UK Politics

Boris Johnson opposes the Tory grassroots campaign attempting to keep him in power and wants it to “stop”, his closest ally says.Nadine Dorries also ridiculed a claim that the outgoing prime minister is seeking a safer constituency, as a possible power base for reviving his career, as “100 per cent nuclear grade tosh”.But the culture secretary declined to say Mr Johnson will never attempt to launch a comeback, saying: “Who knows what the future will hold?”A petition organised by the Conservative donor and peer Peter Cruddas is campaigning for party members to be given a vote on whether the prime minister should lose the party leadership. More

Moment Nadine Dorries interview goes off air after incident behind camera More

Liz Truss is making an audacious bid for the votes of Northern Tories by promising a new rail scheme costing tens of billions – a project scrapped by her government just eight months ago.Boris Johnson was accused of betrayal last November when he axed the planned high-speed connections across the Pennines, claiming they failed on “affordability and value for money”.Now the Tory leadership race favourite – speaking ahead of the first hustings in Leeds – has vowed to reinstate the project if she wins the race to be the next prime minister.Ms Truss argued the full Northern Powerhouse Rail scheme, running from Liverpool to Leeds via Manchester and Bradford, would bring “growth and business investment” to the North.“We will build the Northern Powerhouse Rail to link up communities and unlock potential across the North. That’s how we will bring better jobs to the North and address productivity,” she told Northern newspapers.RecommendedMr Johnson’s proposals slashed the budget for Northern Powerhouse Rail by £24.9bn, replacing the original vision for a new line with upgrades to existing routes.The foreign secretary has also stolen a march on her rival Rishi Sunak by grabbing the endorsement of the chair of the Northern Research Group of Conservative MPs.Jake Berry told the Yorkshire Post: “Liz is someone who gets things done, who has proved she can deliver and can be trusted to keep her promises.”The backing is a blow to Mr Sunak, who is supported by the influential Tees Valley mayor Ben Houchen and hoped to be seen as the candidate most committed to the “levelling up” promise.Ms Truss’ backing for the “full fat” Pennine scheme was welcomed by the Northern Powerhouse Partnership, the business-backed organisation campaigning for more powers and funding.“The outgoing prime minister broke his promises to the north when he published the Integrated Rail Plan,” said Henri Murison, its chief executive.“This would bring back government support for the original Northern Powerhouse vision of a single travel to work area across the Pennines, driving up productivity to secure growth for UK plc.“Whoever becomes the next prime minister should build the new line from Manchester, connecting the airport, through to Bradford with services across to Leeds.”RecommendedAt the hustings in Leeds, the candidates are likely to be tackled on the other rail scheme axed last November – the eastern leg of the HS2 high-speed project.It is not set to run only from Birmingham to near Nottingham – with Leeds the biggest loser from the downgrade by losing the promise of faster journey times to London. More

