Early evening summary
David Lammy, the foreign secretary, has said that the deal giving the Chagos Island to Mauritius will protect relations with the US. Speaking in the Commons, he said:
Inaction posed several acute risks to the United Kingdom. First, it threatened the UK-US base from countering malign Iranian activity in the Middle East to ensuring a free and open Indo-Pacific.
It’s critical for our national security. Without surety of tenure, no base can operate effectively nor truly deter our enemies. Critical investment decisions were already being delayed.
Second, it impacted on our relationship with the United States who neither wanted nor welcomed the legal uncertainty and strongly encouraged us to strike a deal. I am a trans-Atlanticist. We had to protect this important relationship.
And third, it undermined our international standing where showing what we mean is what we say on international law and our desire for partnerships with the Global South. This strengthens our arguments when it comes to issues like Ukraine or the South China Sea.
Keir Starmer has told MPs that stopping all arms sales to Israel will “never” be his position. Speaking in the Commons, he said:
If sale of weapons for defensive use by Israel were banned, that is a position that I could not countenance a year after October the 7th. It is not a position I could countenance in the face of attacks by Iran.
The whole House saw the number of missiles coming over into Israel only the other day, and the idea that we could say we support Israel’s right to defend herself, and at the same time deprive her of the means to do so, is so wholly inconsistent that it will never be my position.
Mark Francois (Con) asks how much the UK will pay in rent to lease back something “already ours”.
Lammy says, when the treaty is published, there will be a discussion of the cost. It is not having a deal that would damage national security, he says.
Mel Stride, the former work and pensions secretary, who was knocked out of the Tory leadership contest in the last round of voting by MPs, is backing James Cleverly, Lucy Fisher from the Financial Times reports.
EXCL: Mel Stride to endorse James Cleverly today, on the eve of the third round ballot in the Tory leadership race tomorrow, acc to party figures pic.twitter.com/4jMDGRB7xK
— Lucy Fisher (@LOS_Fisher) October 7, 2024
Robert Jenrick, another Tory leadership candidate, says the UK has handed a sovereign island to an ally of China, just so Lammy can feel good at London dinner parties.
Lammy says he hopes that has secured Jenrick a few more votes in the Tory leadership contest. But the US president and the US secretary of state are in favour. He suggests they know more about foreign policy than Jenrick.
Tom Tugendhat, the Tory leadership candidate, says Lammy has made this deal even though it is not based on the views of Chagossians, and because he is elevating the views of an international court over the national interest. He says both of those features set a bad precedent for people on the Falkland Islands.
Farage suggests Donald Trump won't back Chagos Islands deal if elected president
Nigel Farage, the Reform UK leader, accuses Lammy of caring more about the judgment of a foreign court than about national sovereignty. And he says, althought President Biden may approve of this deal, Donald Trump might not.
Lammy says the UK has taken views across the US political establishment. But he says the president, the secretary of state and the US defence secretary have all welcomed this. That should assure Farage that this will not help the Chinese, he says.
Iain Duncan Smith, the former Tory leader, said the government agreed this deal to help a “disgusting” Mauritian government ahead of an election. He also accuses Mauritius of being pro-China.
Lammy said he did not agree with what Duncan Smith said about a fellow Commonwealth country.
Andrew Rosindell (Con) said this was a dark day for British democracy. He said the government should allow the Chagossians the right to self-determination.
Calum Miller, a Lib Dem foreign affairs spokesperson, says he is concerned that the Chagossians were not consulted over this deal.
He says there is no equivalence between the Chagos Islands and other overseas territories. And he says the Tories who have suggested there is play into the hands of Britain’s enemies.
Lammy says Miller is right to raise the interest of Chagossians. They were they were treated in the 1960s was wrong. This was a negotiation between two sovereign governments, he says. But he says they were kept informed as to what was happening.
Lammy is responding to Mitchell. He accuses him of having some “brass neck” in opposing a deal sought by the last Tory government.
He says, if the security concerns Mitchell raised were well-founded, Washington would not have welcomed it.
The future of Diego Garcia has been secured, he says.
Referring to the Tories, he says:
They posture, we lead.
And he says of course the Chagossians were kept informed about how the negotiations were going.
Shadow foreign secretary Andrew Mitchell says Cleverly and Cameron would never have agreed this deal
Andrew Mitchell, the shadow foreign secretary, says it is astonishing the government is giving away a military asset to a country than never had it before.
He quotes approvingly what the Times said about the deal in an editorial. It said:
In a dangerous world Britain’s security is being risked by ministers and departmental lawyers who believe appeasing faux anti-colonialist sentiment in the UN matters more than the national interest.
He says James Cleverly and Lord Cameron would never have agreed this deal. If they had been willing to strike this deal, it would have been agreed years ago.
He says he has five questions.
1) What are the implications for the Falkland Islands and Gibraltar?
2) What are the implications for sovereign military bases on Cyprus?
3) What are the assurances about China not deploying armed forces on the islands? He says Lammy’s words today are welcome, but he points out that the treaty has not been published.
