UK Politics

Keir Starmer today said he would be happy to follow in the footsteps of Tony Blair as he set out his plans for Labour to offer voters a “contract with the British people” at the next general election.The Labour leader said the party will offer a platform based on the principles of security, prosperity and respect at the election which he expects in May 2023.In a speech in Birmingham designed to kickstart his bid to position Labour as the government-in-waiting, he said that he wanted to deliver an administration worthy of the British people, rather than treating politics as a “branch of the entertainment industry”, as he accused Boris Johnson of doing.Starmer said he wanted to follow the examples of former Labour prime ministers Clement Attlee, Harold Wilson and Tony Blair as he attempts – in an echo of Blair’s “new Labour, new Britain” slogan -to “create a new Britain in the 21st century”.But he notably made no mention of predecessor Jeremy Corbyn, saying he had name-checked the trio from Labour’s past because they were proven election-winners.Asked by The Independent whether he was seeking a clash with Corbyn followers, he replied: “I don’t apologise for mentioning Attlee, Wilson and Blair.“The thing that unites those three very different prime ministers is that they all won, they introduced Labour governments that changed Britain for the better.“And I want to be the fourth on that list, writing the next chapter of our history.”Sir Keir rejected accusations that he has yet to spell out a clear picture of what Labour stands for under his leadership.But he set out no new policies in today’s speech, with aides saying that they would be launched over the months leading up to Labour’s annual conference in September.Instead, he said that Labour’s “contract” with voters would include:• A “solemn agreement” to uphold standards of selflessness, integrity, objectivity, accountability, openness, honesty and leadership.• A “basic right” for individuals to feel safe in their community, to know that the NHS is there for them when they need it and to have job security if they work hard.• The opportunity to thrive, realise ambitions, gain skills and make a good life.• The right to “live in places we care for and to have our lives and ambitions taken seriously”.But he added: “Any successful contract is a two-way deal.“You can expect access to high quality healthcare, but there will be zero tolerance for abuse towards NHS staff.“You can expect the opportunity to acquire new skills but you will be expected to work hard and do your bit.“You can expect better neighbourhood policing but you will be expected to behave like good neighbours in your own community too.”Starmer said that Johnson’s Tory government had shown itself to be “incompetent” just as the UK plunges into a cost of living crisis. And he said ministers had behaved as if the Covid restrictions did not apply to them.Promising to offer “straight leadership”, he added: “I am well aware that just because the Tories lose the public’s trust it doesn’t mean Labour simply inherits it.“Trust has to be earned.”Standing in front of a Union flag, Sir Keir said that Labour had always been a “deeply patriotic” party which had established Nato and given the UK an independent nuclear deterrent.“I don’t think you cease to be a patriot because you notice your country has flaws,” he said. “On the contrary, the reason we in this party want to correct those flaws is precisely because we are patriotic.”He cited previous pledges to provide neighbourhood crime prevention teams, enhance workplace protections, create 100,000 new start-up businesses and invest £28bn in green jobs as examples of Labour’s direction under his leadership.And he promised a long-term plan for the NHS to show how a Labour government would shift its emphasis from emergency care to prevention.Taking aim at Johnson, Sir Keir said: “I don’t think politics is a branch of the entertainment industry. I think it’s the serious business of getting things done.“But I’m afraid at the moment we are going backwards. We have a prime minister who thinks the rules apply to anyone but him. Just when trust in government has become a matter of life and death, for the prime minister it has become a matter of what he can get away with.”He insisted that the shortcomings of the Conservative administration could not be resolved by a change of leader, arguing that they stem not from the PM’s personal flaws but “the flaws of a whole style of government, the flaws of an ideology, of a political party that has been in power too long”.And he concluded: “I believe that the best still lies ahead for this country. But only if we have the courage to create a new Britain. A country in which you and your family get the security, prosperity and respect you deserve.“My contract with the British people will set out how we can create that new Britain.” More

