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Liz Truss has promised to build stronger economic and trade ties with Commonwealth nations to counter China’s “growing malign influence”.If she succeeds Boris Johnson as prime minister in September, Ms Truss would launch a “new Commonwealth deal”, aimed at strengthening economic ties across the Commonwealth.Her plan would expedite bilateral trade agreements with Commonwealth partners, which her campaign team argues would supercharge the Commonwealth trade cost advantage, which is already 21 per cent lower on average for trade between Commonwealth countries versus non-members.Ms Truss said: “I will ensure the Commonwealth sits at the heart of my plans for Global Britain.“As one of the largest groups of freedom-loving democracies, we must ensure there are clear benefits to remaining a member of the Commonwealth and offer nations a clear alternative to growing malign influence from Beijing.Recommended“Prioritising trade with countries across the Commonwealth will strengthen economic and security ties whilst also turbocharging opportunities for British businesses to access one of the world’s largest economic blocs.”A campaign spokesperson added: “Liz believes the Commonwealth is vital to countering the influence of China and other authoritarian regimes seeking to undermine democratic values and freedom.“She believes trade and investment has a key role to play in stopping the growing Chinese influence, where Beijing has used investment as a part of its ‘Belt and Road Initiative’.“As prime minister, she will maximise all opportunities to strengthen economic and security ties across the Commonwealth.”Liberal Democrat foreign affairs spokesperson Layla Moran said: “Liz Truss is reheating old promises while ignoring the huge damage her government has done to Britain’s reputation abroad.“As foreign secretary, Truss has helped oversee savage aid cuts to our Commonwealth allies, pushing desperate people into poverty. It shows all the rhetoric about Global Britain is just empty words.”PA More

The contenders for the Conservative leadership were today competing to show they are tough on violence against women and girls, with Rishi Sunak proposing a new “down-blousing” offence and Liz Truss offering a law against misogynistic street harassment.Mr Sunak said that as prime minister he would create a new emergency taskforce to hunt down grooming gangs, as well as tightening the law to ensure perpetrators remain behind bars for longer.And Ms Truss said she would rapidly introduce a National Domestic Abuse Register to break the cycle of repeat offending by abusive men.The announcements come as the pair battle for the votes of 160,000 Conservative members in the race to succeed Boris Johnson, with Truss leading in the polls ahead of the issuing of ballot papers next week.They follow a series of high-profile cases in which women including Sarah Everard and Sabina Nessa have been murdered by strangers in the street.RecommendedMr Sunak said that sexual violence against women and girls should be treated as a “national emergency”.“As a father of two girls, I want them to be able to go for a walk in the evening or to a shop at night without any fear of threat,” he said.“As chancellor I boosted support for victims to record levels – quadruple those under Labour – and a ground-breaking new approach to policing which is helping drive up prosecutions of sex offenders.“As prime minister I will go further. I will make it a criminal offence if you harass women by taking intimate images of them without their consent and will introduce a major crackdown on grooming gangs.”In the wake of allegations that police held back from investigating grooming gangs involving men of Asian backgrounds, Mr Sunak said: “We cannot let sensitivities over race stop us from catching dangerous criminals who prey on women.“I will not stop until we live in a society where women and girls can go about their daily lives feeling safe and secure.”Under his plans to “hunt down and stamp out” grooming gangs, ringleaders would face maximum life sentences while others will automatically face criminal charges for belonging to or facilitating the activity of the ring.A new National Crime Agency emergency taskforce would launch an investigation into any town or city with significant grooming gang activity, with powers for force suspects to explain why they have phone numbers or other contact details for children.And a National Grooming Gangs Whistleblower Network would create a dedicated database to help the police monitor suspects.A new criminal offence would target so-called “down-blousing”, where perpetrators take photos down a woman’s top without their consent.Ms Truss announced a package of women to protect women and girls, including a stand-alone offence of street harassment.The National Domestic Abuse Register would cover all forms of domestic abuse, including coercive and controlling behaviour and financial abuse.Convicted offenders would have to inform the police of arrangements with new partners and their children and officers would be able to share information with the Sex Offenders Register and consider tagging for the most violent domestic abusers.Ms Truss also said she would speed up the process of bringing rape cases to court and ensure all courts are equipped with the technology to use pre-recorded video.“Over the last two years, our nation has been shocked by a number of high-profile murders of women,” said the foreign secretary.Recommended“Violence against women and girls doesn’t have to be inevitable. Women should be able to walk the streets without fear of harm and perpetrators must expect to be punished.“Through increased police training, new offences, faster processes for rape victims and our Domestic Abuse Register we will ensure victims are protected, and crimes are prevented in the first place.” More

