Sir Keir Starmer has been accused by the Tories of performing a U-turn on a pledge to scrap a “special tax perk” he enjoyed on his pension.
The Prime Minister has his own law, from his time as Director of Public Prosecutions, which exempted him from the £1 million lifetime allowance.
He had pledged to repeal the law as part of plans to reinstate the allowance, which was scrapped by the Tories last year to stop doctors retiring early.
But the Treasury has now revealed there are “no plans” to do so in reply to a written question by Richard Holden, a former Tory chairman.
Mr Holden said: “Sir Keir Starmer has (surprise, surprise) U-turned on his pledge to scrap his own special tax perk!”
The scrapping of the lifetime allowance, however, means Sir Keir’s personal legislation is already obsolete unless Labour revives its plan to reimpose the limit.
Sir Keir was granted a special “tax unregistered” pension scheme when he stood down as Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) in 2013.
But the cap was scrapped in April by then chancellor Jeremy Hunt and Sir Keir insisted he had not taken advantage of the tax break.
“Nor do I want to,” he added.
Mr Holden this week put a written parliamentary question to the Treasury “to ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if she will take steps to repeal the Pensions Increase (Pension Scheme for Sir Keir Starmer QC) Regulations 2013.”
In the response, Darren Jones, the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, said: “The 2013 regulations were introduced to ensure the Director of Public Prosecutions’ pension scheme is uprated in line with other public service pension schemes.
“There are no plans to repeal the regulation.”
That’s all for today’s live blog. Thank you for following. Here are today’s key moments:
Liz Truss’s mini-Budget was only responsible for half of the sudden jump in government borrowing costs in September 2022, new research has suggested.
Bank of England researchers have found that the selling of risky products by pension funds in the wake of the mini-Budget was equally responsible for the rise in bond yields.
Ms Truss’s heavy-borrowing fiscal statement, delivered on 23 September 2022, kicked off a meltdown in the bond markets that saw state borrowing costs rise by 1 percentage point in four days.
At the time, commentators blamed the surge on international investors baulking at the former prime minister’s plans to borrow heavily at the same time as cutting taxes.
However, analysts have found the crisis was made at least twice as bad by pension funds that were forced into a “fire sale” of assets.
Read the full story from Deputy Economics Editor Tim Wallace here.
Nobody should use TikTok, Tom Tugendhat has said.
“It is quite something to note that it isn’t your paper or even the BBC that is the principal news source for many people in this country but TikTok,” the Tory leadership contender told The Times.
“That’s an organisation that is headquartered through its parent companies in China, where editorial control through the algorithm is set in ways that we don’t see.
“It’s a hell of a statement that effectively a large part of the news source for many people in this country is coming from an organisation that is headquartered in an area governed by an authoritarian state.”
Asked if it should be banned, Mr Tugendhat said: “I don’t think we should be using TikTok at all.”
A spokesman for TikTok said the claims were “baseless” and that no government influenced its algorithm.
Tom Tugendhat has insisted that he genuinely believes Britain should leave the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR).
The Tory leadership hopeful, widely seen as a One Nation Conservative, surprised many on Wednesday when he announced his bid by saying he wanted to quit the Strasbourg court.
“I’m up for leaving any institution that doesn’t serve the interests of the British people,” he told The Times.
“It’s absolutely true that there are consequences with staying and there are consequences with leaving. We need to make sure that we’re serving the interests of the British people.”
Jacob Rees-Mogg has said it is “too early” to say if he will return to the House of Commons.
“I loved being a Member of Parliament,” the ex-MP told Sky News.
“I loved representing my constituency but I haven’t decided.
“It’s too early, I think, to decide, and I have to think whether electors would want me back.”
Suella Braverman may not have enough support from MPs to get onto the Tory leadership ballot, Kwasi Kwarteng has said.
Leadership candidates need 10 MPs to back them to get onto the ballot.
The former chancellor told Sky News: “I’m very surprised that she hasn’t announced already, which suggests to me that she’s perhaps – I don’t know this, but my sense is that she might be struggling to get the 10 people.
“It’s very interesting who has announced and so they clearly, I think, believe that they got the numbers.”
Jacob Rees-Mogg has declined to reveal which Tory leadership candidate he is supporting.
The former MP told Sky News’ Politics Hub programme: “I don’t have a favourite.
“I mean, I think the party is lucky to have a number of good candidates. I think it’s been really sensible to run it long so that we will test people in the fire, so to speak.
“Having leaders appointed without an election in front of the members hasn’t always been enormously successful.”