Boris Johnson will hold a virtual press conference later on Tuesday to answer questions on his government’s approach to tackling the rapid spread of the Omicron variant.The prime minister is expected update the country around 5pm after reviewing the latest data on Covid case numbers and hospitalisations from Christmas and New Year.Professor Sir Chris Whitty, England’s chief medical officer, and the government’s chief scientific officer Sir Patrick Vallance will join Mr Johnson to set out the latest picture. It comes as the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) called for a more “cautious” approach to curbs in England to bring the country in line with the rest of the UK, as at least six NHS trusts declared critical incidents.Mr Johnson is also under pressure to cut the Covid self-isolation period for people in England from seven to five days, as business chiefs and hospitality leader warn of mass labour shortages.However, No 10 has strongly suggested that Mr Johnson will stick with current plan B measures rather than bring in any major changes for England this week.“At the moment, we don’t see any data that suggests further restrictions would be the right approach – given we know it’s important to strike the right balance between lives and livelihoods,” the prime minister’s official spokesman said on Tuesday.Asked if the government thought plan B is working, the No 10 spokesman said: “We believe this is the right course – asking people to work from home, use the Covid pass and of course the booster programme.”Mr Johnson will hold a cabinet meeting on Wednesday morning, and ministers will update parliament on the government’s review of plan B measures later on Wednesday.Vaccines minister Maggie Throup earlier insisted that “plan B is working” and indicated the government would not heed calls for further curbs. “I don’t see any reason why we need to change,” she told Sky News on Tuesday.At least six NHS trusts are believed to have declared critical incidents, where chiefs are concerned they may not be able to provide priority services. University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay confirmed on Monday evening an “internal critical incident” and some non-urgent operations and procedures would be suspended.Matthew Taylor, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, warned against any “politicised attempt” to suggest that things are not difficult. The leader of the body representing trusts said decisions on any further restrictions in January should be driven by data rather than “a kind of political virility symbolism”.The vaccines minister also said the government would reject calls to reduce the isolation time from seven to five days. “At the moment, actually, we don’t feel it’s appropriate to reduce it any further because we will be very concerned that people will still be infectious and be able to pass on the disease,” Ms Throup told LBC.But business leaders have warned that staff absences could soon wreak havoc for the economy, as the latest figures show more than one million people in the UK have tested for the virus over the past week.Meanwhile, headteachers have warned that children returning to school in England on Tuesday face disruption to their learning as the Omicron variant of Covid threatens widespread absences of staff and pupils.Prof Neil Ferguson, a member of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage), said a rise in Omicron cases in schools can now be expected. “We expect to now see quite high infection levels – of mild infection I should emphasise – in school-aged children,” he told the Today programme.But Prof Ferguson also suggested Covid cases should start to drop across the UK in the next one to three weeks. “I think I’m cautiously optimistic that infection rates in London in that key 18 to 50 age group, which has been driving the Omicron epidemic, may possibly have plateaued.”Asked after a speech in Birmingham whether England’s plan B rules should be tightened, Sir Keir Starmer said: “We hope that we don’t need further restrictions. Obviously, there’s cause for concern because of the numbers.”The Labour leader added: “We need better leadership from the government because if we’re to keep our schools open – and we must – what we need is many more of our school children vaccinated. We need much better ventilation – and we’ve been saying this for about a year.” More

