Markus Andrews

Labour’s deputy leader Angela Rayner has “unreservedly” apologised for remarks at the party’s annual conference when she described Conservatives as “scum”.Ms Rayner said she had “reflected” on the tone of political debate in the wake of the murder of Conservative MP Sir David Amess and would no longer use such language.The apology came as two men were arrested and another was charged and pleaded guilty in relation to alleged threatening and abusive phone calls, letters and email messages directed at Ms Rayner in recent weeks.Ms Rayner, who has been away from parliament on compassionate leave after a bereavement, said that threats against her life had had a “devastating” effect on her.She said that her staff were bearing much of the brunt of abuse, and should not be in a position where they were having to liaise with police frequently about death threats and their personal safety.Ms Rayner came under fire after reports of a meeting on the fringe of Labour’s Brighton conference last month, in which she was quoted as saying: “We cannot get any worse than a bunch of scum, homophobic, racist, misogynistic, absolute vile, banana republic, vile, nasty, Etonian piece of scum.”But she initially refused to withdraw the remarks, even after party leader Sir Keir Starmer distanced himself from them, saying he would “not have used” those words. She later said that her comments had been directed at “members of the cabinet.”In a statement released today, Ms Rayner said she had “reflected on our political debate and the threats and abuse that now seem to feature all too often”, as well as on her own words at the Brighton gathering.And she said: “I was angry about where our country is headed, and policies that have made life harder for so many people I represent.“But I would like to unreservedly apologise for the language I used, and I would not use it again.“I will continue to speak my mind, stand up for Labour values and hold the government to account. But in the future I will be more careful about how I do that and in the language that I choose.”She added: “All of us in positions of leadership have a responsibility for our language and rhetoric, whether towards political opponents or anyone else in society, especially those already most vulnerable.“As deputy leader of the Labour Party, I take this responsibility with the utmost seriousness and I am sure that politicians from all parties, the media, and others with a prominent role in our public life will also reflect on this shared responsibility.”A court today heard that former delivery driver Benjamin Iliffe, 36, claimed that a threatening email which he sent to Ms Rayner was prompted by reports of her comments about Conservatives. In the email, the defendant told Ms Rayner to “watch your back and your kids”, warning that he had obtained her personal home address and that “there’s so many people in this country now, after your poster boy murdered an Englishman, who are coming after you”.Iliffe, of Chatteris in Cambridgeshire, admitted sending a threatening email, and also pleaded guilty to possessing a quantity of cannabis on Wednesday when he was arrested.He was sentenced to 15 weeks in prison, suspended for 18 months, and was handed a two-year restraining order not to contact Ms Rayner directly or indirectly, not to talk about her on social media and not to go to her office in Ashton-under-Lyne in Greater Manchester.During the hearing at Huntingdon magistrates’ court, a probation officer said: “He informed me that following the death of Sir David Amess MP, he felt angry at the victim who – he states – described a member of the Conservative Party previously, or referred to them, as ‘scum’. He reports that he felt she was making light of the situation and felt angry as a result of this.“He stated he wanted to vent, and felt that somebody needed to tell her she was partially responsible for the attack following her use of language.”Describing the impact of abusive messages on her and her staff, Ms Rayner said: “In the past I have been reluctant to speak out about the abuse that I receive because I fear that doing so will only make the situation worse. “However, in recent weeks the threats that I have received against my life and the lives of close family have been so terrifying and explicit that I could not stay silent and simply continue to take it as ‘part of the job’. They have had a devastating impact on me, my children and others close to me.“It shakes you when you get these threats. You worry about the safety of your home, your office and everything in your life. And it takes its toll on the people who work for me too.“My staff come to work and do their jobs with dedication and professionalism. They bear the brunt of much of this abuse and then get on with their working day. “Dealing with death threats and liaising with the police about their safety should not be a standard part of the day-to-day working life of a member of parliament or their staff.” More

