Markus Andrews

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailThe number of childcare places has dropped by more than 1,000, even as demand is expected to soar with the introduction of free hours for two-year-olds, according to Labour. This month sees the rollout of what the government has billed as the biggest ever expansion in childcare. Ministers have promised working parents that by next year they will be given 30 free hours from the end of maternity leave until the day their child starts school. The first stage, however, will see parents of two-year-olds receive 15 free hours.But Labour has accused the Conservatives of having a “childcare pledge without a plan” as it warned that families are still struggling to enrol their children. A new analysis of Ofsted data suggests childcare places fell by more than 1,000 between March and December last year, the party said, out of a total of 1.2 million. Bridget Phillipson, the shadow education secretary, is calling on the chancellor to guarantee that eligible parents will not lose out on places as a result of a “botched” plan. The 15 hours will be extended to working parents of all children older than nine months in September, before the full rollout of 30 hours a week a year later.Labour also published a dossier about “childcare chaos”, which includes testimonials from parents and nurseries across England who complained of high costs, extra fees and waiting lists at some nurseries of up to 18 months. One nursery warned that it could be “forced to go bust” under the government’s expanded offer.The Independent ran its own investigation, showing some parents were to face a hike in fees despite the introduction of free hours.The childcare pledge was the central plank of chancellor Jeremy Hunt’s Budget last year. Ministers insist it will boost the economy by helping thousands of parents back into the workforce. The dossier from Labour said: “The Conservatives’ childcare pledge without a plan… is threatening to crash the childcare system just like the Conservatives crashed the economy.”Ms Phillipson said: “After 14 years of Tory failure, it will be Labour who get on with the job and finally deliver the much-needed childcare for parents.“That is why we have commissioned respected former Ofsted inspector Sir David Bell to lead a review on early education and childcare to guarantee early years entitlements for parents.“Only Labour will reform our childcare system and deliver the accessible, affordable early years education that will give children the best start in life.”Childcare places have fallen by more than 1,000Education secretary Gillian Keegan has hit back at Labour, saying the party would put the expansion plan “at risk” if it wins the general election. Neil Leitch, chief executive of the Early Years Alliance, said: “If there is one thing that the first phase of the entitlement expansion has shown, it’s that simply promising ‘more free childcare’ is meaningless if you’re not willing to invest in the infrastructure needed to deliver it.”He added that many nurseries, childminders and preschools have had “no choice” but to limit the number of new funded places they offer.Mr Leitch said: “It’s completely unsurprising, therefore, that many parents accessing a place for the first time have found it difficult, if not impossible, to do so.”He added: “Ministers have made a big promise to parents.“Only by providing the support that the sector needs will they be able to keep it.” More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailThe government is facing calls from opposition parties and senior Conservatives to publish the legal advice it has received on the war in Gaza following claims it has been warned Israel has breached humanitarian law.Shadow foreign secretary David Lammy said Lord Cameron and Rishi Sunak should “come clean” on what they have been told. It comes after a leaked recording of a senior Tory MP, who claimed ministers were concealing the advice. Alicia Kearns, the chair of the Commons Foreign Affairs Committee, said she was convinced ministers had concluded Israel was not demonstrating a commitment to international law. The Foreign Office has said it keeps advice on Israel’s compliance with international law under review but that it would remain confidential.Israel has come under intense international scrutiny over its treatment of Palestinians since the start of the war against Hamas, which followed the October 7 atrocities in which 1,200 were killed.David Cameron and Rishi Sunak must now (come) clean and publish the legal advice they have receivedDavid Lammy In the leaked recording, of Ms Kearns answering questions at an evening drinks reception hosted by the West Hampstead and Fortune Green Conservatives in London on March 13, she said: “The Foreign Office has received official legal advice that Israel has broken international humanitarian law but the Government has not announced it.”They have not said it, they haven’t stopped arms exports.”They have done a few very small sanctions on Israeli settlers – and everyone internationally is agreed that settlers are illegal, that they shouldn’t be doing what they’re doing, and the ways in which they have continued and the money that’s been put in.”Licences to export arms cannot be granted if there is a clear risk the weapons could be used in serious violation of international humanitarian law.Ms Kearns told the Observer newspaper, which obtained the leaked recording: “I remain convinced the Government has completed its updated assessment on whether Israel is demonstrating a commitment to international humanitarian law, and that it has concluded that Israel is not demonstrating this commitment, which is the legal determination it has to make.”Transparency at this point is paramount, not least to uphold the international rules-based order.”Rishi Sunak A Foreign Office spokesman said: “We keep advice on Israel’s adherence to international humanitarian law under review and ministers act in accordance with that advice, for example when considering export licences.”The content of the Government’s advice is confidential.”Mr Lammy said Ms Kearn’s comments raise “serious questions