Boris Johnson’s former Brexit chief has joined forces with a group of Tory MPs campaigning against Covid-19 restrictions.Lord Forst pledged to help the Covid Recovery Group of Tory MPs, who have been pushing for the PM to reject additional safety measures since November 2020.The former Brexit minister, who negotiated Britain’s accord with the EU, dramatically quit the government in December, warning he had “concerns about the current direction of travel”.Lord Frost, who was handpicked as an advisor by Mr Johnson from his previous role as a lobbyist for the drinks industry, had said he hoped the PM would “not be tempted” by “coercive measures” to tackle Covid.He has also said he believes the government should be taking a more radically free-market direction on economic policy, which he claims will capitalise on Brexit.In screenshots of a WhatsApp group of MPs leaked to the Sunday Times newspaper Lord Frost tells the informal grouping he is “looking forward to helping”.The group oppose the second Covid lockdown over the winter 2020-21 at the peak of the pandemic and has been instrumental in organising rebellions.Though rebellions initially failed to gain significant numbers, recent tests of support in the Tory party have shown their approach gaining more traction.On 14 December 99 Tory MPs rejected plans for vaccines certificates despite surging infections, with the government relying on opposition votes to carry the measure. Steve Baker, one of the caucus’s ringleaders, welcomed Lord Frost to the group, describing him as a “hero”.Lord Frost is popular among Tory activists, with an informal straw poll conducted by the ConservativeHome website putting him near the top of the rankings among his colleagues.Initially negotiating the Brexit withdrawal agreement a special advisor, Lord Frost was appointed a peer for life in the House of Lords by Mr Johnson in August 2020, and given full membership of the Cabinet in March 2021. More

Watch live as Keir Starmer delivers first major speech of 2022Keir Starmer has urged Red Wall voters to “take another look” at Labour under his leadership, while saying the government is “not up to the job” of running the country.The Labour leader’s remark followed his first major speech of 2022, in which he spoke of ministers’ “incompetence” and set out Labour’s vision for a future guided by “security, prosperity and respect”. His address in Birmingham on Tuesday morning came as his party leads the Conservatives in the polls, following the sleaze scandals that gripped the government at the end of last year.Mr Starmer said that the Tories are “unworthy” of the public’s trust, given its handling of issues such as the cost of living crisis. “I am well aware that just because the Tories lose the public’s trust it doesn’t mean Labour simply inherits it. Trust has to be earned. I am confident but not complacent about the task ahead,” he added.Ahead of his speech, Oliver Dowden, the Conservative party chairman, dismissed Mr Starmer’s remarks as “out of touch”.Show latest update

1641307533Starmer tells ‘Red Wall’ voters to ‘take another look at Labour’Keir Starmer has appealed to “Red Wall” voters to “take another look at Labour”, emphasising how different the party is under his leadership. “This government is clearly not up to the job and we are offering solutions for the future that we want to discuss with you, to make sure that we can all buy in to the idea of a new and better Britain as we come out of the pandemic and I look forward to those discussions across the region wherever I go,” he said. Rory Sullivan4 January 2022 14:451641307251‘World of difference’ between Blair and Johnson, says StarmerTurning to Tony Blair once more…Keir Starmer has stressed that there is a “world of difference” between Tony Blair and Boris Johnson, after saying the first earned his knighthood but the current prime minister does not deserve to receive the honour.“Tony Blair changed the lives of millions of people for the better,” the Labour leader said.Mr Starmer added: “He introduced a minimum wage, he set up Sure Start for young families that changed lives, put money into hospitals and into schools and of course was a key player in the peace agreement in Northern Ireland.”“So, I think there’s a world of difference between the two (men), in my book.”Rory Sullivan4 January 2022 14:401641306051Christmas parties probe continues, says No 10Top civil servant Sue Gray’s investigation into allegations of rule-breaking festive parties held in government last year is ongoing, No 10 has said.“That work continues. It’s an independent piece of work led by Sue Gray…the timing of it is a matter for her via the Cabinet Office,” said Boris Johnson’s official spokesman.No 10 would not commit to publishing ethics adviser Lord Geidt’s latest correspondence with Mr Johnson about the funding of his Downing Street flat refurb this week – but suggested his conclusions would be revealed soon.Lord Geidt has been looking into whether he had been misled by the PM during an initial investigation following the Electoral Commission’s report last month.