The Chief Rabbi has demanded a meeting with Sir Keir Starmer after Labour dropped its challenge to the International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant for Benjamin Netanyahu, it has been reported.
The Jewish Chronicle reported that Ephraim Mirvis had requested a discussion with the Prime Minister about his “deep concerns” over the Government’s position on Israel.
It came after the Board of Deputies and the Jewish Leadership Council said they were “concerned” that Labour had made a “significant shift in policy away from Israel being a key UK ally”.
Labour Friends of Israel earlier branded the decision “deeply disappointing” and called the case against Mr Netanyahu “morally suspect and legally dubious”.
Labour already knew how bad the public finances were before they won the election, the chair of the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) has said.
Paul Johnson told Sky News’ Politics Hub: “They knew to a large degree how bad things are in terms of the public finances.
“We and many others have made it very clear that it was going to be very hard to avoid cuts over the next few years, given the proposals made by the previous government.
“It’s also been very clear that, for example, things like children’s social care, the prisons system, the court system, NHS, waiting lists, have been in a terrible state.
“We also knew that there were going to be big demands on public sector pay, so at the highest broad level, yes, of course, they knew, broadly speaking, how bad things were.
“I’ve no doubt they have discovered some specific issues, and particularly about how tough things are this year or immediately, which wouldn’t have been quite so evident.”
We are three weeks into a Labour Government, and yet another dire decision has been slipped out without scrutiny, writes shadow energy secretary Claire Coutinho.
In this case, the defence of free speech. The new Education Secretary has decided to stop the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act dead in its tracks in order to consider its repeal.
Unless you’re an avid campaigner in this area, you would barely have noticed. It was announced at the end of a written statement tucked away on the Parliament website.
There was no debate in the chamber, no opportunity for scrutiny from MPs, no press release. I suppose that’s quite fitting considering the matter in hand.
Read the full article here.
Priti Patel has accused Labour of eroding “a cornerstone of our democracy” by shelving free speech laws designed to protect academics from being cancelled.
“Free speech is a cornerstone of our democracy and it’s shocking that Labour plan to erode the protections we put in place for this freedom,” the expected Tory leadership contender said.
“Universities are places of learning where views should be challenged, questioned and debated, not cancelled or suppressed.”
Bridget Phillipson said on Friday she would “stop further commencement” of the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act 2023, just days before the new free speech tsar’s powers were due to come into force.
Israel has attacked Sir Keir Starmer for dropping Britain’s legal challenge to the arrest warrant for Benjamin Netanyahu issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC).
A senior Israeli official told reporters in Washington DC: “Israel is deeply disappointed by this fundamentally wrong decision.
“It is contrary to justice and truth and violates the right of all democracies to fight terrorism.”
A Tory frontbencher has written to Simon Case, the head of the civil service, after Labour appointed a minister’s member of staff to a senior Whitehall role.
Peter Kyle, the Science Secretary, has hired Emily Middleton, who was previously seconded into his office from Starmerite think-tank Labour Together, as a director general in the Department of Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) to lead Labour’s efforts to digitise government.
Andrew Griffith, the shadow science secretary, has now written to Mr Case saying he has “concerns that due process was not followed”.
“I am not doubting the talents of the individual involved; however, I am concerned that this appointment does not meet the highest standards expected in public life,” Mr Griffith said.
A Government spokesman told Politico that “appointments are made in line with civil service rules”.
Young gang members are being offered mentoring in return for giving up crime under Government trials of a US-style approach to reducing violence, reports Home Affairs Editor Charles Hymas.
Five police force areas are being given about £1 million of government cash each to pilot a strategy known as “focused deterrence” pioneered on gangs in Boston, Chicago and Cincinnati. It has reduced gun and knife crime by a third.
Convicted gang members and those at risk of being drawn into crime are offered mentoring, mental health support, access to job training, youth activities, education and drug treatment in return for a “no violence, no weapon” pledge.
It is often allied to a warning that if they continue, they face a “certain and swift” crackdown, targeting not just their violence but every aspect of their lives from “minor” drug and driving offences to eviction from rented housing and pursuit for unpaid fines.
A key part of the programme is mentoring where a trusted adult figure, like a youth worker in the community, builds a relationship with them to identify their needs and act as a bridge to support and services.
Read the full story here.
As Lord Falconer launches a private members’ bill to make assisted dying legal in the House of Lords, Kamal and Camilla catch up with him about why now is the right time to reignite one of the most controversial debates in the UK.
