Markus Andrews

Unions today accused Boris Johnson of pursuing a “race to the bottom” on pay, as the prime minister set the scene for months of confrontation with striking workers.As millions of train passengers faced disruption from the largest rail strike since the 1980s, Mr Johnson said the country must be ready to “stay the course” to head off public sector pay hikes which would plunge the UK into an inflationary spiral.But TUC general secretary Frances O’Grady told The Independent that the government’s approach will cause “widespread hardship” among working families and damage the economy by suppressing consumer demand.With fewer than 20 of scheduled trains running on Tuesday – and 26 per cent of those which did run subject to delays – RMT boss Mick Lynch hailed a “fantastic” response from rail workers.“RMT members are leading the way for all workers in this country who are sick and tired of having their pay and conditions slashed by a mixture of big business profits and government policy,” said Mr Lynch. “Now is the time to stand up and fight for every single railway worker in this dispute that we will win.”But a Department for Transport (DfT) spokesperson responded: “Unions have shut down big parts of the rail network, hitting local businesses and unfairly cutting people off from hospitals, schools and work.“However, early data shows that unlike in the past many people now have the opportunity to work from home, so we haven’t even a rush to the roads, as traffic has instead gone online, which means the unions aren’t having the overall impact they might have hoped.”Official figures released on Wednesday are expected to see inflation dialled up a notch from the 9 per cent recorded in April, fuelling further demands for higher pay from workers struggling to pay household bills. The National Education Union (NEU) will write to Nadhim Zahawi after seeing the figures to demand an “inflation-plus” rise for teachers, with the warning of a possible ballot on industrial action in the autumn.General secretary Kevin Courtney said the union will urge the education secretary to “re-evaluate” his earlier proposal of a 3 per cent hike in the light of fast-rising inflation, which is forecast to reach at least 11 per cent in the coming months.Meanwhile, the Communication Workers Union (CWU) announced it will ballot 115,000 Royal Mail staff over a “totally inadequate” 2 per cent pay award, while sectors ranging from health workers to barristers and civil servants mull industrial action. Tellingly, a threatened strike by refuse collectors working for Veolia was averted only by the offer of a 7.5 per cent rise – below inflation but well above the 2-3 per cent being offered to rail workers and in line with the 7 per cent demanded by the RMT.The outcome of the rail dispute will set a precedent for a range of public sector professions as recommendations from pay review bodies are received by ministers over the coming weeks.Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) director Paul Johnson said that a settlement of 7 or even 9 per cent for any particular group of workers would not be inflationary in itself, but if it became the norm it risked being passed on in prices.Junior doctors have already indicated their willingness to consider strike action, and the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) today warned that pay was “a crucial factor” in the recruitment and retention crisis which has seen more than 80 per cent of shifts facing staff shortages. “Following the UK government’s pay award announcement, RCN members will have a chance to speak up for their profession, and their patients,” a spokesperson told The Independent.While Mr Johnson accused “union barons” of causing “all sorts of unnecessary aggravations” to people trying to get to work and schoolchildren sitting exams, there were signs that the country is split over the strikes.Some 58 per cent of those questioned by pollsters Savanta ComRes after being given a description of the issues behind the dispute said the rail strikes were “justified”, against 34 per cent who said they were not. A separate poll by YouGov found that 37 per cent were “supportive” of the strikes – which are due to be repeated on Thursday and Saturday, causing disruption throughout the week – and 45 per cent “opposed”.Opinions were divided over who was to blame for the walkout, but voters appeared to reject the government’s argument that it could not get involved in negotiations between rail employers and unions.Two-thirds (66 per cent) of those questioned by Savanta said the government had not done enough to prevent strikes, with 61 per cent saying the same about transport secretary Grant Shapps, 57 per cent about Network Rail and 49 per cent the RMT.Talks between unions and employers are due to resume on Wednesday after a 24-hour break for the first day of the strike.Downing Street accused unions of resisting reforms to “outdated practices”, such as restrictions on the use of technology or resistance to using apps which could boost productivity. In a clear indication that he is ready to see the dispute rumble on rather than give ground, Mr Johnson told a meeting of his cabinet: “We need, I’m afraid, everybody – and I say this to the country as a whole – we need to get ready to stay the course.