UK Politics

Former minister David Davis has accused Conservative leadership hopeful Rishi Sunak’s team of “reallocating” votes to Liz Truss because he believes he can beat the foreign secretary in the run-off.The senior figure – a key backer of Penny Mordaunt’s campaign to become prime minister – claimed it was the “the dirtiest campaign” he had ever seen, and revealed he had asked for an inquiry.Mr Davis said he had urged cabinet secretary Simon Case to examine into whether government resources had been used to help Ms Mordaunt’s rivals, claimed she had been subjected to “brutal” smears.“It’s been the dirtiest campaign I’ve ever seen,” he told LBC. “I’ve written to the cabinet secretary, asked him to do an inquiry of the use of government resources in some respects.”Mr Davis claimed on Andrew Marr’s programme that Mr Sunak’s team “reallocated” some votes he picked up from defeated candidate Tom Tugendhat to Ms Truss in the latest round of the leadership contest.Recommended“He’s got his four or five chief whips that he has in a boiler room somewhere, reallocated them [to Ms Truss] … He wants to fight Liz, because she’s the person who will lose the debate with him,” Mr Davis claimed.The former Brexit minister added: “Presumably what Rishi thinks is that he can take apart Liz’s economic plan.”Ms Truss received a surprise surge in support as she battles it out against Ms Mordaunt to face Mr Sunak in the Tory leadership run-off decided by members, after Kemi Badenoch was eliminated.Ms Truss picked up 15 votes to command the support of 86 Tory MPs in the penultimate ballot. Ms Mordaunt increased her share by only 10 to sit on 92, while Mr Sunak is still out in front on 118. However, despite Mr Davis’ claims, Mr Sunak’s backer Chris Skidmore suggested Ms Truss was the candidate the ex-chancellor’s camp fears most when the final candidates go before members.The senior Tory MP told Sky News: “Rishi versus Liz is going to be the most feared contest, in terms of that will be a battle for ideas rather than a battle of personalities.”Meanwhile, Michael Gove denied that his backing of Ms Badenoch in the Tory leadership was “a clever plot” to help put Mr Sunak in No 10.Mr Davis also claimed Ms Mordaunt had been the victim of “brutal” and “provably untrue” claims from MPs supporting other candidates.He fired back at international trade secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan, who had claimed that Ms Mordaunt had neglected her duties as trade minister and left others to “pick up the pieces”.“On Anne-Marie Trevelyan saying about lazy – lazy, absolute nonsense, actually, the truth be told it shouldn’t be Anne-Marie Trevelyan in cabinet, it should be Penny,” he said.Recommended“But because Boris preferred Anne-Marie because she was a loyalist to him, it wasn’t. So you’ve got all sorts of tangled arguments and fights going on, which of course, of course has an impact.”The Independent has approached Mr Sunak’s campaign for comment. More

Liz Truss’s hopes of replacing Boris Johnson as prime minister have taken a big step forward as rival Penny Mordaunt’s leadership bid stalled and a poll suggested the foreign secretary would comfortably beat MPs’ favourite Rishi Sunak in the final ballot of Tory members. Both the Truss and Mordaunt camps were love-bombing defeated contender Kemi Badenoch, whose elimination in the fourth round of voting put her in the position of kingmaker. And all three remaining contenders were battling for the votes of Ms Badenoch’s 59 supporters, who now have the power to decide who joins Mr Sunak in the final battle for the Tory leadership, which will be decided by party members on 5 September. The 42-year-old former equalities minister herself looks set for a significant role in government whoever becomes PM, with rival camps hailing her “fantastic campaign” and “fresh thinking”.Mr Sunak’s tally of 118 votes left him tantalisingly close to the 120 threshold to guarantee a place on the final shortlist of two to be announced at 4pm on Wednesday.RecommendedBut his prospects in the members’ ballot looked far gloomier, with a YouGov poll of 725 Tory activists finding he would be comprehensively beaten by either Ms Truss or Ms Mordaunt. However, in a sign that Ms Mordaunt’s campaign may be losing momentum, her margin of victory over the former chancellor was significantly reduced to 14 points, compared to 39 a week ago, while Ms Truss’s lead over Sunak extended from 14 to 19 points over the same period.Despite holding onto her second place with 92 MPs’ votes in Tuesday’s ballot, the trade minister did not enjoy the