The bill, which was first brought to the House of Lords in 2013, has been given a second chance after broadcaster and journalist Dame Esther Rantzen reignited the debate when she disclosed her plan to travel to Dignitas alone after her stage four lung cancer diagnosis last year.
Currently, the laws in England and Wales around assisted dying mean her family could face criminal charges if they help her with euthanasia.
In this Daily T Special, we also speak to Dame Esther about what it means to have a ‘good death’ and why she thinks the bill should pass. While Paralympic athlete Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson argues the case against the bill, sharing her concerns about what it would mean for vulnerable disabled people.
Plus, a look at the case study of the Netherlands, where assisted dying is legal for people with mental health issues as well. We ask: is it a slippery slope?
Listen to the full episode here.
Sir Keir Starmer has been accused by the Tories of performing a U-turn on a pledge to scrap a “special tax perk” he enjoyed on his pension.
The Prime Minister has his own law, from his time as Director of Public Prosecutions, which exempted him from the £1 million lifetime allowance.
He had pledged to repeal the law as part of plans to reinstate the allowance, which was scrapped by the Tories last year to stop doctors retiring early.
But the Treasury has now revealed there are “no plans” to do so in reply to a written question by Richard Holden, a former Tory chairman.
The scrapping of the lifetime allowance, however, means Sir Keir’s personal legislation is already obsolete unless Labour revives its plan to reimpose the limit.
The Met will deploy 1,000 officers in central London this weekend for a Tommy Robinson protest.
The activist and his supporters are marching from the the Royal Courts of Justice to a rally in Trafalgar Square on Saturday.
They will be met by a counter-demonstration led by former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn’s Peace and Justice Project which will go from Russell Square to Whitehall.
The Metropolitan Police said the force had used powers under the Public Order Act to keep the opposing groups apart.
Sir Liam Fox has revealed that he helped convince Natalie Imbruglia to release her biggest hit song, writes Political Reporter Genevieve Holl-Allen.
The former defence secretary was “very good friends” with the Australian pop star and said he had a hand in her choosing to release Torn as a single in 1997 during a phone-in on the LBC radio station.
Sir Liam also addressed rumours put to him by a caller that he had dated the singer.
The former Cabinet minister said: “Well, I would say that if you need to know that, you probably require a level of therapy.
“Yes, we were very good friends; yes, I did help her pick Torn out as a single and yes, I was on the credits of the album.”
Read the full story here.
A Conservative MP has branded Labour’s claimed discovery of a black hole in the public finances worth up to £20 billion is “the biggest lie in British politics”, a Tory MP has said.
Nick Timothy said: “They’re pretending everything is worse than they realised, so they can break their promise made less than a month ago, and rinse you with taxes rises.”
He added: “They chose to go along with Conservative spending plans, and now claim they didn’t know what those plans involved. Now this is another choice. And they are choosing to break their promise and put up taxes.
“Some commentators are ignoring the obvious dishonesty and calling it smart politics, comparing the operation to what George Osborne did as Chancellor in 2010. But then Osborne had promised cuts in an election campaign and predicted an ‘age of austerity’.
“This year Labour made no equivalent commitment. They claimed they had changed on tax. They promised, ‘no ifs, no ands, no buts’, that there would be ‘no additional tax rises’. They are quite openly breaking that promise, and to justify doing so, they are telling a massive lie.”
Sir Keir Starmer had to change his travel plans after the French railways were hit by what has been described as “co-ordinated acts of sabotage”.
A Downing Street spokesman said that Sir Keir was meant to travel on the Eurostar to Paris ahead of the Olympics opening ceremony.
But he instead flew to France because of the disruption.
The Prime Minister earlier said that it was right to not let the travel disruption “overshadow” the Olympic Games.
Mel Stride has said he would not let Nigel Farage join the Conservatives if he becomes party leader.
Speaking to the i, the shadow work and pensions secretary said there would be “no formal deals” with the Reform UK leader.
“Nigel Farage is a very clever, very talented politician, but he is absolutely bent – as he said – on destroying the Conservative Party,” Mr Stride said.
He added: “I think what we need to be doing, actually, is addressing those common ground issues as part of our response to Reform.
“But at the same time, not losing sight of the fact that we need to be that core base offer to the British public that will appeal also to those who have voted Labour and Liberal Democrat.”
Defence spending must hit three per cent of GDP by 2030 because of the threat of Russia, Iran and North Korea, Mel Stride has said.
The Tory leadership hopeful told the i: “I think moving to three per cent is absolutely right and I think the reason for that is the growing threats we have with Putin, with Iran, with North Korea.
“I think we need to be on that trajectory for getting ready for more dangerous and difficult times.