“To stay the course, because these reforms, these improvements in the way we run our railways, are in the interests of the travelling public, they will help to cut costs for farepayers up and down the country.”Mr Johnson’s official spokesperson warned that generous rises in the public sector would become “embedded in the labour market”, sending a signal to private companies to make similar offers and triggering an inflationary spiral which would hit the real value of everyone’s pay packet.The same consideration did not apply to state pension rises, expected to match inflation in line with the “triple lock” protection, he said.“The prime minister’s view is it is in the long-term interest of both the country and the public to not give in to some of these demands,” said the spokesperson.But Ms O’Grady said: “Britain is in the middle of the worst cost of living crisis in generations.“The last thing working families need right now is a race to the bottom on pay.“Holding down wages in the public sector – to keep pay awards lower in the private sector – will cause widespread hardship. And it will suck demand out of our economy by depressing consumer spending.“It’s also jarring to hear the prime minister call for nurses, teachers and other public sector key workers to tighten the belts when he’s looking to tear up the limits on City bosses’ pay.”Mr Courtney said Mr Zahawi must revise teachers’ offer upwards in the light of fast-increasing prices.“When he wrote to our pay review body to give evidence, he said that experienced teachers should get a 3 per cent pay rise,” the NEU boss told The Independent.“Inflation has gone up dramatically since then. We’re saying that he must re-evaluate.“There’s a profound crisis developing in teacher recruitment and retention. He cannot turn away from the impact that double-digit inflation will have on making that worse unless there is a proper pay offer.”Mr Courtney said that, with pay still below its 2010 level when inflation is taken into account, the government was making a “big mistake” in demanding restraint from working people.And Unison general secretary Christina McAnea told The Independent: “Health workers in England are still waiting for the government to announce the pay rise they were due almost three months ago.“Any increase must be above inflation. This wouldn’t solve every problem in the NHS but should prove enough to stop many experienced staff from leaving.” More

A majority of voters think this week’s rail strikes are justified and two-thirds (66 per cent) think the government has not done enough to prevent them happening, according to a new poll.The survey, by Savanta ComRes, found that 58 per cent of those questioned thought the strikes were justified, against just one-third (34 per cent) who say they are not.The findings, based on a poll of 2,336 adults on Monday, suggest that Boris Johnson’s attempts to use the strikes as a “wedge” issue to draw a political line with Labour may not be succeeding.However, Savanta’s political research director Chris Hopkins cautioned that opinions may shift over the course of week of disruption during which three strike days are planned.And a separate poll by YouGov found that 37 per cent described themselves as “supportive” of the strikes and 45 per cent “opposed”.For the Savanta poll, respondents were given an explanation of the dispute before answering questions, while the YouGov survey simply asked them how supportive they were, in a possible indication that learning more about the issues involved makes individuals more sympathetic to workers taking industrial action.Strikingly, the Savanta poll found that six in 10 (60 per cent) say that they are generally supportive of workers striking, while just 35 per cent were generally opposed.The poll indicated that more voters blame government than the unions for the industrial action, which is expected to be followed by more strikes later in the year.Some 66 per cent said that the government had not done enough to prevent them happening, 61 per cent said the same about transport secretary Grant Shapps, 57 per cent Network Rail and 49 per cent the RMT.Younger voters aged 18-34 (72 per cent) and Labour voters (79 per cent) were more likely to see the strikes as justified compared to their older (44 per cent) and Conservative-voting (38 per cent) counterparts.The poll suggested that about one in 12 of the population have cancelled planned journeys as a result of the three days of strikes.Around a quarter (24 per cent) said they had been