UK Politics

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailWatch as Rishi Sunak held a press conference on Thursday, 18 January, after seeing off the prospect of a defeat on his Rwanda asylum policy at the hands of right-wing Conservative MPs.The prime minister’s speech came after the Safety of Rwanda Bill passed its third reading in the Commons yesterday unamended with a majority of 44.Only 11 Tories, including former home secretary Suella Braverman, voted against Mr Sunak’s flagship immigration legislation.Prior to the third reading vote, Mr Sunak was hit by another revolt — following similar-sized rebellions on Tuesday — as 61 Tory MPs backed an amendment, proposed by former immigration minister Robert Jenrick, designed to toughen the bill.However, rebels signalled before the third reading vote that they were prepared to back the bill without any changes after an 11th-hour meeting in parliament on Wednesday.They conceded that a defeat for the government would be damaging ahead of a general election that is only months away. More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailThe head of Britain’s trade unions has slammed the country’s “broken” sick pay system, as new figures show women are more than twice as likely as men to miss out on statutory payments.Across the UK, 1.3 million people do not meet the £123 a week earning threshold to qualify for statutory sick pay, and 7 in 10 of these are women.Figures compiled by the Trades Union Congress (TUC), which represents Britain’s biggest unions, show that 6.5 per cent of women do not earn enough to qualify for statutory sick pay, compared to just 2.8 per cent of men.And the figures, seen by The Independent, show that Black and minority ethnic (BME) women are the most likely to miss out on statutory sick pay, with 7 per cent ineligible, compared with just 2.7 per cent of white men.Women are less likely to qualify for the payments as they are more likely to work in lower-paid jobs.TUC general secretary Paul Nowak told The Independent it is a “national scandal” that so many people, most of them women, are “forced to go without financial support when sick”.Paul Nowak said the low level of statutory sick pay is a ‘national scandal’ that primarily hits women While campaigner Amanda Walters, director of Safe Sick Pay, said: “Women already suffer disproportionately from low pay.“To add insult to injury these new figures show that many working women are also losing out when they need time off ill.”Mr Nowak also said the UK’s statutory sick pay system – under which workers are entitled to £109.40 per week for 28 weeks from their employer if they cannot work – is “broken”.The TUC’s intervention comes after former Tory health secretary Matt Hancock told the Covid inquiry statutory sick pay was “far, far too low” and “far lower than the European average”.Mr Hancock added that low sick pay “encourages people to go to work when they should be getting better” and aids the spread of illnesses.The TUC called the £109.40 figure “paltry” and not enough to live on – noting it is just 18 per cent of the average weekly wage in Britain.Mr Nowak said: “It’s a national scandal that so many low-paid, insecure workers up and down the country – most of them women – are forced to go without financial support when sick.“And for those who do get it, it’s not nearly enough to live on.“Ministers could have boosted sick pay and made sure everyone got it, but they chose to turn a blind eye to the problem during the pandemic.“The failure to provide proper financial support was an act of self-sabotage that left millions brutally exposed to the virus – especially those in low-paid, insecure work.Ms Walters added: “The UK’s statutory sick pay system is unequal, unfair and ripe for reform. By paying a higher weekly amount to every worker from day one, we’ll all see the benefits of a happy healthy workforce.”Deputy Labour leader Angela Rayner is in charge of delivering the party’s New Deal for Working People (PA)Labour deputy leader Angela Rayner told The Independent the pandemic “exposed just how precarious work is” for those on low incomes, forcing people to choose between their health and finances.She said: “It is simply unacceptable that the safety net of sick pay should not be available to those who need it most.”Labour has promised to raise statutory sick pay and make it available all workers, including the self-employed and those on low wages currently cut out by the lower earnings limit for eligibility.Mr Nowak said: “Enough is enough – it’s time for a new deal for workers, like Labour is proposing – which includes stronger sick pay and a ban on zero hours contracts.”A spokesman for the government said: “Statutory Sick Pay is part of a wider financial safety net, including Universal Credit and new style Employment and Support Allowance for those who need extra financial help.“Employers can also decide to pay occupational sick to those who do not meet the criteria for Statutory Sick Pay.” More