4) How much is being paid?
5) What consultation has there been with Chagossians?
Lammy says foreign armed forces will not be allowed to base themselves on other Chagos Islands under deal
Lammy says the Diego Garcia base now has an uncontested legal basis long into the future.
It will have delegated sovereignty for at least 99 years, with an option to extend.
And he says the deal will stop foreign armed forces [he means China, but does not name it] basing themselves on the other Chagos Islands, which are currently unoccupied.
Lammy says there is also a financial settlement acceptable to both sides.
He says this deal does not affect Gibraltar or the Falkland Islands, which are very different.
He says the government hopes to ratify this treaty in 2025.
David Lammy tells MPs that failure to strike deal over Chagos Islands would have damaged relations with US
Lammy says it took two years of negotiations to reach the agreement with Mauritius on the Chagos Islands.
He says the status quo was not sustainable. The UK was likely to lose a binding option.
It would have then had to abandon the military base at Diego Garcia, or break international law.
Doing the deal on UK terms will allow the operation of the base to continue, he says.
He says James Cleverly, the former foreign secretary, initiated these talks. And Lord Cameron, Cleverly’s successor, ultimately allowed those talks to go ahead.
Inaction posed a threat to the Diego Garcia military base, which is “critical” for national security, he says.
Second, inaction would have impacted on relations with the US. They did not like uncertainty, and wanted a deal.
And, third, inaction undermined the UK’s international standing. This deal shows the UK respects international law, he says. That backs its position on issues like Ukraine, he says.
Updated
Commons Speaker Lindsay Hoyle criticises government for announcing Chagos Islands deal towards end of recess
Keir Starmer’s statement is over. David Lammy, the foreign secretary, is now making a statement about the decision to return the Chagos Islands to Mauritius.
Lindsay Hoyle, the Speaker, says while government business continues during recess, it is frustrating when government announcements are made towards the end of recess.
He says it would have been better if Lammy had delayed this announcement, made on Thursday last week, until today. Then they could have learned about it in the Commons.
He says the argument that announcements have to be made in recess because of elections in other parts of the world is irrelevant to him. (The UK government wanted to to finalise the deal before the forthcoming Mauritian elections.) Hoyle says he is concerned about the interests of MPs in Britain.
Back in the Commons, the independent MP Ayoub Khan, who was elected largely because of his pro-Palestinian stance, asked Keir Starmer if he was telling MPs that the UK would not be selling arms to Israel that could be used offensively. He was referring to Starmer telling Richard Burgon he would not support an arms embargo that deprived Israel of weapons it needed to protect itself (see 4.18am), a line he subsequently repeated to Zarah Sultana.
In response, Starmer avoided the thrust of the question. Instead he said that the government was following the process set down in law, and that it had published the reasons for its recent decision.
Michelle O'Neill says she's 'appalled' Sinn Féin press officers gave job references for ex-colleague under investigation for child sex offences
Michelle O’Neill, the Sinn Féin first minister of Northern Ireland, has said she was “absolutely appalled and horrified” that two press officers in her party gave work references to a former colleague who was being investigated over child sex offences.
She described Michael McMonagle, who is now awaiting sentencing, as a “monster” whose actions were “utterly reprehensible”.
But she insisted she had not been made aware until 24 September that two press officers had given employment references to the British Heart Foundation where McMonagle worked as a press official after being suspended from Sinn Féin. She said:
I am absolutely appalled and horrified that that occurred.
These references were given without the knowledge or authorisation of the party, and under no circumstances would the party have provided a reference for work or for otherwise for McMonagle.
Apologising for the hurt and distress caused by the affair, O’Neill set out the timeline in a bid to draw a line under the scandal which has dogged the party for the past week.
Matthew O’Toole, the SDLP leader in the Northern Ireland assembly, said the party did not show the “candour and transparency” expected of all politicians.
Under universal credit (UC), a new benefit originally introduced by the coalition government, people have to wait around five weeks to get their first payment. In response to claims that people would be without money for more than a month, the government allowed claimaints to get an advance payment, repaid interest-free through monthly deducations when proper payments start.
A DWP report published today by Liz Kendall says that the most vulnerable claimants are most likely not to understand the support available. The report, which is based on in-depth interviews with claimants, says:
Those with a disability or long-term health condition or who had difficult personal circumstances, such as being a refugee or leaving an abusive relationship were likely to need support to understand the transition to UC, the advance payment and to manage their finances but were unlikely to seek this out themselves.
And some of the claimants did not get this information from jobcentres, it says.
There were claimants who did not remember being told about the advance payment until after they had made their claim or reached the end of their first assessment period. This may have been because of poor recall or there may be inconsistencies in the information being provided at jobcentres.
The report suggests it would be better if claimants attending a jobcentre were given written, personalised information about how much they would get from an advance payment, and how they would pay it back.
In the Commons Robert Jenrick, a Tory leadership candidate, said that at the pro-Palestinian march in London at the weekend there were people showing support for Hezbollah. He asked what the government was doing to “root out those who despise our country and our values”, suggesting that foreign visitors who support terrorist groups should have their visas revoked.