“What we said in the election was 2030 and I think that is something we need to bottom out as a parliamentary party.”
Tim Sigsworth here, taking over for the rest of the day from my colleague Jack Maidment.
James Cleverly claimed Labour was planning a “massive” increase in taxation at an autumn Budget.
Rachel Reeves, the Chancellor, is preparing to unveil a £19 billion black hole in the public finances.
Mr Cleverly, the shadow home secretary and Tory leadership candidate, said Labour is “pitch rolling” to put up taxes.
He said in a video posted on Twitter: “She kept claiming she was surprised by the state of the public finances even though the Institute for Fiscal Studies said that the public finances are an open book because of the Office for Budget Responsibility.
“Nevertheless, everyone in Labour has been pitch rolling, saying they were surprised in order to prepare the ground for a massive tax rise.”
The NHS app should be changed to tell patients their blood type and target those who can help when stocks are low, the Health Secretary has said.
Wes Streeting said he was “really worried” about national shortages of O negative blood, which have forced hospitals to restrict their use of it.
He is to meet with health officials to examine ways to change the NHS app, so that blood type is automatically stored on the app, once it has been recorded.
You can read the full story here.
Doctors will be able to opt out of supporting assisted dying in England and Wales if they believe it clashes with their religious beliefs under a new attempt to legalise terminally ill people being able to end their lives.
Lord Falconer, the former lord chancellor, told The Daily T podcast that “people of faith” would be able to use a “conscience clause” to avoid being involved in any process they did not agree with.
You can read the full story here.
The Tories accused Labour of putting “ideological dogma” ahead of the interests of students after the Government stopped the roll out of a university freedom of speech law.
Bridget Phillipson, the Education Secretary, announced this morning that she was pausing the implementation of the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act and will consider repealing it, arguing it would place too great a burden on universities.
But Damian Hinds, the shadow education secretary, said: “Free speech is a fundamental right, and this must extend to universities.
“Without the ability to freely express views in higher education, these centres of learning risk becoming centres of co-option and intolerance.
“The fact this Labour government is willing to scrap the measures we put in place to protect these rights makes clear that they are willing to sacrifice the next generation on the altar of their own ideological dogma.”
The Jewish Leadership Council and the Board of Deputies of British Jews have criticised the Government’s decision not to challenge the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) application for an arrest warrant against Benjamin Netanyahu.
The groups said in a joint statement that it was a “regretful and regressive step”.
They also expressed concerns that the new Government may be moving “away from Israel being a key UK ally”.
Amnesty International UK welcomed the Government’s decision not to challenge the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) application for an arrest warrant against Benjamin Netanyahu (see the post below at 12.10).
Sacha Deshmukh, Amnesty International UK’s chief executive, said: “This was a totally misguided intervention by the last government and we strongly welcome the decision to drop it.
“Instead of trying to thwart the ICC’s much-needed Palestine investigation, the UK should be backing efforts to bring all perpetrators of war crimes and possible genocide to justice.”
The Board of Deputies of British Jews welcomed Bridget Phillipson’s decision to stop the rollout of the Tories’ university freedom of speech law.
Phil Rosenberg, the organisation’s president, said: “We welcome the Secretary of State’s decision to halt the implementation of the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act, pending consideration of repeal.
“The Union of Jewish Students has been clear that the Act, while well-intentioned, risked enabling antisemitic extremists to access university campuses by severely impacting the ability of universities to block their presence - we strongly support UJS’s concerns and reflected this in our Jewish Manifesto for the 2024 general election.
“This halt will enable the Government to consider how to ensure that freedom of speech is protected without allowing free rein to purveyors of hate speech.”
Bridget Phillipson said the Tories’ university free speech law was “not fit for purpose” as she defended Labour’s decision to pause its rollout ahead of it potentially being repealed.
The Education Secretary argued the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act, passed by the Tories in 2023, would have imposed “serious burdens” on universities.
The new Government said the law “would have exposed higher education providers to costly legal action that would impact teaching and learning”.
Ms Phillipson said: “For too long, universities have been a political battlefield and treated with contempt, rather than as a public good, distracting people from the core issues they face. The steps announced today will sharpen the focus of the Office for Students, with greater emphasis on ensuring the financial stability of the sector.
“We are absolutely committed to freedom of speech and academic freedom, but the Free Speech Act introduced last year is not fit for purpose and risked imposing serious burdens on our world class universities.
“This legislation could expose students to harm and appalling hate speech on campuses. That is why I have quickly ordered this legislation to be stopped so that we can take a view on next steps and protect everyone’s best interests, working closely with a refocused Office for Students.”