intending to use the railways this week, of whom just over a third (34 per cent) said they will no longer make the trip.With professions ranging from teachers to nurses to barristers and civil servants set to be balloted on industrial action, seven in ten (70 per cent) said that the rail strike going ahead made others more likely later in the summer.Commenting on the findings, Mr Hopkins said: “Much has been made of whether or not the public support these strikes, and our polling – that included an explanation of the dispute rather than an uninformed test of perceptions – shows a majority finding justification in the decision of rail workers to strike, along with general support for the principle of workers striking.”What will be interesting over the coming days is to what extent the public mood changes.“Fieldwork here was conducted before the strike began; after a week of coverage of likely disruption, will the public be as sympathetic? And what impact will that have on those other unions threatening to ballot their members over a pay deal nowhere near in line with high inflation?“These issues are just more things to give this government a headache as it heads towards a summer where the rising cost of living will have further negative consequences.” More

Tory party elections which could decide whether Boris Johnson faces another no-confidence vote this year will be staged next month, The Independent has learned.The new 18-strong executive of the powerful 1922 Committee of Conservative backbenchers will be chosen on 13 July – sparking a battle between supporters and opponents of the prime minister.It will decide whether to change the rules currently preventing a fresh no-confidence vote for 12 months, which No 10 is hoping will avert another challenge until next year.The idea will be turbo charged if an investigation by the Commons privileges committee finds the prime minister lied to MPs over the Partygate scandal, the biggest threat to his position.Mr Johnson, who angered Graham Brady, the current chair, by attempting to install an ally in the post last year, is expected to intervene behind the scenes again to influence the outcome of the elections.One member of the committee suggested “slates of candidates” could be run by Tory factions seeking to topple the prime minister and those keen to keep him in power.It was suggested that Sir Graham is unlikely to be challenged, but his deputies William Wragg and Nusrat Ghani – who have both clashed with Mr Johnson – could face a contest.But No 10 is believed to be resigned to the likelihood that the new executive will be more hostile than the last, given the 148 Tory MPs who voted to unseat the prime minister this month.Only backbenchers can serve on the 1922 Committee executive – and ministers and whips are not allowed to vote in the elections.Furthermore, anyone who is seen as Downing Street’s candidate is unlikely to be successful, given the failed attempt to install Heather Wheeler as the chair last year.One senior Tory told The Independent: “I expect there will be some challenges against people not seen as sympathetic to the prime minister, such as William and Nusrat.”The current executive of the 1922 Committee has not yet agreed 13 July as the date of the elections, but is all-but certain to rubberstamp the recommendation of its officers, who met this week.There had been suggestions of a delay until the autumn, but the Committee’s leaders have now settled on a contest next month.Two weeks ago, Sir Graham said the current executive had not yet discussed changing the rules to allow a second no-confidence vote within a 12-month period.He said: “Of course, it is technically possible that laws can be changed in the future.“But I think it’s important we say the rule that is in place, and is likely to remain in place, is that there is a year’s period of grace following a confidence vote.” More

Boris Johnson’s former ethics adviser Lord Geidt is said to believe that claims the PM tried to appoint his future wife Carrie to a top government job could be “ripe” for investigation.A report published in the first edition of The Times on Saturday alleged that Mr Johnson had attempted to install his then-girlfriend in a £100,000-a-year job in the Foreign Office in 2018.The story was pulled from later editions after No 10 intervened, and Ms Johnson’s spokesperson described it as “totally untrue”, but Downing Street has so far refused to comment on the claim.And No 10 did not deny a further report in the Daily Mirror today that Mr Johnson had discussed with aides the possibility of appointing Carrie as an ambassador in the run-up to last year’s COP26 global climate summit or as communications director for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s Earthshot Prize. A Downing Street source said that it was “untrue” to suggest that Mr Johnson had recommended his wife for either job, but did not respond when