In response, Keir Starmer said the right to protest was important, but that the police should also be enforcing the law when it is broken.
Asked by Richard Burgon, who was elected as a Labour MP but who has currently had the whip suspended, if he would back the end of all arms sales to Israel, Keir Starmer told MPs he was not in favour of that because it would deprive Israel of weapons that could be used for defensive purposes.
Back in the Commons there is a mood of near-consensus as MPs have been responding to Keir Starmer’s statement about the Middle East and the 7 October attack. Members from all sides have backed the thrust of what he said.
But the Labour MP Clive Betts asked Starmer how he responded to comments from Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, saying he does not accept the two-state solution as a goal.
In response, Starmer said it was important to be ‘“very clear” that the two-state solution was “the only viable long-term route through this conflict”.
Updated
Carer's allowance claimants could get text message alerts warning if they are breaching earnings limits, MPs told
The government is considering the rollout of a text message service to stop carers breaking overpayment rules on carer’s allowance, MPs have been told.
The carer’s allowance crisis has led to more than 100,000 carers having to repay large sums because, often inadvertently, they breached the earnings limit. Under DWP rules, people who do this have to repay all the allowance they received, not just a portion representing overpayment.
Asked about this in the Commons, Stephen Timms, a welfare minister, said:
We want to get to the bottom of what’s gone wrong with these overpayments, why so many people have been caught out.
We have been piloting the introduction of a text message service, that involves texting 3,500 claimants to alert them when they HMRC informs DWP that the claimant has breached the current earnings limit.
Updated
Starmer calls for ceasefire in Middle East in statement on 7 October attack, saying two-state solution must be ultimate goal
Starmer says the the 7 October attack was the bloodiest day for the people of Israel since the Holocaust.
He says 15 Britons were “brutally slain” that day, and another has died since in captivity.
For many people, the pain of that day is as acute as it was a year ago.
Last week he met the families of people killed and held hostage, he says. He says he will never forget what they said.
The families of hostages are going through “agony” day after day. They must be returned, he says.
He says it is also “a day of grief for the wider region”. The human toll amongst innocent civilians in Gaza is “truly devastating”, he says. What is happening there is “a living nightmare” and it must end, he says.
He says last week the Iranian regime chose to strike Israel. All MPs will join him in condemnding this attack, he says. It was not a defensive action. It was a major escalation, in response to the death of a terrorist leader, he says.
He urges all sides to step back from the brink, and find the courage of restraint.
Working with other world leaders, he will focus on three areas, he says.
First, he is focusing on Lebanon. Some Britons have already been evacuated, and further evacuations are planned. He says he is continuting to call for an immediate ceasefire, and for a political solution. Hezbollah must withdraw, and stop firing rockets.
Second, they must renew efforts for a ceasefire in Gaza. And more relief must be provided for civilians. He says the ongoing restrictions on age are “impossible to justifiy”. Israel must open more crossings, and provide a safe haven for aid workers.
And, third, there must be solutions for the long term, he says. The two-state solution must be the ultimate goal. There is no other option offering security. So they must build a political route towards it, he says. The key to this is a ceasefire in Gaza now, he says.
He says the power of diplomacy should be used to find long-term solutions.
That is what MPs have done, and what the government will continue to do, he says.
Updated
Key event
Keir Starmer is now making a statment to MPs about the Middle East and the anniversary of the 7 October attack on Israel.
Lindsay Hoyle, the Speaker, starts by saying this is a solemn day.
Updated
Liz Kendall publishes 31 DWP reports she ways were 'sat on' by Tories
In the Commons Liz Kendall, the work and pensions secretary, has just announced that her department has just published 31 reports that were commissioned when the Tories were in power but that were “sat on” because the last government did not want to make them public.
While good for transparency, this approach is not very convenient for journalists. There is a list of all the reports out today here, and you can find them all here. It may take a while how many of them, if any, contain much news.
Campaigners have attended a rally organised by the Unite union at Westminster today to protest against the government’s winter fuel payments cut.
Condition of flood defences has declined due to lack of investment under Tories, says minister
Government ministers have spent a lot of time recently condemning the inheritance they were left by the Conservatives, and today Emma Hardy, the minister for water, has denounced their record on flood defences. In a written ministerial statement, she said:
The condition of flood defences has declined in recent years through a lack of investment. This was compounded when no more funding was made available by the previous government to repair damage from last winter. Asset condition is now at 92%, its lowest point since 2010, with approximately 60,000 properties at higher risk. The Environment Agency has allocated £36m this year to do the most urgent repairs from last winter’s flood events.
Address ‘non-existent’ severe ME care or risk further deaths, UK health minister told
A coroner has urged the UK health secretary, Wes Streeting, to urgently address the “non-existent” care available to people with severe ME or risk further deaths like that of 27-year-old Maeve Boothby O’Neill, Steven Morris reports.