The UK’s high animal welfare standards face a “clear and present danger” from post-Brexit trade deals without tougher government rules, a study has warned.Domestic farming will be undercut if the “soft” approach of the Australia and New Zealand negotiations continues in talks with countries with “less qualms” about quality, it argues.The alarm has been raised over a hoped-for agreement with India – which Boris Johnson has promised will be struck in October – because it “has many animal rights practices prohibited at home”.The government is urged to insist on “core standards” that would guarantee how a product is made – as well as that product’s safety – in the report by the ResPublica think tank.“The clear and present danger here is that the high standards the UK sets for itself will be undermined once meat and other animal products start being shipped en masse from abroad,” said its director, Phillip Blond.Recommended“The problem will only become more acute as we engage countries with even less qualms about exporting cheap, unethically-produced products to the UK.”The study is backed by both the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) and the National Farmers Union (NFU), which both criticised the Australia and New Zealand deals.David Bowles, head of public affairs at the RSPCA, said: “We are yet to see any real assurances that production standards – which would place us as global leaders for animal welfare – will not be undermined for the sake of a quick deal.”And Nick von Westenholz, the NFU’s director of Trade and Business Strategy, said future deals must go “beyond merely warm words”.“No one wants to see high-welfare and sustainably produced home-grown food undermined by trade deals which fail to meet our own legal requirements on animal welfare and environmental protection,” he said.The ResPublica report, entitled ‘UK Trade Policy and Animal Welfare’, notes that, although India bans the killing of animals for food without stunning them first, “in practice this rule is often ignored”.The Independent revealed how meat from cows kept in harsh conditions banned in the UK can be imported from Australia, where cattle are transported for up to 48 hours without rest.The journey times are more than three times the limit of 14 hours in this country, a figure expected to be cut to 10.5 hours under post-Brexit changes.Controversy over the agreement – which will punish the farming and food sectors on the government’s own figures – has grown after a promise to give MPs a final say before approval was broken.RecommendedMr Johnson has set two trade deadlines for his successor, to strike the India trade deal by Diwali and to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) by the end of the year.But hopes of an agreement with the USA – once seen as the biggest Brexit prize – have faded because of Joe Biden’s lack of interest and the rows over the Northern Ireland Protocol. More

Union bosses have warned of a general strike this year if Liz Truss becomes prime minister and implements “Victorian” plans to restrict the right to industrial action.The No 10 hopeful has pledged to ensure “militant action” from trade unions can no longer “paralyse” the economy if she replaces outgoing Tory leader Boris Johnson.Mick Lynch, general secretary of the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union, said “coordinated and synchronised industrial action” would be needed if legislation is brought in. He said the “very dangerous situation” risks taking the country back to “Victorian times”.Mr Lynch’s remarks came as strikes by members of the RMT and Transport Salaried Staffs Association left only around one in five trains running, bringing the country to a grinding halt.In the wake of Wednesday’s stike action, Aslef – the train drivers’ union – announced its members will walk out on Saturday 13 August, citing the failure of train firms to make a pay offer to help members keep pace with the rising cost of living as the trigger.RecommendedMr Lynch told the i newspaper: “There is a whole host of measures that [Ms Truss] is looking to bring in that will make it virtually impossible to have effective trade unionism and we think would effectively outlaw collective action.“I think that’s a turn to the extreme right on behalf of the Conservatives, and they’re playing to their reactionary base. I think there will be an enormous response from the trade union movement.”He contined: “I would be looking for a general strike if we can bring that off, but it’s up to others. We’re a small union compared to others. So we’ll have to see where that goes.”Ms Truss has said her government would introduce legislation in the first 30 days of parliament to guarantee a minimum level of service on vital national infrastructure.She vowed she would also ensure strike action has significant support from union members by raising the minimum threshold for voting in favour of strike action from 40 per cent to 50 per cent. The minimum notice period for strike action would be raised from two weeks to four weeks, and a cooling-off period would be implemented so that unions can no longer strike as many times as they like in the six-month period after a ballot.Asked what she would do about the rail strikes, the foreign secretary told Sky News: “I would legislate to make sure that there are essential services on our railway.”It is completely wrong that the travelling public are being held ransom by militant unions. We can’t allow that to happen. We need to make sure our essential services run.”As I said, I am on the side of people who work hard, who go into work, who want to run their businesses. We can’t see them hampered by the activities of these militant unions.”A general strike, which can only be called by the Trades Union Congress (TUC), is when a “substantial proportion” of workers in multiple sectors refuse to work until their demands are met.And asked if it would call a general strike, the TUC stressed “every strike is a democratic process”, but said: “It’s clear this Conservative government is not on the side of working people.”It follows the war of words which erupted on Wednesday between unions and transport secretary Grant Shapps after he laid out plans to curb industrial action, including stopping coordinated industrial walk outs, limiting picketing and having a cooling off period after strikes.He told the Daily Telegraph: “I’m looking at banning strikes by different unions in the same workplace within a set period. We should also place an absolute limit of six pickets at points of Critical National Infrastructure, irrespective of the number of unions involved, and outlaw intimidatory language.“Ballot papers should also set out clearly the specific reason for industrial action and the form of action to be taken. In addition, before strike dates are announced, employers should have the right to respond to the issue cited on the ballot paper.”Echoing comments made by Mr Lynch, Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “If Grant Shapps had his way we would all still be in the workhouse.”Unison general secretary Christina McAnea added: “The government wants to turn the clock back to Victorian times when children were sent up chimneys and working people ruthlessly exploited.”Meanwhile, Sam Tarry has warned that the Labour leadership is on a “direct collision course” with trade union chiefs who have been left “absolutely fuming” by his sacking from the party frontbench for joining a rail strike picket line.The former junior shadow transport minister attended a demonstration at Euston Station in London – defying Sir Keir Starmer’s order to stay away from rail worker demonstrations.The Labour leader warned his party’s shadow ministers on Tuesday not to join picket lines on a one-day walkout by RMT members seeking a better pay offer.A Labour spokesperson said: “This isn’t about appearing on a picket line. Members of the front bench sign up to collective responsibility. That includes media appearances being approved and speaking to agreed frontbench positions.“As a government-in-waiting, any breach of collective responsibility is taken extremely seriously and for these reasons Sam Tarry has been removed from the frontbench.”RecommendedBut responding to the news of Mr Tarry’s sacking, TSSA general secretary Manuel Cortes said: “Sam is one of us. He grew up in the trade union movement and trade unionism is in his blood. Today Sam did the right thing and stood shoulder to shoulder with rail workers striking for fairness and safety at work.“Whatever excuses the Labour party makes about the reasons for Sam being sacked, the reality is that Sam has shown solidarity with his class and we applaud him for that. The Labour party needs to wake up and smell the coffee. If they think can win the next general election while pushing away seven million trade union members, they are deluded.” More