Boris Johnson’s government has summoned the French ambassador over the seizure of a British fishing boat, as the bitter post-Brexit dispute between the countries over fishing licences escalates.Foreign Office minister Wendy Morton was instructed to demand that the French ambassador Catherine Colonna comes in for talks after Brexit minister Lord David Frost held a crisis meeting of senior cabinet colleagues on Thursday.France detained a British scallop trawler in waters off its coast and has threatened to hit the UK with more measures next week, with one of Emmanuel Macron’s ministers vowing to “speak the language of strength”.The UK government denounced the seizure of the British vessel, warned the French against any further retaliation and claimed Mr Macron’s government could be breaking international law.A UK government spokesperson said: “The proposed French actions are unjustified and do not appear to be compatible on the EU’s part with the Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) or wider international law.“We regret the confrontational language that has been consistently used by the French government on this issue, which makes this situation no easier to resolve.”The spokesperson added: “We have raised our concerns strongly with both the French and the EU Commission. As a next step, the foreign secretary has instructed minister Morton to summon the French ambassador.”Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said the ambassador would be expected to turn up at the Foreign Office on Friday “to explain the disappointing and disproportionate threats made against the UK and Channel Islands”.French ministers have warned they will block British boats from some French ports and tighten checks on vessels travelling between France and the UK if their licensing demands are not met by 2 November, as well as threatening the electricity supply to the Channel Islands.Maritime minister Annick Girardin claimed Britain had failed to comply with the TCA deal signed by with the EU last December over the granting of fishing licenses, as she vowed more retaliatory measures from Tuesday. “It’s not war, it’s a fight,” she said.And Mr Macron’s European affairs minister Clement Beaune told French TV: “So now we need to speak the language of strength since that seems to be the only thing this British government understands.”However, environment secretary George Eustice has said that French threats to block British boats and tighten checks on supply lines could breach international law.Mr Eustice said the UK has licensed 98 per cent of EU vessels that have applied for access post-Brexit and more are expected to be granted following “constructive” talks with the European Commission.The environment minister said the Scottish scallop vessel seized by the French authorities had been granted a licence by the EU, but had subsequently been removed from the list of vessels permitted to fish in French waters for reasons that were unclear.It comes as Cornelis, the seized trawler owned by Scottish firm Macduff Shellfish, continues to be detained by French officials for allegedly operating in France’s waters without a licence.Andrew Brown, director of public affairs at Macduff, said the firm’s vessel had been “caught up in the ongoing dispute between the UK and France on the implementation of the Brexit fishing agreement”.Mr Brown said the crew of the vessel are in “good spirits” and will remain on board the vessel until its release.“We are looking to the UK government to defend the rights of the UK fishing fleet and ensure that the fishing rights provided under the Brexit fishing agreement are fully respected by the EU,” he added.In a sign of growing concern in Westminster, Lord Frost chaired a meeting to consider the government’s response. “I remain concerned by French plans on fisheries and beyond. We expect to have more to say on this issue tomorrow,” he tweeted.Senior ministers are also understood to be holding discussions on Thursday about the possible repercussions of triggering Article 16 – the emergency mechanism in the Northern Ireland Protocol which would suspend trade arrangements.The issue of “Article 16 readiness” was on the agenda for a meeting of ministers involved in emergency planning, according to Sky News.Lord Frost was also said to have held meeting with Tory MPs in order to minimise any possible dissent should the prime minister decides to trigger Article 16 in the weeks ahead.EU Commission officials have been in London this week for talks, but there is still major divide when it comes to Lord Frost’s demand for an end to the European Court of Justice (ECJ)’s role in trade arbitration.The UK side said it wants to see momentum “soon” to work out whether the gap can be bridged – or if Mr Johnson will need to take the drastic step of triggering Article 16 in his withdrawal deal.EU officials are reportedly considering terminating the Brexit deal and preparing for a trade war if the UK government does not honour protocol commitments. More

Path of British trawler detained by France in fishing rights rowThe UK “understands only the language of force”, a French minister is reported to have said after the country seized a British fishing boat, in an angry dispute between the countries over fishing rights.“We have been extremely patient … our fishermen have been extremely responsible … And so, from 2 November, it’s over: we will engage in dialogue if the British want to, but we are taking retaliatory measures,” Clement Beaune, France’s Europe minister, said.French maritime minister Annick Girardin added Britain’s “failure to comply” with the Trade and Co-operation Agreement (TCA) was “unacceptable”. She said: “It’s not war, it’s a fight.”Boris Johnson’s government threatened to retaliate should France impose sanctions on British fishing vessels, with environment secretary George Eustice saying threats to block British boats from French ports and tighten checks appear to breach international law.It comes as Cornelis, a British scallop trawler, owned by Scottish firm Macduff Shellfish, continues to be detained by French officials for allegedly operating in France’s waters without a licence. Follow our live coverage belowShow latest update