asked whether he had discussed it with aides. The PM’s official spokesperson refused to discuss details of Mr Johnson’s private conversations with advisers.The spokesperson said: “The prime minister has never recommended Mrs Johnson for a government role, or one as part of the Earthshot Prize. Beyond that I wouldn’t get into any conversations the prime minister may or may not have had in private.”And Ms Johnson’s spokesperson said: “This is an old story which is as untrue now as it was then.”But Lord Geidt – who sensationally quit as adviser on ministers’ interests last week – reportedly believes the matter of the alleged attempt to find Carrie a role at the Foreign Office could be probed by his replacement.The ex-ethics watchdog “thinks the incident could be a matter for his successor” and “could be ripe for investigation”, according to The Daily Telegraph.The initial allegation about the PM attempting to install Carrie at the Foreign Office appeared in the first edition of The Times on Saturday, but vanished from later copies.Downing Street confirmed aides intervened following the initial publication of the allegation in The Times, but denied that the PM himself contacted the paper to complain.The story expanded on allegations made in a biography of Ms Johnson, First Lady: Intrigue at the Court of Carrie and Boris Johnson, written by Tory donor Lord Ashcroft earlier this year.Responding to initial story, a spokesperson for Ms Johnson said: “These claims are totally untrue.” But The Times’ journalist Simon Walters is standing by his story “100 per cent”, saying he had been in communication with No 10 aides and Mrs Johnson’s spokeswoman before the paper went to press.“At no point did any of them offer an on-the-record denial of any element of the story,” Mr Walters said. More

Rishi Sunak is facing growing pressure to act amid warnings spiralling inflation means an extra 35,000 of Britain’s poorest families will lose out on a massive boost to their income. Already 120,000 households are missing out on an average of £2,600 a year because of the benefit cap, new official figures show.Analysis by the leading charity Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) shows that figure could rise to more than 150,000 unless the limit on how much help they can receive from the state is increased for the first time in six years.The average household misses out on £50 a week, but for a small number of families that figure is more than £300 a week.As part of a £15bn emergency package last month, the chancellor did announce that those on the cap would receive a £650 one-off cash payment being given to millions across the country.But he also suggested that they would miss out on a massive boost to their income early next year when benefits are set to rise in line with inflation.Campaigners and experts, including the highly respected Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS), have urged ministers to ensure some of the least affluent people in society do not miss out on what could be a double-digit hike in their income. More than 120,000 households across the UK are affected by the cap, which has not changed since November 2016.It limits the amount that can be received to £20,000 per year, or £13,400 for single adults with no children. Slightly higher rates apply in greater London of £23,000 a year, or £15,410.The policy was introduced in 2013 as part of former chancellor George Osborne’s austerity measures. The only time the rates have been changed since then was to lower them. Famously, ministers did not raise the cap during the pandemic, when everyone on the main benefit of Universal Credit was given an extra £20 a week. Many lost out on most or all of that extra help because of the cap.The average monthly amount that households on Universal Credit are capped by was £220 in February, newly published figures from the Department for Work and Pensions show.But around 2,000 were capped by the equivalent of more than £200 a week, including about 320 who were capped by the equivalent of more than £300 per week.The statistics also show that nearly nine in 10, 86 per cent, of capped households have children.Last month Carl Emmerson, the deputy director of the IFS told the Independent that if ministers planned to make benefits more generous to keep up with spiralling inflation “the benefit cap should almost certainly increase to reflect that”.He also said the policy effectively “says we are OK with people who have a few more children in cheap parts of the country and we are OK with people having a bit more expensive housing costs as long as they don’t happen to be children. What we don’t like is people having lots of children in expensive parts of the country.”The Child Poverty Action Group estimates that abolishing the cap could lift around 50,000 children out of poverty at a stroke.Chief executive Alison Garnham said: “The cost of living crisis shows that the benefit cap is broken, and needs to go. It has always forced families to live on much less than they need, but as prices spiral the effects are brutal and 298,000 children are among its casualties.In his cost-of-living support package the Chancellor recognised that families subject to the cap face the same cost pressures as everybody else.  