Tory rebel Robert Jenrick says he is prepared to vote against Rishi Sunak’s Rwanda billSign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailSir Keir Starmer has attacked Rishi Sunak’s “farcical” government in a brusing PMQs showdown, as the prime minister faces the biggest test of his premiership in a crunch Commons vote on his flagship Rwanda policy.A group of 60 right-wing Tory MPs, backed by Boris Johnson, threatened the PM’s plan by backing amendments aimed at toughening it up on Tuesday evening, with both Lee Anderson and Brendan Clarke-Smith quitting as deputy chairmen to vote with the rebels.If around 30 of the rebels carry out their threats to vote against Mr Sunak again on Wednesday night, the PM will be handed a humiliating defeat – potentially sparking yet another Tory leadership contest or a general election within weeks.One senior Sunak ally claimed to The Independent that the risk of an early election – with an almost certain Labour victory – will make the rebels will back off, allowing the PM and his battered administration to live to fight another day.Show latest update
1705501237Tory Rwanda rebels hold Sunak’s fate in their handsJane Dalton17 January 2024 14:201705503217UK departure from ECHR would be Brexit 2.0Campaigners have warned that Britain’s departure from the ECHR would amount to “Brexit 2.0” and further damage to the UK’s international reputation.The European Movement UK called on Rishi Sunak to commit to protecting Britain’s membership of the court, amid the push from right-wing rebels to ignore European judges and consider quitting the convention altogether.Sir Nick Harvey, chief executive of European Movement UK, said: “While the government’s Rwanda policy is concerning in itself, the possible departure of the UK from the ECHR would be utterly catastrophic. In terms of the impact it would have on our human rights and justice system, the departure would be an event on a scale akin to Brexit 2.0.”Adam Forrest17 January 2024 14:531705502917Rebels predicted to ‘melt like snowflakes’One MP who plans to vote against the government’s Rwanda Bill has predicted that Tory rebels will ‘melt like snowflakes on a deck’ when the crunch comes later.No 10 is quietly confident it will get the legislation though the Commons.A number 10 source said: “We don’t take any vote for granted but this is the toughest legislation ever brought before parliament to tackle illegal migration. It will make it clear that if you come here illegally you will not be able to stay.”Jane Dalton17 January 2024 14:481705502437No 10 says ‘guidance’ coming for civil servantsRishi Sunak’s official spokesman said there would be “additional guidance” for civil servants to give “clarity” on following ministers decisions in the application of the legislation, denying the code would be rewritten.The spokesman said the guidance will make clear civil servants can “continue to abide by the code” and “carry out the request of ministers” if they decide to ignore injunctions on Rwanda flights.Despite warnings from Robert Jenrick and others that the bill will not let ministers ignore injunctions from the European Court of Human Rights, the No 10 official insisted the bill “deliberately legislating to give ministers the power” to do so.Jane Dalton17 January 2024 14:401705500927I’m here to ensure policy works, insists JenrickRobert Jenrick told the Government he was “here to help” with his amendment aimed at safeguarding against Rule 39 orders.The Tory former immigration minister told MPs: “We have the power to fix this and we have the responsibility. So let’s use the opportunity we have today with the amendment that we have brought forward to resolve this.“Or else we will be here in two months’ time, the Strasbourg court will impose a Rule 39, the Government will be scrambling around how to resolve this, and the Government will have no-one else to blame.“I am here to help the Government to ensure this policy works, because I like everyone, at least on this side of the House, believes passionately that we have to make this policy work and to stop the boats.“So I strongly encourage the Prime Minister to support the amendment in my name, and that of many others, and encourage everyone else on all sides of this House who share my determination to fix this problem to do exactly the same.” More