UK Politics

Your support helps us to tell the storyFind out moreCloseOur mission is to deliver unbiased, fact-based reporting that holds power to account and exposes the truth.Whether $5 or $50, every contribution counts.Support us to deliver journalism without an agenda.Louise ThomasEditor Britain’s opposition Conservative Party will choose either Robert Jenrick or Kemi Badenoch to be its next leader, after a third contender was dramatically knocked out of the leadership contest in a tight vote on Wednesday.Badenoch, a former business secretary, received 42 of the 120 votes cast in a ballot of Tory lawmakers, while former immigration minister Jenrick got 41. Both are from the right of the party.Former Foreign Secretary James Cleverly was eliminated after receiving 37 votes. A centrist, Cleverly came first in the penultimate voting round on Tuesday and had been considered likely to make the runoff.Lawmakers have whittled the field down from six contenders in four rounds of voting.Tens of thousands of party members across the country will vote at the end of this month, and the winner will be announced on Nov. 2. Nigeria-raised Badenoch depicts herself as a disruptor, arguing for a low-tax, free-market economy and pledging to “rewire, reboot and reprogram” the British state.Jenrick, who calls for Britain to make deep cuts to immigration and rip up European human rights law, has been considered the front-runner since the contest started in July.The winner will lead a right-of-center party that suffered a catastrophic election defeat in July at the hands of the Labour Party led by Prime Minister Keir Starmer. The Conservatives lost more than 200 seats, taking their tally down to 121 — the party’s worst election result since 1832. More

Your support helps us to tell the storyFind out moreCloseOur mission is to deliver unbiased, fact-based reporting that holds power to account and exposes the truth.Whether $5 or $50, every contribution counts.Support us to deliver journalism without an agenda.Louise ThomasEditorThe government’s private school VAT raid is facing yet more problems, as three private Christian schools and a group of parents are set to launch a court challenge to the plan. This comes as ministers are poised to provide concessions to military families, with the Treasury reportedly considering exemptions to the tax hike amid growing concern about the impact of the policy on services personnel. Emmanuel School in Derby, the Branch Christian School in Yorkshire, and the King’s School in Hampshire have threatened the government with a judicial review if they do not drop the draft legislation, claiming that the introduction of VAT on school fees would breach human rights law.In a letter to the government, they said the proposed policy would unlawfully discriminate against them because it is likely to force Christian schools to close.Andrea Williams, chief executive of the Christian Legal Centre, told The Times that the tax raid would “make independent faith schooling unaffordable for many families and may force some small faith schools to close”.Meanwhile, warnings from military families that they could leave the armed forces as a result of fee increases have triggered cross-government discussions to consider exemptions, The Telegraph reported on Wednesday. The Army Families Federation wrote a letter to the Treasury warning that many families will consider leaving unless the government implements exemptions More

