Markus Andrews

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailSir Keir Starmer has condemned the Tories’ “McCarthyite” anti-woke attacks on British institutions as he promised to end years of “divisive” culture wars should he win the next election. The Labour leader attacked Rishi Sunak’s party for “waging war” on organisations such as the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI), the National Trust and the Trussell Trust, saying “their rhetoric has helped demonise them”.Sir Keir said that, instead of looking to charities as a model to inspire the country, the Tories “seem set on sabotaging civil society to save their own skins”. In a rare foray into the issue of so-called culture wars, he called for a “reset” of the government’s relationship with the charity sector.It came as culture secretary Lucy Frazer took to the airwaves to launch a fresh attack on the BBC, which she accused of being biased “on occasion”. In the speech, in which he set out plans to work with the sector if Labour wins power later this year, Sir Keir also said civil society will be essential to the party’s plans for government.Starmer said the Tories’ have embarked on a ‘McCarthyite’ anti-woke purge of UK institutions “If we are privileged to be elected to serve this year, we will work with you on our mission for a decade of national renewal,” he told the Civil Society Summit in central London on Monday.Taking aim at Mr Sunak’s party, he added: “They’ve got themselves so tangled up in culture wars of their own making, that instead of working with the RNLI, an organisation the late Queen was patron of for 70 years, to find real solutions to stop the small boats. Their rhetoric has helped demonise them.“Instead of working with the National Trust so more people can learn about – and celebrate – our culture and our history, they’ve managed to demean their work.”The Queen was patron of the RNLI He went on: “In its desperation to cling onto power at all costs, the Tory Party is undertaking a kind of weird McCarthyism, trying to find woke agendas in the very civic institutions they once regarded with respect.“Let me tell you. Waging a war on the proud spirit of service in this country isn’t leadership. It’s desperate. It’s divisive. It’s damaging.”The term McCarthyism originates from the anti-Communist witch-hunt against the left led by senator Joseph R McCarthy in 1950’s America and is now shorthand all the world over for political purge.Senior Tories have accused the National Trust of going “woke” for looking at how its properties have links to slavery and colonialism. Sir Keir said the Tories going to war with the National Trust was “what happens when politics of self-preservation prevail over commitment to service”.Sir Keir, whose Labour Party is riding high in opinion polls, also blamed the Conservatives’ approach to small boats crossing the channel for a rise in hostility toward the RNLI, saying the Tories have helped “demonise” the charity. His speech was also the first time a party leader had set out a vision for the charity sector since David Cameron set out his vision for the “big society”. The idea was meant to see Britons turn away from officials, local authorities and the government for solutions to their problems.Instead people were to support themselves and their communities, easing the burden on the state.Sir Keir said it was a “great idea in principle”, but said “when austerity kicked in, we ended up with the poor society”.“Now we need a new vision for a new era,” he added.The Labour leader also went on to attack the Conservatives for engaging in “sticking-plaster politics” since coming to power in 2010, citing Storm Isha and recent floods as an example of the damaging impact of short-term decision making.He said: “They’ve just put sticking plasters on problems, which have masked the problem for a short period of time only to come off, usually exposing an even bigger problem.“We’ve got to get ahead of the storms and put the resilience in place… there is a strong preventative theme running through everything we want to do.”Mr Sunak claimed Sir Keir’s speech was an attempt to distract from his record as Labour leader.He told broadcasters he had not seen the speech but “it does sound to me like a distraction from the fact that Keir Starmer, who has been leader of the opposition for four years, can’t actually say what he would do differently to run this country”. More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster email European Union foreign ministers argued Monday that the creation of a Palestinian state is the only credible way to achieve peace in the Middle East, and they expressed concern about Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s clear rejection of the idea.“The declarations of Benjamin Netanyahu are worrying. There will be a need for a Palestinian state with security guarantees for all,” French Foreign Affairs Minister Stephane Sejourne told reporters in Brussels, where the EU ministers met to discuss the war in Gaza.Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz and Jordan’s foreign minister, Ayman Safadi, also were in Belgium’s capital for the discussion. The issue of Gaza’s future also has set Israel in opposition to the United States and its Arab allies as they work to mediate an end to the fighting in the besieged Palestinian territory.The Palestinian death toll from the war between Israel and Hamas surpassed 25,000, the Health Ministry in Hamas-ruled Gaza reported. Israel said Sunday that another of the hostages taken during the Oct. 7 attack that triggered the war had died.The EU is the world’s top provider of aid to the Palestinians, but holds little leverage over Israel, despite being its biggest trading partner. The 27 member countries are also deeply divided in their approach. But as the death toll in Gaza mounts, so do calls for a halt to the fighting.