More than 150 Conservative councillors have signed a statement urging MPs to vote for Kemi Badenoch so that she is one of the final two candidates on the ballot for party members. The fact that her campaign has released this now is an implicit acceptance of the fact she is struggling to make the final two.
Over 150 Councillors have urged Conservative MPs: let us vote for @KemiBadenoch ! @ConHome https://t.co/ocOsk0GBCJ pic.twitter.com/jQYXolGur2
— Renewal2030 (@renewal2030) October 7, 2024
Although most surveys and polls have shown that Badenoch is the most popular candidate amongst members, only 28 Tory MPs voted for her in the last round and by Thursday she needs at least 41 MPs voting for her to be sure of a place in the final two. When MPs vote on Wednesday, the 16 Mel Stride votes are up for grabs, and they are expected to go for a more centrist candidate, either James Cleverly or Tom Tugendhat. If, as expected, Tugendhat comes last, another tranche of more centrist votes will get redistributed on Thursday. No one can be sure where those votes will go (voting in these contests is often determined by friendship more than ideology), but Cleverly made a good impression at Tory conference and it is assumed he is likely to do well with Stride/Tugendhat supporters.
Robert Jenrick came top in the first two ballots, and until recently he was the clear bookmakers’ favourite (because people placing bets assumed that Badenoch would not make the final two). But yesterday a ConservativeHome survey of party members said that, if Jenrick and Cleverly were in the final two, Cleverly would win. Previous ConHome surveys said Jenrick would win a head-to-head with Cleverly. Badenoch may be hoping that rightwing Tories who were backing Jenrick confident that, as a rightwinger, he would win the final ballot might reassess and instead back her as the rightwinger most likely to win the final round.
Farage backtracks on claim he is not holding in-person constituency surgeries due to security advice from Commons
Nigel Farage, the Reform UK leader, has rowed back on claims he was advised by Commons authorities not to hold in-person constituency surgeries on security grounds.
As PA Media reports, last month Farage claimed he would hold surgeries “when parliament allows me”, saying he had been given guidance not to hold in-person surgeries by “the Speaker’s office” and the parliamentary security team. His claims were disputed by parliamentary sources, who said no such advice had been given as it would interfere with Farage’s democratic duties.
Asked about the row at a press conference this morning, Farage replied: “The Speaker’s office is always right.”
No 10 insists it will not give up sovereignty over Falkland Islands or Gibraltar despite Chagos Islands handover
Downing Street has rejected suggestions that the government’s decision to transfer sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius means Britain might also give up the Falkland Islands or Gibraltar.
This is a suggestion that has been raised by some Tories, and some rightwing papers, since the Chagos Islands deal was announced on Thursday last week.
SCOTTISH DAILY MAIL: Hands Off Our Falklands! #TomorrowsPapersToday pic.twitter.com/VHHgC6V4h1
— Neil Henderson (@hendopolis) October 4, 2024
Asked if handing over the Chagos Islands did set a precedent, the PM’s spokesperson replied:
It’s a unique situation based on its unique history and circumstances, and has no bearing on other overseas territories …
British sovereignty of the Falkland Islands or Gibraltar is not up for negotiation.
All four Tory leadership candidates have condemned the government’s decision to give up sovereignty of the Chagos Islands. But the spokesperson said the current government was just concluding negotiations that opened when the last government was in office. He said:
The government inherited a situation where the long-term secure operation of the military base at Diego Garcia was under threat with contested sovereignty and legal challenges, including through various international courts and tribunals.
You will be aware that the previous government initiated sovereignty negotiations in 2022 and conducted a number of rounds of negotiations. This government picked up those negotiations and has reached an agreement, which means that for the first time in over 50 years, the base will be undisputed, legally secure, with full Mauritian backing.
No 10 says VAT on private schools will take effect in January, despite reports suggesting move could be delayed
In the Observer yesterday Toby Helm said government plans to impose VAT on private schools from 1 January next year may have to be delayed because of warnings from unions, tax experts and school leaders that meeting the deadline will cause administrative chaos and teacher job losses.
But at the lobby briefing this morning the PM’s spokesperson said VAT on private school fees would come into force in January. Asked if the government was still committed to that timetable, he replied:
Yes, ending tax breaks on private schools will come into force on 1 January, as planned, as set out in the manifesto.
The government wants to ensure all children have the best chance in life to succeed, and ending these tax breaks will help to raise the revenue needed to fund our education priorities for the next year, such as recruiting 6,500 new teachers.
The Commons authorities have confirmed that there will be three ministerial statments in the Commons this afternoon.
3.30pm: Keir Starmer on the 7 October anniversary and the Middle East
After 4.30pm: David Lammy, the foreign secretary, on the Chagos Islands
After 5.30pm: Sarah Jones, the industry minister, on the recent carbon capture, usage and storage investment
No 10 rejects Rosie Duffield's claim Starmer has problem working with women
At the No 10 lobby briefing the PM’s spokesperson also rejected claims that Keir Starmer has a problem working with women.
