UK Politics

Michael Gove is quietly taking the power to abandon the key tests of whether his levelling up strategy is working by arguing they are “no longer appropriate”.A Bill that “enshrines our levelling up missions in law” has been hailed as proof that the targets – to improve pay, jobs, transport connectivity and other indicators in less-prosperous areas – have real teeth.But the text of the legislation reveals the government will be able to change or drop its chosen benchmarks – without consultation – if they are proving difficult to achieve.Lisa Nandy, Labour’s shadow levelling up secretary, accused the government of preparing to move the goalposts if they look likely to fail on their own tests.“So if Tory ministers are missing the targets they set for themselves and are putting into law themselves, they can just… change them?” she tweeted.The IPPR North thinktank has attacked the plan for the “government to self-report on their own levelling up missions” as inadequate.“This Bill should establish, in statute, a new independent body outside of London to hold the whole of government to account against legally binding levelling up missions,” said Zoë Billingham, its director.The Bill reads that a promised annual progress report “may state that Her Majesty’s Government no longer intends to pursue that mission, instead of dealing with the matters mentioned”.As well as changing “methodology and metrics”, ministers will also have the power to alter the “target date” of 2030 for measuring success – already criticised as being too distant.All they will be required to do is “publish a statement setting out the reasons” for any changes and “lay the revised statement before parliament”.The 12 missions – once described as “aspirational” by Mr Gove, the levelling up secretary – have already been criticised for largely being vague, unambitious, or impossible to measure.The flagship policy has also been undermined by Rishi Sunak’s refusal to commit to any extra spending, despite the many ‘Red Wall’ Tories in vulnerable marginal seats in the North and Midlands.Unveiling the legislation, Mr Gove said: “This Bill puts in place the reforms we need to level up.“It enshrines our levelling up missions in law, which will shift resources and focus throughout this decade to the parts and people of the country who need it most.”The Levelling Up Bill will also pave the way for more devolution deals, granting local authorities new powers to bring empty premises back into use and extend al fresco dining.And neighbours will hold referendums over whether new homes and conversions should go ahead on their street, or even over the style and size of extensions. More

The Conservatives have admitted they must do more to prevent rogue candidates running to be MPs, after the scandal of a Tory convicted for sexually assaulting a 15-year-old boy.Mark Spencer, the Commons leader, blamed having to make “rapid” selections of candidates for recent snap elections for not being able to “scrutinise people” fully.“The Labour Party, Liberal Democrats, will all have selected candidates quite quickly, not realising a general action was coming,” Mr Spencer said.“I think we’ll be in a much better place at the next general election, certainly in the [Conservative] party, as we will have taken much more time to scrutinise people. There will be a much longer process.”The comments come after Westminster has been engulfed in allegations of misogyny, bullying and other bad behaviour, triggering calls for major changes.Imran Ahmad Khan, elected as the MP for Wakefield at the 2019 general election, was forced to resign after being found guilty of sexually assaulting a 15-year-old boy at a party in 2008.Neil Parish, an MP for 12 years, quit after admitting to having watched pornography in the Commons chamber, having been witnessed by two female colleagues.And a third Tory, David Warburton, was suspended after three women reportedly complained about his conduct. First elected in 2015, the MP also faces allegations about drug use and an undeclared loan from a Russian businessman.Meanwhile, the Labour MP Liam Byrne was found to have bullied a former staff member and will be suspended from the Commons for two days.“I don’t think having two rapid general elections in a row has helped parliamentary parties,” Mr Spencer told the House magazine, in parliament.Lindsay Hoyle, the Commons Speaker, has proposed a shake-up that would see responsibility for hiring staff transferred from MPs to a separate independent body.But Mr Spencer declined to commit to the idea, saying: “If I’m a member of staff in an office where my boss is abusing me, whether or not he’s paying my wages is not the issue here.“What actually is the issue is me being abused. But it is certainly something that can help with the conversation and help with moving in the right direction.”It emerged last month that Khan was given a place on a Home Office expert panel offering advice on sexual exploitation, while under police investigation.Boris Johnson as urged to apologise over evidence that he remained on the panel long after the Conservative party received a complaint from his victim.But the prime minister declined, telling MPs: “I believe the Home Office has already made a statement about it.” More