By the same logic, the cap must be removed to help the worst off families stay afloat. Next April’s uprating must be available to every family on benefits, as a bare minimum layer of protection against dramatically higher living costs. “A DWP spokesperson said: “The benefit cap provides a strong work incentive and ensures fairness for hard-working taxpaying households by encouraging people to move into work, where possible.”We keep the cap under review and any revision would align with the timing of decisions on uprating benefits, with changes taking effect the following April.” More

Nadine Dorries says she doesn’t ‘fancy’ Boris JohnsonDowning Street has not refuted claims that Boris Johnson spoke with aides about getting wife Carrie Johnson two top jobs while prime minister.Mr Johnson discussed environmental roles for his wife in autumn 2020, either for the Cop26 summit or with the Royal Family, sources told the Daily Mirror.The latest claim follows reports Mr Johnson tried to hire her as his chief of staff when he was foreign secretary in 2018.The PM allegedly went on to suggest securing her a role as green ambassador in the run-up to Cop26 or as communications director for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s Earthshot Prize.Downing Street said he had never recommended Ms Johnson for a government role, but stopped short of denying that he considered or discussed the move.The PMs’s official spokesman said: “The Prime Minister has never recommended Mrs Johnson for a government role, or one as part of the Earthshot Prize.“Beyond that I wouldn’t get into any conversations the Prime Minister may or may not have had in private.”Show latest update

1655822707John Rentoul Keir Starmer’s EU speech will contradict what everyone knows about himThe Labour leader is planning to explain that he is not ‘backsliding on Brexit’, writes John Rentoul.Joe Middleton21 June 2022 15:451655821813Royal Mail workers to be balloted for strike actionMore than 115,000 Royal Mail workers are to be balloted for industrial action in a row over pay.Members of the Communication Workers Union (CWU) will vote in the coming weeks on whether to mount a campaign of industrial action. Ballot papers will go out on June 28 and the result will be known next month.CWU deputy general secretary Terry Pullinger said in a video posted on Twitter: “Today we will be serving a notice on Royal Mail Group over a pay claim – our claim for an inflation-based, no-strings pay award.“The company has imposed a 2% pay award, miles away from where inflation is, totally inadequate.”Joe Middleton21 June 2022 15:301655820409Truss to visit Turkey for talks on ending Russia’s blockade of Ukrainian grainForeign secretary Liz Truss will step up efforts to end Russia’s blockade of Ukrainian grain and ease global hunger fears during a visit to Turkey on Wednesday.The UK and its allies “only have a number of weeks” to get the grain out of the country, Ms Truss warned ahead of talks with her Turkish counterparts.Ukraine has been described as the “bread basket of Europe” and was one of the world’s largest exporters of wheat, corn and sunflower oil.But the Russian invasion and Moscow’s mining of the access to the southern ports, including Odesa, has halted much of that flow and endangered world food supplies.Speaking at Foreign Office questions, Conservative MP Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown MP (The Cotswolds) told the Commons: “The harvest in Ukraine is going to have to start in the next few weeks. The problem is that there is 25 million tonnes of old crop filling up all the stores.”There will be nowhere to put the new crop, it will have to be piled on the fields, and then the Russians will seize it and use it as a weapon of war to buy influence around the world.”What more can (Ms Truss) do to ensure that there is international passage for that grain out of Odesa and other ports?”Ms Truss replied: “We are doing all we can to secure the export of that very important grain from Ukraine. And (Sir Geoffrey) is right, we only have a number of weeks to be able to achieve that.”We are backing the UN plan, but we are also doing what we can with our allies to provide safe passage, to make sure that Odesa is fully defended, and tomorrow I will be travelling to Turkey to talk to them about how we can do more to get the grain out of Odesa.”Matt Mathers21 June 2022 15:061655819193UK steadfast in back Ukraine, Johnson saysBoris Johnson promised the UK would be “steadfast” in supporting Ukrainians as he warned of “growing fatigue” around the