1635432509EU rules out concessions over ECJ’s role in Protocol – reportBloomsberg’s Jorge Valero reports the following:Sam Hancock28 October 2021 15:481635432329Sainsbury’s boss insists there will be ‘plenty of food’ at ChristmasThe boss of Sainsbury’s has reassured customers there “will be plenty of food” this Christmas despite the supply chain crisis.Retailers have warned recently that disruption to the global supply chain due to Covid-19 and a shortage of lorry drivers is likely to affect Christmas supermarket shelves, reports Ben Chapman. There is estimated to be a shortfall of around 100,000 lorry drivers in the UK, and soaring energy prices have also added to the cost of food production and logistics.Sam Hancock28 October 2021 15:451635431729Tory backbencher condemns ‘unwelcome’ insults about UK govtConservative backbencher Richard Fuller has criticised a French minister for using “very unwelcome language” about the UK government.It follows Clement Beaune, France’s Europe minister, saying the UK “understands only the language of force” amid tensions over post-Brexit fishing agreements. Sam Hancock28 October 2021 15:351635431214Macduff: ‘We’re looking to the government to defend our rights’ Let’s get some commentary from Macduff Shellfish now, the Scottish firm which owns the boat detained in France.Andrew Brown, director of sustainability and public affairs at Macduff, said: “It appears our vessel has been caught up in the ongoing dispute between the UK and France on the implementation of the Brexit fishing agreement.“The Cornelis does have catch aboard. This may be confiscated by the French authorities unless a speedy resolution is achieved.“We are looking to the UK government to defend the rights of the UK fishing fleet and ensure that the fishing rights provided under the Brexit fishing agreement are fully respected by the EU.”Sam Hancock28 October 2021 15:261635430398UK govt urged to defend British fishermen amid row with FranceMinisters are facing calls to step in and defend British fishermen after a UK boat was detained in a worsening row with France over post-Brexit fishing rights.The scallop vessel Cornelis was ordered to divert to the port of Le Havre after the French authorities said it was fishing in French waters without a licence.French authorities said that another British trawler had been fined for obstruction after refusing to allow police to board to carry out checks.The incidents came amid anger in France after the UK and Jersey turned down applications from dozens of French boats to fish in their waters in what Paris said was a breach of Britain’s post-Brexit trade deal with the EU.French ministers have warned they will block British boats from some French ports and tighten checks on vessels travelling between France and the UK if the issue is not resolved by Tuesday.Additional reporting by PASam Hancock28 October 2021 15:131635429714Watch: Sunak refuses to be drawn on personal NI contributionRishi Sunak refuses to answer question on if he pays enough National InsuranceSam Hancock28 October 2021 15:011635428810Master of detained British boat interviewed by French authoritiesSky’s Kate McCann has the following update on the British boat being detained in France.The broadcaster’s political correspondent writes the fishing boat’s master has had an interview with authorities which “went well”. “He has been released back to the boat, which is still being held,” she adds. Sam Hancock28 October 2021 14:461635428154 Assange should be ‘hailed’ as truthteller and freed – CorbynCrowds gathered at the High Court in London on Thursday as the US continued its fight to extradite WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange.The Australian is wanted in the US on allegations of a conspiracy to obtain and disclose national defence information following WikiLeaks’ publication of hundreds of thousands of leaked documents relating to the Afghanistan and Iraq wars.Speaking ahead of the hearing, former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said Assange should be “hailed” as a truthteller and released from prison, reports Chiara Giordano. Sam Hancock28 October 2021 14:351635427467Deputy Labour leader’s ‘family affected by abuse too’Sky’s Beth Rigby reports the following from a “spokesperson for Angela Rayner”: Sam Hancock28 October 2021 14:241635426645Man charged after Angela Rayner receives threatsA 36-year-old man has been charged with malicious communications and possession of cannabis after deputy Labour leader Angela Rayner received a series of threats.Greater Manchester Police (GMP) named the man as Benjamin Iliffe, of Slade Way, Chatteris, Cambridgeshire.In a statement, GMP also said a 52-year-old man arrested in Halifax, West Yorkshire, on Wednesday has been bailed, while a 70-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of malicious communication relating to abusive emails received on 16 October.Sam Hancock28 October 2021 14:10 More