Related video: ‘Frustrating’ lack of flexibility from EU over protocol, says Northern Ireland secretary Threats from the UK government to override elements of the Northern Ireland Protocol “have gone down really badly” with the EU, Irish foreign affairs minister Simon Coveney has said. Speaking during a visit to Belfast, Mr Coveney said: “We don’t believe that the way forward in terms of solving outstanding issues can be done unilaterally by either side.He added: “The briefing that we have seen of the British media coming from foreign secretary (Liz) Truss and others has gone down really badly across the European Union who believe that the Commission has been showing a willingness to compromise, wants ongoing technical discussion to work out solutions and common ground.“What they are hearing and seeing from London is a rejection of that approach, towards a breach of international law and setting aside elements of a treaty which the British Government was central to putting in place with the EU.“That hasn’t gone down well and I hope that decision makers in Westminster will reflect on that.”Show latest update

1652280749Tory MP says people use food banks because they cannot budge or cook properlyA Conservative MP has suggested people in the UK use food banks because they “cannot cook properly” and “cannot budget”.Ashfield MP, Lee Anderson, invited “everybody” on the opposition benches in the House of Commons to visit a food bank in Ashfield, Notts, where, when people come for a food parcel, they now need to register for a “budgeting course” and a “cooking course”.He claimed food bank users in his constituency are shown how to cook meals for “about 30 pence a day”.When asked by a Labour MP if it should be necessary to have food banks in 21st century Britain, Mr Anderson said there is not “this massive use for food banks” in the UK, but “generation after generation who cannot cook properly” and “cannot budget”.SNP MP Joanna Cherry (Edinburgh South West), the subsequent speaker in the debate, told Mr Anderson people do not use food banks because they do not know how to cook, but because “we have poverty in this country at a scale that should shame his Government”.Mr Anderson told MPs: “My invitation is to everybody on that side of the House, come to Ashfield and work with me for a day in my food bank and see the brilliant scheme we have got in place where when people come now, for a food parcel, they have to register for a budgeting course and a cooking course.“And what we do in the food bank, we show them how to cook cheap and nutritious meals on a budget. We can make a meal for about 30 pence a day. And this is cooking from scratch.”Intervening, Labour MP, Alex Cunningham (Stockton North), asked: “Should it be necessary to have food banks in 21st century Britain?”Mr Anderson replied: “He makes a great point and this is exactly my point. So, I invite you personally to come to Ashfield, look at our food bank, how it works and I think you will see first hand that there’s not this massive use for food banks in this country but generation after generation who cannot cook properly, they can’t cook a meal from scratch. They cannot budget. The challenge is there. Come, come. I’ll offer anybody.”Maryam Zakir-Hussain11 May 2022 15:521652280463The housebuilding target was unrealistic – the question is what Michael Gove would put in its placeThe housing secretary tried to cover his retreat from the promise of 300,000 new homes a year by distracting us, writes John Rentoul.Maryam Zakir-Hussain11 May 2022 15:471652279865People in Northern Ireland want local politicians to make decisions at Stormont, Irish minister saysIrish Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney has said that people in Northern Ireland want their local politicians to be making decisions at Stormont.He said: “Parties here in Northern Ireland need to make decisions for themselves in the context of, hopefully, the election of a speaker this week so that an Assembly can function.“Obviously we need to work towards finding a way towards an Executive being set up to function as well. I think people in Northern Ireland want Northern Ireland politicians making decisions on their behalf.“We are here to support that. We have had really positive and direct and blunt conversations this morning with Sinn Fein, with the UUP, with Alliance, we are meeting the SDLP. I spoke to Jeffrey Donaldson in the last few days.“The Irish Government wants to be a constructive part of what is a difficult process to get devolved government up and running and to get the institutions of the Good Friday Agreement functioning again.”He added: “The conversations have been constructive, particularly with the UUP. I recognise that many in the unionist community have serious reservations in relation to the protocol and its implementation and the consequences for trade with Great Britain.