The National Union of Students welcomed the Government’s decision to pause the rollout of a university freedom of spech law (see the post below at 10.39).
Saranya Thambirajah, NUS UK vice president for liberation and equality, said: “The Government told us that the culture wars were over - and now they’re taking action to prove it. We’re delighted that the Secretary of State has actually listened to students - and in particular to Jewish students - on the Freedom of Speech Act.
“Students have been calling for the dangerous ‘culture wars legislation’ imposed by the previous government to be scrapped. Many of us were truly dreading the impact this Act would have, serving to further divide our campuses and put marginalised student communities further at risk.
“The Government has sent a clear message that they won’t be playing politics with either free speech or hate speech.”
The situation in Paris is “concerning” and “incredibly frustrating” for those wishing to travel to the Olympic Games, Downing Street has said.
The Prime Minister’s spokeswoman said that people should check travel advice and guidance from rail operators before they travel.
She said: “Obviously the situation is concerning and like the statements you’ve seen from the French, it is also incredibly frustrating for people traveling to attend the games and the Olympics ceremony.
“The Prime Minister would urge people to continue to follow the travel advice and the statements from the travel operators.”
The spokeswoman added: “But I think irrespective of this disruption, it is very clear that both in France here and around the world, everyone is hugely excited and looking forward to what will be an incredibly successful and Olympic Games and we won’t let disruption overshadow that.”
Downing Street would not comment on who may be behind the sabotage attacks.
You can follow the latest updates on the situation in France over on our dedicated live blog.
Downing Street rejected the suggestion that the Government was backsliding on its commitment to protecting freedom of speech after Bridget Phillipson said she could repeal a key piece of legislation relating to universities.
The Prime Minister’s official spokesperson said: “I disagree with that characterisation. It is also right to listen to concerns and take stock and that is what the department is doing.”
The Education Secretary announced this morning that she was pausing the implementation of the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act and could repeal it, prompting a Tory backlash.
The new Labour Government will not object to the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) application for an arrest warrant against Benjamin Netanyahu.
Rishi Sunak’s government had told the ICC it intended to submit arguments questioning whether the ICC had the right to order the arrest of Israeli nationals.
But Downing Street said this morning that the new Government would not be taking the previous administration’s proposal forward.
It said applications for arrest warrants were a “matter for the court to decide on”.
ICC prosecutor Karim Khan in May requested arrest warrants for Israeli prime minister Mr Netanyahu and defence minister Yoav Gallant over Israel’s war in Gaza.
Senior Tory Claire Coutinho said Labour’s decision to pause the rollout of a university freedom of speech law with a view to potentially repealing it was “chilling”.
The shadow energy secretary tweeted: “A chilling decision, taken so casually without any debate…
“The Labour Party fought us every step of the way when we legislated to protect freedom of speech in universities.
“This is a taste of what is to come.”
The Government has been threatened with legal action if it stops the rollout of the Tories’ university freedom of speech law.
Bridget Phillipson, the Education Secretary, announced this morning that she was pausing the implementation of the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act and could repeal it.
Toby Young, general secretary of the Free Speech Union, said the organisation would pursue a judicial review if the law is blocked.
He said: “The Government’s attack on the Freedom of Speech Act is shocking. If Labour refuses to commence legislation passed in the last Parliament, the Free Speech Union will bring judicial review proceedings.
“There is a free speech crisis in our universities, as has been widely acknowledged, and this Act, which enjoyed cross-party support, was designed to remedy that.
“For all Sir Keir Starmer’s talk about human rights, he clearly doesn’t care about the most important human right of all, which is the right to free speech.”
David Lammy urged China not to allow its companies to support Russia’s war effort during face-to-face talks at a summit in Laos today.
The Foreign Secretary met with Wang Yi, the Chinese foreign minister, at the ASEAN Foreign Ministers meeting in Vientiane.
The Foreign Office said Mr Lammy had “underlined the UK’s ironclad commitment to Ukraine and urged China to prevent its companies supporting Russia’s military industrial complex which poses a material threat to international security and prosperity”.
In terms of the broader UK-China relationship, Mr Lammy said Britain will “cooperate where we can, compete where needed and challenge where we must”.
Jeremy Hunt said Labour claims about the state of the public finances were “nothing but a fabrication”.
The shadow chancellor said Rachel Reeves was “laying the ground for tax rises” with warnings of a funding black hole.