Asked whether Rosie Duffield was right to make this claim, the day after she resigned the Labour whip, the spokesperson said:
I wouldn’t accept that characterisation at all.
Downing Street defends replacing Sue Gray as chief of staff, saying Starmer wants 'right structures in place'
Downing Street has defended the decision to replace Sue Gray as the PM’s chief of staff, saying Keir Starmer wants the “right structures” in place. At the morning lobby briefing, asked if Gray was sacked or if she resigned, the PM’s spokesperson said:
I think you saw from the statement yesterday the prime minister is focused on delivering the change that he was elected to, and taking decisions to ensure that we have the structures in place to best deliver for the country.
[He has made] a number of appointments to strengthen the Downing Street operation and demonstrate his determination to deliver the change the country voted for.
In relation to the individual you refer to, you’ve got the PM’s words thanking his former chief of staff for all of her support, both in opposition and in government, and her work to prepare the government [for taking office] …
I think it’s right to reflect on the first weeks and months in office to ensure that you do have the right structures in place going forward to deliver change for the country.
The spokesperson would not answer questions about how much Gray will be paid in her new job as the PM’s envoy to the nations and regions, whether it will be full-time or part-time, and whether she will receive a peerage.
Asked if the PM was worried Gray might clash in her new role with the Scottish, Welsh and Northern Ireland secretaries, the spokesperson replied:
No, no, not at all. They will work constructively and collaboratively within the existing set-up.
What the commentators are saying about Sue Gray being forced out as Starmer's chief of staff
You can read all the Guardian’s coverage and commentary on the departure of Sue Gray as Keir Starmer’s chief of staff here. She was in effect sacked, but technically she chose to resign, and she is taking up another government role, and so a lot of the news coverage has avoided that word because it implies the process was marginally more brutal than it was.
But it was very harsh. Last week Gray was one of the half a dozen or so most powerful people in government. Now she has an obscure role liasing with mayors and the devolved governments.
Here are extracts from some of the comment on her departure that has appeared on other news websites.
Stephen Bush in the Financial Times says replacing Gray with Morgan McSweeney should clarify who’s in charge in No 10. He says:
One of Michael Gove’s habits as a minister, when told in a memo that “Downing Street wants this”, was to scribble back a note saying “Downing Street is a building. WHO wants it?”
And the big problem that has plagued Keir Starmer’s new government is that a lot of the time, that answer has not been clear even to people inside the building. Ministers and aides outside of it have frequently complained that getting clarity on what Downing Street actually wants is like pulling teeth. That lack of a clear steer is part of why the government has struggled to get past things such as the rows over freebies.
One reason for that is that Starmer opted to make his Downing Street a duopoly: a political lead in the shape of Morgan McSweeney and an administrative one in the shape of Sue Gray. That largely worked well in opposition, with the odd eruption into public view of how one half of Starmer’s office was a “boys club” or the other half comprised of ex-civil servants lacking a political sense. But it was not working in government.
He has now fixed that mistake, though it is not clear if McSweeney can do the administrative half of the role.
Tom McTague in an article for UnHerd says giving McSweeney more power has ideological consequences.
What McSweeney really offers is a hard-headed, unromantic clarity about Labour’s purpose that is more reminiscent of the party’s tougher social democratic past than its softer liberal present. He — more than Starmer — is someone who would be instantly recognisable to any figure from the old Labour Right, from Ernest Bevin to John Reid but is a rarer sight in Westminster of late. He did not learn his politics at Oxford and the bar, but on council estates working for local government. This experience has given him an instinctive loathing for the kind of badge-wearing politics of virtue the Labour Right has long associated with the middle-class Left.
McSweeney sees the purpose of Labour in straightforward, class terms: to represent in government the interests of ordinary people who are not otherwise looked after by their employers, landlords — or, indeed, politicians. He holds those officials who failed to protect the working-class girls of Rochdale in particular contempt. Unlike many in the party, this idea of purpose also combines with an instinctive sympathy for the attitudes and instincts of their voters and those McSweeney believes should be Labour voters.
Oliver Wright, Patrick Maguire and Chris Smyth say in the Times that Gray herself was to blame for the government’s communications problems.
A senior adviser to Starmer involved in forcing Gray’s departure said that the prime minister had also come to the view that she, rather than his communications team, was the person ultimately to blame for weeks of negative headlines over donations, freebies and the influence of the Labour donor Lord Alli over the government.
“There was no grid for the first 100 days,” a senior government source said. “And that was the one thing she was expected to be working on while everyone else was busy on the campaign. There was barely a single story about how the culture of government was being changed. And, of course, there was a total lack of foresight or awareness about the criticism that would be coming down the pipe about crony appointments, wealthy donors, freebies … all the stuff she assumed would be OK because the Tories had done the same thing.”
Robert Peston, ITV’s political editor, says on social media that this is a display of Starmer’s ruthlessness.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Keir Starmer’s ruthlessness and unsentimentality is like nothing I’ve encountered in decades of reporting on the brutal world of British politics.
It was transparently obvious that the centre of his government had been dysfunctional since the general election on 4 July.
