UK Politics

A senior member of the British government on Wednesday denied he’s plotting to oust Prime Minister Keir Starmer, in a sign of deep anxiety in the Labour Party over its dire poll ratings less than 18 months after a landslide election victory.Health Secretary Wes Streeting said talk of a leadership challenge by Labour officials and lawmakers is “self-defeating and self-destructive.” He spoke after aides to the prime minister preemptively told British media outlets that Starmer would fight any leadership challenge.“It’s totally self-defeating briefing, not least because it’s not true,” he told Sky News. He said “whoever’s been briefing this has been watching too much ‘Celebrity Traitors’,” referring to the hit reality TV show that pits faithful members of a group against conniving enemies within.The 42-year-old health secretary is one of the government’s most effective communicators and is widely tipped as a future party leader.A challenge this early in a government’s five-year term would be highly unusual. But Labour lawmakers are gloomy about opinion polls that consistently put Labour well behind the hard-right Reform UK party led by Nigel Farage – though ahead of the main opposition Conservative Party, which faces crises of its own.They are nervous about the annual budget statement on Nov. 26, which is expected to include income tax hikes, breaking an election promise.Since being elected in July 2024, Starmer’s government has struggled to deliver on its pledges to get the economy growing, repair tattered public services and ease the cost of living. Inflation remains stubbornly high, unemployment has risen and the economic outlook subdued. Latest figures released Tuesday showed that the jobless rate has gone up to 5% in the three months to September from 4.8% in the previous three months — the highest since 2016 once the COVID-19 pandemic years were factored out.Under Labour Party rules, a lawmaker can mount a leadership challenge if they have the support of 20% of their colleagues, a threshold that currently stands at 81 members of Parliament.Britain’s parliamentary political system allows a governing party to change prime minister without the need for an early election, though unelected prime ministers face pressure to demonstrate their legitimacy by going to voters.The U.K. had three Conservative prime ministers – Boris Johnson, Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak – between the last two elections in December 2019 and July 2024. More

A group of wealthy Britons are calling for increased taxes on the rich, claiming that such measures could “lift kids out of poverty” and significantly contribute to rebuilding public services. The campaign group, Patriotic Millionaires, believes Chancellor Rachel Reeves could generate up to £36 billion annually through reforms to capital gains tax and the introduction of a new wealth tax. This appeal comes ahead of Ms Reeves’s upcoming Budget announcement in Westminster later this month.Group member Phil White said: “It’s time for the wealthiest – people like us – to pay a fairer share, so we can help lift these kids out of poverty and begin rebuilding our public services and communities right across the UK.”Speaking as Patriotic Millionaires began a tour to take its message to key cities across the UK, Mr White added: “We all want to live in a society where everyone has a decent shot at life – but at the moment that just isn’t the case.“The gap between the super-rich and everyone else grows by the day.“In Scotland, around one in five children live in poverty, while the country’s five richest families own a combined £19.3 billion – more wealth than a quarter of the population put together.”Patriotic Millionaires, believes Chancellor Rachel Reeves could generate up to £36 billion annually through reforms to capital gains tax and the introduction of a new wealth tax More

Downing Street is preparing to defend the prime minister from any attempt to remove him in a coup, with a number of ministers being proposed as a possible successor.Sir Keir Starmer has been subject to months of rumours that he could be replaced as Labour continue to tank in the polls under his leadership. Several reports on Tuesday evening suggested the prime minister’s position could be challenged after the Budget later this month or next year’s local elections in May.Sources claimed health secretary Wes Streeting has made moves to replace Sir Keir and loyalists within No 10 are said to fear his job could be under threat.Mr Streeting, who is due to appear on the morning media round for the government on Wednesday, has denied the claims, but other names are also said to be in the frame.One senior figure told The Independent that the highly respected defence secretary John Healey is being put forward as “a continuity candidate” and “safe pair of hands”.Meanwhile, home secretary Shabana Mahmood is another name in contention, while the left of the party is looking for former deputy prime minister Angela Rayner to make a comeback or energy secretary Ed Miliband to have a second go as leader.Under pressure: Starmer with the chancellor Rachel Reeves More

The chancellor has been urged to introduce measures to “shame” companies that are increasing the price of their products while decreasing their size at the upcoming Budget.This phenomenon – known as ‘shrinkflation’ – has become pronounced during the ongoing cost of living crisis, with food prices remain high for many despite inflation recently slowing.Supermarkets should be empowered to put labels on offending products, the Institute For Public Policy Research (IPPR) has said, forcing greater transparency on food prices.It forms a suite of recommendations made by the think tank ahead of the fiscal event on 26 November. Its researchers have called on the chancellor to declare a “war on bills”, making the cost of living central to her economic agenda.Other measures put forward include forcing smaller convenience supermarkets to stock cheaper non-brand items, and ensure the same deals are available in these locations as in larger stores. Supermarkets should be empowered to put labels on ‘shrinkflated’ products, the IPPR says More

More than one hundred organisations have called on Labour to scrap the two-child benefit cap in full, as ministers reportedly consider ways to tweak – rather than fully remove – the controversial policy.Writing to Sir Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves, groups including the Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG), Citizens Advice and the British Medical Association (BMA), say it is “not the time for half-measures” in response to the reports.“Now is the moment for the prime minister and chancellor to hear the voices of the UK’s children and take this vital opportunity to do the right thing,” they said in a joint letter.“Abolishing the two-child limit in full will set millions of children’s lives on a path to a brighter future, and help to rebuild a stronger, fairer country and economy”.The two-child benefit cap prevents parents from claiming universal credit or tax credit for their third child. It was introduced by the Conservatives and came into place in April 2017. It only applies to children who were born after 6 April 2017.The chancellor has hinted she will act on the two-child benefit cap (Justin Tallis/PA) More

The departing boss of the BBC has warned staff against the “weaponisation” of criticisms of the corporation as it faces a $1bn (£760m) legal threat from Donald Trump.Tim Davie admitted the organisation had “made some mistakes that have cost us”, but hit out at the BBC’s “enemies” and urged colleagues “to fight for our journalism” as he addressed staff for the first time since resigning over the way a speech by the US president was edited in an episode of Panorama.His comments came amid growing pressure on the team behind the programme, with two former culture secretaries calling for sanctions against more senior staffers days after Mr Davie and Deborah Turness, the chief executive of BBC News, revealed they would be standing down.Deborah Turness speaks to the media outside BBC Broadcasting House in London on Monday after her resignation More