Kemi Badenoch’s new shadow cabinet shows the Tory party has “learned nothing” from the chaos of the Liz Truss and Boris Johnson years, Labour says.
Most of Ms Badenoch’s new team “went AWOL for the vote on Boris Johnson’s antics at Partygate”, Labour Party chairwoman Ellie Reeves said in a statement.
The majority of them were ministers for Liz Truss “as they crashed Britain’s economy”, Ms Reeves added.
“Instead of turning the page on 14 years of Tory government, Kemi Badenoch’s shadow cabinet shows that the Conservatives have learnt nothing.”
It comes as Ms Badenoch said she will “win back the trust of the public” after announcing her shadow cabinet, which includes Dame Priti Patel as foreign secretary and Robert Jenrick as justice secretary.
“The process of renewing our great party has now begun,” Ms Badenoch said in a speech which echoed the rhetoric employed by Sir Keir Starmer after he took the Labour Party reins in 2020.
Ms Badenoch called for a “team effort” from her colleagues, but she already faces dissent after one anonymous senior Tory told the BBC Dame Priti’s appointment had “destroyed” any chance of a “respectable foreign policy”.
Key Points
- Kemi Badenoch unveils new Tory shadow cabinet
- Tom Tugendhat absence from top team ‘not a snub’, Tory source says
- Keir Starmer rejects calls for immigration powers to be devolved in Scotland
- Tobacco and vaping legislation to be introduced
- Backlash over ‘morally wrong’ hike in university tuition fees
John Rentoul | Kemi cosies up to her Tory leadership rival – what can she be thinking?
Tuesday 5 November 2024 21:44 , Alex CroftOne of the funniest lines in the comic subplot that was the Conservative leadership contest was the “yellow card” system: a rule announced by Bob Blackman, the chair of the 1922 Committee, which ran the MPs’ stage of the ballot, to deter personal attacks.
Blackman said: “The constant backfighting and attacking was one of the contributing reasons why the party did so badly at the general election. We are determined we will not tolerate that.”
In the end, no yellow cards were issued – not even when Kemi Badenoch brought her opponent down with a cynical professional foul in the dying moments of the contest. She said, in an interview with The Sunday Telegraph the weekend before the close of voting: “With me you’d have a leader where there’s no scandal. I was never sacked for anything, I didn’t have to resign in disgrace or, you know, because there was a whiff of impropriety.”
The Independent’s chief political commentator John Rentoul writes:
Kemi cosies up to her Tory leadership rival – what can she be thinking?
Robert Jenrick warned over Southport attack remarks in first outing as shadow justice secretary
Tuesday 5 November 2024 20:48 , Archie Mitchell, David MaddoxRobert Jenrick used his first outing as shadow justice secretary to inflame anger over the Southport murders which sparked riots across England during the summer.
After a leadership campaign where Mr Jenrick pitched himelf as the champion of the Tory right, Mr Jenrick appeared to give credence to conspiracy theories that information was withheld from the public over the Southport case. Others have used this to justify some of the violence which scarred Britain in August.
Mr Jenrick also described police fire arms officer sergeant Martyn Blake, who was cleared of murder in killing Chris Kaba, as “a hero”.
Read the full report from Archie Mitchell and David Maddox:
Jenrick warned over Southport attack remarks in first outing as shadow minister
NHS staff will join ‘front line, not picket line’ this winter - Streeting
Tuesday 5 November 2024 19:56 , Alex CroftHealth secretary Wes Streeting has pledged that NHS staff will be on the “front line, not the picket line” this winter.
It comes after junior doctors in England voted to accept a government pay deal worth an average of 22.3 per cent over two years, ending a long running dispute.
Mr Streeting told the Commons the previous government had put aside “no funding” to end the junior doctors’ strikes - despite 18 months of action.
On the fourth day of debates on the Budget, he said: “What’s more, the previous health secretary hadn’t met the resident doctors since March. They’d given up even attempting to end the strikes.
“Remember that this winter – for all the challenges the NHS will face – this will be the first winter in three years where NHS staff are on the front line, not the picket line.