conflict and said any concessions to Russian president Vladimir Putin would be a “disaster”.The prime minister vowed to ensure “fresh political, military and financial support from the international community” to the war-torn country, his official spokesman said on Tuesday.”The prime minister’s concern is that it may not be at the forefront of everyone’s minds, because of … some of those wider global challenges we’re facing, not least on inflation around the world,” according to the official.Mr Johnson told Cabinet that “we must not allow anyone to believe that making concessions to Putin would lead to anything but disaster”, as this could be “perceived to be a reward for their unwarranted aggression” and “would embolden not just Russia but their allies and have an impact on UK security and on our economy,” the spokesperson said.Matt Mathers21 June 2022 14:461655817714Tories odds on to lose both byelections on ThursdayThe Tories are odds on to lose both the Wakefield and Tiverton & Hontip byelections on Thursday, according to a bookmaker.The Lib Dems are odds-on at 4/11 to win the seat in Tiverton and Honiton, a Tory-voting area since the 1920s, Betfair Exchange says.Meanwhile the Conservatives are set to lose another seat in the Wakefield by-election with Labour nailed on at 1/100 to come out victorious.Betfair spokesperson Sam Rosbottom said: “Boris Johnson looks set for more headaches with Thursday’s by-elections as the Lib Dems are 4/11 on Betfair Exchange to win the Tiverton and Honiton seat, while Labour are nailed on at 1/100 to claim back their Wakefield seat.“Losing those two seats will only increase the pressure on Johnson’s position after he survived a vote of confidence earlier this month, with the Prime Minister currently 5/2 to leave his role this year. Should he go, Jeremy Hunt is the 11/2 favourite to be the next Tory leader, with Penny Mordaunt 6/1.”Matt Mathers21 June 2022 14:211655816002Ministers stress need for ‘fiscal discipline’ at cabinet meetingMinisters stressed the need for “fiscal discipline” at Tuesday’s cabinet meeting, Downing Street said as it said double-digit pay rises in line with inflation for public sector workers were “not feasible”.The PM’s official spokesman said: “The prime minister, chancellor and chief secretary to the Treasury then led a discussion on the importance of fiscal discipline.”The prime minister said the public would expect the government to stick within their means at a time of global cost-of-living pressures.”The chancellor emphasised that the government had a responsibility to not take any action that would feed into inflationary pressures, or reduce the government’s ability to lower taxes in the future.The spokesman added that Boris Johnson noted “the settlement at the spending review was a relatively generous one” and that public sector pay increases in line with inflation were “not feasible across the board at the moment”.”The consensus is that providing pay rises that chase inflation only adds to the problem and it is that act which is what would take most money away from the public in the long term,” he said.Matt Mathers21 June 2022 13:531655815065No 10 fails to deny PM discussed getting plush taxpayer-funded jobs for wife CarrieDowning Street has not refuted claims that Boris Johnson spoke with aides about getting wife Carrie Johnson two top jobs while prime minister.Mr Johnson discussed environmental roles for his wife in autumn 2020, either for the Cop26 summit or with the Royal Family, sources told the Daily Mirror.The latest claim followed reports Mr Johnson tried to hire her as his chief of staff when he was foreign secretary in 2018.The PM allegedly went on to suggest securing her a role as green ambassador in the run-up to Cop26 or as communications director for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s Earthshot Prize.Downing Street said he had never recommended Ms Johnson for a government role, but stopped short of denying that he considered or discussed the move.The PMs’s official spokesman said: “The Prime Minister has never recommended Mrs Johnson for a government role, or one as part of the Earthshot Prize.”Beyond that I wouldn’t get into any conversations the Prime Minister may or may not have had in private.”Matt Mathers21 June 2022 13:371655813603UK has ‘an English Nationalist government’ which ‘you can’t trust’, former party chair saysHere are more details from former Tory Party chair Chris Patten’s interview with LBC, in which he blasted the Johnson administration for its “seediness and mendacity”.Warning that it would be a “disaster” for the Tories and the UK, Lord Patten told Andrew Marr: “I don’t think we have a Conservative government at the moment. I think, as I’ve said, we have a English Nationalist government with all the consequences – and one that you can’t trust.”He claimed that a second term for Mr Johnson would “hasten the break-up of the