expected boost – on which she had been relying to maintain momentum in her campaign – from the 31 backers of One Nation candidate Tom Tugendhat, who was knocked out on Monday.With Mr Tugendhat campaign manager Anne Marie Trevelyan turning publicly on her Department for International Trade colleague – who she accused of skipping work to concentrate on her leadership ambitions – and endorsing Ms Truss, Ms Mordaunt picked up just 10 votes, compared to the 15 gained by the foreign secretary to reach a tally of 86.Having won the “fight on the right”, Ms Truss was hopeful of scooping enough of Badenoch’s supporters to overhaul Ms Mordaunt on Wednesday and secure her place in the final face-off with Mr Sunak.In an appeal to the 58 MPs now in play, a spokesperson for Ms Truss said: “Kemi Badenoch has run a fantastic campaign and contributed enormously to the battle of ideas throughout this contest. Now is the time for the party to unite behind a candidate who will govern in a Conservative way and who has shown she can deliver time and again.“But Ms Mordaunt backers insisted that tomorrow’s vote will not be decided simply by ideology.One told The Independent that conversations in the Commons tea-room suggested Ms Badenoch’s backers were split evenly between ideological right-wingers who might now coalesce behind Ms Truss and others who backed the Saffron Walden MP because they wanted a fresh face at the top, who could now transfer their allegiances to Ms Mordaunt.Meanwhile, others questioned Ms Badenoch’s ability to deliver her supporters in a block, suggesting that party grandee Michael Gove, who has been a driving force behind her campaign, could in fact act as the kingmaker as the battle draws to a tightly-fought conclusion.One senior Tory told The Independent: “Lots of us are eager to find out which mast Michael will pin his colours to. He’s a formidable campaigner, so his backing is a boost for any team.”A senior Sunak supporter dismissed rumours that the former chancellor was planning to “lend” supporters to Ms Mordaunt to keep Ms Truss out of the final ballot, as the candidate he most fears.“We are encouraging every colleague who supports Rishi to vote for him,” said the MP, who also emphatically denied that the frontrunner had a preferred rival for the final contest.One MP told The Independent: “Everyone is talking about Rishi lending votes, but I’m not sure he has enough in the bag to do that without risking his own position. And it’s not at all clear whether his chances are better against Penny or against Liz.”Uncertainty remained high over the result of Wednesday’s vote, with Badenoch supporters largely keeping their cards close to their chests over how they will switch.Several said that they had received multiple calls and approaches from the rival camps, but few revealed their new allegiances.Veteran former whip Sir Desmond Swayne announced he was falling in behind Mr Sunak, and defence minister Leo Docherty said he was backing Ms Truss for her “deep experience and sound judgement”. Senior backbencher Tim Loughton said Ms Badenoch was the “stand-out candidate” and members’ choice, but that party activists would now feel “cheated” if Ms Mordaunt was not on the shortlist presented to them.Mordaunt supporter George Freeman told The Independent he had been urging MPs to consider not only who they want as leader but how they want the party to be represented by the two candidates in the final showdown.“A lot of MPs are rightly worried that a Rishi v Liz contest could end up like the TV debates as an unedifying fight between two people who only 10 days ago were in Cabinet together, not the moment of inspiring change and renewal that Tom, Kemi and Penny and members have all called for,” said Mr Freeman.The three remaining candidates had a last chance to lobby for the votes of “red wall” MPs at a hustings hosted by the Northern Research Group (NRG) and Onward think tank in Westminster on Tuesday evening.All three said they were signed up to the NRG manifesto demanding, among other things, a minister for the North in the new government. And Ms Mordaunt went further than her rivals in committing to delivering Northern Powerhouse Rail.NRG chair Jake Berry said the event demonstrated that the “levelling up” agenda would not die with the end of Mr Johnson’s premiership.“The core principle of levelling up is absolutely embedded across Conservative Party politics for at least the next decade,” said Mr Berry. “They might change the slogan, but frankly they can call it Shirley if they like, as long as it delivers for my constituents.”RecommendedBallot packs for up to 200,000 Tory members who joined the party before 3 June will begin landing on doorsteps on 1 August and hustings will be held in all parts of the country before the deadline for voting on 2 September, with the winner announced three days later.However, online voting will begin immediately, giving the final two candidates only a matter of days to win over the thousands who are expected to mark their cross as soon as they receive their ballot paper. More