Starmer says Falklands are British and will remain BritishYour support helps us to tell the storyFind out moreCloseMy recent work focusing on Latino voters in Arizona has shown me how crucial independent journalism is in giving voice to underrepresented communities.Your support is what allows us to tell these stories, bringing attention to the issues that are often overlooked. Without your contributions, these voices might not be heard.Every dollar you give helps us continue to shine a light on these critical issues in the run up to the election and beyondEric GarciaWashington Bureau ChiefIn a shocking turn of events, James Cleverly has been eliminated of the Tory leadership race, leaving Robert Jenrick and Kemi Badenoch to face a vote of the party membership.The ex-home secretary was in a leading position to make it through the latest stage after leapfrogging former frontrunner Mr Jenrick to first place on Tuesday.But Tory MPs decided to knock him out after Tom Tugendhat, a former security minister and favourite of the One Nation caucus of Tory MPs, also lost the race on Tuesday. Ms Badenoch emerged as the frontrunner in the final vote, securing 42 votes from MPs and positioning herself as strong contender to succeed Rishi Sunak. Mr Jenrick closely trailed behind with 41 votes, while Mr Cleverly’s campaign took a dramatic downturn result with just 37 votes. The final two MPs will now face an online ballot of Tory members from 10 to 31 October, with the winner of the contest announced on 2 November.It comes as Sir Keir Starmer faced a grilling from Rishi Sunak in his first PMQs since reshuffling his Downing Street leadership team, after Sue Gray’s shock exit as his chief of staff.Show latest update 1728485639Labour: Conservatives now choosing between two architects of Tory failure Labour Party chairwoman Ellie Reeves has not hold back in her criticism of the Conservative leadership contest, which has now narrowed to Kemi Badenoch and Robert Jenrick. She said: “After months of gaffes, wild unfunded policies and infighting, Tory members now have the unenviable task of choosing between two of the architects of Tory failure.“Both Kemi Badenoch and Robert Jenrick are central figures in 14 years of hapless leadership and decline, and have already proven they’ve learned nothing from the mistakes that took the Conservative Party to its worst defeat in modern history.“While the endless bickering continues, Labour is fixing the foundations and sorting out the mess that these two deeply unimpressive figures left behind.”Salma Ouaguira9 October 2024 15:531728485506James Cleverly ‘grateful’ to support from members Salma Ouaguira9 October 2024 15:511728485253Tory leadership race: Badenoch and Jenrick locked in close raceSalma Ouaguira9 October 2024 15:471728485178Lib Dems: If this were an interview process they would’ve put the job advert up againThe Liberal Democrats have reacted to this dramatic Tory leadership result. Against the polls, Kemi Badenoch and Robert Jenrick have made it to the final round of the Conservative leadership election. Cabinet office spokesperson Sarah Olney MP said: “If this were an interview process they would’ve put the job advert up again.“The best the Conservatives can come up with is a failed former Minister who’d vote for Donald Trump and failed former Minister who thinks maternity pay is excessive“Whoever wins this election will be tainted by the Conservatives legacy in government for years to come.”Archie Mitchell in Westminster 9 October 2024 15:461728484901ANALYSIS | Tories played tactically to choose candidates on the right Tory MPs have made a profound decision by ditching the last centrist candidate James Cleverly and picking two candidates on the right of the party. The result shows that the usual games playing has been taking place with MPs tactically switching votes. But the choice of Kemi Badenoch versus Robert Jenrick is the MPs saying that the party needs to go hard right to take on Nigel Farage and reform UK.David Maddox 9 October 2024 15:411728484387Breaking: Cleverly knocked out of Tory leadership raceJames Cleverly has been knocked out of the Tory leadership race. Robert Jenrick and Kemi Badenoch are now to face a vote of the party membership.Here’s the full result:Kemi Badenoch: 42Robert Jenrick: 41James Cleverly: 37Salma Ouaguira9 October 2024 15:331728484209Tory MPs ready to hear the result Tory MPs have entered the committee room ahead of the final results announcement. Tensions are high as the decision on which of the remaining three rivals is knocked out is the closest ballot yet. Salma Ouaguira9 October 2024 15:301728483958COMMENT | Labour’s poll ratings are dreadful – here’s how they can bounce backKeir Starmer’s first 100 days in office have been marred by unforced errors – but his new chief of staff has kickstarted a radical overhaul of the Downing Street operation, says John Rentoul:Salma Ouaguira9 October 2024 15:251728483362Lunchtime bulletinIt’s a bustling day in Westminste, with the return of PMQs this afternoon and the Tory leadership race set to narrow down to two contenders in a matter of minutes. At PMQs Sir Keir Starmer did not rule out the possibility of a national insurance tax increase for business or changes to debt rules in the upcoming budget. Tory leader Rishi Sunak reiterated his commitment not to raise national insurance, VAT, or income tax for “working people”. The prime minister also kept the door open for a youth mobility scheme with the EU. Starmer refuses to rule out national insurance rise twice in PMQs grilling. More

Your support helps us to tell the storyFind out moreCloseOur mission is to deliver unbiased, fact-based reporting that holds power to account and exposes the truth.Whether $5 or $50, every contribution counts.Support us to deliver journalism without an agenda.Louise ThomasEditorConservative MPs have pivoted to the right in, ditching centrist candidate James Cleverly in the race to succeed Rishi Sunak. The former home secretary was knocked out of the race on Wednesday afternoon, leaving Robert Jenrick and Kemi Badenoch to face a vote of the party membership in November. Ms Badenoch and Mr Jenrick are both seen as candidates favoured by the right of the Conservative Party, while Mr Cleverly was thought of as a more centre-ground Tory.This comes despite Mr Cleverly – who was the bookmakers’ favourite to win the contest – surging into first place at Tuesday’s ballot, securing the support of 39 MPs. Many watchers expected him to battle it out with one of his more right wing rivals in the final head-to-head. But in today’s ballot, he lost two votes taking him to 37. Ms Badenoch secured 42 votes, while Mr Jenrick was one vote behind at 41. Tom Tugendhat, a former security minister and favourite of the One Nation caucus of Tory MPs, was knocked out on Tuesday after being backed by just 20 votes.The final two MPs will now face an online ballot of Tory members from 10 to 31 October, with the winner of the contest announced on 2 November.After Tuesday’s ballot, there was just one vote separating Ms Badenoch and Mr Jenrick, with the two MPs receiving 30 and 31 votes respectively. Responding to Wednesday’s ballot, Labour Party chair Ellie Reeves said Tory members have the “unenviable task of choosing between two of the architects of Tory failure”. “Both Kemi Badenoch and Robert Jenrick are central figures in 14 years of hapless leadership and decline, and have already proven they’ve learned nothing from the mistakes that took the Conservative Party to its worst defeat in modern history.“While the endless bickering continues, Labour is fixing the foundations and sorting out the mess that these two deeply unimpressive figures left behind”, she said. More to follow… More

