UK Politics

Rishi Sunak defended accepting a £1000 bet from Piers Morgan on being able to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda before the next election.Mr Morgan told Mr Sunak he would bet “£1,000 to a refugee charity” that he wouldn’t deport anyone to the African country before the election, before the prime minister shook his hand.Mr Sunak has faced heavy criticism for the bet, with the SNP’s Westminster leader Stephen Flynn describing it as “depraved.”The PM told BBC Radio 5 Live on Tuesday (6 February) he was taken “by surprise” by the offer, but did not say it was a mistake to have shaken Mr Morgan’s hand. More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailBosses at Amazon Marketplace, eBay and Instagram could face criminal sanctions for allowing the sale of illegal knives on their online platforms under Labour proposals.The Opposition party will urge the Government to close the “glaring loopholes” in its plans to tackle knife crime.Ministers are introducing new laws to outlaw zombie-style weapons, with the ban due to come into force in September – making it illegal to possess, sell, manufacture or transport the blades.Law-breaking online platforms who profit from these illegal sales are being let off with a slap on the wrist instead of facing criminal sanctionsShadow policing minister Alex NorrisBut Labour will use an Opposition Day debate on Tuesday to call on the Government to go further by including ninja swords in the ban and making tech executives liable for illegal weapons sold on their online marketplaces.Sir Keir Starmer has promised to close loopholes and end caveats in a “total crackdown” on the availability of knives on UK streets.The Labour leader last month met the family of Ronan Kanda, a 16-year-old who was killed by two 17-year-olds in 2022 using a ninja sword bought online using a fake name and collected from a Post Office.The former director of public prosecutions pledged to conduct a review of online knife sales to strengthen ID requirements and checks on parcels by Royal Mail and Border Force in an effort to clamp down on the unlawful supply of dangerous weapons to under-18s.A Labour government would also launch a £100 million programme aimed at identifying and supporting young people at risk of being drawn into violent crime.Any young person caught with a knife could also face curfews, tagging or other sanctions.Labour is calling on Tory MPs to back these proposals in the House of Commons on Tuesday.Shadow policing minister Alex Norris said: “Knife crime destroys lives and leaves families and communities reeling.“The Government has a duty to do everything it can to stop these dangerous weapons getting into the hands of teenagers and those who would do harm.“Dangerous weapons like ninja swords which have been used to kill teenagers like Ronan Kanda are still available on Britain’s streets. Still, law-breaking online platforms who profit from these illegal sales are being let off with a slap on the wrist instead of facing criminal sanctions.“Labour wants to close these glaring loopholes in the Government’s plans and are asking the Conservatives and other parties to vote with us to do so.”A Home Office spokesman said: “The UK has some of the strongest anti-knife laws in the world, and since 2019 we have taken 120,000 knives off our streets, but we are determined to do more to end this senseless violence.“Just weeks ago, we banned zombie-style knives and machetes and we will not hesitate to take further action based on the advice of police chiefs and frontline officers.“We are also toughening sentences for anyone caught with a banned weapon or found selling knives to under-18s, and are giving police new powers to seize any knife if they believe it might be used in criminality.” More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailRishi Sunak admitted to failing on his promise to cut NHS waiting lists – the first time the prime minister has acknowledged he is off track on his five key targets.The Conservative leader also conceded that his pledge to get the UK economy growing again was still “on the wire” – but insisted that he would finally “stop the boats” once Rwanda deportation flights get up and running.Mr Sunak was roundly condemned for accepting a “depraved” £1,000 bet with TV interviewer Piers Morgan that he would get the flights to the African country started before the general election.Elsewhere, fresh doubt was thrown over the Tory party’s promise to expand free childcare, as education secretary Gillian Keegan admitted some local authorities have yet to confirm funding for providers in time for an April deadline.Ms Keegan said she could not guarantee the pledge to provide working parents of two-year-olds more free hours – insisting that she is leaning on councils in England “very hard” to come up with funding rates soon.Her admission came as:Mr Sunak was reported to top officials for a potential breach of the rules over the ‘crude’ Rwanda bet with MorganThe PM said he is now in a position to