“I believe [Lord Geidt’s] work has concluded – obviously it’s a matter for him when we publish that in terms of exact timing,” said the PM’s spokesman, before adding that details would be revealed “in as short a timescale as possible”.Adam Forrest4 January 2022 14:201641304851Starmer against drug law changesKeir Starmer has reiterated that Labour is not in favour of changing drugs laws, following reports that London mayor Sadiq Khan is introducing a pilot to stop the prosecution of 18 to 24-year-olds caught with “a small amount of cannabis”. Responding to questions after his speech in Birmingham, he said: “On the drugs legislation, I’ve said a number of times and I will say again: I’m not in favour of us changing the law or decriminalisation. I’m very clear about that.“I haven’t seen the detail of the proposals that you’ve reported on. As I understand it they are early measures, they are some sort of pilot.“Obviously we’ll look at those, but I’m very clear that we’re not in favour of changing the drugs laws.”Rory Sullivan4 January 2022 14:001641303531Ministers don’t think rules apply to them, says CooperThe British public are being “let down” by ministers who flout their own rules, Yvette Cooper has said. “Too many people today face insecurity, a cost of living crisis, and are let down by a Tory government that thinks rules don’t apply to them,” the Labour frontbencher said. “Important speech from Keir Starmer,” she added, referring to the Labour leader’s talk earlier today.Rory Sullivan4 January 2022 13:381641302297PM to hold Covid press conference at 5pmBoris Johnson will lead a virtual coronavirus press conference at 5pm today. He will update the country on the latest Covid-19 case numbers and hospitalisations over the festive season. Rory Sullivan4 January 2022 13:181641301105Keir Starmer: Johnson has not ‘earned’ a knighthood Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has said that prime minister Boris Johnson has not “earned the right” of a knighthood once he leaves office. His comments come after he dismissed criticism of Sir Tony Blair’s knighthood. Sir Keir insisted the honour is not a “thorny” issue and that Sir Tony had been a “very successful prime minister”.Sir Keir was asked about whether prime minister Boris Johnson should be honoured in the future after giving a speech about Labour’s priorities for 2022. He replied: “No, I am sorry, I don’t think that this Prime Minister has earned the right to have an honour. I do think Tony Blair has.”Holly Bancroft4 January 2022 12:581641299458Former Brexit negotiator Lord Frost joins group of MPs against more Covid rulesFormer Brexit negotiator Lord Frost has joined the Covid Recovery Group of Tory MPs on Whatsapp, according to reports. The Covid Recovery Group is a group of MPs opposed to more Covid-19 restrictions. Lord David Frost resigned as Brexit minister in December over “concerns about the [government’s] current direction of travel”. In a letter to Boris Johnson, setting out the reasons for his resignation, Lord Frost said that he hoped the prime minister would “not be tempted” by “coercive measures” to tackle Covid. Holly Bancroft4 January 2022 12:301641298967Shadow culture secretary: Culture war debates create a ‘false divide’Political debates about the ‘culture wars’ create a “false divide” in society, Labour’s new shadow culture secretary has said. Speaking to The Daily Telegraph, Lucy Powell MP said she will combat the Conservative rhetoric about cultural divides head on in her new role. She said: “I’m just an ordinary northern parent, and mum and woman, like everybody else who doesn’t really have any truck for those false divisions.”“I wouldn’t say I’m woke. I’m not woke, but I’m not anti-woke either,” she added. “I’m just kind of fairly ordinary. I will absolutely sort of cry my eyes out at Strictly Come Dancing where a deaf woman wins it and a same-sex couple are the runners up. “I think that was a fantastic kind of illustration of where woke and anti-woke meet. I do think it’s a bit of a false divide in this country, isn’t it sometimes?”Holly Bancroft4 January 2022 12:221641297715Watch: Starmer calls government’s competence into questionKeir Starmer says Boris Johnson’s ‘incompetence becoming plain’Rory Sullivan4 January 2022 12:01 More

