Markus Andrews

Starmer brands Reform’s indefinite leave to remain plans ‘racist’A defiant Andy Burnham has hit back at those who have demanded he make “simplistic statements of loyalty” to Sir Keir Starmer, saying they are “underestimating some of the peril” Labour is in.The Manchester mayor warned of the difficult elections the party faces in Scotland and Wales, which it is on course to lose next year.As speculation continues to grow over a challenge to Starmer’s leadership, Mr Burnham told a fringe at the Labour conference,: “I would say those out there making calls for simplistic statements of loyalty… are underestimating some of the peril that the party is in in those elections next year.”Sir Keir has tried to rally Labour MPs at the start of party’s annual conference in Liverpool on Sunday, but is still facing questions from within Labour over his leadership.Labour chairwoman Anna Turley acknowledged it had been “quite a challenging couple of weeks” for the party.However, Starmer dismissed the idea that he is in political trouble, telling the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Keunssberg: “In politics, there always can be comments about leaders and leadership, particularly at times like conference”.Eluned Morgan warns of Reform UK threat Welsh First Minister Eluned Morgan said her nation had “seen this play before”, as she warned of the threat of Reform UK at the Senedd elections.“We’ve seen this play before in Wales.“Nigel Farage’s Ukip party elected seven members in 2016 and by the end of the term, six of them had left, drawn by infighting, broken promises and internal chaos.“And just this week, their former Welsh leader admitted taking Russian bribes.“And right now they’re attacking our support for Ukrainian refugees.“This lot are… not putting Wales first. They’re putting Putin first.”( More

Sir Keir Starmer arrives in Liverpool this weekend, 16 months after winning a landslide victory, with his future as prime minister already seriously in doubt.It appears that the darling of the conference will be Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham, who is nakedly flirting with the idea of a parliamentary comeback to replace Sir Keir. Labour MPs are talking about ousting Sir Keir if the local and devolved elections in May don’t go well. But Nigel Farage is continuing to attract Labour voters in previously safe parts of the country with Reform enjoying a poll lead of around 10 per cent.The Labour leader my need to put on a brave smile this weekend More

It is often said that the best way for a politician to succeed is not by defining who they are but by defining their enemies.It worked for Margaret Thatcher with her stated ‘enemy within’ – as she called miners leader Arthur Scargill.It worked for Tony Blair with his chosen enemy Saddam Hussein – until we found out Saddam’s threat was grossly exaggerated.After a disappointing first 14 months in Downing Street, Sir Keir Starmer is trying to revive his fortunes at this week’s Labour conference with a similar tactic.In describing Nigel Farage and Reform as “the enemy” and “racists” who would “rip Britain apart” he has deliberately raised the political temperature.There are many who will applaud him for this.Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer was speaking on Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg as the Labour conference got under way in Liverpool (Stefan Rousseau/PA) More

Ministers have stepped in to provide an emergency bailout to Jaguar Land Rover after the motor manufacturer was left reeling by a massive cyber attack.Chancellor Rachel Reeves has announced that she will provide the motor giant a £1.5bn loan guarantee to give it time to recover from the attack and protect the companies in its supply chain which have also been hit hard.The move comes as Labour opens its conference in Liverpool with Keir Starmer and his government under pressure to show they can govern effectively.Ms Reeves said: “Jaguar Land Rover is an iconic British company which employs tens of thousands of people – a jewel in the crown of our economy.Chancellor Rachel Reeves More

Sir Keir Starmer arrives in Liverpool this weekend, 16 months after winning a landslide victory, with his future as prime minister already seriously in doubt.It appears that the darling of the conference will be Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham, who is nakedly flirting with the idea of a parliamentary comeback to replace Sir Keir. Labour MPs are talking about ousting Sir Keir if the local and devolved elections in May don’t go well. But Nigel Farage is continuing to attract Labour voters in previously safe parts of the country with Reform enjoying a poll lead of around 10 per cent.The Labour leader my need to put on a brave smile this weekend More

Rachel Reeves has been dealt a blow by the Budget watchdog as it slashes estimates on a key economic indicator for the UK, raising fears the chancellor will need to hike taxes.On the eve of the Labour Party conference in Liverpool, The Independent can reveal that the chancellor has been told the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) will substantially reduce its estimates for productivity in the economy – which will lead to even lower economic growth. It means Ms Reeves will need to find even more money to balance the books, just weeks before her crucial Budget in November, putting further strain on the manifesto commitment not to raise one of the three big taxes – income tax, VAT or national insurance contributions from employees.She will also be left with a Budget deficit in 2030 which, economists warn, mean she has to raise taxes even higher than previously thought.Rachel Reeves is under severe pressure to balance the books but not raise taxes for ‘working people’ More

Members of the House of Lords are set to ignore warnings and push to attempt to kill off Kim Leadbeater’s assisted dying bill.Peers opposed to the controversial legislation which narrowly passed in the Commons have been emboldened by a new poll which suggests that 70 per cent think they have the right to vote it down.The move comes despite the Bill’s sponsor in the Lords, Labour peer Lord Falconer, warning it would be wrong for the unelected upper chamber to overrule the will of the democratically elected chamber.In an interview with the BBC, Lord Falconer was asked whether the role of the Lords was to “ultimately uphold something that the directly elected members of the Commons have decided to go ahead with”. He replied “That’s correct”.Kim Leadbeater introduced the assisted dying Bill to the House of Commons (Jonathan Brady/PA) More

Rachel Reeves is pushing for a more ambitious deal to unpick the harm Brexit did to the prospects of young people in the UK.The chancellor has revealed she wants to have “an ambitious youth experience scheme” to allow mobility for under-30s in and out of the UK, a move which she claimed would reduce the need for tax rises in the forthcoming budget. It would mean young people from the UK could go to live and work in the EU on temporary visas while young people from the EU would enjoy the same privilege the other direction.Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves (right) speaking at the Global Progress Action Summit at Methodist Central Hall in Westminster (Stefan Rousseau/PA) More