cut taxes – and insisted he “sleeps well” believing he does the right thingsA grim Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) forecast showed the UK on course to suffer the highest inflation in the G7 this year and nextThe education secretary could not give the Tory government the top grade when asked to rate its performanceRishi Sunak interviewed by Piers Morgan on TalkTVOn Monday, Mr Sunak conceded for the first time that he has not met his pledge to cut the number of NHS patients waiting for treatment – blaming strikes in an interview with Mr Morgan on TalkTV.Pressed directly on whether he had failed to meet the pledge, he said: “Yes, we have”, adding: “We have not made enough progress.”Despite recent decreases in the waiting list, it is still higher than when Mr Sunak’s pledge was made over a year ago. The list stood at 7.21 million treatments waiting to be carried out in January 2023. In November, some 7.61 million treatments were waiting to be carried out.“We all know the reasons for that … industrial action has had an impact,” said Mr Sunak on strikes.The TalkTV host went on to tell Mr Sunak about his 79-year-old mother’s experience three months ago after having a heart attack – revealing that she waited on a trolley in an A&E corridor for nearly seven hours in a scene she compared to a “war zone”.The PM said the account was “shocking” and that performance in A&E and with ambulance waiting times were “not good enough”. But he also cited the backlog created by the Covid crisis.“We can’t escape that,” he added. “When you shut down the country in the NHS for the best part of two years, that has had an impact on everything since then. And we just have to recognise that reality.” Rishi Sunak blamed his failure to cut waiting lists on industrial action in the NHS Mr Sunak also admitted that the UK economy may not have grown last year – another of the big five promises set out in January 2023 – despite insisting that progress had been made.He said: “I think we have made good progress on the economic ones, which are the first three – to halve inflation, grow the economy and reduce debt.”But the PM acknowledged that it was still “on the wire” whether the British economy had grown or stagnated, before arguing that either outcome was better than the recession some had feared.“We are on the wire of ‘has it grown a little bit, has it broadly stayed flat?’,” he said, “But fundamentally what was predicted was a year-long recession where the economy shrank by quite a lot … I am confident that we will be able to keep growing the economy.”Asked if could take credit for the reduction of inflation to 4 per cent, a battle primarily fought by the independent Bank of England, Mr Sunak replied: “I do, because I don’t think these things happen by accident.”The OECD lowered its predictions for UK inflation to 2.8 per cent for 2024 and 2.4 per cent for 2025.But this would still see the UK suffering from a higher level of inflation than any of its G7 colleagues – Canada, Italy, Japan, Germany, France and the US – both this year and next.Rishi Sunak and Piers Morgan bet £1,000 on Rwanda flights leaving before next electionGrilled on another of his pledges, to reduce government debt, the Tory leader said: “It is massively on track to happen, and it [debt reduction] has got even better.”Mr Sunak also said his government was now in a “position to cut taxes” ahead of chancellor Jeremy Hunt’s 6 March announcements. “I never get into this Budget speculation but the direction of travel is clear,” the PM said at further personal tax reductions to come next month.The Tory leader was heavily criticised for accepting a £1,000 bet with Morgan that the first deportation flights to Rwanda would take place before the general election.After shaking hands with the TV host on the terms of the Rwanda bet, Mr Sunak said: “I want to get the people on the plane. I am working incredibly hard to get the people on the planes.”Labour said the “deeply distasteful” bet showed the PM was “totally out of touch with working people”. Green MP Caroline Lucas told The Independent the move was a “new low in our politics”.The SNP reported Mr Sunak to his own adviser on ministers’ interests and the cabinet secretary over the “depraved” bet – with the party claiming it was a potential breach of ministerial code rule on avoiding conflicts with private interests.Meanwhile, Ms Keegan defended the government as England’s childcare providers continue to report being unable to commit to offering places for parents of two-year-olds in April, as they remain in the dark about final funding rates.“The vast majority of [councils] have already [published rates] but there’s a small number that haven’t, and this is causing a bit of friction in the system. I am leaning on them very, very hard,” she told LBC.The education said she would rate the Sunak government as “good” using Ofsted’s four-point grading scale of outstanding, good, requires improvement, and inadequate. More