More than 3,500 online child abuse crimes will take place every month that the Online Safety Bill is delayed, children’s charity the NSPCC has warned.The charity said its analysis of Home Office crime data found a more than tenfold increase in online child sexual abuse offences recorded by police in England and Wales over the last decade.According to that data, 42,503 obscene publication (child abuse image) and sexual grooming crimes were logged over the last year, up from 3,706 a decade ago.The NSPCC said it has now written to both Conservative leadership candidates to urge them to commit to passing the online safety regulation in full and without delay when they become prime minister.

With every second the clock ticks by on the Online Safety Bill an ever-growing number of children and families face the unimaginable trauma of preventable child abuseSir Peter Wanless, NSPCCRecommendedThe charity said delaying the Bill further or “watering down” the proposals would “represent the reversal of an important manifesto commitment that commands strong levels of public support”.The Online Safety Bill had been due to continue its passage through Parliament last week, but this was postponed until the autumn when either Liz Truss or Rishi Sunak take office.The online safety laws would compel social media and other platforms to protect their users from harmful content, placing a duty of care on them, with large fines and access to their sites being blocked should they breach the new rules.But the NSPCC said the delay would leave more children at risk of being groomed, and said the sheer scale of the problem must serve as a wake-up call to the next prime minister.“With every second the clock ticks by on the Online Safety Bill an ever-growing number of children and families face the unimaginable trauma of preventable child abuse,” NSPCC chief executive Sir Peter Wanless said.“The need for legislation to protect children is clear, commands overwhelming support from MPs and the public and builds on the UK’s global leadership position in tackling harm online.Recommended“Robust regulation can be delivered while protecting freedom of speech and privacy.“There can be no more important mission for Government than to keep children safe from abuse and the next prime minister must keep the promise made to families in the election manifesto and deliver the Online Safety Bill as a national priority.” More