Boris Johnson has already been forced to introduce social restrictions to combat the new Omicron variant of the coronavirus and rocketing infection numbers in January could ultimately see him forced to tighten them still further.The prime minister has already brought back mandatory mask-wearing on public transport and in shops, cinemas, theatres and places of worship, asked citizens to work from home where possible and made an NHS Covid Pass or negative lateral flow test a necessary requirement for entry to crowded venues and events involving mass gatherings.However, Mr Johnson has so far stuck to his guns and refused to impose tighter restrictions in England for now despite the record-breaking of infection over the New Year, most recently insisting on 3 January that the current “Plan B” measures in place remained the “right” course of action, adding: “The way forward for the country as a whole is to continue with the path that we’re on.“We’ll keep everything on the review course we keep all measures under review, but the mixture of things that we’re doing at the moment is I think, the right one.”He previously pledged not to introduce further measures before the Christmas weekend but fears persist they may yet be needed to beat back Omicron, with government scientific advisers pushing for new restrictions as soon as possible to stop the spread and meeting opposition from senior Cabinet ministers reluctant to jeopardise the economy and impose further constraints on public freedom.The prime minister is understood to be waiting for more concrete data on Omicron to become available and for the high case numbers to begin to translate into a wave of mass hospitalisations before he makes a call on ordering a tighter clampdown, a stance that has seen him accused of “dithering” by opponents. His next Downing Street press conference to update the British public on the pandemic is expected to take place at 5pm on Tuesday 4 January.The precise characteristics of the new strain of the virus are still not clear at this early stage in its development, although it is feared it may soon usurp the Delta variant as the dominant strain of Covid-19 given its high transmissibility.Mr Johnson warned the public in December that a “tidal wave” of infections could break on these shores unless people adhere to the current measures, exercise extreme caution and get their vaccine booster jab as a matter of urgency.The rollout of third shots has accordingly been greatly expanded to include all over-18s to address the Omicron threat, placing further pressure on the NHS to administer them.That move came in response to findings by the UK Health Security Agency indicating that two jabs do not offer strong protection against symptomatic infection from Omicron, with the current suite of vaccines less effective against it than they were against Delta.However, that same analysis also concluded that those who had received a booster remained up to 70 per cent protected, underlining the importance of getting a third shot as soon as possible.The UK has meanwhile recorded 246,780 confirmed cases of the strainso far and at least 75 deaths.London mayor Sadiq Khan has declared a major incident over the extent of the Omicron outbreak in the capital while NHS England has announced a return to its highest level of emergency preparedness, level four national incident, meaning that the health service’s response will be coordinated as a national effort, rather than led by individual trusts.Just 59.5 per cent of British adults have had their booster injection so far, although demand is high so that figure should continue to climb rapidly as more people make an appointment and roll up their sleeves. More

Boris Johnson does not deserve the same honours as Tony Blair when he eventually steps down as prime minister, Sir Keir Starmer has said.The Labour leader today defended the Queen’s award of a knighthood of the Order of the Garter to Mr Blair, describing him as “a very successful prime minister (who) made a huge difference to the lives of millions of people in this country”.But answering questions following a speech in Birmingham, he rejected the suggestion that Mr Johnson too should become a member of the country’s most senior chivalric order when he leaves office.“I don’t think this prime minister has earned the right to have an honour,” said Starmer.“I do think Tony Blair has.” Last week’s announcement of the gong for Blair sparked a petition which has gained 500,000 signatures calling for the offer to be withdrawn due to his involvement in taking the UK to war in Iraq in 2003.But appearing on ITV’s Good Morning Britain, Sir Keir dismissed the idea that the award was a “thorny issue”.“I don’t think it’s thorny at all,” said the Labour leader. “I think he deserves the honour.“Obviously I respect the fact that people have different views and I understand there are strong view son the Iraq War – there were at the time and there still are.“But that doesn’t detract from the fact that Tony Blair was a very successful prime minister of this country and made a huge difference to the lives of millions of people in this country.”The rank of knight companion of the Order of the Garter is held by no more than 24 people at a time, selected personally by the Queen without consulting the prime minister, to recognise public service and service to the sovereign.It is traditional for the sovereign to offer the honour to prime ministers following their departure from 10 Downing Street, though the award sometimes comes several years after they leave office. Harold Macmillan declined the honour and it was not offered to Alec Douglas-Home as he was already a knight of the Order of the Thistle, but all of the other prime ministers of the Queen’s reign up to Sir Tony have joined the Garter.Asked if Mr Johnson backed Sir Tony’s knighthood, the prime minister’s official spokesperson said it was “a matter for Her Majesty for the Queen”, adding: “I would point out that every prime minister before Tony Blair has received similar honours.” More