“That’s the difference a Labour Budget makes.”
Pictured: New shadow cabinet members attend first meeting
Tuesday 5 November 2024 19:05 , Alex Croft
Downing Street fails to commit to Sir Alan Bates’ deadline for subpostmaster payments
Tuesday 5 November 2024 18:23 , Alex CroftThe prime minister has declined to commit to Sir Alan Bates suggested deadline for settling redress claims with victims of the Post Office scandal.
Sir Alan, the former subpostmaster who has been the figurehead for subpostmasters’ fight for justice after they were falsely accused of theft and prosecuted by the Post Office, spoke at the Horizon scandal inquiry today.
He told the Business and Trade Committee’s inquiry that he had written to Sir Keir a month ago asking for help in setting a deadline of March 2025 for payments - but received no response.
Downing Street confirmed hours later that they had sent a response, adding that “it was obviously right that we took the time to consider the issues raised in the letter”.
It added: “What we don’t want to do is set an arbitrary cut-off date which could result in some claimants missing the deadline.”
Sir Alan said: “Now, we’re at five months until the end of March 2025. “People have been waiting far too long, over 20-odd years, there’s over 70 that have died along the way in the GLO group.
“There are people well into their 80s now that are still suffering. They’re still having to put up with this as well. They shouldn’t. They really shouldn’t.”
Working with Kamala – and bracing for Trump: How Starmer is preparing for a new US president
Tuesday 5 November 2024 17:41 , Alex CroftSince becoming prime minister on 5 July, Sir Keir Starmer has only met with one of the two candidates hoping to be elected president – and it was not with his natural Democrat ally Kamala Harris, but Republican rival Donald Trump.
The lack of a meeting between Ms Harris and Sir Keir was not a snub from either side but reflects a twin-track approach that Labour has been taking in preparing for the outcome tomorrow for many months now, dating back to when they were still in opposition.
In what always looked set to be a tight presidential race, the Labour prime minister has known for a long time that he faced two very different scenarios from an outcome dependent on a handful of counties in a few swing states.
The Independent’s political editor David Maddox reports:
Working with Kamala – and bracing for Trump: How Starmer is preparing for US election
Watch: Moment Robert Jenrick humiliated at first Commons outing in shadow justice role
Tuesday 5 November 2024 17:01 , Alex CroftSir Alan Bates gives evidence at the Post Office scandal inquiry
Tuesday 5 November 2024 16:17 , Alex CroftSir Alan Bates, the subpostmaster who led the fight against the Post Office during the Horizon scandal, is currently giving evidence in the Houses of Parliament.
He is appearing in front of the Business and Trade Committee hearing. Sir Alan was central in bringing to attention the false accusations of theft made by the Post Office against subpostmasters - which led many to be prosecuted and lose their jobs.
It was the Horizon IT system which was behind the discrepancies in the subpostmasters’ finances.
Sir Alan was knighted in September 2024 for his services to justice and campaigning on behalf of subpostmasters who were wrongly prosecuted for stealing.
Shadow cabinet shows Tories have ‘learnt nothing’, says Labour
Tuesday 5 November 2024 15:37 , Alex CroftThe Labour Party has slammed the Tories for having “learnt nothing” after Kemi Badenoch announced a shadow cabinet with former mininsters from the Liz Truss and Boris Johnson eras.
In a statement issued by Labour HQ, chairwoman Ellie Reeves said: “Instead of turning the page on 14 years of Tory government, Kemi Badenoch’s shadow cabinet shows that the Conservatives have learnt nothing.
“How can the new Conservative leader claim to be changing the Tory Party when most of her team were ministers for Liz Truss as they crashed Britain’s economy, or claim to want to uphold standards when most went AWOL for the vote on Boris Johnson’s antics at Partygate?”
Ms Badenoch says it is a cabinet “based on meritocracy and with a breadth of experience and perspective”.
“Our party’s problems will only be solved with a team effort, and I am confident my shadow cabinet ministers will deliver effective opposition as we seek to win back the trust of the public,” she added.