about whether the Government is complying with its own law.”David Cameron and Rishi Sunak must now (come) clean and publish the legal advice they have received.”SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn accused the government of being “on the wrong side of history” on the issue.He added that the PM and foreign secretary “owe it to the public and to the high offices they currently hold to be honest about whether they have received advice that Israel has breached international humanitarian law.”If reports are to be believed, and the UK Government has continued to supply arms and intelligence to Israel whilst knowing they were in breach of international humanitarian law, then the position of both would be untenable.”Lord Cameron has stressed Israel’s responsibilities under humanitarian law, including to ensure aid gets to civilians. More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailLabour will use emergency powers to build new prisons and stop criminals being released months early because of overcrowding, if it wins the next election.Shabana Mahmood, the shadow justice secretary, said the state of jails was a “national emergency”. Labour would use planning laws to say the construction of new buildings must be completed “as a matter of urgency”.Alex Chalk, the justice secretary, has expressed “significant frustration” that prison expansion had been “bogged down” by the system.He is also thought to have privately warned Rishi Sunak that prison places could run out within weeks.Ms Mahmood said she would “deliver where the Tories have failed and get to that 20,000 (extra places) as soon as possible” and no later than 2030, in an interview with the Sunday Times. She said: “For too long in this country, we just haven’t been able to build anything. This country needs the delivery of those prison places. I am just not prepared to put public protection further at risk.”Ms Mahmood also said her plan would use the existing £4 billion budget for prisons.She added that the Conservatives could not claim to be the “natural party of law and order” but accepted some people may have “an assumption about the way Labour will do things. What I would say is I’m interested in doing things that cut crime and keep people safe. And I absolutely do believe that people need to be punished.” She also talked of the impact of the war in Gaza after Keir Starmer appeared to say on LBC radio that Israel had the right to withhold water and power from the besieged enclave. “It leaves people feeling hurt, misunderstood, delegitimised,” she said. “I think the LBC interview and a couple of other things about that period led to a loss of trust between us and the British Muslim community which obviously we need to put right.” Asked can it be put right, she said: “I think so” though it is “not easy” and “people are hurt”.Shadow justice secretary Shabana Mahmood (Peter Byrne/PA)In January a former chief inspector of prisons accused the government of announcing “panicky” measures to tackle the prisons capacity crisis.Nick Hardwick, now a professor of Criminal Justice at Royal Holloway University, has called for a radical rethink, with inmates trapped in squalid, overcrowded conditions in their cells for 23 hours a day.Last October in an attempt to deal with the crisis Alex Chalk announced a series of emergency proposals, including releasing some prisoners early and plans to rent prison space overseas.Mr Hardwick warned that prison building has not kept pace with the speed of the population increases. In September it emerged that plans for an extra 20,000 prison places by the mid-2020s are not expected to be completed until 2030, because of planning delays. More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailDavid Cameron has emphasised the Easter message of “renewal” hours after Keir Starmer talked of “new beginnings” in a seasonal greeting widely seen as having an eye on the next election. Sir Keir, who hopes to win the keys to Downing Street later this year, said it was a time of year when people would think about “our future and how things can change for the better”.But former Tory leader Lord Cameron, now the foreign secretary, highlighted the Easter story of “hope and renewal” as he issued his own message on X, former known as Twitter. The Conservatives have previously tried to prevent Labour owning the narrative of “change” at the general election, knowing voters are weary after 14 years of Tory rule. Mr Sunak portrayed himself as the “change” candidate at his party’s annual conference last year – complete with a dig at his predecessors, including Lord Cameron. However, that idea was swiftly ditched after it failed to improve the party’s dire poll ratings. Instead, the Tories have sought to suggest they are changing the economy, with a plan they have urged the public to stick with, after significant falls in inflation. In contrast to the Labour leader’s message Rishi Sunak said Easter was a time to “pause and reflect”. The Easter messages come just weeks before local elections on 2 May which could give an early indication of Tory and Labour prospects at the general election.Mr Starmer, who is on course to win a landslide at the general election according to a new poll , used his message to say that people would use Easter to think about “our future and how things can change for the better”.As families and friends gather to celebrate the holiday we turn our thoughts towards new beginnings, our future and how things can change for the betterKeir Starmer “The Easter story is one of hope and renewal, of overcoming adversity and light prevailing over darkness,” he said. “As families and friends gather to celebrate the holiday we turn our thoughts towards new beginnings, our future and how things can change for the better.” He added: “Faith is really important. It’s a place where people can invest a lot of themselves and find comfort, hope and a sense of security.“This Easter I’d like to express my gratitude to the Christian community in the UK and beyond, for their generosity and compassion.