Sir Keir Starmer said earlier this week that the public finances were in an even worse state than Labour had feared and Ms Reeves is preparing to unveil a £19 billion black hole, likely paving the way for an autumn tax raid.
But Mr Hunt said: “Labour’s claims are nothing but a fabrication – the books have been wide open since the OBR [Office for Budget Responsibility] was set up 14 years ago.
“They show an economy that has turned the corner and a deficit one-third of that left behind by Labour – and not this nonsense the Chancellor is peddling.
“The reality is she does not want to take the difficult decisions on pay, productivity or welfare reform that would have meant we could live within our means and is laying the ground for tax rises.
“After Labour promised 50 times not to do this, they will find trust in the new government evaporates sooner than they expect.”
Labour could repeal the last Government’s legislation aimed at protecting freedom of speech on university campuses.
Bridget Phillipson, the Education Secretary, said in a written statement to Parliament that she had stopped the rollout of the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act and would now review its future.
The Act became law in May 2023 and it was described by the then government as a “huge step forward in protecting freedom of speech and academic freedom on university campuses”.
The law put “more responsibility on universities to ensure students are able to speak freely in and out of the classroom, while offering more protection for academics who teach material that may offend some students”.
But Ms Phillipson said: “I have written to colleagues separately about my decision to stop further commencement of the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act 2023, in order to consider options, including its repeal.
“I am aware of concerns that the Act would be burdensome on providers and on the OfS (Office for Students), and I will confirm my long term plans as soon as possible.”
Rachel Reeves should apologise for “misleading voters”, the leader of the SNP in Westminster has said as he urged the Chancellor to “come clean” about potential tax rises and cuts to public services.
Stephen Flynn said the SNP had previously warned Labour’s plans would result in around £18 billion in cuts or tax rises and that voters were “due a refund”.
His comments, made in a letter to the Chancellor, came after it emerged that Ms Reeves is preparing to unveil a £19 billion black hole in the public finances, likely paving the way for an autumn tax raid.
Mr Flynn said in the letter: “At minimum, you should apologise for misleading voters. If Labour’s election campaign was a product in a shop, voters would be due a refund for false advertising.
“More importantly, you must now come clean on where the axe will fall under your plans and whether you intend to cut public services, raise taxes or both – having previously denied you would do either.”
He added: “The excuses currently being lined-up will set alarm bells ringing that the Labour government plans to continue Tory cuts and public services will be starved of the cash they need – just as we have seen with the failure to scrap the two-child benefit cap this week.
“The SNP is ready and willing to work in cooperation with the Labour Government to deliver the change voters in Scotland were promised – but we also have a duty to stand up for Scotland’s interests and hold the Labour government to account where real change isn’t forthcoming.”
The Government will respond to the recommendations made in the official Infected Blood Inquiry report by the end of the year, the Paymaster General said this morning.
Nick Thomas-Symonds also said the Government is committed to setting up the final compensation scheme for victims and their families by Aug 24.
He said Labour wanted to deliver the scheme “quickly” but “we are also committed to getting it right”.
Families of people who died as a result of the infected blood scandal will be able to apply for interim compensation payments worth £100,000 from October, the Government announced this morning.
Nick Thomas-Symonds, the Paymaster General, said there was an “urgent need to get money to people in the most timely way possible” and more than £1 billion had been paid out to people affected by the scandal so far.
“However, we recognise that this is not enough for many others who have also been waiting for far too long,” he told MPs.
He said the Government was working on a process to provide interim payments of £100,000 to the estates of people who died “as soon as we are able to” and applications will open in October.
Labour’s plan to introduce a “duty of candour” on public servants will end a “culture of defensiveness” that was exposed by the infected blood inquiry, Nick Thomas-Symonds said.
Delivering a statement in the House of Commons this morning, the Paymaster General said the inquiry had shone a “penetrating light on the lessons that must be learned”.
The inquiry had exposed an “unacceptable culture of defensiveness in the public sector” and Labour is now bringing forward legislation to place a duty of candour “on public servants and authorities”, he said.
Wes Streeting said the “time has come” to debate whether or not to legalise assisted dying.
The Health Secretary also said the Government will ensure time is set aside in Parliament to discuss the issue.
Lord Falconer, the Labour former justice secretary, has brought forward a private members’ bill in the House of Lords which would grant people with six or fewer months to live the right to die on their own terms. The Bill is set to be introduced imminently and peers will debate it in the coming months.
Mr Streeting told the BBC this morning: “I think it is a debate whose time has come. I think the challenge is there are a number of both moral dilemmas and practical dilemmas about how you proceed on such a difficult topic.