But to replace a chief of staff, Sue Gray, who endured considerable opprobrium from former colleagues and the media for choosing to work for him in the first place, and so soon after the election, is quite something.
Cathy Newman from Channel 4 News says some in the Labour party do not think the appointments will quash claims that a “boy’s club” is in charge. (This is an accusation made strongly by the former Labour MP Rosie Duffield.)
Quite a bit of consternation among Labour women about Sue Gray’s ousting & new Morgan McSweeney “fiefdom”. Vidhya Alakeson & Jill Cuthbertson installed as his deputies but some disgruntled sources suggest they’re “window dressing” to dispel reports of a “boys’ club”.
— Cathy Newman (@cathynewman) October 7, 2024
Quite a bit of consternation among Labour women about Sue Gray’s ousting & new Morgan McSweeney “fiefdom”. Vidhya Alakeson & Jill Cuthbertson installed as his deputies but some disgruntled sources suggest they’re “window dressing” to dispel reports of a “boys’ club”.
John Rentoul in the Independent says the reshuffle will prevent the Tories being able to claim there is a power vacuum in Downing Street.
Suddenly, the Tory press “line to take” about a vacuum in No 10 has disintegrated. There is no PPS and no cabinet secretary, they said; the No 10 operation is weak. Now there is a powerful chief of staff, with two deputies, and a PPS. A new cabinet secretary will be appointed in time and after a due process.
At a press conference this morning Nigel Farage, the Reform UK leader, said his party would launch a private prosecution against the men suspected of being involved in a disturbance at Manchester Airport in July if they are not charged by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS). As PA Media reports an Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) investigation is under way into the incident and nobody has been charged.
In a letter to Yvette Cooper, the home secretary, Farage and the other four Reform UK MPs said:
We have genuine reason to be concerned that in fact the CPS is awaiting for the IOPC to find some fault with the police officers, which will then give them a reason not to progress charges against the assailants. This is totally unacceptable.
As PA reports, the MPs said that if necessary they would try to crowdfund a private criminal prosecution.
Updated
Sophie Linden, London’s deputy mayor for policing and crime, is stepping down after eight years working with Sadiq Khan to take a job as an adviser to Shabana Mahmood, the justice secretary, Khan has announced. In a statement Linden claimed that policing in the capital was “far more diverse, transparent and accountable” than when she started.
Matt Chorley from Radio 5 Live posted this on social media yesterday to provide some context about the departure of Sue Gray.
Brown’s chief of staff left after 6months. Labour lost the election.
— Matt Chorley (@MattChorley) October 6, 2024
Cameron’s director of comms, left after 8months & went to jail. Tories won.
Johnson’s chief aide left after 16months. PM was later ousted.
Not everything has to be “unprecedented”. What happens next 🤷♂️
Brown’s chief of staff left after 6months. Labour lost the election.
Cameron’s director of comms, left after 8months & went to jail. Tories won.
Johnson’s chief aide left after 16months. PM was later ousted.
Not everything has to be “unprecedented”.
David Lammy, the foreign secretary, has described Sue Gray as a “superb public servant”. Speaking to reporters this morning, he said:
I thank Sue Gray for all that she did as a superb public servant. I congratulate her as she heads into this new role, working with Labour, connecting us, the Government, with the regions, particularly across our country.
According to the Telegraph, Robert Jenrick, who until very recently was the clear bookmakers’ favourite in the Tory leadership contest, has called for a Cabinet Office inquiry into Sue Gray. Jenrick said:
Sue Gray’s tenure in Downing Street was one of the unhappiest in the long history of that building. It’s clear that she has left dozens of junior staff hurt and upset.
But there were serious allegations made that warrant full investigation. In particular, the reports that Ms Gray - a political appointee - blocked sensitive intelligence briefings from being given to the Prime Minister.
These are incredibly serious claims that come at a dangerous time for the world. Ms Gray should be blocked from taking up her new role until the Propriety and Ethics team at the Cabinet Office - a unit she once ran - have carried out a full investigation.
Jenrick is referring to a story in the Mail on Sunday over the summer that quoted a “source” saying that, sometimes when they said they wanted to brief Keir Starmer on a sensitive national security issue, Gray asked them to tell her instead so she could pass it on. Given that deciding how the PM managed his time was a big part of her job, the report was not widely seen as evidence of Gray being a security liability.
Former Tory West Midlands mayor Andy Street backs Tom Tugendhat for leader
Andy Street, the Tory former West Midlands mayor, has issued a statement on social media endorsing Tom Tugendhat for the Tory leadership. He says:
The past week at #CPC24 I spent my time championing a moderate, inclusive brand of Conservatism. One that focuses on real societal issues, not ideology.
— Andy Street (@andy4wm) October 7, 2024
To me @TomTugendhat embodies that best, & I hope MPs give members a proper choice on the different versions of Conservatism.
The past week at #CPC24 I spent my time championing a moderate, inclusive brand of Conservatism. One that focuses on real societal issues, not ideology.