“We are in the space of trying to address those concerns where possible but also being honest about the parameters within which we have to try and address those concerns.”Maryam Zakir-Hussain11 May 2022 15:371652279062Threats from UK government to override NI Protocol ‘have gone badly’Irish Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney has said threats from the UK government to override elements of the Northern Ireland Protocol “have gone down really badly” with the EU.Speaking during a visit to Belfast, where he is meeting political leaders, Mr Coveney said: “We don’t believe that the way forward in terms of solving outstanding issues can be done unilaterally by either side.“The way to solve outstanding issues in relation to Brexit and the protocol and Northern Ireland is through partnership, through compromise and through working these issues out together in a way that both sides can move on.”He said: “The briefing that we have seen of the British media coming from Foreign Secretary (Liz) Truss and others has gone down really badly across the European Union who believe that the Commission has been showing a willingness to compromise, wants ongoing technical discussion to work out solutions and common ground.“What they are hearing and seeing from London is a rejection of that approach, towards a breach of international law and setting aside elements of a treaty which the British Government was central to putting in place with the EU.“That hasn’t gone down well and I hope that decision makers in Westminster will reflect on that.”Maryam Zakir-Hussain11 May 2022 15:241652278526Michael Gove might earn another promotion — if he drops the bizarre impressionsThe levelling-up minister’s TV interview was not his first unusual moment as Sean O’Grady explains:Maryam Zakir-Hussain11 May 2022 15:151652277926Brexit: Alliance party deputy urges against UK unilateral actionAlliance Party deputy leader Stephen Farry has urged against UK unilateral action on the Northern Ireland Protocol.“We hear the briefings that are gaining momentum in terms of London and we feel any move to unilaterally scrap parts of the protocol would be grossly irresponsible on the part of the UK government,” he said.“They would add to instability in Northern Ireland, not solve things. They would leave the UK government in breach of its international obligations and send a terrible message to the international community.”Maryam Zakir-Hussain11 May 2022 15:051652277310Labour shadow home secretary accuses Priti Patel of being ‘afraid’ to take questionsLabour shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper accused Priti Patel of being “afraid” to take questions during her speech.She said there was an “astonishing refusal by the Home Secretary to take interventions and questions from the shadow home secretary”.She added: “I have been taking part in Queen’s Speech debates for 25 years and I have never seen a Government minister at the despatch box afraid to take questions from her opposite number.”As Ms Cooper spoke, MPs on both sides of the House exchanged remarks and Ms Patel accused one Labour MP of making “sexist” comments.Ms Patel, during her speech, described how the National Security Bill would “make it an offence to be a covert spy on our soil” and introduce new offences to address foreign interference and assisting a foreign intelligence service.Shadow Home Office minister Holly Lynch asked if the Bill “will clarify, would it have been inappropriate or unlawful for a foreign secretary to have met with a former KGB officer, as we understand the Prime Minister did back in April of 2018?”Ms Patel said she would not comment on the “specific example” given. She said the question demonstrated the “disdain” Labour shows to the “significance of the threats that are posed”.Maryam Zakir-Hussain11 May 2022 14:551652276410Home secretary claims immigration lawyers and Labour members begged her not to deport ‘foreign criminals’Priti Patel has claimed immigration lawyers and Labour members have often begged her not to deport “dangerous foreign criminals”. Detailing the expected overhaul of the Human Rights Act, the Home Secretary said: “Our Bill of Rights will reinforce freedom of speech and recognise trial by jury. It will strengthen our common law traditions and reduce our reliance on Strasbourg case law.“Crucially, the Bill of Rights will restore public confidence and curb the abuse of the human rights framework by criminals. This is a welcome and much-needed update 20 years after the Human Rights Act came into force and it will apply to the whole of the United Kingdom.