UK Politics

Sue Gray quits: Defence secretary says Labour cabinet is ‘most unified’ he’s ever served inYour support helps us to tell the storyFind out moreCloseMy recent work focusing on Latino voters in Arizona has shown me how crucial independent journalism is in giving voice to underrepresented communities.Your support is what allows us to tell these stories, bringing attention to the issues that are often overlooked. Without your contributions, these voices might not be heard.Every dollar you give helps us continue to shine a light on these critical issues in the run up to the election and beyondEric GarciaWashington Bureau ChiefTom Tugendhat has been eliminated from the Conservative leadership contest, paving the way for James Cleverly, who has received a significant boost in support. The former security minister, who was previously viewed as a strong contender, failed to win over enough backing from parliamentary colleagues to make it to the final three, garnering only 20 votes. James Cleverly topped the third ballot with a notable rise in support, securing 39 votes from Tory MPs. Thisshift in momentum placed him as a frontrunner as the race intensifies. Meanwhile, Robert Jenrick remains a key player in the contest with 31 of the votes. Kemi Badenoch closely trails with 30 votes, reflecting a tight race among the remaining candidates. With the final two candidates set to be announced in another ballot on Wednesday, Tory members will have the chance to vote in an online ballot from 10 to 31 October. It comes as the Conservatives narrowed Labour’s lead to just one point, raising alarms for Sir Keir Starmer’s party months after its sweeping election victory. The latest More in Common poll revealed the party now sits at 29 per cent, down one percentage point, while the Tories have gained two points, reaching 28 per cent. This represents the smallest lead Labour has seen since the pollster began tracking voting intentions last year. Show latest update 1728397846Breaking: Tom Tugendhat knocked out of Tory leadership contestTom Tugendhat has been knocked out of the Tory leadership contest.The former minister received 20 votes, placing him in last place and eliminating him from the contest.James Cleverly came first with the backing of 39 MPs, Robert Jenrick got 31 and Kemi Badenoch had 30.Salma Ouaguira8 October 2024 15:301728398997Kemi Badenoch calls on Jenrick supporters to unite behind her bidKemi Badenoch is rallying supporters of Robert Jenrick to pivot their backing towards her campaign as the Tory leadership race narrows to three contenders. A spokesperson for the shadow secretary said: “There are three candidates left in this contest, two are gaining votes and one is going backwards and losing support.“The right of the Conservative Party now needs to coalesce around Kemi, who can reach across and unify the party, has the star quality to cut through in opposition, and is indisputably the members’ choice for leader.”Salma Ouaguira8 October 2024 15:491728398837James Cleverly: ‘The job’s not finished’Salma Ouaguira8 October 2024 15:471728398434Tugendhat thanks backers as he exits leadership raceSalma Ouaguira8 October 2024 15:401728397823Reform UK membership reaches 90,000 supportersMeanwhile, Nigel Farage has taken to social media to announce that Reform UK’s membership has increased to 90,000.The last time the party revealed the numbers, it stood at 85,000.Salma Ouaguira8 October 2024 15:301728397555Coming up: Tory leadership vote result revealed shortly Chariman of the 1922 Committee of Tory MPs Bob Blackman will appear at 3.30pm to announce the result of the latest round of voting in the leadership contest.Salma Ouaguira8 October 2024 15:251728396623Labour MP slams Tories for defending private school tax breaksConnor Naismith, Labour MP for Crewe and Nantwich, has criticised the Tories for their support of tax breaks for private education during the ongoing VAT discussion. Speaking passionately in the Commons, Mr Naismith argued that the previous administration demonstrated a lack of change in their priorities.He said: “(The Conservatives) have demonstrated perfectly well that nothing has changed and it’s business as usual as they choose to leap to the defence of tax breaks for private education.“Only 7 per cent of children in the UK go to a private school, a smaller proportion than the most recent Conservative cabinet, of which it is believed that 65 per cent were privately educated. So, perhaps that tells us something about why we are debating this matter today.”Tory members on the opposition benches responded by shouting – “look around you”.Salma Ouaguira8 October 2024 15:101728396153Back to the Commons…MPs continue to debate Labour’s decision to scrap tax exemptions for private schools. Alicia Kearns, Conservative MP for Rutland and Stamford, condemned Labour’s proposal to impose VAT on school fees, calling it “cruel and vindictive”.Speaking in the House of Commons, she warned that the move would have dire consequences for rural economies, which rely heavily on the presence of independent schools. She told members: “I have over 2,000 people locally who are employed directly by independent schools, let alone those working within the supply chain, whether it be buses, or food, or flowers, or cafes or shops, rural economies do not have that many options at the moment and independent schools are a bedrock for them.“So, the economic impact of this (policy) should be considered within that impact assessment, which I very much doubt has been carried out.”Salma Ouaguira8 October 2024 15:021728396023No 10 rejects fears of Truss-style chaos ahead of Budget announcement Downing Street has downplayed fears that potential changes to borrowing rules in the upcoming Budget could trigger a crisis like the chaotic premiership of Liz Truss.The government insisted that it is committed to restoring economic stability, amid growing speculation that shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves plans to revamp fiscal policies. With the Budget statement set to be released at the end of this month, investors are cautioning shadow chancellor Jeremy Hunt to “walk a tightrope” to avoid unsettling the markets and prompting a sell-off of government bonds. In response to fears of a Truss-style chaos, a No 10 spokesperson said: “Obviously, I wouldn’t accept that characterisation.“The government has made clear that one of the first steps of this government is to restore economic stability in the Budget. It will absolutely deliver on that, delivering on the robust fiscal rules that were set out in the manifesto.“That includes moving the current Budget into balance, it includes debt falling as a share of the economy, and more broadly, as I say, the Budget will be about fixing the foundations of the economy, delivering stability, because it is only with economic stability that we will get the growth and investment that the economy needs.”( More

