Starmer to push legislation aimed at ‘boosting UK growth’ in King’s Speech
“Sir Keir Starmer will lay out his ambition to “take the brakes off Britain” with a package of bills to be unveiled by King Charles on issues ranging from housebuilding and railways to mental health. At the formal state opening of parliament the monarch will announce more than 35 bills and draft bills, as the new government races to capitalise on a landslide election victory. The prime minister believes the measures will improve growth and living standards, with bills on planning reform, setting up state-owned GB Energy, and devolving economic powers in England. The package will strengthen the Office for Budget Responsibility…as Starmer seeks to persuade investors that his plans have solid economic footings. “Now is the time to take the brakes off Britain,” Starmer will say.” – The Financial Times
- What to expect in the King’s Speech – from tax crackdown to renationalised railways – Daily Express
- The Prime Minister pledges to ‘take the brakes off’ planning rules to build 1.5 million homes – The Daily Telegraph
- Local residents will ‘lose right’ to block housebuilding – The Times
- Mandatory housing targets at core of economy-focused King’s Speech – The Guardian
- Foreign inmates ‘will be sent home’ to ease prisons crisis – The Daily Telegraph
- This is an opportunity for the Labour government to tackle planning reform – Editorial, The Times
- Fetish for endless new laws is turning us into pliant servants of the Big State – Philip Johnston, The Daily Telegraph
- How Labour plans to make jobcentres work – Stephen Bush, The Financial Times
>Today:
Ambrose Evans-Pritchard: Reeves must go big and rein in the OBR
“The question for Rachel Reeves is whether she will stick rigidly to Britain’s destructive fiscal regime and become the Snowden of our time; or whether she has the courage to grasp the nettle and restore sane economic government. There is now broad consensus that the architecture of budget surveillance is itself part of the British disease. It punishes public investment. It is a key reason why public and private capital formation lags the G7 average by almost five percentage points of GDP, and why productivity is so dire… One thing is certain: Labour has zero chance of breaking out of Britain’s low-growth trap under anything resembling the current fiscal rule, or the interpretation of that rule by an Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) with its current ideology.” – The Daily Telegraph
- Reeves urged to consider an inheritance tax raid on pension pots – The Daily Mail
UK and EU consider first summit to ‘improve post-Brexit relationship’
“Britain and the EU are looking to hold their first-ever bilateral summit in the coming months as part of Labour Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s attempt to “reset” post-Brexit relations with Brussels. EU and British officials have confirmed that a summit — of the kind the EU regularly holds with third countries such as India and China — is being considered as part of efforts to reset the bilateral relationship. Starmer will continue his efforts to re-establish Britain on the world stage on Thursday when he hosts a meeting of almost 50 European leaders at Blenheim Palace, the birthplace of Winston Churchill. The one-day meeting of the European Political Community…would give Starmer a chance to “speed date” several fellow leaders, one British official said.” – The Financial Times
Gray accused of ‘subverting Cabinet’ over Belfast stadium bailout
“Sir Keir Starmer’s chief of staff has been accused of “subverting” cabinet ministers in an effort to secure a government bailout to cover the £310 million cost of rebuilding a derelict stadium in Belfast. Sue Gray has angered government officials and ministers by “personally dominating” negotiations for a bailout for Casement Park, a dilapidated Gaelic games venue due to host matches at the 2028 European football championship. Gray’s close interest in the project, which is politically contentious in Northern Ireland, has caused resentment among Labour ministers who have been told there is no money for new spending commitments. The row is also likely to invite new scrutiny of Gray’s personal and political links to Northern Ireland… Her involvement has deepened concerns in government…” – The Times
- Starmer’s chief of staff reportedly angers ministers by ‘personally dominating’ talks over public money for Casement Park – The Daily Telegraph
‘Difficult summer ahead’ after record small boat crossings, Cooper warns