“Gaza is in a situation of extreme urgency. There is a risk of famine. There is a risk of epidemics. The violence must stop,” said Belgian Foreign Minister Hadja Lahbib, whose country holds the EU’s rotating presidency.“We demand an immediate cease-fire, the release of the hostages, the respect of international law, (and) a return to the peace process, which must lead to the creation of two states living in peace side by side,” Lahbib said, describing a two-state solution as “the only way to establish peace in a durable way in the region.”Israel appears far from achieving its goals of crushing Hamas and freeing the more than 100 remaining hostages. But Netanyahu rejects Palestinian statehood and appears to want open-ended military control over Gaza. The dispute over the territory’s future — coming as the war still rages with no end in sight — pits the EU, the United States and their Arab allies against Israel and poses a major obstacle to any plans for postwar governance or reconstruction in Gaza.The EU invited the foreign ministers of Israel, the Palestinians, Egypt, Jordan and a representative of the Arab League to take part in Monday’s talks. The ministers from Israel and the Palestinians were not due to meet each other.The European ministers want to hear what other plans Israel might have.“Which are the other solutions they have in mind?,” EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, who chaired the meeting, asked. “To make all the Palestinians leave? To kill off them?”Borrell condemned what he described as the atrocities committed by Hamas during its unprecedented Oct. 7 attacks in southern Israel. Referring to the Israeli military action, he said: “They are seeding the hate for generations.”“Peace and stability cannot be built only by military means,” he said.Spain has pushed for a peace conference to discuss what might happen once the fighting is over. A future meeting in Brussels is in the works, but the timing remains unclear. The plan has the backing of some EU member countries, but others say it can only happen with Israel’s support.“If Israel is not (at) the table, there is no use to have peace conferences,” Luxembourg Foreign Minister Xavier Bettel said. He said that after recent discussions with Israel officials, it was clear to him that the country won’t be ready as long as it believes that Hamas still poses a danger.Arriving at the meeting, Israel’s Katz refused to respond when asked about the possibility of Palestinian statehood. Holding up pictures of Israeli hostages, Katz said he had come to seek support for Israel’s campaign to dismantle Hamas.“We have to bring back our security. Our brave soldiers are fighting in very hard conditions,” he told reporters. The Israeli government’s aims, Katz said, are clear: “to bring back our hostages and restore security for the citizens of Israel.” More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailSenior Conservative have backed a radical plan being considered by Rishi Sunak’s government to guarantee mortgages requiring only 1 per cent deposits.Tory MPs largely welcomed the idea of a scheme to boost 99 per cent mortgages, after The Independent first revealed the March Budget proposal aimed at first-time buyers.Economists and housing experts warned that such a scheme – aimed at helping young people onto the property ladder – would create “massive risk” for taxpayers and would push up prices.They argued that boosting demand without fixing the shortage of housing was a “high-stakes gamble” that could fuel “yet another house price bubble”.But Tories from both the left and right wings of the party are excited by the plan. Former cabinet minister Robert Buckland said: “A bold idea like this is very welcome.”Mr Buckland said the problem of overheating the market could be avoided “by ensuring that mortgages are easily available for new homes built by modern methods of construction”.The leading Tory moderate said the government should combine “an increase in speed of supply of housing with easier to access mortgages, in order to avoid excessive house price inflation”.Chancellor Jeremy Hunt’s team considering scheme to boost home ownership Shaun Bailey, one of the red-wall MPs pushing the government to boost housebuilding to win back young voters, said it was a “positive” idea and his initial assessment was “favourable”.The Tory MP for West Bromwich West said young constituents “struggle to transition from paying high rents to affording a mortgage due to hefty deposits”, adding: “Overcoming this hurdle would be beneficial – it’s crucial to help young people step onto the property ladder.”Former Tory minister John Redwood: “I’m keen to support any proposal to boost home ownership, as long as its suitable people and you assess affordability and credit status.”The senior right-winger said the benefits outweighed the risks. “A young person starting off with a decent job, why shouldn’t they borrow [at 99 per cent] – taking a 99 per cent mortgage is perfectly sensible because you will get pay rises,” said Mr Redwood.Government sources have said a Treasury-backed scheme to help first-time buyers get 99 per cent loan to value (LTV) mortgages is one of the big ideas being discussed for chancellor Jeremy Hunt’s Budget on 6 March.House prices have pushed ‘generation rent’ away from ownership dream Bright Blue – the centre-right think tank which has been pushing the government address the needs of young voters in “generation rent” – also welcomed the idea.“We need bold demand-side and supply-side measures to improve the affordability of home ownership,” said executive chair Ryan Shorthouse.“The size of the deposit is the biggest barrier for prospective first-time buyers. It is right that the government looks to guarantee mortgages to the extent that the upfront deposit which is required is significantly smaller.”