Truss and Sunak eviscerate Tory legacy all by themselvesThe Labour leadership is on a “direct collision course” with trade union chiefs who have been left “absolutely fuming” by the sacking of Sam Tarry from the party frontbench for joining a rail strike picket line. Junior shadow transport minister Sam Tarry attended a demonstration at Euston Station in London – defying the Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer’s order to stay away from rail worker demonstrations.“The Labour party is born out of the trade union movement, and if we’re not able to show solidarity and have a constructive dialogue with trade unions, then I think we have a real problem,” Mr Tarry told LBC.“I think it’s wrong to say that any Labour poltician – if it be a councillor, if it be an MP, if it be a shadow minister – shouldn’t be showing solidarity, and I think that we are going to see that hit breaking point over the next few months.”RecommendedShow latest update

1658975400Sam Tarry ‘proud’ to have support from John Prescott after sackingEmily Atkinson28 July 2022 03:301658971800Rishi Sunak: I was hoping for holiday after quitting as chancellorRishi Sunak has denied quitting as chancellor in order to force a leadership contest, insisting that he was “looking forward to a nice holiday” after dramatically resigning earlier this month.The former chancellor’s bid to succeed Boris Johnson has been undermined by the reluctance of many Tory members to vote for the man they believe “wielded the knife” to oust the prime minister.Johnson himself has made little secret of his feeling that Sunak’s resignation was a betrayal, and suspicion over his motives have been fuelled by reports that allies were discussing social media strategies for a leadership bid months ago.Our political editor Andrew Woodcock has more: More

An “embarrassed and bruised” Kate McCann has returned to the TalkTV studio after she dramatically fainted during the Tory leadership debate between Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss.The face-off between the two remaining No 10 hopefuls was brought to an abrupt halt when the journalist collapsed off-camera while Ms Truss was speaking.Viewers heard a loud crash and saw a visibly concerned foreign secretary mouth the words “oh my God” before stepping away from the podium where she had been speaking. Seconds later, the show – which saw readers of the newspaper pose tough questions to Ms Truss and Mr Sunak directly – disappeared from screens.Opening a panel discussion on Wednesday reflecting on Tuesday’s head-to-head, Ms McCann, the channel’s political editor said: “After all the excitement of last night, thank goodness I’m now sitting down.”RecommendedShe continued: “There was plenty of speculation in the run up to last night’s Sun Showdown debate about whether anyone would be the victim of a knockout blow. What no one predicted was that it might well be the presenter.”Asked by The Sun’s deputy political editor, Kate Ferguson, how she felt today, Ms McCann replied: “A little embarrsed, a little bit bruised. But glad to be back and totally fine.”The fainting incident was “not necessarily what any of us expected last night,” she said.“It was one of those moments that no one can really prepare for.”“I think both Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak were a bit shocked by it. But good of both of them to agree to a re-match at some point. Hopefully we’ll be able tie down a date for that.”Posting on Twitter earlier on Monday, Ms McCann said: “Well that wasn’t how last night was supposed to end.”“Thanks everyone for the lovely messages – I’m fine now – and apologies to @trussliz and @RishiSunak for cutting the debate short.”Announcing her return to air on Wednesday evening, she quipped: “yes, sat down”.RecommendedThe TalkTV journalist was moderating the debate on her own after her scheduled co-host, Sun political editor Harry Cole, tested positive for Covid-19.The remaining two Tory leadership contenders each posted messages of support to Ms McCann following the incident and have said they will take part in a new debate. More

One of the closest associates of Prime Minister Viktor Orban has resigned after the leader said in a recent speech that Hungary was fighting against Europe becoming a “mixed race” society.Orban also said that countries with largescale migration from outside of Europe “are no longer nations.”Zsuzsa Hegedus compared Orban’s rhetoric to the kind of language used in Nazi Germany. Her response stands as a rare rebuke from within the governing ranks of Hungary’s leader, who has long been accused by the European Union of eroding democratic institutions and norms.Hegedus, who has worked with Orban for the past 20 years, said in a resignation letter that Orban’s language was “pure Nazi” speech.Recommended“I am sincerely sorry that I have to end a relationship due to such a shameful position,” Hegedus said in the letter, which was carried by the Hungarian media on Tuesday. “I was left with no other choice.”In his speech, which he made last Saturday, Orban spoke of two parts of Europe. “There is a world in which European peoples are mixed together with those arriving from outside Europe,” he said in Baile Tusnad, a majority ethnic Hungarian city in Romania. “Now, that is a mixed-race world.”In what he described as “our world,” Orban said “people from within Europe mix with one another.” “This is why we have always fought: we are willing to mix with one another, but we do not want to become peoples of mixed-race,” Orban said. Orban also said: “Migration has split Europe in two – or I could say that it has split the West in two. One half is a world where European and non-European peoples live together. These countries are no longer nations: they are nothing more than a conglomeration of peoples.”While he is known for anti-migration comments and his criticism of Western liberal values, Saturday’s speech sparked a fresh wave of outrage from the opposition in Hungary and throughout Europe. Criticism, however, from within Orban’s closest circle, has been very rare so far. The Hungarian prime minister and his conservative Fidesz party hold a comfortable majority and have sought to curb critical voices. Hegedus told Orban that his comments were unacceptable even by the standards of “the most bloodthirsty racist.” “I don’t know how you didn’t notice that you were presenting a pure Nazi text worthy of Goebbels,” she wrote, referring to Joseph Goebbels, the chief Nazi propagandist under Adolf Hitler. “I cannot dispense with it this time, even for the sake of our nearly 20-year friendship,” she added.Hungary’s hvg.hu news portal said Hegedus also sent a copy of her resignation letter to Hungary’s chief rabbi, Robert Frolich, who also criticized Orban’s remarks. Orban accepted Hegedus’ resignation but dismissed her criticism in a response letter. Recommended“You can’t be serious about accusing me of racism after 20 years of working together,” he said. “You know best that my government follows a policy of zero tolerance when it comes to anti-Semitism and racism in Hungary.”Orban will travel to the U.S. next week to address a gathering of conservative activists. Orban has become a hero to many on the American right for his push against immigration and LGBTQ rights. More