To me @TomTugendhat embodies that best, & I hope MPs give members a proper choice on the different versions of Conservatism.
In response, Tugendhat posted a message saying Street represents “the best of our party”.
Andy represents the best of our party.
I’m honoured to have his endorsement.
Tugendhat came joint last of the four candidates still in the race in the last ballot of Tory MPs. He had the same number of votes as James Cleverly, who is widely seen as the winner of the Tory conference beauty parade, and Tugendhat is expected to be voted out on Wednesday afternoon.
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Keir Starmer has issued a statement to mark the anniversary of the 7 October Hamas attack on Israel. Describing it as “the darkest day in Jewish history since the Holocaust”, he calls for the hostages to be returned, for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and Lebanon, for Britons to “unequivocally stand with the Jewish community”, but also for them to “not look the other way as civilians bear the ongoing dire consequences of this conflict in the Middle East”.
Prime Minister @Keir_Starmer’s statement on the one-year anniversary of the October 7th attacks. pic.twitter.com/EPvdIIQEeB
— UK Prime Minister (@10DowningStreet) October 7, 2024
Poll suggests 59% of voters view Labour government as sleazy, and Starmer seen as worse on this than Sunak
According to YouGov polling released this morning, 59% of voters regard the Labour government as sleazy.
A majority of Britons describe the Labour government as 'sleazy'
— YouGov (@YouGov) October 7, 2024
Current Labour govt: 59% say is very/fairly sleazy
Tory govts 2019-24: 77%
British govts in general: 77%
Reform UK: 51%
Lib Dems: 24%
Greens: 18%https://t.co/3YB8G7JTeP pic.twitter.com/NyPMOV3E5b
Commenting on this in his write-up for YouGov says:
Just three months since taking power, six in ten Britons (59%) already describe the Labour government as at least fairly ‘sleazy’ – double the 28% who would describe it as not very sleazy or not sleazy at all. Although this is not as high as the three-quarters of the public (77%) who see either the previous Conservative government or British governments in general as sleazy, it is hardly a positive result.
The polling also suggests that Keir Starmer personally is seen as more sleazy than Rishi Sunak. But he still has a long way to go to catch up with Boris Johnson.
Britons more likely to say Starmer sleazier than Sunak
— YouGov (@YouGov) October 7, 2024
Who do the public see as more sleazy out of...
Starmer: 35%
Sunak: 28%
About same: 23%
Starmer: 25%
Johnson: 45%
About same: 17%
Current Labour govt: 25%
Last Tory govt: 33%
About same: 28%https://t.co/3YB8G7JTeP pic.twitter.com/XDc4ZA23R7
And the polling suggests that almost four in 10 voters feel let down by the government’s approach to standards.
Four in ten thought Labour would behave well in power, but feel they have been worse than expected
— YouGov (@YouGov) October 7, 2024
Expected to behave well, been worse than expected: 38%
Expected to behave badly, have done: 25%
Expected to behave well, have done: 15%
Expected to behave badly, been better than… pic.twitter.com/zQGvSPcnX1
Kemi Badenoch claims response to 'light-hearted gag' about 10% of civil servants deserving jail shows she can 'scare the left'
You might expect any minister who served in government under Boris Johnson and Liz Truss to think twice about denouncing “unserious politicians”. But that is how Kemi Badenoch, the Tory leadership candidate, has commenced an article in the Daily Mail about the Sue Gray affair. She says:
It’s time to get serious. We are being governed by unserious politicians and Sue Gray’s departure yesterday is part of the pattern.
In the article Badenoch says Gray, who was a civil servant when she was equalities minister, tried to stop her using a never-before-used power in the Scotland Act to block the Scottish government’s gender recognition reform bill. She says:
When I worked with Sue Gray (who, by the way, I quite like), she tried to pressure me into dropping my opposition to the SNP‘s crazy Gender Recognition Bill. This was the very bill that, if not blocked by Westminster, would have allowed 16-year-olds to ‘self-identify’ as the opposite sex – no medical diagnosis required.
Many ministers might have bowed to such pressure from a senior mandarin. But I stood firm. For me, this was a matter of principle, not politics.
There is a strong chance that Badenoch’s bid for the Tory leadership will come to an end this week, when Tory MPs vote on Wednesday and Thursday to eliminate two candidates, leaving just two on the ballot paper for members, and Badenoch’s article is mainly about herself, and her leadership credentials, not Gray.
She claims that her comment at the Tory conference last week about up to 10% of civil servants being “should be in prison bad” was just a “light-hearted gag”, and that the fact it was not taken this way shows she scares the left.
At Tory conference, I made a light-hearted gag that some civil servants are so bad at their jobs they should be jailed, but of course, some humourless headlines couldn’t see the joke.
But these kinds of misrepresentations will happen to anyone who has convictions that scare the left. That’s why we need a straight-talking leader who is cool under pressure and has a clear vision and direction for our party and our country.