“Human rights are not something that should only be extended to criminals. In what has to be the most twisted logic I have seen as Home Secretary, I have lost count of the number of representations I have received from immigration lawyers and Labour members opposite begging me not to deport dangerous foreign criminals.”Maryam Zakir-Hussain11 May 2022 14:401652275510New Public Order Bill to combat ‘guerilla tactics’A new Public Order Bill will be used to combat “guerrilla tactics” used by protesters, the home secretary has said.Priti Patel told the Commons: “This law and order Conservative government is introducing several bills in this Parliamentary session that will further help prevent crime and deliver justice.”She described the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act as a “major step forward”, but said elements of it had been “frustrated by the unelected” House of Lords and opposition MPs.Ms Patel added: “We will not be deterred from our duty to protect the law-abiding majority from mob rule and the thuggery that we have seen, and the Public Order Bill combats the guerrilla tactics that bring such misery to the hardworking public, that disrupts business, interferes with emergency services, costs taxpayers millions and puts lives at risk.”She later said a new criminal offence of “locking on and going equipped to lock on” would be introduced to “criminalise the act of attaching yourself to other people, objects or buildings to cause serious disruption and harm”.Maryam Zakir-Hussain11 May 2022 14:251652274636Home secretary says UK’s capacity to support refugees ‘not limitless’ Priti Patel said the UK is a “hospitable” and “charitable” country but insisted “our capacity to support over 18 million people worldwide who are on the move is not limitless”.The Home secretary told the Commons: “We are hospitable and charitable as a country but our capacity to support over 18 million people worldwide who are on the move is not limitless, and many others on the party opposite and the opposite benches do not seem to understand that.“Well, we do. That is why we have developed our world-leading migration and economic development partnership with Rwanda to deter illegal entry.“We are providing solutions to the global migration challenges countries across the world are facing.“But, of course, as ever, we hear very little from the party opposite, who seem to support the same old broken system and uncontrolled migration to our country.”Maryam Zakir-Hussain11 May 2022 14:10 More

A new UK security agreement with Sweden and Finland could involve Britain providing military assistance if either of the two Nordic countries are attacked, prime minister Boris Johnson has said.The deal was sealed by the prime minister during a 24-hour visit to the two countries, where fears are growing that Russia’s war in Ukraine could spill over into aggression directed by Moscow at its neighours across the Baltic Sea.The visit comes days ahead of expected announcements from Stockholm and Helsinki on whether they will drop a decades-old policy of neutrality and apply to join the Nato defensive alliance.Speaking alongside Swedish PM Magdalena Andersson after talks at her country retreat at Harpsund, Mr Johnson said that the new mutual security assurances signed with her country and with Finland could involve the UK intensifying intelligence-sharing, working together on defence procurement and accelerating joint military training, exercises and deployments.And he made clear that this could include deploying British military force if either of the countries came under attack.“If Sweden were attacked and looked to us for help and support then we would provide it. It would be up to Sweden to make the request and spell out exactly what support is requested,” said Mr Johnson.Asked if this could include committing UK troops and equipment to military action if the countries face Russian assault during the interim period before Nato membership is agreed, he replied: “What we are saying emphatically is in the event of an attack upon Sweden then the UK would come to the assistance of Sweden with whatever Sweden requested,”The agreement effectively provides Sweden and Finland with similar guarantees from the UK to the Article 5 guarantee offered to all Nato member states of mutual assistance if any of them come under attack.The pact with Stockholm states: “Should either country suffer a disaster or attack, the United Kingdom and Sweden will, upon request from the affected country, assist each other in a variety of ways, which may include military means.”It will raise concerns that the UK could come into direct military conflict with Russia if president Vladimir Putin decides to unleash violence against them.Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov today said that Russia is “closely watching” anything that might affect Nato’s configuration on its borders.Mr Johnson has said the UK will support Sweden if it decides to apply for Nato membership.“I am sure the UK will support whatever course of action Sweden decides to embark upon,” he said.Ms Andersson said that “of course” Sweden was safer as a result of today’s agreements, which followed similar discussions with allies inlcuding Germany and the US her country’s position during the “grey period” between applying for Nato membership and joining.“We are exploring all possible options and Nato is one of them that is on the table,” she said.“We have had discussions with several countries how they see this ‘grey period’ until we are fully members.“We have got reassurances from several countries. I am here with Boris Johnson today, I had a press conference with (German Chancellor) Olaf Scholz last week, I also had our foreign minister in Washington last week.” More

