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A newly-elected Tory MP refused to give Rishi Sunak credit for winning the by election in Uxbridge and South Ruislip.Steve Tuckwell claimed a narrow victory in Boris Johnson’s old seat by 495 votes.When asked why he’d not given the prime minister credit and instead said Sadiq Khan lost Labour the by election in his victory speech, Mr Tuckwell told Sky News: “Rishi Sunak’s my prime minister, I’m right behind him as a newly-elected MP.”We won [the election] on the fact that it was a referendum on Ulez.” More

Scotland’s First Minister Humza Yousaf has insisted the Yes campaign would win “comprehensively” if a second referendum on independence was held tomorrow.Despite several polls putting support for independence at less than 50%, Yousaf made the claim as he published the latest paper from the Scottish Government to make the case for leaving the UK.“If there was a referedum I think we would win it and win it comprehensively,” the SNP leader said. “But that’s also part of the reason we’re publishing these papers, because they help to make the argument, give people the information they need to make that informed decision about independence.” More

The shadow net zero secretary, Ed Miliband compared the government’s windfall tax on energy companies to Swiss cheese, saying it is full of holes, after Shell and British Gas reported significant profits. “People will be scratching their heads and thinking ‘isn’t the government doing a windfall tax?’ Well the answer is they are, but it’s full of holes,” the former Labour leader told BBC Breakfast. “This is like the proverbial Swiss cheese, it’s full of holes, because there’s a massive loophole in this windfall tax,” Miliband added. More

The government’s decision to put pressure onto demands for NatWest CEO Dame Alison Rose to resign in the row over Nigel Farage’s Coutts account is “astonishing,” a Labour shadow minister said on Wednesday (26 July).Rishi Sunak told a press conference in Warwick: “It’s not right for anyone to be denied financial services because they’re exercising their lawful right to free speech.”Nick Thomas-Symonds told Sky News the matter was “for NatWest” and not politicians.“When it comes to dealing decisively with colleagues… the prime minister has invariably been slow to act but when it came to this situation… they moved straight in.” More

Nigel Farage lashed out at a BBC Radio 4 presenter Nick Robinson after a jibe about his failed attempts at becoming an MP.The former UKIP leader lost his temper after Mr Robinson raised the prospect of Mr Farage using the row over his closed bank account to launch a return to frontline politics.But he was cut off by Mr Farage, who said: “I am really not going to have this.“I am sick to death of your condescending tone.” More

Nigel Farage has called for a “cultural change” at NatWest and within the wider industry, as he promised to continue to campaign on account closures.Mr Farage said NatWest “ought to go back to being a bank, rather than being a moral arbiter for political positions”.He hit out at the wider NatWest Board in wake of the resignation of Dame Alison Rose. He said: “Anybody on that Board that backed that statement that was put out at 17.42 yesterday, a totally unsustainable and untrue statement, anybody that backed that behaviour, should be gone.” More

A former adviser to Boris Johnson has become the youngest peer in the House of Lords after taking her seat in the unelected chamber.Charlotte Owen was nominated to the Lords in the former prime minister’s controversial resignation honours list released in June. The 30-year-old will be known as Baroness Owen of Alderley Edge and will sit as a Conservative peer.Lady Owen’s introduction was followed by that of Conservative Tees Valley mayor Ben Houchen, who will be known as Lord Houchen of High Leven.The pair wore the traditional scarlet robes for their short introduction ceremonies. More

Sir Keir Starmer accused the Conservatives of “giving up on government” after two by-election defeats, as he set out the party’s priorities ahead of next year’s general election.Addressing Labour’s national policy forum in Nottingham on Saturday 22 July, Sir Keir vowed his party can deliver a “Britain that truly serves working people”.“The Tories are watching us – looking for us to slip up. Make no mistake, they have given up on government, they have got no record to defend,” he said.“All they can do now is oppose Labour, attack our plans.” More