Your support helps us to tell the storyFind out moreCloseOur mission is to deliver unbiased, fact-based reporting that holds power to account and exposes the truth.Whether $5 or $50, every contribution counts.Support us to deliver journalism without an agenda.Louise ThomasEditorJames Cleverly has surged to the top of the Tory leadership race, winning the backing of the most Conservative MPs after a barnstorming conference performance.The former home secretary topped the third round ballot of Tory MPs, winning the backing of 39 in total.It turns the race to succeed Rishi Sunak on its head, with Robert Jenrick and Kemi Badenoch now in a life or death struggle – before members begin voting on a final two from Thursday.Former immigration minister Mr Jenrick, who was considered the favourite in the run up to the Tory conference last week in Birmingham, placed second with 31 votes.Ex-business secretary Ms Badenoch, a favourite among the Tory rank and file, was third with just 30 votes.The four had battled it out at the party’s annual conference in Birmingham to win over MPs and members More

Your support helps us to tell the storyFind out moreCloseOur mission is to deliver unbiased, fact-based reporting that holds power to account and exposes the truth.Whether $5 or $50, every contribution counts.Support us to deliver journalism without an agenda.Louise ThomasEditorChancellor Rachel Reeves is reportedly considering making a major change to the UK’s fiscal rules at the Budget on 30 October – and experts say the shift could unlock an extra £57 billion for infrastructure spending.Ahead of the general election, Labour pledged to follow two rules. The first was that in the current budget costs are met by revenues such as tax. This has proven much more of a challenge for Ms Reeves than anticipated after she unveiled Treasury analysis in late July which showed a £22 billion shortfall in public spending.The chancellor has acknowledged this herself, saying at a Labour party conference fringe event that the measure would be “incredibly hard” to meet and require “tough decisions” to be made.The second rule is that debt must be falling as a share of the economy by the fifth year of the economic forecast. This measure rules out excessive borrowing to fill Labour’s black hole, as debt would be driven up as a result.However, during her speech at conference, Ms Reeves said: “It is time that the Treasury moved on from just counting the costs of investments to recognising the benefits too”. The comment caused experts to speculate that she may be looking to alter Labour’s fiscal rules at the Budget to deal with what Labour calls its unexpected ‘inheritance’.Rachel Reeves and Keir Starmer at Labour’s 2024 Conference (Stefan Rousseau/PA) More

Your support helps us to tell the storyFind out moreCloseOur mission is to deliver unbiased, fact-based reporting that holds power to account and exposes the truth.Whether $5 or $50, every contribution counts.Support us to deliver journalism without an agenda.Louise ThomasEditorThe transport secretary has indicated that HS2 will run into central London, saying it “would never have made sense” for that not to happen, following months of speculation over the rail line.The government will make a final announcement around the time of the Budget, Louise Haigh suggested. Asked if it would be affordable to get HS2 to terminate at Euston, she said: “We will be making an announcement on that soon.“But it certainly would never have made sense to leave it between Old Oak Common and Birmingham.” HS2 is likely to reach Euston, transport secretary Louise Haigh has indicated, saying it ‘would never have made sense’ for that not to happen More