A “naked” nature campaigner has attended a meeting with the government wearing only silhouettes of swifts as part of a campaign to help the birds.Hannah Bourne-Taylor was accompanied by Tory peer and ex-minister Zac Goldsmith for the meeting in Westminster to urge the government to mandate “swift bricks” in new homes and extensions.The nest boxes – hollow bricks with an entry hole – provide nesting opportunities in buildings for the migratory birds, who are red listed due to concerns over their conservation status. More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailWatch as Grant Shapps updates parliament on the latest Houthis strikes on Monday 5 February. Rishi Sunak, the prime minister, has said the Houthis’ “illegal” harassment campaign in the Red Sea is having “economic consequences”, as he defended the UK taking part in a third wave of air strikes.There have been fears that the attacks on commercial ships in the Middle East could drive up the price of goods in the shops, as cargo firms are forced to re-route their vessels via longer and more costly routes to avoid clashes with the rebel group.Mr Sunak said the UK on Saturday had acted in “self-defence” when taking part in joint air strikes with the US to target Houthi sites in Yemen.He repeated that he “won’t hesitate to protect British lives”, in a signal that he would be undeterred from continuing to approve further RAF bombing raids if the Houthis do not desist. More

Rishi Sunak has revealed he shared a joke with England manager Gareth Southgate about having “tough jobs”.The prime minister spoke about the challenges of his role during an interview with Piers Morgan on TalkTV.“I was very lucky to meet Gareth Southgate and the England football team a little while ago,” Mr Sunak revealed.“He and I were joking about who has the toughest job. I would say he has a tough job too. He’s doing a great job, an incredible job.”The full interview is due to be shown on Piers Morgan Uncensored on Monday 5 February at 8pm on TalkTV. More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailDehenna Davison has been mocked for a cringeworthy social media video in which she makes fun of stereotypes about Tory MPs.The former minister jumped on the satirical TikTok trend, dubbed “of course”, for the way online creators use it to dispel myths about their profession or background.“I’m a Tory MP, of course I wear grey suits work,” Ms Davison said, highlighting her hot pink blazer and trouser combo.Ms Davison, the first Tory to represent Bishop Auckland after winning the seat from Labour in 2019, also showed off her Dr Marten boots after declaring: “I’m a Tory MP, of course I only wear kitten heels”.Ms Davison, who is from Sheffield, then points to a map showing South Yorkshire, before saying: “I am a Tory MP, of course I am from the south.” And she jokes about her favourite singer Taylor Swift counting as “classical music”.The 30-year-old MP for Bishop Auckland will stand down at the next electionMs Davison is standing down as an MP at the next election and quit as a levelling up minister after suffering from migraines.A Twitter account called Accidental Partridge, which mocks politicians for making gaffes similar to the comedic fictional television personality Alan Partridge, re-posted Ms Davison’s TikTok video.SNP MP John Nicholson said the post was “cringe”, while other parody accounts on the site mocked the MP.“I’m a Tory MP, of course I’ll be looking for a new job this year,” said one.Another joked: “I’m a Tory MP, of course I’m standing down and won’t contest the next election.”Ms Davison, who was seen as a rising star in the party, announced her resignation as a minister in September. At the time she said her migraines had “a great impact on my ability to carry out the role”.She said: “Some days I’m fine, but on others it is difficult, if not impossible, to keep up with the demands of ministerial life – and the timing of such days is never predictable.Ms Davison is standing down as an MP at the next election and quit as a levelling up minister after suffering from migraines “Though I have tried to mitigate and am grateful to colleagues for their patience at times, I don’t feel it is right to continue in the role.”She had already announced her decision to stand down as an MP at this year’s general election.Ms Davison was praised by levelling up Secretary Michael Gove, who said he was “really sorry to lose her”. “She has so much to offer,” he added.She said she will use her remaining time in Parliament to focus on “doing all I can to deliver on the pledges I made in Bishop Auckland” and championing the cause of “better justice and support for one punch assault victims and their families”.The issue has been of great personal importance to Ms Davison, whose father was killed by a single punch during an attack in a pub in Sheffield when she was just 13.She raised the issue at PMQs last week, calling for Rishi Sunak to introduce a specific offence and tougher minimum sentences for one punch manslaughter. More