“Yvette Cooper has warned the Cabinet of a “difficult summer ahead” for small boat crossings as Labour recorded its highest number in a day since Sir Keir Starmer won the general election. The Home Secretary told ministers on Tuesday that Channel crossings were at a record high in the first half of the year. A No 10 spokesman said she “indicated a difficult summer ahead”. It came a week after the Prime Minister admitted, during his trip to the Nato summit in Washington DC last week, that the small boats crisis could get worse before it gets better and that numbers coming across the Channel were going up, not down. Home Office figures show 427 people made the journey in seven boats on Monday, taking the provisional total for the year so far to 14,759.” – The Daily Telegraph
- Starmer has flinched at the first hurdle when it comes to tackling UK immigration – Robert Bates, Daily Express
Ministers vow to toughen child online safety law after Ofcom criticised…
“Labour ministers have said there is “more to do” to toughen online safety laws after campaigners and bereaved parents accused Ofcom of being too soft on technology companies. Peter Kyle, the science and technology secretary, said the government was committed to “building on the Online Safety Act”, which is intended to force social media and search companies to make their platforms safer. Ofcom was criticised by 23 groups including the NSPCC, Barnardo’s, 5Rights Foundation, Molly Rose Foundation and the Internet Watch Foundation in a statement released today. They said the regulator was failing to fully implement the legislation. In his first week in office Kyle met a group of parents whose children’s deaths have been linked to social media.” – The Times
…as they are ‘set to reject’ £200 million loan backing for Titanic maker Harland and Wolff
“The Labour government is set to turn down a £200mn loan guarantee request from Harland & Wolff, removing a crucial lifeline from the troubled shipbuilder as it seeks much-needed funding. The company, which built the Titanic, employs 1,500 workers at its four UK shipyards and had been in talks with Conservative ministers for more than a year for a loan guarantee needed to help lower interest payments on its borrowings. But the new Labour government has decided that to sign-off the guarantee would be an inappropriate use of public funds, according to people close to the situation. No formal announcement has yet been made, and people close to the company insisted that discussions were still live.” – The Financial Times
Labour policies ‘could be blocked’ if new quango says they harm health
“Labour could introduce a new “office for health responsibility” as part of efforts to block policies that could harm the public’s health, one of its advisers has said. Paul Corrigan, a former adviser to Sir Tony Blair, who has just been appointed to advise the Health Secretary Wes Streeting, said Sir Keir Starmer would make health the responsibility of all Government departments. Such changes could mean that the health needs of the population are prioritised over other considerations, such as preventing petrol price rises, he suggested. Mr Corrigan said Sir Keir’s promise for “mission-driven government” meant “we are planning to change a lot of the ways in which government works.” This could include the creation of a new Office for Health…” – The Daily Telegraph
Haigh demands ‘immediate action’ on rail reliability
“The UK transport secretary has called on train companies to take “immediate action” to improve reliability while launching a probe into the “woeful performance” of Britain’s railways. Louise Haigh announced plans on Tuesday to call in the bosses of Britain’s worst-performing train companies for meetings over performance, after the number of cancellations reached record highs. The Department for Transport said Haigh would “take train bosses to task over woeful performance”. “Britain’s railways are failing passengers day in, day out, and . . . I’ve made it my number one priority to hold industry bosses to account,” Haigh said in a statement. The Labour party has pledged to renationalise the passenger network within its first term…” – The Financial Times
Four Welsh Labour ministers resign to force out Gething
“The Welsh first minister, Vaughan Gething, has been forced out of office after four members of his government quit in protest at his leadership. Gething, who became Europe’s first black national leader four months ago, said he would “begin the process of stepping down as leader of the Welsh Labour Party and first minister”. His decision followed the co-ordinated resignations of Mick Antoniw, Julie James, Lesley Griffiths and Jeremy Miles, who told him they could not do the job they were elected to do “without you standing down”. They added: “We cannot continue like this.” Miles, the economy secretary, who ran against Gething for the Welsh Labour leadership, called on the first minister to resign…” – The Times
- Labour politician ends four-month tenure as head of devolved government – The Financial Times
- Roll up, roll up! Wales needs a new flash-in-the-pan leader…twits needs not apply – Tim Stanley, The Daily Telegraph
- Gething’s exist gives Welsh Labour a chance to reset – Pippa Crerar, The Guardian
- Wales deserved better than Gething – Rakib Eshan, The Daily Telegraph