Cabinet minister Michael Gove appeared to drop the Conservative party’s promise to build 300,000 new homes a year – saying he was no longer “bound” by a particular target.The levelling up secretary said “arbitrary” targets for the number of homes were less important than the quality of new housing and winning community support.The Tory party’s 2019 manifesto pledge included a commitment to build 300,000 new homes a year by the middle of the decade to help meet the drastic shortage.Admitting the government would fail to hit the target this year, Mr Gove told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that residents were unhappy about houses being “plonked down simply in order to meet an arbitrary target”.Asked if the Tories were committed to meeting the pledge, he said it was “no kind of success simply to hit a target if the homes that are built are shoddy, in the wrong place, don’t have the infrastructure required, and are not contributing to beautiful communities”.Mr Gove added: “Ultimately when you are building a new dwelling, you are not simply trying to hit a statistical target. I’m certainly not.”Reminded that the Tory party had promised a statistical target, he said: “Well, it’s only one of a number of things that we need to do. We are not bound – I am not bound – by one criterion alone when it comes to development.”He also said did not want to be “tied to a Procrustean bed” – a reference to the Greek myth of Procrustes who tortured people to make them fit into a one-size-fits-all bed.Boris Johnson’s official spokesperson later denied that the 300,000-home target had been ditched, telling reporters: “Our target to deliver 300,000 homes a year by the mid 2020s is central to our levelling up mission.“And, as you heard the levelling up secretary say, those homes need to be good quality, they need to be well designed and come with the infrastructure that new development needs.”The spokesperson said that the government was “on track”, before hastily correcting himself to say it was “certainly making progress towards that target”. It comes as Mr Gove defended the government’s plan to give neighbours the right to veto housing in their area, claiming it will help build support for new development.Mr Gove said “local democratic ballots, sometimes street by street” as part of the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill would allow residents to become “partners” in building projects.Labour MP Clive Betts, chair of the housing committee, said the “street votes” plan was a gimmick, arguing that it was not possible for residents to “decide absolutely everything” about building in their area.The Times reported that local residents will be permitted to hold referendums over both the style and size of extensions, conversions and new homes on their street, as well as deciding whether more conservatories can be built without full planning permission.The government has ditched a previous proposals which would have made it harder to block housing development after a backlash from Tory MPs worried about voters in leafy shire constituencies.There was a plan to bring in a zonal system where councils would be expected to identify “growth areas” for housing where planning restrictions would have been relaxed.Former Tory housing secretary Robert Jenrick, who had proposed the zonal system, warned that the government will now miss its 300,000 homes-a-year manifesto pledge “by a country mile”.He told the Commons: “It is a matter of the greatest importance to this country that we build more homes. Successive governments have failed to do this. There’s always an excuse.” More

Michael Gove has said there will be no emergency budget this summer – insisting that the issue was “no big deal” despite the mounting cost of living crisis.In a bizarre interview with the BBC, the cabinet minister used a Liverpudlian accent to suggest people “calm down” over the lack of extra financial support before the autumn budget.It follows confusion over Boris Johnson’s promise that more help would be revealed in “the days to come”, before the Treasury ruled out further short-term financial measures.“The prime minister was making the point we are constantly looking at ideas to relieve the pressure on people facing incredibly tough times – but that doesn’t amount to an emergency budget,” Mr Gove told BBC Breakfast.The minister added: “It’s example of some commentators trying to take a statement that is commonsensical, turning it into – capital letters – a big news story, when the Treasury quite rightly say, ‘Calm down’.”Asked later about Mr Gove’s use of regional accents, Boris Johnson’s official spokesperson told reporters he was not aware of the levelling up secretary breaking into Scouse during cabinet meetings. He added: “Michael Gove is an effective cabinet communicator who has a variety of means of getting the message across.”Mr Gove claimed the Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey had stirred the confusion into a “media whirlpool” – saying the emergency budget issue was “no big deal” and people should “get it in proportion”.The senior Tory said the Lib Dem leader “doesn’t have a scooby”.The levelling up minister also claimed Labour and Lib