of the local area; agriculture. However, this candour also has a tendency to cause problems. On being informed by a fellow Reform candidate, June Mummery, that he was almost certain to win, Lowe replied: “Half of me says I hope I don’t.” Mummery reminded Lowe that he was in the middle of a newspaper interview, prompting him to add: “Well no, it’s going to be a hell of a job. I’ve told you if I get elected I’ll do it.” – Sunday Times
- Party in chaos after Lowe loses whip – FT
- Reform vows to banish MP Rupert Lowe – Mail on Sunday
- Reform UK MPs turn on Farage – Observer
- Farage breaks silence on Lowe as Reform civil war explodes – Sunday Express
- Inside the seaside town where locals love having a Reform MP – Sunday Express
Comment
Other political news and comment
- The Labour MP and the anonymous allegations that ruined my life – Sunday Times
- Being Speaker shouldn’t be an ego trip. What went wrong? – Tim Shipman, Sunday Times
- Heathrow considers shorter third runway to cut costs – FT