- Regrets, Gething’s had a few, but not about £200,000 donation – Tom Peck, The Times
Labour to hold majority of UK select committee chair roles
“Labour is set to secure roughly two-thirds of elected committee chairs in parliament after its UK general election victory earlier this month, with the Conservatives’ share of top oversight roles falling sharply. Sir Keir Starmer’s party is expected to hold as many as 19 of the 27 elected chairs for select committees in the House of Commons, according to senior Labour officials. Select committees are responsible for scrutinising the work of government departments and agencies, and are one of the few vehicles through which MPs can probe ministers and important stakeholders, including company executives and senior civil servants. Chair roles are allocated to reflect the balance of seats in parliament. The Conservatives’ share could fall to as few as five…” – The Financial Times
Charge homeowners who concrete over gardens, Khan report suggests
“Households that pave over their gardens to build driveways should face extra charges because they contribute to urban flooding, a report commissioned by Sadiq Khan has suggested. The London Climate Resilience Review has warned that paved gardens “pose a lethal risk to Londoners” by increasing surface water flooding. It recommends that the Government consider introducing stormwater charges based on the amount of non-porous paved surface in a garden. Mr Khan, the London Mayor, said he would work with the Labour Government to take forward the recommendations in the report. Porous surfacing that allows rainwater to drain away has decreased by nearly 10 per cent across London since 2001, as more households choose to pave over their gardens…” – The Daily Telegraph
- Protecting London a matter of ‘national security’ if extreme weather hits – The Financial Times
Conservatives 1) Sunak ‘risked breaching legal responsibilities over prison crisis’
“Rishi Sunak was warned by senior civil servants a week before he called the election that he was at risk of breaching his legal responsibilities if he failed to take action over the prison overcrowding crisis, a leaked document reveals. The advice, sent to the former prime minister, said that failing to make an urgent decision on prison capacity would mean the criminal justice system in England and Wales reaching the point of “critical failure”. The Cabinet Office memo…warned that the administration of justice would become “untenable” to the point that the police and judiciary would no longer be able to exercise their legal duties. Senior civil servants felt that the prisons overcrowding crisis was so severe over the following weeks that…Simon Case…chaired…Cobra meetings…” – The Guardian
Conservatives 2) Patel ‘to run for Tory leadership’
“Dame Priti Patel will stand in the Conservative leadership race after being “urged to run” by fellow MPs, The Telegraph has learned. The former home secretary has decided she will make an attempt to succeed Rishi Sunak and has already assembled a campaign team funded by “high-profile” Tory donors. She is expected to make a formal announcement by the end of next week. It will be the first time that Dame Priti, 52, has made a run for the leadership, and comes amid reports that fellow Right-wing MP Suella Braverman is losing support for her own potential run. Dame Priti’s backers are convinced that she is the only candidate who can unite the party, and allies of the former minister say she has support from a broad spectrum of Conservative MPs.” – The Daily Telegraph
- Former Home Secretary expected to be competing against candidates including Badenoch and Tugendhat – The Guardian
- Sunak faces staying on until a successor elected – even if it takes all year – The I
- How Tory donations dwindled in run-up to the general election – The Times
>Today:
Conservatives 3) Duncan attacks party after being cleared over antisemitism claims
“A former Conservative minister has accused his party of corruption after officials admitted they launched an investigation into him over comments that were alleged to have been antisemitic, despite a lack of any formal complaint. Alan Duncan, a former Foreign Office minister, launched a scathing attack on his own party after being exonerated by an internal investigation into the comments. He revealed the party had told him it had begun the investigation into remarks he made during an interview with LBC, despite nobody having complained officially about them… Duncan is a veteran of Conservative politics, having served as an MP for 27 years and worked twice as a Foreign Office minister… Duncan took part in an interview on LBC during which he criticised the Conservative Friends of Israel…” – The Guardian
Johnson urges Trump to stand by Ukraine in one-to-one-meeting…