Rishi Sunak has denied quitting as chancellor in order to force a leadership contest, insisting that he was “looking forward to a nice holiday” after dramatically resigning earlier this month.The former chancellor’s bid to succeed Boris Johnson has been undermined by the reluctance of many Tory members to vote for the man they believe “wielded the knife” to oust the prime minister.Johnson himself has made little secret of his feeling that Sunak’s resignation was a betrayal, and suspicion over his motives have been fuelled by reports that allies were discussing social media strategies for a leadership bid months ago.But speaking to The Spectator magazine, Mr Sunak insisted that his decision to quit was prompted by his unhappiness with Johnson’s plans for a joint speech on the economy, which he feared would paper over the cracks between their positions, as well concerns over the PM’s honesty.He dismissed suggestions that a slick campaign video unveiled within days of his resignation was proof that his bid had been long in preparation, insisting it was put together in less than 24 hours and that he himself saw it only moments before its release.Recommended“I can honestly say with hand on heart that that video was put together in 24 hours,” said Mr Sunak.“I get a lot of criticism when people say: ‘Oh, gosh, it’s all very slick and professional.’ I think being professional is a good thing.“If we want to compete in the 21st century, then yes, we do need people to be professional and ambitious and strive to be the best at what they do. I’m not going to apologise for that and I’m really lucky. I’ve got some people who are brilliant and that video was put together in a day.“The first time I saw it was a minute before it went out. I was actually looking forward to a nice holiday.”Mr Sunak said he had resigned “on principle” from Mr Johnson’s government because of “questions of trust and honesty about how we were dealing with things”.But he shied away from saying that Mr Johnson had lied over his knowledge of sex pest allegations against deputy chief whip Christopher Pincher, instead saying that “it was clear to me that what was said was not accurately reflective of what seemed to have happened”.And he made clear that he was uncomfortable with Mr Johnson’s plans – several times delayed in the weeks before his resignation – for a joint speech which would have committed the pair to the same economic platform.“We were clearly on very different pages,” Mr Sunak told The Spectator. “It comes back to being honest with the country about the challenges we face. I am prepared to say some things that have not made my life easy.“I’m prepared to tell people that you can’t have your cake and eat it. That’s partly why I resigned because it doesn’t work if the prime minister and chancellor are not on the same page.”RecommendedMr Sunak also appeared to question the government’s approach to achieving its target of net zero carbon emissions by 2050, suggesting that it could be toned down to prevent economic pain.”Of course net zero is important,” he said. “But we shouldn’t run at that target so hard and so fast that we do enormous damage to people and the country along the way.” More

Keir Starmer provoked a furious backlash from unions on Wednesday night by sacking a frontbencher who joined striking rail workers on the picket line.He moved swiftly to sack Sam Tarry after the shadow transport minister defied orders by conducting TV interviews alongside strikers in London.It came as Aslef announced another walkout on Saturday 13 August affecting nine rail companies, on top of planned action this Saturday.Meanwhile, unions voiced fury at government plans to tighten laws on industrial action, with RMT leader Mick Lynch suggesting he would back a general strike if Liz Truss became prime minister on a platform to “effectively outlaw collective action”.A package of measures set out by transport secretary Grant Shapps – a supporter of Rishi Sunak’s bid to succeed Boris Johnson as PM – was denounced as “anti-democratic” by the TUC, while Unite said it would be met with “fierce and prolonged resistance” by workers.RecommendedSir Keir warned his party’s shadow ministers on Tuesday not to join picket lines on a one-day walkout by RMT members seeking a better pay offer.“The Labour Party in opposition needs to be the Labour Party in power,” said Starmer, who was derided by Tories for failing to penalise such action during a previous round of strikes. “And a government doesn’t go on picket lines, a government tries to resolve disputes.”A Labour spokesperson said: “This isn’t about appearing on a picket line. Members of the front bench sign up to collective responsibility. That includes media appearances being approved and speaking to agreed frontbench positions.“As a government-in-waiting, any breach of collective responsibility is taken extremely seriously and for these reasons, Sam Tarry has been removed from the front bench.”But Mr Tarry, a former official of the TSSA transport union who helped run Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership campaign, said he was “proud” to join the striking rail workers. More