“I mean, I watched a number of my grandparents die slowly and painfully, and there are moments thinking back to those experiences where I wish that choice had been available to them in their terminal illness. But tempering that is a reflection that there are enormous risks.”
Asked if the Government was committed to making time available to discuss the issue in Parliament, Mr Streeting said: “Yes. And I mean, I’d also say, thinking about my role as the Health and Social Care Secretary, if people need information, if people need support from my department to help inform the debate, I’d be absolutely willing to roll up my sleeves and help.”
Wes Streeting said Labour will not “duck the difficult decisions” as he described the state of the public finances as “shocking”.
The Health Secretary said Rachel Reeves, the Chancellor, will show “iron discipline” on spending decisions.
Ms Reeves is preparing to unveil a £19 billion black hole in the public finances, likely paving the way for an autumn tax raid.
Mr Streeting told Times Radio: “We knew that the economic inheritance would be the worst since the Second World War. That’s why ahead of the general election we were so disciplined about our manifesto to make sure the promises we made would be promises we would keep and the country could afford.
“What I think we have found shocking is the state of the public finances in the year that we’ve inherited and that means tough choices … as the Chancellor will continue to show iron discipline and she will have the full support of the entire Cabinet.
“Because these aren’t just tough choices for the Chancellor, these are tough choices for all of us and we’re determined to meet that challenge, to be honest with people, to not duck the difficult decisions and to make sure that we make the right choices now that set Britain up for the longer-term success that we need.”
Mel Stride’s announcement this morning that he is standing in the Tory leadership race means there are now four confirmed candidates: Mr Stride, James Cleverly, Tom Tugendhat and Robert Jenrick.
We are expecting a few more Tory MPs to declare their candidacy in the coming days, ahead of the nominations deadline on Monday.
How do you think should be the next leader of the Conservative Party? You can have your say in our reader poll below:
Labour could use an autumn Budget to unveil a “once-and-for-all” change to taxation in order to put the public finances on an even keel for the long term, the boss of a leading think tank said.
Paul Johnson, the director of the Institute for Fiscal Studies, said he believed there “must be a chance” of the Government doing something drastic.
Asked how Labour could fill an expected £19 billion black hole in the public finances, Mr Johnson told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme: “The amount of money that is needed, it is not really a need, it is always a choice so maybe you don’t need £20 billion, maybe you do £10 billion or £15 billion.
“You can find ways of nurdling around the edges to get these sorts of numbers. But in the end I think if this Government wants stability over a five-year period, if it really wants to improve the public services and it really wants to be putting in a long term plan then I think there must be a chance that we will get something reasonably substantive in an autumn Budget which sort of does a once-and-for-all either change to taxes or change to its view about borrowing which allows it a little bit of scope.
“Otherwise we will be going through this process year after year after year.”
Labour could put up inheritance tax and capital gains tax to help fill a sizeable hole in the public finances, the director of the Institute for Fiscal Studies think tank has suggested.
Paul Johnson said Labour’s manifesto pledges not to increase corporation tax, VAT, income tax or National Insurance would make big tax increases difficult but not “impossible” as he said he expected changes to be made in other areas.
His comments came after it emerged Rachel Reeves, the Chancellor, is preparing to unveil a £19 billion black hole in the public finances, likely paving the way for an autumn tax raid.
Asked what options are available to Labour to raise revenue to fill the hole, Mr Johnson told the BBC: “If you look at the words in the manifesto, the most striking words are ‘we will not raise taxes on working people’.
“Well, if you take that at face value there is really almost no taxes that you can increase. But more specifically they have ruled out increases in the rates of corporation tax, they have ruled out increases in at least most aspects of National Insurance, VAT and income tax.
“And of course those are the biggest taxes. That may mean they don’t feel constrained to change some allowances and thresholds and so on.
“And there is some money you can clearly get from other taxes like capital gains tax and inheritance tax where I think we can expect to see some changes.
“But big tax increases, given the constraints they have put on themselves, aren’t impossible but they will be pretty difficult.”
Labour claiming surprise at the state of the public finances and public services is not “very credible at all”, the director of the Institute for Fiscal Studies said.
Paul Johnson said there “shouldn’t really be any sense of surprise” given the amount of discussion on the subject before the general election.
Sir Keir Starmer said earlier this week that the public finances were in an even worse state than Labour had feared.
Asked how credible it was for Labour to claim surprise, Mr Johnson told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme: “I don’t think it is really very credible at all. In terms of the scale of the problems facing public services, lots of individuals and organisations have pointed out that most public services are performing considerably worse than they were pre-covid, they are performing worse than they were in 2010.”