Boris Johnson’s government has rejected calls to cut the Covid self-isolation period for people in England from seven to five days despite warnings of mass labour shortages.Business leaders have warned that staff absences could soon wreak havoc for the economy, as the latest figures show more than one million people in the UK have tested for the virus over the past week.But vaccines minister Maggie Throup said on Tuesday the government would not reduce the isolation time and insisted that plan B measures were “working” to tackle the spread of the Omicron variant.“We’ve recently reduced it from 10 days to seven,” she told LBC. “At the moment, actually, we don’t feel it’s appropriate to reduce it any further because we will be very concerned that people will still be infectious and be able to pass on the disease.”Craig Beaumont, head of external affairs at the Federation of Small Businesses, said the UK should heed the example of a five-day period recommended last month by the US national public health authority.“That’s what’s happening in the US – it is the same science, it is the same variant, we are not public-policy experts but we would urge the chief medical officer and chief scientific adviser to make a proper assessment of that and see if it is possible,” he told the Financial Times.Richard Walker, managing director of Iceland, told the newspaper the chain had already been hit by 1,700 staff absences – calling on isolation to be reduced to five days. “The government needs to amend the isolation policy.”Hospitality chiefs and Conservative MPs have also called on ministers to reduce the time spent in isolation. The Centre for Economic and Business Research has said cutting it to five days could save the economy £300m in January alone.Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said on Tuesday he would support cutting the self-isolation period from seven days to five days, so long as the scientific experts recommended it.The latest figures from the UK Health Security Agency showed that 1,189,985 people in the UK tested positive for Covid between 28 December 2021 and 3 January 2022.Matthew Taylor, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, said on Tuesday that the scale of staff absences in the health service is “becoming almost impossible” to handle.But the head of the body representing trusts told Times Radio there was a “politicised attempt” to suggest that things are not as difficult as they are – warning that decisions on further restrictions “shouldn’t be driven by a kind of political virility symbolism”.Headteachers have warned that children returning to school in England on Tuesday face disruption to their learning as the Omicron variant of Covid threatens widespread absences of staff and pupils.Prof Neil Ferguson, a member of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage), said a rise in Omicron cases in schools can now be expected. “We expect to now see quite high infection levels – of mild infection I should emphasise – in school-aged children,” he told the Today programme.But Prof Ferguson also suggested Covid cases should start to drop across the UK in the next one to three weeks. “I think I’m cautiously optimistic that infection rates in London in that key 18 to 50 age group, which has been driving the Omicron epidemic, may possibly have plateaued.”Ms Throup also said the government will take advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) regarding a fourth Covid vaccine dose programme.It follows a warning from JCVI chair Sir Andrew Pollard that booster jabs to people every six months is not “sustainable” and a fourth dose should not be rolled in the UK until there is more evidence.Prof Pollard said: “We can’t vaccinate the planet every four to six months. It’s not sustainable or affordable. In the future, we need to target the vulnerable.”The vaccines minister told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “We take advice from the JCVI. I think what’s important at the moment is for people to get their boosters, and if people haven’t had their first dose or have delayed their second dose to come forward for that.” More