MAIL: Sue Gray farce shows PM’s lack of judgement, blasts Kemi #TomorrowsPapersToday pic.twitter.com/SF6wskZDqi
— Neil Henderson (@hendopolis) October 6, 2024
John Healey defends decision not to 'rush' budget, pointing to Liz Truss experience
In an interview with the Today programme, John Healey, the defence secretary, rejected the claim by Alastair Campbell and John McTernan that it was a mistake to delay the budget. (See 9.21am.) When this was put to him, he replied:
We saw with Liz Truss and Kwasi Kwarteng what happens when you try and rush a budget. So this needs to be done properly.
Delaying budget was ‘miscalculation’, Blairites say as Starmer begins reset following Sue Gray’s departure
Good morning. Opposition parties are fond of accusing a prime minister in difficulties of attempting a relaunch, and sometimes you hear the claim every time there is a big speech after a single bad week. But what we are seeing from Keir Starmer this week is a genuine relaunch, triggered by a recognition that things were going wrong. It is a big moment for the government – although how much difference it will make will not be clear for a while.
Here is our overnight story.
And here is Pippa Crerar’s analysis.
John Healey, the defence secretary, was the cabinet minister doing the morning interview round and he tried to play down the significance of Sue Gray outlasting Liz Truss in her time as the most powerful woman in No 10, but not by a huge amount. Asked on LBC if the government was at crisis point, Healey replied: “I’d characterise this as a new government getting on with the job.”
Thankfully, other veterans from the New Labour era have been much more frank, honest and interesting when asked for their take in interviews this morning. They have been arguing that, while this crisis is not terminal, Starmer needs to get much better at communicating what his government stands for and is doing.
(One of the appointments yesterday was James Lyons, an ex-Daily Mirror journalist, as head of strategic communications, and this may make a difference. As a lobby journalist, he excelled at hard-hitting knocking copy. If he had been in No 10 over the summer, it is difficult to imagine the freebies story running as long as it did without firmer rebuttal.)
But two of Tony Blair’s key advisers have also said that one of Starmer’s big mistake was to wait so long until having a budget. Alastair Campbell, who was Blair’s communications chief in No 10 and who now co-hosts the Rest is Politics podcast, told the Today programme:
The most important thing is to understand that in the modern age, when it comes to strategy and strategic communications, you have to develop, execute and narrate strategy all at once.
And I think the point about the budget is really important.
When Margaret Thatcher won in 1979, Geoffrey Howe delivered the budget five weeks after the election. Gordon Brown in 1997 he delivered the budget eight weeks after the election. David Cameron and [George] Osborne in 2010 – six weeks.
We’re having to wait almost 16 weeks since the election. And I think that is what creates this sense of people not quite sure what the government’s about.
The key strategic pillars when a new government comes in, you have the king’s speech, you have the party conference … and you also have the budget. And the budget is probably the most important of those.
Campbell said there had definitely been “missteps” that had led to what happened yesterday. But, in response to a question from the presenter Mishal Husain he said: “You say it comes to this as though the whole thing is a complete irrecoverable shambles, which I don’t think it is.” Better communication was essential, he said:
Government is harder than opposition. And government is not just about the technocratic delivery of policy and change. It’s about the relentless, endless, never-ending conversation that you’re having with the country about what you are trying to do for the country. And I think it’s fair to say that that bit has been largely missing.
In a separate interview on Times Radio, John McTernan, who was Blair’s political secretary in No 10, said delaying the budget so long was “a terrible miscalculation”. He said as a result the government had been defined, in the public mind, by the decision to cut winter fuel payments. The government was not controlling the narrative, he said:
The government has completely lost grip, a grip on their operations, a grip on the media grid, and they don’t dominate communications.
And that has been because they have lacked a political narrative and the political drive and the momentum that drove them through the election to a great victory. That seemed to run out after the sitting weeks ended in July and we got into the recess of August.
It just went from the country demanding change to a government delivering drift.
Stewart Wood, another New Labour veteran, who worked as an adviser for Gordon Brown in No 10, told the Today programme that he hoped the government would now get back on track. He said:
Parliament’s only been sitting for, I think, less than 20 days so far in the first 100 days of the government. So the space for the new policy agenda has been limited.
But [the No 10 reshuffle] hopefully is going to enable a focus to be on the policy agenda, on GB Energy, on GB Railways, on planning reform, all the things the government wanted to set out, a workers’ rights package.
I think this has got to be a drawing a line moment for the internal stories that have come to take the place of the policy-focused stories.
There will be more comment on this as the day goes on. Here is the agenda.
11am: Nigel Farage, the Reform UK leader, and the party’s four other MPs hold a press conference on “two tier policing in Britain, with a special announcement and focus on the policing incident at Manchester Airport on 23 July 2024”.
11.30am: Downing Street holds a lobby briefing.
2.30pm: Liz Kendall, the work and pensions secretary, takes questions in the Commons.
After 3.30pm: Keir Starmer is expected to make a Commons statement on his visit to the UN general assembly. After that there may also be a statement from David Lammy, the foreign secretary, on the handover of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius.
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