Millions of public sector workers have been awarded pay rises of between 4 and 5 per cent – prompting unions to prepare for autumn strike action, as chiefs lashed out at ”brutal” below-inflation increases.About 2.5 million staff across Britain will soon see a hike in their pay packets after the government accepted “fair and sustainable” increases recommended by state review bodies.But unions warned that they would ballot members on industrial action, pointing out that the “kick in the teeth” settlements will not keep pace with soaring inflation – currently running at 9.1 per cent.Most full-time nurses in the NHS will only get a basic pay rise worth 4 per cent, a salary increase of about £1,400, though new nursing staff will see starting pay rise by 5.5 per cent to £27,055.The vast majority of teachers will get only a 5 per cent increase, while salaries for new teachers outside London will be increased 8.9 per cent to £28,000 as part of a recruitment drive.And police officers will get a 5 per cent pay rise – an annual salary uplift of around £1,900 – after home secretary Priti Patel accepted the recommendations of the pay review body.RecommendedThe Public Commercial Services (PCS) general secretary Mark Serwotka described the awards as an “outrage” and warned of widespread strikes in the autumn. “We’ll be talking to our colleagues in other unions about organising co-ordinated national strike action,” he said.Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “We expected the inevitable betrayal but the scale of it is an affront,” before warning that Unite would back “all and every action” members wish to take.The GMB union, representing hundreds of thousands of NHS workers, said members would now be balloted on industrial action. “They deserve so much better than this,” said the union’s Laurence Turner.“GMB will now ballot our members on the offer … Everyone has their breaking point, and without a fundamental change we will not be able to deliver the public services the country needs,” he added.Eligible doctors and dentists will receive a 4.5 per cent increase, according to the Department for Health and Social Care, while the lowest earners in the health service will receive a boost of up to 9.3 per cent.But the Royal College of Nursing described the 4 per cent basic pay increase – which will see average basic pay for nurses increase from about £35,600 to £37,000 – as a “grave misstep by ministers”.RCN general secretary Pat Cullen said members would be asked if they want to strike. “Living costs are rising and yet they have enforced another real-terms pay cut on nursing staff,” she said. “It will push more nurses and nursing support workers out of the profession.”The British Medical Association said the 4.5 per cent increase awarded to some doctors this year amounted to a “brutal pay cut” that will come as a “bitter blow”.The National Education Union (NEU) condemned the “very poor pay proposal” of 5 per cent for teachers, and said members would be consulted on strikes in the autumn. “We will have no hesitation in recommending our members take action,” said Kevin Courtney, the NEU’s joint general secretary.“Teachers don’t want to strike – they want to be in the classroom teaching our pupils. But we cannot stand by and watch the biggest real-terms decline in teacher pay this century,” he added.Patrick Roach, the NASUWT teaching union’s general secretary, said: “Teachers will be dismayed to hear that the government expects them to stomach the largest real terms cut to their pay.” More