“Frankly, there are much bigger causes of house price inflation than government subsidy for first-time buyers,” Mr Shorthouse added.Housing secretary Michael Gove has said homeownership offer will come in election year But mortgage brokers were among those sounding the alarm on the proposed scheme. Peter Stamford at The Mortgage Uni said the “sting in the tail” would be the higher interest rates that come with low deposits.“There is also a risk it could once again cause the property market to overheat, driving prices up further. It’s a high-stakes gamble and could potentially fuel yet another house price bubble,” the expert warned.And Riz Malik, director at R3 Mortgages, said with house prices so high, affording monthly payments would remain a barrier for many young buyers.“However, for a government that looks set to be massacred at the general election, desperate times call for desperate measures,” he said.Torsten Bell, chief executive of the Resolution Foundation, said the low-deposit proposal would “permanently raise home ownership rates” – but warned that it would also mean the government “taking a massive chunk of house price risk”.“The last 15 years have taught us recessions are now VERY expensive for the state – causing huge increases in national debt,” the top economist posted on X – making clear the plan would “take even more risk onto the public sector balance sheet”.Mr Sunak’s party is struggling to win support among younger adults. Only 10 per cent of voters under the age of 50 intend to vote for the Tories, the latest YouGov poll has found.Housing secretary Michael Gove last month hinted the government were exploring ways to boost home ownership – saying the party would “definitely” have a new offer for prospective buyers before the general election.“We have been asking the question, how can we ensure that people with decent incomes who are finding it difficult because of the scale of deposit required can get on to the housing ladder?” he told The Times.“I don’t want to pre-empt anything … but it’s about looking at some of the rigidities in the mortgage market which they haven’t got in other jurisdictions.” More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailCabinet minister Grant Shapps has condemned “disappointing” comments by Israel PM Benjamin Netanyahu rejecting Palestinian statehood.The defence secretary saying the UK government remains “wedded” to the idea of a two-state solution – arguing that there “isn’t another option”.Rishi Sunak’s government has largely resisted criticism of Israel since it launched strikes on Gaza in the wake of the 7 October Hamas terror attack.But Mr Shapps offer a strong rebuke of Mr Netanyahu’s rejection of Palestinian sovereignty and insistence his country needs full security control over the territories.“I think it’s disappointing to hear Benjamin Netanyahu saying he doesn’t believe in a two-state solution,” he told Sky News’ Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips.Mr Shapps added: “In fairness, he’s said that all of his political career, as far as I can tell. I don’t think we get to a solution unless we have a two-state solution.”Addressing the Netanyahu remarks on the BBC’s Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg programme, Mr Shapps said: “Palestinians deserve a sovereign state. Israel deserves to have the full ability to defend itself, its own security.”Grant Shapps visited Israel in December to offer support in wake of Hamas terror attack He added: “Now, you’ll get a lot of different views within the Israeli government, of course, it is a rainbow coalition. So we very much distinguish between the views of individuals and our overall support for Israel as a country.”Mr Netanyahu raised the stakes with the US, UK and other allies by doubling down on his rejection of a two-state solution with a statement on X late on Saturday.“I will not compromise on full Israeli security control over the entire area west of Jordan – and this is contrary to a Palestinian state,” the Israeli leader said.It came in defiance of Joe Biden, who hours earlier had voiced hope that a two-state solution was still possible even while Mr Netanyahu remains in office, following a call with the Israeli leader.The US president had claimed that Mr Netanyahu was not opposed to all two-state solutions.Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu insists his country must take control of Gaza But in a new statement, the Israeli prime minister’s office said Mr Netanyahu told Mr Biden that “after Hamas is destroyed, Israel must retain security control over Gaza to ensure that Gaza will no longer pose a threat to Israel, a requirement that contradicts the demand for Palestinian sovereignty”.Sir Keir Starmer’s Labour party has also rebuked Mr Netanyahu’s position. Shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper on Sunday echoed the Labour leader and shadow foreign secretary David Lammy in saying: “Those words from Netanyahu were completely unacceptable.”She told Sky News: “Statehood of a people is not in the gift of its neighbour, it is the right of a people and it is the right of the Palestinian people.”Mr Lammy on Saturday said Mr Netanyahu’s stance would mean “occupation and siege continues” in Gaza, where the Palestinian death toll is now above 25,000, according to local health authorities.David Lammy dashes off stage as speech interrupted by pro-Palestinian protestersMr Netanyahu has vowed to press ahead with the offensive in Gaza for many months despite mounting pressure on Israel to rein in its military action as the scale of death and destruction intensifies.The White House earlier this week announced it was the “right time” for Israel to lower the intensity of its military action in Gaza.Israel launched the offensive after an unprecedented cross-border attack by Hamas on 7 October, in which 1,200 people were killed and some 240 others taken hostage.Roughly 130 hostages are believed by Israel to remain in Hamas captivity. Israel’s assault on Gaza has been one of the deadliest and most destructive military campaigns in recent history. More