Union”, saying he favoured “a coalition which hold the Union together” led by “a decent, competent, generous, spirited, sensible political force in the middle – which nobody is, at present, providing”.He also accused Mr Johnson of “playing fast and loose” with the Good Friday Agreement by threatening to override the Northern Ireland Protocol which he negotiated and agreed with the EU less than three years ago.Lord Patten, who played an important role in the Northern Ireland peace process, accused Mr Johnson of “playing fast and loose” with the Good Friday Agreement and suggested the PM’s confrontational stance on the post-Brexit protocol was driven by the desire to curry favour with the DUP and Tory right-wingers, rather than the national interest.“To play to the hardcore in the DUP really is dangerous,” he said. “You’re actually giving into to the mob in a really significant and unattractive way.”Our political editor Andrew Woodcock has the full report:Andy Gregory21 June 2022 13:131655811990Brexit ‘completely’ to blame for airport chaos, says Ryanair bossAirport chaos which has seen constant flight delays and cancellations is “completely to do with Brexit”, the boss of the Ryanair airline has said.Michael O’Leary said Brexit has been an “abject failure” and claimed resolvable labour shortages were behind the disruption at UK airports, adding: “This government couldn’t run a sweet shop.”Transport secretary Grant Shapps has denied Brexit was to blame for ongoing travel woes, and has accused airlines of “seriously overselling” flights since the Covid pandemic.Asked about the minister’s comments, the outspoken Ryanair chief executive told Sky News: “It’s completely to do with Brexit. A lot of these pinch points would be solved very quickly if we could bring in European workers.”Ryanair boss says airport chaos ‘completely to do with Brexit’Our politics correspondent Adam Forrest has more details here:Andy Gregory21 June 2022 12:461655811107Angela Rayner backs rail strike, saying ‘Workers have been left with no choice’Angela Rayner has defied Keir Starmer by backing the rail workers’ decision to strike, saying they “have been left with no choice”.Labour’s deputy leader gave the party’s strongest support yet for the biggest industrial action on the railways for 30 years – after its leader was accused of “hiding” from the dispute.Our deputy political editor Rob Merrick has the full report:Andy Gregory21 June 2022 12:31 More

Boris Johnson’s government has been accused of hypocrisy for planning to cut controls on City bosses’ pay while calling for wage restraint in the public sector.No 10 chief of staff Steve Barclay is said to have written to chancellor Rishi Sunak with a plan for “deregulatory measures to reduce the overall burden on business” and attract companies following Brexit.This would involve removing some restrictions on director and non-executive director pay, according to a leaked copy of the letter seen by the i newspaper.It sparked outrage from Labour and union leaders – who pointed out that key workers were being told to “tighten their belts” and accept only small pay rises to help control inflation.In his letter to the chancellor, Mr Barclay wrote: “I trust you’ll agree this is a more proportionate regulatory response and reflective of the new approach to regulation outlined in the ‘Benefits of Brexit’ publication in January,”The Cabinet Office minister also reportedly asked business secretary Kwasi Kwarteng to outline further measures to ease the burden on business – referring explicitly to the need to alter curbs on bosses’ pay.The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) confirmed it is exploring “whether there are any unnecessary restrictions on paying non-executive directors in shares, which could ensure they are fully invested”.Confirming the plan, No 10 said the government was exploring how non-executive directors were paid, not how much – including removing “unnecessary restrictions on paying non-executive directors shares”.“There’s no plans to change the cap on executive pay, I think the issue that’s being investigated is how non-executive directors are paid rather than what CEOs or directors are paid,” the PM’s official spokesman said.But Labour accused the government of using “two sets of rules” – one for people on high incomes in the City, and another for workers elsewhere.Baroness Smith, the party’s leader in the Lords, said: “On one hand, we’re telling those who are working that you must have wage restraint. Does it not seem somewhat hypocritical to be saying to the City that those constraints, those curbs that have been in place are to be removed?”Labour’s shadow business secretary Jonathan Reynolds added: “It’s the hallmark of a government that lurches from crisis to crisis that instead of giving businesses real certainty, they’re looking down the sofa for random ideas.”TUC general secretary Frances O’Grady also questioned the double standards. “Key workers told to tighten their belts, City executives told to help themselves,” she tweeted. “Britain deserves better.”Speaking ahead of a cabinet meeting on Tuesday, just as the biggest train strike for 30 years got under way, Mr Johnson said public sector pay rises need to be “proportionate and balanced”.The PM added: “Sustained higher levels of inflation would have a far bigger impact on people’s pay packets in the long run, destroying savings and extending the difficulties we’re facing for longer.”A BEIS spokesperson said: “As announced last month, we are looking to strengthen the rules on clawing back bonuses from directors if their company collapses to stamp out ‘rewards for failure’.