A man has been charged and two others are under investigation over threats and abuse towards the deputy Labour leader Angela Rayner.Benjamin Iliffe, 36, of Chatteris in Cambridgeshire, has been charged with malicious communications and possession of cannabis as part of the ongoing probe.He was remanded into custody and will appear before Huntingdon Magistrates’ Court on Thursday.It was part of a Greater Manchester Police (GMP) investigation into “multiple reports of threatening and abusive phone calls, emails and letters” targeting Ms Rayner, the MP for Ashton-under-Lyne.A 52-year-old man, who has not been named, was arrested on Wednesday in Halifax over abusive phone calls received on 15 October – the day Sir David Amess was murdered.The man was arrested on suspicion of malicious communications and has been released on bail as enquiries continue.A third suspect, a 70-year-old man, was arrested on Thursday morning in South Yorkshire, on suspicion of malicious communications.Police said the man had been arrested over abusive emails received on 16 October, and he remains in custody for questioning.“Enquiries remain ongoing and GMP continues to work in partnership with Cambridgeshire Constabulary and South Yorkshire Police,” a spokesperson added.Police did not name the victim but Ms Rayner’s office confirmed that she was the target.A spokesperson said:“Angela and her staff have received a number of threatening, malicious and abusive communications in recent weeks. We are working with the police to ensure that the perpetrators of these crimes are brought to justice and Angela would like to thank the police for their work during these investigations.Sir David Amess: Two-minute silence held in Leigh-on-Sea after death of MP”Abuse and threats of this nature don’t just have an impact on Angela but also on her family, her children and her staff who are on the receiving end of these communications. “Angela is currently on bereavement leave after losing a close loved one and she looks forward to being back at work as soon as possible.”The arrest came amid calls for action over threats and abuse towards MPs following the murder of Sir David.The home secretary commissioned a security review that saw police contact all MPs to check sufficient arrangements were in place.Anyone with information is asked to call police via 101, visit the Greater Manchester Police website or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. More

“Insufficient care” in changes to how farmers receive subsidies has led to a “haphazard” transition process, risking livelihoods, MPs have warned.After Brexit, the government is replacing the EU’s agricultural subsidies with a new payment system designed to help farmers while also boosting biodiversity, protecting soils and improving access to land.While the old EU system largely paid farmers based on the area of land they farmed, there are concerns the new system, known as the Environmental Land Management (ELM) scheme, could inadvertently put greater pressures on farmers to extract money from their land – possibly through increased use of unsustainable practices.The Environmental, Food and Rural Affairs (Efra) Committee warned the government’s handling of the transition means farmers are now left with considerable uncertainty about how the seven-year transition to the new system would affect their businesses.The committee said the government department responsible for implementing the process – Defra – has put “insufficient emphasis and care” into managing the transition, risking a “haphazard” process with unintended consequences.The report criticised the government’s communication with farmers, saying Defra must “develop a clear engagement strategy which connects with the full range of farmers and land managers, or its plans will risk falling at the first hurdle.”As well as there having been delays in communicating the new policy to farmers, the committee also highlighted particular challenges the system presents to those farming the uplands.“Defra must avoid ‘squandering’ the potential of uplands, tenant farms and common land to deliver public goods such as carbon capture and storage,” the report said.The ELM payments should follow the same path as the previous EU subsidies did, the committee said – where farmers were not rewarded for taking action to revitalise the environment – and they said the new payments must fairly and fully represent the costs of delivering green action.Defra must publish an impact assessment detailing the consequences of the transition for different agricultural sectors and regions, develop a clear engagement strategy with farmers, and publish precise and measurable objectives for ELM.The committee also urged the government to retain the current budget for agricultural payments until at least 2029.Neil Parish, chairman of the Efra select committee, said: “This is the most fundamental change to agricultural funding in a generation, and the impact of this huge change on farmers’ incomes and entire ways of life cannot be underestimated.“The plan to support farmers through this transition must be robust, and it must be able to adapt to unforeseen circumstances.”He accused the government of being determined to plough ahead with phasing out the old payments without considering how it would affect farmers’ livelihoods and the environment.“It is essential that the government undertake the necessary work to understand exactly what the consequences of this transition will be.”He added: “These schemes will only be successful if uptake is high- and this can only happen if land managers are clear on how ELM will work for them.