“Boris Johnson urged Donald Trump not to abandon Ukraine after the former president picked a running mate who strongly opposes American support for the war. Mr Johnson met Trump on the fringes of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee on Monday for almost an hour to discuss the war. The Republican nominee has chosen JD Vance, a hard-line Ukraine sceptic, as his vice-presidential candidate for November’s election. The 39-year-old Ohio senator has previously called for Washington to negotiate directly with Moscow over the war, and believes Ukraine will never recover territory lost after Vladimir Putin’s full-scale invasion in February 2022… Mr Johnson said Trump was in “superb form” after meeting the former president following the assassination attempt…” – The Daily Telegraph
- The former leaders met at the Republic National Convention in Milwaukee – The Times
- Biden must still step down – Iain Dale, The I
>Today:
…as Vance says Britain ‘will be an Islamist country’ under Labour…
“Donald Trump’s pick for vice-president has said Britain will become an “Islamist country” under a Labour government. JD Vance joked at a conference last week that the UK was “the first truly Islamist country that will get a nuclear weapon”. Responding to the comments, Angela Rayner, the deputy prime minister, said that Vance had “said quite a lot of fruity things in the past” but that she did not “recognise that characterisation” of the UK. Vance, who was selected by the former president as his running-mate on Monday, made the comments at a National Conservatism Conference in Washington on Wednesday… David Lammy, the foreign secretary, has previously referred to Vance…as “my friend”. Lammy met Vance in May on a trip to Washington before Labour’s election victory.” – The Times
- Vance’s pick ‘could mean Trumpian president beyond 2028’ – The Times
- The choice of Vance is ‘terrible news’ for Ukraine, Europe ‘experts’ warn – The Guardian
- After ill-judged tweets and open hostility to the first Trump presidency, Labour will work hard to establish cordial relations with the Republic nominee – Editorial, The Times
- Lammy is a national embarrassment – Tom Harris, The Daily Telegraph
- Vance’s nomination proves Trumpism is here to stay – James Orr, The Daily Telegraph
- He is the death knell of American conservatism – Isaac Schorr, The Daily Telegraph
…and Haley rows all the back as she endorses Trump and praises his foreign policy
“Nikki Haley has called for Republican unity as she formally endorsed Donald Trump, reversing her previous stance on his foreign policy plans. The former South Carolina governor, who fought a lacklustre primary campaign against Trump earlier this year, addressed the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee on Tuesday night. Appearing on the stage to a mixture of applause and booing, Ms Haley tore up the message of her campaign to suggest the world would be safer if he won a second term. She said those who vote for him “don’t have to agree with him 100 per cent of the time” and stressed that he would accept “input” from others when in office… Ron DeSantis, another former rival, appeared later to praise Trump and criticise Joe Biden for his age.” – The Daily Telegraph
- She gives Trump a ‘strong endorsement’ as former rivals unite in support – The I
- Trump laughs as ex-opponent DeSantis says U.S can’t have ‘four more years of Weekend at Bernie’s’ – The Daily Mail
- The doom loop of modern politics – Janan Ganesh, The Financial Times
- World needs economic stability after a tough few years, but if Trump wins we’re unlikely to get it – Larry Elliott, The Guardian
Daniel Finkelstein: To make gains, Reform must move to the left
“In 2015 the UK Independence Party scored almost four million votes, outpolled the Liberal Democrats and won Clacton. In other words, in almost a decade and over three further general elections Farage’s populist insurgency has gained less than 2 per cent of the vote and four seats. And this despite a dramatic Conservative collapse. This is not to minimise Reform’s political impact or importance, both of which I acknowledge, albeit with regret. But the extent of Reform’s success has often been remarked on, not least by members of Reform. I am simply noting its limits. The party will require something new, something else, to take the next step… I suspect having five MPs will prove to be four too many for Farage… The obvious play for Reform is not…to unite the right. It is to tack to the left.” – The Times
- Most voters think that Reform has a problem with extremists – The I
News in Brief:
- London’s nightlife is getting even more embarrassing – William Atkinson, The Spectator
- Gething: a truly pointless first minister – Henry Hill, UnHerd
- Farage is all bark and no bite – William Atkinson, CapX
- In defence of hereditary peers – James Price, The Critic
- Why are British doctors voting to reject the Cass report? – Hannah Barnes, The New Statesman
- The Conservative revival: foundations – Eliot Wilson, The Ideas Lab