Dems have no “whizz bang ideas” to address the cost of living crisis – despite rejecting their call for a windfall tax on oil and gas company profits.Labour deputy leader Angela Rayner responded to Mr Gove’s BBC interview by tweeting: “Is the cost of living crisis just a joke to them? This is not a serious government. We need an emergency budget right now.”Labour frontbencher Lisa Nandy said Mr Gove was “making jokes and using silly voices while families across the country are struggling to survive. This isn’t a game …Take it seriously. Do your job”.Mr Johnson’s government was accused of abandoning British families to a life of poverty, after Queen’s Speech contained no new measures to deal with the cost of living crisis.Labour said it was “thin” legislative agenda with no big ideas, while one leading think tank described the package as “cosmetic surgery for an economy facing a heart attack”.Senior ministers, including the PM and chancellor Rishi Sunak, are assessing proposals from cabinet colleagues for money-saving measures that can be achieved without cost to the government.Mr Gove said cabinet minister had discussed cost-free measures on Tuesday evening, but did not reveal what they were. He said the government will be “saying more and doing more” to help people with the cost of living crisis.“But that doesn’t amount to an emergency budget,” he told Sky News. “Policy initiatives will be announced by indivudual departments in due course.”Mr Gove has a history of controversial remarks. In 2001 he wrote an article arguing British men had been subject to a “collective cuckolding” and should learn to embrace male chauvinism.The Independent revealed last year that Mr Gove made crude sexual comments, joked about paedophilia within top levels of government, and used a racist slur during his student days.The minister described Prince Charles as a “dull, wet, drippy adulterer” in speeches at the Cambridge Union while he was a student at Oxford, and after his graduation while working as a journalist.In apparent attempts at humour, Mr Gove also referred to people living in countries colonised by the British as “fuzzy-wuzzies”, and made a string of sexual jokes at the expense of Tory minister Lucy Frazer. More

EU leaders have deplored UK government intentions to take unilateral action and override the Northern Ireland Protocol, with one warning: “Don’t touch this”.It comes after Liz Truss, the foreign secretary, rejected proposed EU solutions to fix issues related to the post-Brexit trading arrangements, claiming they would “take us backwards”.The cabinet minister said her preference was for a negotiated solution, but added: “We will not shy away from taking action to stabilise the situation in Northern Ireland if solutions cannot be found”.Ministers are said to be preparing a draft legislation to unilaterally remove the need for checks on all goods being sent from Britain for use in Northern Ireland — a breach of the treaty signed by Boris Johnson in 2019 and a move that would put the UK on collision course with the EU.Last night, Belgium’s prime minister, Alexander De Croo, raised the prospect of retaliatory measures, as he warned the UK: “Our message is quite clear. Don’t touch this, this is something we agreed on.”“If that agreement would be revoked, then I would think the whole system will be revoked. I would not see any other solution,” he added, according to The Telegraph.Olaf Scholz, the German chancellor, added: “No one should unilaterally scrap or break or in any way change the agreement we agree on together”.Maros Sefcovic, the vice-president of the European Commission, also stressed that the Northern Ireland Protocol is a “cornerstone” of the Brexit deal and “renegotiation is not an option”.“The European Union is united in this position,” he said, insisting the bloc had worked “tirelessly” to propose solutions,” he said in a statement.Mr Sefcovic added: “The EU has been open to joint work with the UK on implementing the Protocol to bring long-term legal certainty and predictability to the people and business in Northern Ireland.“The EU remains open to such discussions. Only joint solutions will work. Unilateral action by the UK would only make our work on possible solutions more difficult”.Speaking on Wednesday, the cabinet minister Michael Gove reiterated that “no option is off the table”, but stressed the UK would continue to negotiate to resolve differences.Asked on BBC Breakfast if the government was going to “tear up” the agreement, Mr Gove said: “No. We are going to negotiate with the EU in order to get the best possible outcome for the people of Northern Ireland, but no option is off the table.“Liz Truss will be meeting Maros Sefcovic, the European Commission vice president, tomorrow. They have a good relationship. They will try to make progress tomorrow. I know that both of them are fully committed to making sure we resolve some very difficult issues that have arisen.He added: “You would expect a UK government when it is thinking about the security of the entire United Kingdom to say that there is no option that is off the table and that is absolutely right.” More