He added: “There shouldn’t really be any sense of surprise that there is a big issue here.”
A former chairman of the Conservative Party has backed Tom Tugendhat to be the next Tory leader.
Sir Jake Berry, who lost his seat at the general election, said Mr Tugendhat is a “low tax, proper Conservative” as he questioned the records of the other contenders.
He told GB News: “I’m backing Tom, just to put my cards on the table. I got to know Tom when we campaigned together to oppose Boris Johnson’s crazy increase in National Insurance, and he campaigned with me to oppose that against our own government.
“So all of these people who say, ‘look, I’m a Right-winger, I’m a sort of low tax Tory’, I judge people by what they do. And when Tom and I were campaigning against working people’s taxes going up, as Conservatives, none of the rest of them were with us.
“That’s why I’m backing Tom, because I think he is a low tax, proper Conservative. There’s nothing wrong with the rest of them. He’s just the best.”
Mel Stride said he had been prepared to “lead the charge” when his party was struggling during the election campaign while others were prepared to “look the other way”.
The then work and pensions secretary was one of the Cabinet ministers who appeared most regularly on broadcast rounds during the campaign.
He told GB News: “I’m a team player, and when my team’s under fire, when my colleagues are on the brink of losing their seats, I go out from the front. I lead, and I lead the charge, and that’s what I did.”
He added: “Not everybody did that. Others look the other way. I stood up and did about 25 per cent of our morning rounds because I care about my party and I cared about doing the very best that we possibly could.”
Mel Stride said he wants to “be opposite Keir Starmer at that despatch box forensically holding him to account” over the UK economy.
The former work and pensions secretary cited his past experience at the Treasury, saying that he was “responsible for UK tax”, so was well-placed to take the fight to Labour over the economy if he becomes Tory leader.
He told GB News: “I was chair of the Treasury select committee for three years, I was financial secretary to the Treasury. I was responsible for UK tax, both corporate and personal, up and down the country.
“We’re going to have to win the argument on the economy with Labour snd I want to be opposite Keir Starmer at that despatch box, forensically holding him to account over things economic, because that is where we can, most importantly, regain the ground.”
Mel Stride defended the role he played in the Tories’ failed general election campaign as he said he had opted to “go towards the gunfire” and fight rather than hide away.
It was suggested to the shadow work and pensions secretary that his central role in the campaign as one of the most prominent Tory voices in the media could damage his hopes of replacing Rishi Sunak.
He said: “I am a team player and I will go out and I will fight for my team even when things are extremely tough.
“I actually stood up to the plate, put my head above the parapet and came on programmes like yours numerous times... I did that because I cared about us winning, I cared about the future of our country.
“I wanted as many colleagues of mine as possible to win and hold onto their seats and that was a really tough thing to do. I recognise of course that we as a party made mistakes, not least actually in that campaign.
“But you have two choices in life, you can either say ‘well actually it is getting a bit tough, I am going to go somewhere else and keep my head down’ or you put your head up and you are counted and you go towards the gunfire and that is what I chose to do and I have no regrets about that.”
Mel Stride said the Tories need to reorganise into a “fighting machine” after their drubbing at the general election.
The leadership candidate said: “We’ve got elections coming up next year for county councils and so on, and I think I will be well placed to drive that kind of change as well.”
Mel Stride said the Conservative Party had “substantially lost the trust of the British people” as well as its “reputation for competence”.
But the shadow work and pensions secretary said he believed he was in a “very good position” to fix the Tories’ problems as he pitched himself as a unifying candidate in the leadership race.
He told BBC Breakfast: “What we know from the general election is that we’re in a very, very difficult place as a party, and I worry about that because I care about my party and I care about my country.
“We’ve substantially lost the trust of the British people and we’ve lost our reputation for competence, and I believe that I’m in a very good position to address those issues going forward.
“In terms of trust, I think (the party) needs somebody who is going to be able to unite the party. People are not going to vote for a party that’s at each other’s throats all the time.
“I am respected, I think, right across the parliamentary party, I was chair of the Treasury Select Committee, the leader of the House of Commons, all of those things are roles about bringing people together.”
Mel Stride has announced he is running to be the next leader of the Conservative Party.
The shadow work and pensions secretary said he already had secured the support of the 10 MPs he needed to make it onto the ballot paper and had submitted his papers yesterday.
The MP for Central Devon told BBC Breakfast this morning: “I’m fully nominated. I was nominated yesterday morning and my candidacy has gone forward.”
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