“It is essential that Defra engage effectively with the full range of land managers and farmers to communicate its plans, and that it funds peer-to-peer learning, which will build the confidence needed for the English farming sector to fully embrace the change.”A Defra spokesperson said: “Our future agricultural policy will move away from the arbitrary land subsidies and top-down bureaucracy that epitomised the EU era and incentivise farmers to farm more sustainably, create space for nature and enhance animal welfare outcomes. We are supporting the choices that farmers make for their own holdings.“Since January, in England, we have increased the money going to Countryside Stewardship, we have consulted on an exit scheme and we will be setting out plans to support new entrants.”Additional reporting by PA. More

Brexit has overtaken Covid as the number one concern of the British people for the first time since the pandemic began, new polling has found.The supply chain crisis which has seen labour shortages and empty supermarket shelves has pushed the impact of the UK-EU divorce back to the forefront of the public imagination.Some 28 per cent of people said Brexit is the biggest issue facing the nation – a rise of eight per cent since last month, according to the latest Ipsos MORI survey.There has been a significant dip in the proportion who see Covid as a major issue for the country – only 27 per cent now considerate it the most important concern, down ten points from September.It comes as chancellor Rishi Sunak laughed off warnings from his own budget watchdog that Brexit was causing serious damage to the British economy.The chairman of the UK’s fiscal watchdog said on Thursday that the impact of Brexit on the UK economy will be worse than that caused by the pandemic.Richard Hughes said the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) had assumed the impact of the UK leaving the EU would “reduce our long run GDP by around 4 per cent”.He also told BBC: “We think that the effect of the pandemic will reduce that (GDP) output by a further 2 per cent.”But Mr Sunak dismissed warnings from his own budget watchdog. The chancellor claimed Britain’s departure from the EU was “five years ago” and said the government was capitalising on benefits of the UK departure.“What I’m doing is making sure that we capitalise on the opportunities that Brexit has brought,” Mr Sunak claimed. “We’re seeing the benefits that [it] will bring to the economy, and our ability to sign trade deals around the country.”Asked about the official assessment on Brexit impacts, No 10 insisted that exiting the EU had given the government greater powers to boost the British economy.Asked on Thursday whether a 4 per cent long-term cut to GDP was a price worth paying for Brexit, Boris Johnson’s spokesman said the Budget had shown the “agility, flexibility and freedom” the UK now had after the EU divorce.Brexit rows with EU leaders have also intensified again in recent days. Mr Johnson’s government is asking for further talks with French and EU officials over the reasons for UK trawler has been detained by France.Ministers have condemned France’s seizure of a British fishing boat in French waters as “disproportionate” in a dispute over post-Brexit fishing rights that risks spinning out of control.And the leader of the DUP leader said talks between the UK and EU on the contentious Irish Sea trade border need to reach resolution “very, very soon”.Sir Jeffrey has warned that he will pull down power-sharing arrangements at Stormont if significant changes to the Northern Ireland protocol are not secured by early November.Brexit is seen to be a far bigger concern by Labour supporters over Conservatives (35 per cent to 17 per cent), the Ipsos MORI poll found.Meanwhile, worries about the economy and pollution also feature close to the top of public concerns (26 per cent and 24 per cent respectively).Worry about the NHS has fallen seven points since last month, but on 23 per cent it remains one of the major issues for voters. More

The British government has warned France that it risks breaking the Brexit trade deal, as Emmanuel Macron’s government continues to detain a UK fishing vessel.French maritime authorities overnight fined one UK vessel and detained another, for allegedly not having the right licence to fish.Responding to the agreement on Thursday morning UK environment secretary George Eustice said France’s threats to take further action “do not appear to be compatible with a trading cooperation agreement or wider international law”.But Downing Street said there were “no plans” to send in the Navy, while Mr Eustice called for calm.The Environment secretary told the Commons the boat in question appeared to have been issued with a fishing licence but then had it withdrawn, and that the situation was “unclear”.Mr Eustice told MPs: “What I’ve been able to establish so far in respect of that vessel is that they were on the list that was provided by the MMO (Marine Management Organisation) initially to the European Union.”The European Union therefore did grant a licence. We are seeing some reports that, for some reason, they were subsequently withdrawn from the list; it’s unclear why that might have been at the moment.”The incident overnight on Wednesday and Thursday came after threats by the French government to retaliate against the UK for blocking fishing licences