Your support helps us to tell the storyFind out moreCloseOur mission is to deliver unbiased, fact-based reporting that holds power to account and exposes the truth.Whether $5 or $50, every contribution counts.Support us to deliver journalism without an agenda.Louise ThomasEditorBoris Johnnson has denied mocking the public for obeying lockdown rules “like a religion” in his new memoir, which saw him question why people “so avidly craved” restrictions.Speaking to Sky News, Mr Johnson said he “totally rejects” the claim he was expressing disdain for members of the public who followed the rules during the Covid-19 pandemic.In a chapter of his book about fighting the second wave of the pandemic, the former prime minister pointed out the “sheer complexity” of the tier system, which saw different parts of the UK placed under varying levels of restriction.Mr Johnson said: “The real question is why on earth the public so avidly craved these rules and why they were so willing to have their doings circumscribed in such rabbinical detail.”He added that the rules acted “like a kind of religion, detailed rituals you just obeyed, Leviticus like in the hope of salvation”.Copies of former prime minister Boris Johnson’s latest memoir, titled Unleashed , ahead of its release to the public (James Manning/PA) More

Your support helps us to tell the storyFind out moreCloseOur mission is to deliver unbiased, fact-based reporting that holds power to account and exposes the truth.Whether $5 or $50, every contribution counts.Support us to deliver journalism without an agenda.Louise ThomasEditorLabour’s polling lead has fallen to just one point after a rocky start to Sir Keir Starmer’s time in government. The latest polling comes despite the prime minister attempting to draw a line under the disorder by accepting the resignation of his chief of staff Sue Gray.The survey, conducted by More in Common for Politico, put Labour on 29 per cent and the Conservative Party on 28 per cent. Reform UK was on 19 per cent, while the Lib Dems were on 11 per cent. The Green Party was at seven per cent, while the SNP was on two per cent.Ahead of the election, Labour was consistently polling around 20 points ahead of the Tories More

Your support helps us to tell the storyFind out moreCloseOur mission is to deliver unbiased, fact-based reporting that holds power to account and exposes the truth.Whether $5 or $50, every contribution counts.Support us to deliver journalism without an agenda.Louise ThomasEditorA new Regulatory Innovation Office (RIO) has been launched by the Government, which it says will help speed access to new technologies which can improve daily life.The office has been created to help reduce the burden for businesses looking to bring new products and services to market, the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) said.The Government said the new office will support regulators in updating regulation, as well as helping speed up approvals for new tech and help different regulatory bodies work together smoothly.It said the office could help new technologies such as AI for better treatments in the NHS and drones delivering emergency supplies could reach the public faster with the new office in place.RIO will make sure UK companies are at the forefront of the next generation of technologiesPeter Kyle, Science and Technology SecretaryThe RIO will also liaise with the Government on how to remove barriers to innovation and set priorities for regulators and support them as part of wider goals to grow the economy.The search for a chair to lead the new office is now under way, the Government confirmed.Science and Technology Secretary Peter Kyle said: “The launch of the Regulatory Innovation Office, a key manifesto commitment, is a big step forward in bringing the UK’s most promising new technologies to the public faster and safely while kickstarting economic growth.“By speeding up approvals, providing regulatory certainty and reducing unnecessary delays, we’re curbing the burden of red tape so businesses and our public services can innovate and grow, which means more jobs, a stronger economy, and a better quality of life for people across the UK.“From breakthroughs that could help doctors diagnose illnesses earlier to satellite navigation for more accurate weather forecasting and getting emergency supplies to where they are needed, quickly and effectively, RIO will make sure UK companies are at the forefront of the next generation of technologies.”The DSIT said the office will initially focus on four fast-growing areas of technology – engineering biology, space, artificial intelligence and digital in healthcare, and connected and autonomous technology. More

Your support helps us to tell the storyFind out moreCloseOur mission is to deliver unbiased, fact-based reporting that holds power to account and exposes the truth.Whether $5 or $50, every contribution counts.Support us to deliver journalism without an agenda.Louise ThomasEditorJames Cleverly‘s hopes of becoming Tory leader have received a major boost ahead of another crucial vote by Conservative MPs today as a former rival endorsed his candidacy.Mel Stride, who was eliminated in the last round, has come out in support of the former home and foreign secretary as momentum continues to build for him to succeed Mr Sunak.In a message on X (formerly Twitter), Mr Stride said: “The Conservative Party needs to rebuild trust on economic competence, cutting migration and reforming public services. Strong, clear and measured. James has what it takes. “Momentum for Mr Cleverly appears to have been building since his speech on the last day of the Tory conference energised the audience with his call for Conservatives to start “being normal again”.Tory MPs will whittle the four leadership candidates down to just two this week More