Liz Truss has been accused of planning to put the fight for racial and gender equality in Whitehall “back 30 years” under a shock plan to axe anti-discrimination roles.The Tory leadership race favourite is under fire over a civil service shake-up that would also embrace US-style “political appointees” in top roles – undermining effective government, it is claimed.The 2020 plan, which remains her blueprint the Truss camp says, is designed to sweep away a “liberal groupthink” by scrapping diversity and inclusion teams charged with creating a “modern workplace”.They help ensure the civil service does not discriminate on grounds of race, gender, disability, social mobility, faith, or age, following the passing of the landmark 2010 Equality Act.Dr Halima Begum, chief executive of The Runnymede Trust think tank, described the plans as “most worrying”, saying: “It indicates a continuing de-prioritisation of racial and other forms of equality.”Recommended“Minority groups continue to experience starkly disproportionate outcomes and we would expect the holders of high political office to lead on diversity and inclusion – to stand as an example for the rest of the country.Jabeer Butt, chief executive of the Race Equality Foundation, said: “This appears to make a mockery of the government’s own recently published Inclusive Britain report, which highlights a fund to prosecute organisations who fail to tackle racial discrimination and break equality law.”And Anneliese Dodds, Labour’s shadow equalities secretary, said: “Liz Truss has no answers to the challenges the country faces, just soundbites to please the Tory base.“She needs to come clean about whether she wanted to take the civil service back thirty years by getting rid of the people who promote diversity and inclusion across the service.”Tory-supporting newspapers have been briefed that the leaked document accurately captured the foreign secretary’s plans for “tough reforms” if she wins the race for No 10.“As prime minister, Liz will not be captured by the Whitehall and Treasury orthodoxy,” a source said, adding: “She’s absolutely the person who will get things done and challenge civil service groupthink.”The Chartered Institute for Personnel and Development (CIPD) warned of “more conflict and employment relations problems, as well as potential legal risks and costs”.Ben Willmott, its head of public policy, said: “A strong focus on equality, inclusion and diversity is key to organisations’ ability to recruit and retain a more diverse workforce at a time when there is increasing competition for talent.”Dave Penman, general secretary of the FDA civil servants’ union, condemned the “ideological dogma” behind more political appointees which would mean the loss of “the best evidence-based advice available”.“Imagine how the events of the last few weeks would have played out if the entire senior team surrounding ministers had to change with every ministerial resignation,” he said.“Whilst ministers were indulging their own political ambitions, permanent civil servants were concentrating on delivering vital public services.”RecommendedThe 2020 submission also called for private lawyers to be brought in to challenge the civil service’s “highly risk averse” legal team.Last month, it emerged that the government’s top legal adviser had warned the plan to tear up the Northern Ireland Protocol is likely to breach international law – while ministers insisted it would not. More