in the Channel Islands.France says the licences for its vessels are guaranteed under the Brexit deal and that the UK’s policy amounts to breaking the agreement. It has threatened to take wider measures including further crackdown on UK fishing, changes to energy supplies, and possible disruption to the UK landing goods in French ports.Earlier on Thursday, France’s Europe minister, Clement Beaune, told French TV news channel CNews: “We have been extremely patient… our fishermen have been extremely responsible… And so, from November 2, it’s over: we will engage in dialogue if the British want to, but we are taking retaliatory measures.”Mr Beaune added: “Now we need to speak the language of force because, unfortunately, that seems to be the only thing this British Government understands.”French maritime minister Annick Girardin also told French radio news programme RTL Matin that the UK’s “failure to comply” with the Brexit deal was “unacceptable”.”It’s not war, it’s a fight,” she said. “The French and the fishermen have rights. An agreement was signed. We must enforce this agreement. We have fishing rights, we must defend them and we will defend them.”Speaking in the Commons on Thursday Mr Eustice said the UK would not “get into a retaliatory tit for tat on this kind of thing”, adding: “It’s important that everyone remains calm.”He said there was no reason to be concerned about the crew and that it was the understanding of the British government that the boat was still being detained. Ms Girardin said in a statement released on Thursday morning: “This Wednesday, two English ships were fined during classic checks off Le Havre. The first did not comply spontaneously… the second did not have a licence to fish in our waters”.The French minister added that the ship was “diverted to the quay and handed over to the judicial authority”.The PM’s official spokesperson said there are “no plans” to send in the Navy in the dispute with France over fishing rights.The spokesperson said the UK was seeking more “clarity” from Paris, and wants further discussions with the French authorities and European Commission.French threats outlined yesterday are “disappointing and disproportionate and not what we would expect from a close ally and partner” and are not in line with the post-Brexit Trade and Cooperation Agreement, the spokesperson said.He declined to say what action the UK would take in response to the threats being enacted, but said any retaliation would be “appropriate and calibrated”.France is angry with the UK as it has not granted its fishermen the full number of licenses to operate inside British waters that it says are guaranteed under the Brexit deal. The country said it would impose retaliatory measures that could come into effect from 2 November if there is no progress in talks between the countries. More

Funding earmarked towards schools’ recovery in Rishi Sunak’s Budget has been labelled as “meagre” by the government’s former education catch-up tsar.Warning the cash falls “far short” of what is required, Sir Kevan Collins said the settlement announced by the chancellor “represents a false economy and a step towards a less equal society”.The withering verdict comes after Mr Sunak unveiled an additional £1.8 billion — on top of the £3.1 billion already pledged — to help schools and children recover from the disruption inflicted by the Covid crisis.Sir Kevan, who resigned from his role in June, had put forward a £15 billion package — £10 billion more than the funding outlined at the Budget on Wednesday — while acting as education recovery commissioner.Expressing his frustration, he wrote in The Times that it was “incredibly disappointing to see the government surrender” the prime minister’s target to recover lost learning caused by Covid within this parliament “so meekly”.“I am concerned that the meagre measures announced today reveal a failure to recognise the foundational role schools play in creating fair and prosperous communities,” he said.Sir Kevan added: “The short-term saving offered by a limited recovery programme will be dwarfed by the long-term cost of successive cohorts leaving education with lower skills, an effect that will be most apparent in our poorest communities.“Today’s [Wednesday’s] settlement represents a false economy and a step towards a less equal society”.His remarks were echoed by education unions on Wednesday, with the joint general secretary of the National Education Union (NEU), accusing the chancellor of doing education recovery “on the cheap” that was “simply not good enough”.He warned: “With just £2 billion added, the government’s plan for education recovery is completely inadequate.“Recovery tsar Sir Kevan Collins proposed a £15 billion package and resigned when it was rejected. Even with the announcement today, the chancellor is operating at around a third of that price.”Elsewhere, Mr Sunak also boasted to MPs that per pupil funding would be restored to 2021 levels in real terms by 2024-25 — after more than a decade of austerity.According to the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS), between 2009-10 and 2018-19, spending per pupil fell by eight per cent in real terms in England, but rose again afterwards to “reach just below 2009-10 levels”.“Not much of a boast really to say that school spending per pupils will return to 2010 levels,” the IFS director said. “A decade and a half without growth is quite a thing”. More