In pictures: Kemi Badenoch chairs first shadow cabinet meeting
Tuesday 5 November 2024 15:21 , Alex CroftKemi Badenoch has shared pictures of her first meeting with the shadow cabinet after announcing it in full this morning.
In a post on X, she said: “Delighted to hold my first meeting of the new Shadow Cabinet this morning.
“My team draws on talents from across our party, based on meritocracy and with a breadth of experience and perspective, just as I promised during the campaign.
“We will now get to work holding Labour to account and rebuilding our party based on Conservative principles and values.”
Pictured: Kemi Badenoch’s new shadow cabinet
Tuesday 5 November 2024 15:07 , Alex CroftFrom the top row, left to right, here are images of the people joining Kemi Badenoch’s top team.
- Shadow Secretary of State for Defence: James Cartlidge MP
- Shadow Home Secretary: Chris Philp MP
- Shadow Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs: Dame Priti Patel MP
- Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer: Mel Stride MP
- Shadow Health and Social Care Secretary: Ed Argar MP
- Shadow Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Shadow Secretary of State for Northern Ireland: Alex Burghart MP
- Shadow Secretary of State for Justice: Robert Jenrick MP
- Shadow Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero and Shadow Minister for Equalities: Claire Coutinho MP
- Shadow Secretary of State for Business and Trade: Andrew Griffith MP
- Shadow Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Victoria Atkins MP
- Shadow Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities: Kevin Hollinrake MP
- Co-Chairman of the Party: Nigel Huddleston
- Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions: Helen Whately MP
- Opposition Chief Whip (Commons): Dame Rebecca Harris MP
- Shadow Secretary of State for Wales and Shadow Minister for Women: Mims Davies MP
- Shadow Secretary of State for Scotland and Shadow Minister of State for Energy and Net Zero Andrew Bowie
- Shadow Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology: Alan Mak MP
- Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport: Stuart Andrew MP
- Shadow Secretary of State for Transport: Gareth Bacon MP
- Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury: Richard Fuller MP
- Shadow Leader of the House of Lords Lord True,
- Parliamentary Private Secretary: Julia Lopez MP
- Co-Chairman of the Party: Lord Dominic Johnson
- Shadow Leader of the House of Commons: Jesse Norman MP
- Shadow Secretary of State for Education: Laura Trott MP
Badenoch ‘has destroyed any chance of respectable foreign policy’ with Patel appointment
Tuesday 5 November 2024 14:48 , Andy GregoryKemi Badenoch’s decision to appoint Priti Patel as shadow foreign secretary has reportedly been met with scorn by one senior Tory.
Following reports of Ms Patel’s appointment, BBC political editor Chris Mason said he was contacted by the senior Tory who accused Ms Badenoch of having “destroyed within 48 hours any chance she had of having a respectable foreign policy”.
Prior to serving as Boris Johnson’s home secretary, Ms Patel was international development secretary under Theresa May – but was fired from the role in 2017 after holding unsanctioned meetings with senior Israeli politicians, including premier Benjamin Netanyahu, while on a “private holiday”.
More than 1,500 foreign criminals deported since July, justice secretary says
Tuesday 5 November 2024 14:29 , Alex CroftMore than 1,500 foreign criminals have been deported since the election, the government says.
During a questioning in the House of Commons, justice secretary Shabana Mahmood said there are “too many” foreign nationals in the UK.
More foreign criminals have been deported since the election than when Robert Jenrick - who was today appointed shadow justice secretary - was immigration minister.
Ms Mahmood told the house: “We are on track to remove more foreign offenders this year than in previous years. In fact, over the same period when the previous government was in office and in fact the shadow justice secretary was himself the immigration officer, the number was around 1,300.
“We have now returned 1,500 foreign offenders, and of course, utilising all of the prisoner transfer agreements at our disposal, and are actively trying to negotiate more so that we can continue to speed up removals from our country.”
Robert Jenrick suffers brutal putdown in first outing as shadow justice secretary
Tuesday 5 November 2024 14:10 , Archie Mitchell, Political CorrespondentRobert Jenrick has suffered an embarrassing putdown in his first Commons outing as shadow justice secretary.
