Sadiq Khan today repeatedly refused to be drawn on if he supports Sir Keir Starmer’s plan to change the Labour Party’s leadership election rules.
Under the controversial proposals Labour would ditch the one member, one vote system and replace it with an electoral college system which would give MPs and unions a stronger say in future leadership contests.
Mr Khan was asked on three occasions if he supported the alterations suggested by Labour but said that “internal party rules isn’t at the fore of my mind”.
Meanwhile, former prime minister Gordon Brown lambasted ministers for an upcoming cut to universal credit, adding that he had never seen a government act “so callously”.
He also called the withdrawal of the £20-a-week uplift “more economically illogical, socially divisive and morally indefensible than anything I have witnessed in this country’s politics”.
It comes as Boris Johnson has told leaders at the UN the world is not “indestructible” and that the upcoming climate summit in Glasgow is “the turning point for humanity”.
The prime minister was addressing the General Assembly in the early hours on Thursday in the final act of his US visit, where he also discussed the Covid-19 pandemic and trade.
Kwasi Kwarteng denies ‘complacency’ over energy crisis
Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng denied being complacent over 18-month-old warnings about risks to the UK’s energy supply.
A host of suppliers have gone to the wall in recent weeks after the energy sector was hit by rocketing global wholesale gas prices.
Labour used an urgent question to drag Mr Kwarteng before MPs to face questions over the crisis.
Shadow business secretary Ed Miliband quoted a letter from energy regulator Ofgem warning of a “systemic risk to the energy supply as a whole” which had been sent 18 months ago.
Opposition leader Sir Keir Starmer tweeted that the details showed the Government was “warned about a looming crisis and didn’t prepare”.
Speaking in the Commons, Mr Miliband accused ministers of being “complacent” about the shock that rising gas prices could wreak upon the market, as well as families and the cost of living.
But Mr Kwarteng said the Conservative administration had “not been complacent” as suppliers collapsed.
The Cabinet minister said that Ofgem’s concerns had been “interrogated” during the coronavirus pandemic, with the supplier of last resort programme, where consumers are automatically transferred to a new provider if their supplier exits the market, was “found to work”.
Government was warned energy firms could collapse 18 months ago, Ofgem letter reveals
The government was warned 18 months ago that some of the UK’s struggling energy companies faced possible collapse, a newly-released letter has revealed.
Regulator Ofgem wrote to business secretary Kwasi Kwarteng last March to warn him of the “systemic risk” faced by energy suppliers, urging the government to consider action to help stabilise the market.
Shared by Labour on Thursday, the Ofgem letter warned that many firms had only “thin cash reserves” – telling the minister that any shocks could mean “significant numbers of suppliers who have otherwise good business models may fail”.
Adam Forrest has the details.
Coronavirus unlikely to become more deadly because it’s run out of ‘places to go’, says Oxford jab creator
Covid is unlikely to mutate into a deadlier, vaccine-evading, variant because it’s run out of “places to go” , the creator of the Oxford jab has said.
Dame Sarah Gilbert said coronavirus is likely to become less severe in its effects. Speaking at a Royal Society of Medicine webinar on Wednesday, she said: “We normally see that viruses become less virulent as they circulate more easily and there is no reason to think we will have a more virulent version of Sars-CoV-2.”
Dame Sarah said that some variations were to be expected but predicted that coronavirus would eventually become like the flu virus, saying: “What tends to happen over time is there’s just a slow drift, that’s what happens with flu viruses. You see small changes accumulating over a period of time and then we have the opportunity to react to that.”
Holly Bancroft reports.
We will push ‘rogue regime’ of Iran ‘as far as we can’ for release of Zaghari-Ratcliffe, says Jacob Rees-Mogg
Jacob Rees-Mogg said the Government will push the “rogue regime” of Iran “as far as we can” for the release of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe.
Shadow Commons speaker Thangam Debbonaire said: “Today marks the 2,000th day of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe’s detention in Iran. Outside, a demonstration is taking place to raise awareness of her case, of Anoosheh Ashoori’s, and of countless others imprisoned there.
“When will the Government bring them home?”
Commons Leader Mr Rees-Mogg replied: “I hope she is assured to note that the Foreign Secretary (Liz Truss) raised this issue and said that it was quite inexcusable for Nazanin to still be detained by the Iranian authorities as one of the first things she said as Foreign Secretary.
“I think it is extremely reassuring that the Government is publicly saying that this must happen, but there are limits to the power of the Government in forcing rogue regimes to doing what we want and that has been the case for too long.
“But it is inexcusable Nazanin is still held and the Government will push the Iranian authorities as far as we can.”
Ex-Labour MP Keith Vaz engaged in ‘sustained and unpleasant’ bullying, inquiry finds
Former Labour MP Keith Vaz was responsible for “sustained and unpleasant” bullying of a parliamentary clerk, a House of Commons inquiry has found.
A two-year inquiry into Mr Vaz carried out by an independent expert panel (IEP) found his bullying had a “real and enduring psychological impact” on a member of staff, writes The Independent’s Adam Forrest.
The ex-MP for Leicester East “should be ashamed of his behaviour”, said the panel – which also ruled that his eligibility to hold a pass allowing for members access to parliament should never be restored.
Ending Troubles prosecutions in Northern Ireland ‘could breach international law’, Council of Europe warns
The UK may be about to breach international law with its controversial plan to end all Troubles-era prosecutions in Northern Ireland, the Council of Europe is warning
The controversial plans – which would also end all legacy inquests and civil actions from the conflict – appears to be an unconditional amnesty, its human rights commissioner says.
In a letter, Dunja Mijatović tells ministers they “might bring the United Kingdom into conflict with its international obligations, notably the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR)”.
The Independent’s deputy political editor Rob Merrick reports.
Tory MPs call for Government to reduce or abolish VAT on energy bills
The Government should reduce or abolish VAT on energy bills, two Conservative former ministers have told the House of Commons.
Christchurch MP Sir Christopher Chope said: “Why don’t we reduce VAT on fuel as a temporary measure?
“We did it for the hospitality industry, which was badly affected by Covid-19. Why don’t we abolish VAT for consumers on fuel now?”
He was followed by the MP for Harlow, Robert Halfon, who told the Commons: “I am sure the Conservative answer to this is to reduce VAT on energy bills, something that was pledged by those who support Brexit in the EU referendum.
“He will say it is up to the Treasury to decide, but he is very persuasive. He believes in tax cuts and I know if he went to see the Chancellor, he would ensure that we will get VAT cuts on energy bills.”
Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng replied: “As he knows, I see the Chancellor on a regular basis and I am delighted to inform him that these conversations tend to be confidential.”
Sadiq Khan refuses to back Keir Starmer over Labour leadership rules
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has refused to back Sir Keir Starmer’s plan to end the one member, one vote system which elected Jeremy Corbyn as Labour leader.
Labour mayor was asked three times if he supported Sir Keir’s proposal to replace existing rules with a return to an electoral college system, which would give MPs and unions a much greater say.
But Mr Khan three times spurned the chance to back the party leader. “I’ve got to be frank, as the mayor of London, internal party rules isn’t at the fore of my mind,” he told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.
The Independent’s Adam Forrest has the details.