Nadhim Zahawi has promised to repeal hundreds of pieces of EU finance law on UK statute books, part of government push to deregulate the City of London in a post-Brexit “Big Bang”.The chancellor told the annual Mansion House bankers’ dinner that he wanted to replace Brussels rules with a more “agile approach” to financial regulation.Mr Zahawi confirmed that the financial services bill will be introduced in parliament on Wednesday – claiming it would “unleash growth” in the banking sector.It is partly aimed at allowing reform of Solvency II regime which governments the insurance market across Europe, aimed at give insurers more flexibility to invest in infrastructure.The bill would give UK financial regulators a new objective to “promote growth” in the sector, rather than acting simply as a watchdog.The Treasury also said the bill would consider new powers for ministers to “call in” regulatory decisions made by the Bank of England that the government does not like.RecommendedMr Zahawi’s predecessor Rishi Sunak, a favourite to win the Tory leadership contest, had promised a post-Brexit “Big Bang 2.0” – a reference to the regulation of the City during the mid-1980s.But the plans set out by the recently-appointed chancellor are set to put the government on a collision course with the Bank of England, where there are concerns that regulation will increase risk.Governor Andrew Bailey suggested earlier this month that he would oppose any changes that would allow ministers to meddle. “The independence of the regulators is important because much of our international standing depends on this,” he told MPs.Mr Zahawi told the audience on Tuesday evening that the government was “delivering the benefits of Brexit” when it came to the financial sector.He added: “The measures I have announced tonight will unleash growth across our financial services sector and will allow us to unlock tens of billions of pounds of investment into the UK economy.”Meanwhile, MPs will take part in the third reading debate of Boris Johnson’s highly-controversial Northern Ireland Protocol Bill on Wednesday.It comes as one MEP warned the UK was on course for a full-blown trade war with the EU if Mr Johnson’s successor insists on ripping up parts of the Brexit withdrawal deal.RecommendedIreland South MEP Sean Kelly warned of “serious consequences” if the next prime minister ditched protocol checks without consent from Brussels.“If the United Kingdom push it, and go ahead [with the legislation], then the ultimate occurrence is going to be a trade war,” he told the BBC. More

Boris Johnson was presented with a set of books by his hero Winston Churchill as a farewell present from ministerial colleagues as he chaired his final cabinet meeting today.Cabinet ministers – who paid for the first edition copies of Churchill’s six-volume history of the Second World War out of their own pockets – applauded the PM as he concluded the weekly meeting for the last time.Addressing ministers on the first anniversary of the lifting of Covid restrictions, Mr Johnson set out what he clearly hopes will be seen as his legacy as PM, stating that the swift rollout of vaccines and early move out of lockdown had allowed the UK’s economy to recover faster than other countries. More

A new government video explains the costly and time-consuming barriers that must be overcome to trade with the EU since Brexit – running to three-and-a-half minutes.The mountain of paperwork required – as the price for leaving the EU single market and customs union – takes in form-filling, recruiting a customs agent and meeting rules of origin.The video lists around 15 stages to go through in order for “Edward to sell thousands of pounds worth of glassware to Elise’s shop in France”, a frictionless process before Boris Johnson’s Brexit deal.It makes a mockery of the prime minister’s claims when he signed the agreement on Christmas Eve 2020, when he promised the country “there will be no non-tariff barriers to trade”.Mr Johnson hailed “a deal which will if anything should allow our companies and our exporters to do even more business with our European friends”.RecommendedIn fact, as the video – described as “A simple guide to exporting” – explains, cross-Channel traders must now:* Recruit a customs agent to help submit declarations.* Obtain an Economic Operators’ Registration and Identification (Eori) number, for customs processes.* An Eori number is also required by the importer in the EU.* Both parties must agree ‘Incoterms’ – international commercial terms – which set out their responsibilities.* The exporter must supply an invoice purchase order and transportation details to their customs agent (as well as the Eori number).* They must also supply proof that the goods meet rules of origin – to avoid tariffs.* The goods must also be complaint with EU labelling rules.* Guidance for HGV operators should be checked.* Export declarations for customs and safety and security export declarations must be submitted.* A consignment reference is then sent to the haulage company to add to their goods movement paperwork.* That is used to register to use the Goods Vehicle Movement Service (GVMS), which links customs paperwork into a single IT record.