“At this time of optimism and new beginnings, I thank them for everything they do, and wish you all those celebrating a very happy Easter.”Meanwhile, the prime minister praised the work of Christians in communities across the UK and said people would also be “thinking of those in pain and suffering around the world”.“This weekend, as people come together to celebrate and reflect on the message at the heart of the Easter festival, I want to pay tribute to the incredible work of Christians in this country,” he said. “To the churches, charities, volunteers and fundraisers who live the Christian values of compassion, charity and self-sacrifice, supporting those in need and demonstrating what it means to ‘love thy neighbour’.“Many, I know, will also be thinking of those in pain and suffering around the world, and Christians persecuted because of their faith who are unable to celebrate Easter freely.“For many of us in the UK, Easter is a chance to pause and reflect and an opportunity to spend some precious time with our families and a moment to enjoy the start of spring.“So this weekend, let me wish you all a very happy and peaceful Easter.” More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailMore than 23,000 Labour members have left the party in the past two months amid rows over its position on Gaza and a watering down of green pledges.The opposition still commands a huge lead over the Tories in opinion polls despite the sharp drop in membership numbers, revealed in figures released to the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC).Labour sources told The Observer that the party’s overall financial position remained strong despite the fall in subscriptions, which make up just one revenue stream for the party.Sir Keir Starmer’s party now gets a large chunk of its income from donors along with financial support from unions.The Labour leader came under heavy criticism for his initial refusal to call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza following Israel’s raids on the territor which was in response to Hamas’s 7 October terror attack.Anger among Britain’s Muslim community at Labour’s handling of the issue has been the primary driver behind the thousands of members ripping up their pledge cards, party insiders believe.Sir Keir and Rachel Reeves, the shadow chancellor, have also come under fire for scaling down the party’s £28bn green investment plan, which was seen by some as a key dividing line between Labour and the Tories.Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves were criticised for scaling back Labour’s green prosperity plan Labour’s top two said the green prosperity plan would be reduced to under £15bn. The party’s membership peaked at 532,000 in 2019 under the leadership of Jeremy Corbyn. The report to the NEC last week revealed that Labour’s membership had fallen from 390,000 in January to 366,604 at the latest count.It was unclear exactly when the last count took place.“It is a big fall in just two months,” one senior Labour figure who was at the meeting told The Observer.  “People were surprised, even taken aback.”Luke Akehurst, an NEC member, told the paper Labour membership was still at “historically high levels” despite the drop.“Labour only had 150,000 members at the end of its last period in office [in 2010],” he added.“The state of the opinion polls suggest there is no correlation between membership and electoral popularity.”Momentum, the grassroots leftwing group which supported Mr Corbyn and has become increasingly critical of Sir Keir, accused the party’s high command of taking the party’s base “for granted”.“From a failure to oppose Israel’s brutal war on Gaza to morale-damaging U-turns and the mistreatment of Diane Abbott, Keir Starmer is alienating swathes of Labour’s core support,” it said in a statement.“Members are the lifeblood of Labour – their departure en masse should set alarm bells ringing.” More

Who is Jeffrey Donaldson?Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailThe leader of the Democratic Unionist Party has resigned after it was revealed he had been charged with historical sex offences.The DUP confirmed on Friday that Sir Jeffrey Donaldson, who has led the party since 2021, is stepping down and is the suspect at the centre of a scandal.In a statement released on Friday, the DUP said: “The party chairman has received a letter from Sir Jeffrey Donaldson MP confirming that he has been charged with allegations of an historical nature and indicating that he is stepping down as Leader of the Democratic Unionist Party with immediate effect.“In accordance with the party rules, the party officers have suspended Mr Donaldson from membership, pending the outcome of a judicial process.”Police revealed a 61-year-old man had been charged on Friday and a 57-year-old woman was reportedly arrested and charged alongside the politician for aiding and abetting additional offences. A police spokesman told The Independent: “Detectives from the Police Service of Northern Ireland arrested and charged a 61-year-old man for non-recent sexual offences.”Party officers have appointed Gavin Robinson MP as interim leader.Sir Jeffrey, Northern Ireland’s longest-serving MP, was recognised by the Queen in her 2016 Birthday Honours and given a knighthood.Show latest update 1711723517DUP leader accused colleagues of briefing against partyLast summer, Sir Jeffrey accused some colleagues of briefing against the DUP:Jane Dalton29 March 2024 14:451711722247Donaldson ended DUP Stormont boycott weeks agoSir Jeffrey Donaldson made the decision to bring the DUP back to powersharing in Northern Ireland just weeks ago.As leader, he steered the party’s two-year boycott of Northern Ireland’s political institutions in protest over post-Brexit trading arrangements.After protracted negotiations, the DUP agreed to return to Stormont last month, following the agreement of a new deal and a series of assurances around Northern Ireland’s constitutional position within the United Kingdom.Jane Dalton29 March 2024 14:241711720644MP’s website deleted after DUP suspends himLagan Valley MP Sir Jeffrey has been suspended from the DUP pending the outcome of the judicial process.Overnight, his website and social media accounts, including on X, Facebook and Instagram, were deleted. More