Unions have warned of “fierce and prolonged resistance” if the new Conservative prime minister clamps down on the right to strike, as the latest round of industrial action caused delays to millions of rail travellers.There was a furious reaction to a set of “draconian” proposals for new restrictions set out by transport secretary Grant Shapps in response to the walkout by members of the RMT rail union.Mr Shapps’ package – which includes a 60-day cooling-off period after each strike – goes further than the tightening of the law promised by leadership candidate Liz Truss, which has already sparked warnings of a general strike.It comes amid expectations of a “summer of discontent” as workers ranging from nurses to postmen and barristers protest the failure of pay to keep pace with inflation, which is expected to reach 11 per cent by the end of the year.Writing in the Daily Telegraph today, Mr Shapps – a prominent supporter of Rishi Sunak’s bid to succeed Boris Johnson as PM – said he wanted to complete the “unfinished business” of Margaret Thatcher by reining in union power.RecommendedAfter legislating to allow the use of agency workers as strike-breakers, he said he wanted a slew of additional measures, including: – A ban on strikes by different unions in the same workplace within a set period.- A limit of six pickets at critical sites and a ban on intimidatory language.- Requirements for new ballots on every bout of industrial action, with specific reasons and format for action spelt out and a minimum 50 per cent threshold, compared to 40 per cent of those eligible to vote now.- A right for employers to respond to issues cited on ballot papers and an increase in the minimum notice for strike action from two to four weeks.- Minimum service levels during strike action on critical infrastructrure, like the railways.“The default strategy adopted by the RMT and others in industrial relations – their casual, habitual, brutal resort to the strike weapon – must end,” said Mr Shapps. “Only then will this country progress to a high-productivity, high-wage 21stcentury economy benefitting all workers.”TUC general secretary Frances O’Grady described Mr Shapps’s package as “an attack on the fundamental right to strike… anti-democratic and anti-worker.””While millions are struggling to get by, ministers are falling over themselves to try to find new ways to limit workers’ ability to bargain for higher pay,” she said.”It’s time for the transport secretary to focus on ending this dispute instead of looking for new ways to distract from his failure.”Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “If Grant Shapps had his way we would all still be in the workhouse.“Whilst this outbreak is clearly framed by a fashion parade within the Conservative Party, it is also deeply serious and shows just how out of touch our political class are.Describing the current cost-of-living crisis as “the latest episode in a long-term war on the living standards of workers”, Ms Graham said: “I will not apologise for demanding and winning fair pay rises for my members and any action to effectively remove the ability to strike will be met with fierce and prolonged resistance.”And the leader of the Unison union,Christina McAnea, accused ministers of wanting to “turn the clock back to Victorian times when children were sent up chimneys and working people ruthlessly exploited”.“Curbing the right of employees to strike would be the green light for a return to the worst workplace abuses of the past,” said Ms McAnea.“Disputes should be a red warning to Government that key services are being mismanaged. Instead of ramping up the rhetoric, ministers must talk to unions and work out ways to fix the problems together.”Earlier this week, Ms Truss promised “tough action to prevent trade unions from paralysing the country” if she becomes PM, including legislation to be introduced within 30 days to impose minimum service levels on critical national infrastructure.She also promised to raise ballot thresholds from 40 to 50 per cent to make it more difficult for union bosses to secure support for industrial action.RMT leader Mick Lynch said Ms Truss’s proposals would “effectively outlaw collective action”.“I think that’s a turn to the extreme right on behalf of the Conservatives, and they’re playing to their reactionary base,” said Mr Lynch. “I think there will be an enormous response from the trade union movement.”RecommendedMr Lynch told the i newspaper that he would back a general strike if Ms Truss’s plans went ahead, but acknowledged that this would be a decision for the TUC. More

Volodymyr Zelensky has said he hopes Boris Johnson will maintain a position in politics after quitting as prime minister in order to continue his support for Ukraine.The Ukrainian president said he happy to maintain “the same close relationship” with either of the candidates to replace Mr Johnson as PM, Rishi Sunak or Liz Truss.Speaking to Piers Morgan in an interview to be broadcast on his Uncensored programme on Talk TV at 8pm on Wednesday, Mr Zelensky said that he did not want Mr Johnson to “disappear” after he leaves office in September.But he declined to offer his support to a campaign launched by former Tory treasurer Lord Cruddas to keep Mr Johnson as PM, saying: “I have no right to play in politics inside the UK.”His comments came after Ukrainian MP Oleksii Goncharenko called for Johnson to be made Nato secretary general when Jens Stoltenberg steps down next year.RecommendedMr Zelensky was not asked what future role he envisaged for Mr Johnson, but told Morgan: “What I can say is he is a big friend of Ukraine. I want him to be somewhere in politics in a position to be someone.“I don’t want him to disappear, but the decision is in the hands of the British people.“But I am sure that whatever position he is going to take he is always going to be with Ukraine. This is from the heart.”Asked about the battle for the Tory succession between Mr Sunak and Ms Truss, Mr Zelensky said: “I would be happy to co-operate very closely like we used to have with Boris. The same close relationship with the UK and Ukraine.“I know those two candidates are very respectful and they have the support of the people and the society from the UK. We know about this support. We know about the positive strength of those leaders.“We would be happy to co-operate with whoever is elected as leader. I used to have contact with Liz Truss. Whoever is the leader, the highest level of support will be provided from the Ukraine.”RecommendedThe Ukrainian leader also said he would welcome a visit to capital Kyiv by US president Joe Biden as “the strongest signal” of American support for the country’s fight against Russian invaders. More