“By the same token, we are also exploring whether there are any unnecessary restrictions on paying non-executive directors in shares, which could ensure they are fully invested in the success of the company they run. If the company does well, directors do well.” More

Two frontbench Labour MPs have defied an order from Sir Keir Starmer not to join striking rail workers on the picket line in the biggest industrial action on the network for three decades.It comes after a leaked memo from the Labour leader’s office provoked fury among unions, including Unite, whose general secretary warned the party last night: “You don’t lead by hiding”.On Tuesday members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport workers’ union (RMT) began a staggered three day walk-out after eleventh hour negotiations failed to find a resolution in a bitter dispute over pay, jobs and conditions.The memo sent by Sir Keir’s office, seen by Politics Home, said frontbenchers should “expect severe disruption this week as the result of industrial action” by the the RMT, with widespread cancellations throughout the week.The Labour leadership reiterated its stance that the party did not want to see the strike action go ahead, and also accused the government of failing to engage in any negotiations to resolve the despite.However, it added: “We must also show leadership and to to that end, please be reminded that frontbenchers including [parliamentary private secretaries] should not be on picket lines.“Please speak to all the members of your team to remind them of this and confirm with me that you have done so.”But Kate Osborne, a parliamentary aide to shadow Northern Ireland secretary Peter Kyle, joined striking workers in Bromley, south-east London, saying: “I’m a trade unionist, I will always stand on the side of the workers.”Responding to the leaked memo on Monday evening, she added: “Labour was formed by the trade union movement to give working people a political voice.”Navendu Mishra — an opposition whip — also posted a photograph alongside striking workers on Tuesday morning, saying: “This treacherous government has underfunded & mismanaged our public transport network for more than a decade.“As a proud trade unionist, I stand with all workers on our railway network who are taking industrial action to fight for their jobs & keep passengers safe.”The Independent understands the party’s chief whip, Alan Campbell, will deal with issues relating to any disciplinary action of those defying the Labour leader’s office oders, after the industrial action has ended at the weekend.Talks between the RMT and Network Rail were still being held on Monday evening, just hours before the start of the first strike, but the row remains deadlocked, with all sides blaming each other for the lack of progress.Sharon Graham, general secretary of Unite, lashed out at Labour over the reports regarding the leaked memo on Monday evening.She said: “The Labour Party was founded by the trade unions and we expect Labour MPs to defend workers, by words and by actions. To instruct Labour MPs not to be on picket lines with workers speaks volumes.“You don’t lead by hiding. No-one respects that. It’s time to decide whose side you are on. Workers or bad bosses?”Manuel Cortes, general secretary of the Transport Salaried Staffs’ Association, said: “This is ridiculous nonsense from the party which was created by trade unions. Solidarity is what our movement is all about.”A number of Labour MPs not on the frontbench also posted on social media from the picket lines, including the former shadow chancellor John McDonnell, who said he was “proud to join RMT picket lines” in his constituency.Ian Lavery, the MP for Wansbeck and a former Labour Party chairman, joined a picket in Morpeth, Northumberland, tweeting: “Solidarity with the RMT union today and all days.”A Labour spokesperson said: “Unlike the government, our focus is firmly on the public. The Tories are in charge, and they failed to fix it.“The responsibility for this week’s chaos lies firmly with them. Boris Johnson and Grant Shapps must u-turn on their refusal to even meet with Network Rail and the RMT to urgently find a solution.” More