Sign up to our free Brexit and beyond email for the latest headlines on what Brexit is meaning for the UKSign up to our Brexit email for the latest insightRishi Sunak has told Sinn Fein to focus on the “day to day” concerns of people in Northern Ireland rather than a referendum on Irish reunification.The PM said “constitutional change” should not be a priority for the Irish nationalist party – after newly-appointed first minister Michelle O’Neill claimed a border poll could be held in the next 10 years.Mr Sunak met Stormont’s party leaders and Republic of Ireland’s premier Leo Varadkar on Monday after the Northern Ireland Executive re-formed on Saturday to end a two-year stalemate.Mr Sunak said the £3bn funding boost would deliver for Northern Ireland’s families and businesses. “That’s what everyone’s priority is now – it is not constitutional change, it is delivering on the day-to-day things that matter to people.”The devolved government – headed by Sinn Fein’s Ms O’Neill and the DUP’s Emma Little-Pengelly as deputy first minister – held its first meeting on Monday to start dealing with the province’s strained finances.The meetings came as Mr Sunak’s Northern Ireland secretary Chris Heaton-Harris told Ms O’Neill that she should focus on improving public services rather than the issue of Irish reunification.The Tory cabinet minister dismissed the prospect of a border poll, after Ms O’Neill claimed one could be held in the next 10 years. Mr Heaton-Harris said the conditions for a referendum were “definitely not met at this time”.NI secretary Chris Heaton-Harris, first minister Michelle O’Neill, deputy first minister Emma Little-Pengelly and Rishi Sunak at Stormont CastleHe told LBC that he would have to be “confident” that there was a potential majority of people in Northern Ireland “who would like to depart from their current constitutional status”.Mr Heaton-Harris added: “I would suggest that actually top of the in-tray for an incoming executive has to be things like public sector pay, the health service … funding on education and a whole host of other things that actually all people in Northern Ireland from both communities truly care about.”DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson criticised the new Sinn Fein first minister for focusing on the “divisive” issue of reunification.”“She says she wants to be a first minister for all, well that means the unionist community,” he told Sky News. “Let’s focus on the issues that really matter to people. They’re not interested in a divisive border poll.”On Sunday Ms O’Neill, the very first nationalist to assume the post of first minister at Stormont, said: “I believe we are in a decade of opportunity and there are so many things that are changing.“All the old norms, the nature of this estate, the fact that a nationalist-Republican was never supposed to be first minister. This all speaks to that change,” she said.Mr Sunak and Mr Heaton-Harris met leaders Ms O’Neill and Sinn Fein president Mary Lou McDonald at Stormont on Monday.It is understood the Sinn Fein leaders objected to elements of the recent UK deal with the DUP amid concerns it adopted a pro-Union approach to issues such as a border poll.They also are believed to have stressed the requirement for the UK government to remain impartial in relation to the calling of any future referendum on Northern Ireland’s constitutional future.The institutions were restored following a deal between Mr Sunak’s government and the DUP to allay unionist concerns over post-Brexit trading arrangements.Mr Heaton-Harris suggested post-Brexit problems related to Northern Ireland were not over when he was grilled BBC Breakfast if Brexit was “actually done” after “eight years of uncertainty”.The cabinet minister said: “This is a problem that will never be solved … This is a land border with the European single market that we have here in Northern Ireland.”Rishi Sunak, DUP MLA Edwin Poots and NI secretary Chris Heaton-Harris at StormontBut Mr Heaton-Harris insisted the updated deal with the DUP to ease checks was an “opportunity” that gives the province smooth access to both the UK and EU’s single market.The PM also met with Ms O’Neill and deputy Ms Little-Pengelly at Stormont Castle – telling the executive’s Sinn Fein and DUP leaders: “Today isn’t the end, it’s the beginning and the real work starts now.”Mr Sunak’s government has offered a £3.3bn package to stabilise finances in the region. However, the executive has pressed Mr Sunak for more funding.A letter from all Stormont ministers to No 10 states that the current financial package on offer “does not provide the basis for the executive to deliver sustainable public services and public finances”.The PM said the offer represents “a generous and fair settlement”. He added: “There has not been devolved government up and running here for far too long. But now we do have it and they can start focusing on delivering for everyone.”Mr Sunak also met Irish premier Leo Varadkar at Stormont, as both leaders visited Belfast to mark the restoration of devolved government. More