Your support helps us to tell the storyFind out moreCloseOur mission is to deliver unbiased, fact-based reporting that holds power to account and exposes the truth.Whether $5 or $50, every contribution counts.Support us to deliver journalism without an agenda.Louise ThomasEditorIf the Tory leadership contest was based on pure likability then James Cleverly would have long ago been the runaway winner to take the job off Rishi Sunak.While his rivals are certainly not the monsters portrayed by social media, there is no doubt when it comes to sociability, small talk and making you just feel good about yourself, Mr Cleverly is streets ahead of most politicians. It is no surprise really that the former foreign secretary and home secretary’s political hero is the former actor turned one of the greatest US presidents, Ronald Reagan. He even quoted in his conference speech Reagan’s famous “It’s morning in America again” line, a brand of optimism, hope and, yes, as Cleverly said, “conservatism with a smile”. There is no doubting he possesses a high degree of emotional intelligence. But unfortunately for him, it is the basic sort of intelligence that his critics claim he lacks, with the regular jibe that the name Cleverly is some sort of oxymoron.Cleverly is now favourite to win the Tory leadership contest More

Your support helps us to tell the storyFind out moreCloseOur mission is to deliver unbiased, fact-based reporting that holds power to account and exposes the truth.Whether $5 or $50, every contribution counts.Support us to deliver journalism without an agenda.Louise ThomasEditorThe government has been warned that a potential change to borrowing rules could spook the markets and trigger a Liz Truss-style meltdown.While No 10 has insisted it will “absolutely deliver” on its pledge to restore economic stability, financial experts warned the plans could trigger investor backlash.This comes amid speculation chancellor Rachel Reeves is preparing to overhaul the fiscal regime to unlock £50bn of extra spending.Ms Truss sparked gilt market freefall and a run on sterling after introducing unfunded tax cuts in her 2022 mini-Budget.Nigel Green, chief executive of deVere group – one of the world’s largest independent financial advisory organisations – told The Independent: “In the weeks leading up to the Budget, UK gilt yields – widely seen as a barometer of investor confidence – have surged from 3.75 per cent to around 4.2 per cent. There is speculation chancellor Rachel Reeves is preparing to overhaul the fiscal regime to unlock £50bn of extra spending More

Your support helps us to tell the storyFind out moreCloseOur mission is to deliver unbiased, fact-based reporting that holds power to account and exposes the truth.Whether $5 or $50, every contribution counts.Support us to deliver journalism without an agenda.Louise ThomasEditorRachel Reeves is thought to be considering making a major change to Labour’s fiscal rules at the budget on 30 October by borrowing billions for infrastructure investment.The move has sparked fears of the potential of rising debt, but the chancellor is reported to have told the cabinet she wants the Treasury to change how it accounts for capital spending to also reflect the benefits of investment.The change to Labour’s fiscal rule – laid out in the party’s manifesto – could unlock up to £57 billion for infrastructure spending, some experts predict.Ahead of the general election, Labour pledged to follow two rules. The first was that in the current budget, costs are met by revenues such as tax. This has proven much more of a challenge for Ms Reeves than she anticipated after she unveiled Treasury analysis in late July which showed a £22 billion shortfall in public spending.The chancellor has acknowledged this herself, saying at a Labour Party Conference fringe event that the measure would be “incredibly hard” to meet and require “tough decisions” to be made.The second rule is that debt must be falling as a share of the economy by the fifth year of the economic forecast. This measure rules out excessive borrowing to fill Labour’s black hole, as debt would be driven up as a result.However, during her speech at the conference, Ms Reeves said: “It is time that the Treasury moved on from just counting the costs of investments to recognising the benefits too.” The comment caused experts to speculate that she may be looking to alter Labour’s fiscal rules at the budget to deal with what Labour calls its unexpected “inheritance”.Rachel Reeves and Keir Starmer at Labour’s 2024 conference More