* Import declarations and safety and security declarations must be completed on the EU side* This generates an import Movement Reference Number (MRN) which is sent to the haulage company* Customs on the EU side must be notified that the goods have arrived by updating the import declaration.* The importer must then account for any VAT.The video concludes, cheerily: “George drives to Elise’s shop and delivers the goods, which he can now sell in France.”RecommendedSome of the replies to the Cabinet Office are less cheery, one saying: “This so unbelievably complicated and burdensome. What a waste of everyone’s time and money for nothing.”Another states: “Leaving the EU has made it much harder, lengthier and more expensive to export to our largest customer, the EU. No wonder exports are falling and UK companies going out of business.” More

Sir Keir Starmer’s leadership team wants Liz Truss to win the Tory leadership contest because they believe her “wooden style” would make him look “less unexciting” and boost his chances of winning power, according to Labour sources. The Labour leader’s office believes the foreign secretary’s attempt to model herself on Margaret Thatcher will help his party woo back working-class voters.Labour see Penny Mordaunt as a more difficult opponent partly because of her reputation as an effective Commons performer, the sources said.And they are neutral about the prospect of facing former chancellor Rishi Sunak, who remains the leadership frontrunner after the latest round of voting.Ms Truss gained ground on runner-up Ms Mordaunt in Tuesday’s ballot but remained third on 86 votes, six short of second place. Kemi Badenoch was eliminated.RecommendedThe claim that the Labour leadership is privately hoping for a Truss victory is at odds with repeated statements by Mr Starmer that he does not care who succeeds Boris Johnson.The Labour leader told Andrew Marr on LBC last week: “I really don’t mind who I go up against because it’s not possible for the Conservatives to get us out of the mess we are in.”Privately, however, The Independent has been told Labour is hoping for a Truss victory.Senior party figures claim she would help their party because she would “continue Boris’s right-wing policies without his charisma” and would be a weaker parliamentary adversary than her predecessor.One Labour source said: “Her tax-cutting agenda would fit our tactic of portraying the Tories as the party of the rich. She is so wooden Keir would look less unexciting.“Selling Truss as the new Thatcher may go down well with right-wing Tory members but not many other people.” More

Kemi Badenoch has been eliminated from the Tory leadership race, leaving Rishi Sunak, Penny Mordaunt and Liz Truss vying for a place in the final two to replace Boris Johnson.Announcing the results of the fourth ballot, the Conservatives’ 1922 Committee revealed the former chancellor Mr Sunak, had secured the most votes among MPs with 118 backers.Ms Mordaunt came in second place with 92 votes, but was closely followed by the foreign secretary Liz Truss on 86 votes, who picked up momentum in the penultimate ballot.While Ms Mordaunt increase her share of votes by 10, Ms Truss won the support of 15 more colleagues as the right of the party appears to coalesce around her in the race for No 10.After securing the fewest number of votes with the support of 58 colleagues, Ms Badenoch, a former equalities minister, has been eliminated from the contest.RecommendedIt came just hours after she emerged as the favourite to defeat all contenders in a final run-off vote of Tory members, according to a YouGov poll.With Mr Sunak now highly likely to progress to the final run-off after the final ballot of MPs on Wednesday, Ms Truss and Ms Mordaunt will now be fighting to remain in the race and secure the backing of Ms Badenoch’s supporters.In a statement shortly after the results, Ms Mordaunt said: “We are so nearly across the finish line. I am raring to go and excited to put my case to members across the country and win. She also heaped praise on eliminated rival Ms Badenoch, whose votes will be crucial in deciding which candidates make the final two.“I want to pay tribute to my friend Kemi Badenoch who electrified the leadership contest with her fresh thinking and bold policies,” she said.“She and I both know that the old way of government isn’t working as it should. Voters want change and we owe it to them to offer a bold new vision for this country. Kemi’s passion for this showed and I’m glad she put herself forward to be heard.” More