Hours after his appointment was confirmed by new Tory leader Kemi Badenoch, the hardline right-winger sought to attack Labour’s record in government from the despatch box.
In his first intervention in his new post, Mr Jenrick lashed out at the party’s early release scheme for prisoners to free up space in the overcrowded estate.
Mr Jenrick said that, since July’s general election, “the only group this Labour government’s popularity has increased with is criminals”.
Read the full report by our political correspondent Archie Mitchell:
Robert Jenrick suffers brutal putdown in first outing as shadow justice secretary
Government ‘preparing for all eventualities’ this winter
Tuesday 5 November 2024 13:51 , Alex CroftThe government has drawn up plans to ensure the UK is “domestically as resilient as we possibly can be” this winter, Downing Street said.
Sir Keir Starmer’s official spokesman said the government is “preparing for all eventualities” as winter looms.
This includes the impact of extreme weather and impacts on the NHS, the spokesman added.
It is likely to be a colder and wetter winter than usual in the UK, with a La Nina cooling weather phenomenon expected to kick in at the end of the year.
At a cabinet meeting on Tuesday, net zero secretary Ed Miliband noted warnings that future flooding could impact 600,000 people in the UK as a result of climate change.
The cabinet briefing on winter preparations was led by chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Pat McFadden, who said that the devastating flooding in Spain is a “reminder of the impact that, for example, extreme weather can have on local communities”.
The Prime Minister’s spokesman added: “The link was made to the fact that climate change can result in extreme weather events. We have obviously seen these very devastating scenes in Spain.”
Labour urged to consider restoring Tory cuts to legal aid
Tuesday 5 November 2024 13:29 , Andy GregoryThe government is looking to improve access to early legal advice and support, justice minister Heidi Alexander has said.
This came in response to Labour MP Abtisam Mohamed, who called on the government to look at “restoring legal aid to pre-2012 levels for all areas of civil law, to ensure that justice is made available to all”.
She added: “Will she commit to reviewing the bureaucracy of the Legal Aid Agency, which doesn’t support the needs and capacity of small firms?”
Ms Alexander replied: “We are looking to how we can improve access to early legal advice and support, but she will also appreciate the very challenging financial outlook that we are grappling with.
“I will raise the administrative issues in relation to Legal Aid Agency with the chief executive there.”
Who is the new shadow chancellor?
Tuesday 5 November 2024 13:11 , Andy GregoryMel Stride, the second to be knocked out of the Tory leadership race after Priti Patel, has bagged himself one of the most important shadow cabinet jobs, our lobby team reports.
The MP for Central Devon made a name for himself as the mouthpiece for Rishi Sunak’s election campaign, being wheeled out on the broadcast round on an almost weekly basis.
He was a loyal ally of Mr Sunak, having served as his work and pensions secretary throughout his time in office.
Before that, he did a brief stint as leader of the House of Commons from May to July 2019, and served as financial secretary to the Treasury and paymaster general from 2017 to 2019.
Jenrick told Tories created just 500 new prison places in 14 years
Tuesday 5 November 2024 12:52 , Andy GregoryRobert Jenrick has been reminded that the Conservatives left the country with fewer than 500 extra prison places after 14 years in power, as he sought to press the new government on plans to increase capacity.
During a back and forth in the Commons, the new shadow justice secretary said: “The last Conservative government built more prison places than any prior Labour government in living memory, but we clearly need to go further.
“What funding has the Lord Chancellor secured to build prisons over and above those that were secured by the previous government? And does she agree with her other junior minister, that fewer people should be sent to prison?”
Justice minister Alex Davies-Jones replied: “Again, I think [Mr Jenrick] forgets who was in power for the last 14 years and who failed to build any prison places.
“Just 500 extra prison places were built under his government’s watch. This government has achieved a record £1.2bn in prison building amount of allocation from the Budget and we will be going further, we are the party of law and order.”
Who makes up Kemi Badenoch’s newly appointed shadow cabinet?
Tuesday 5 November 2024 12:34 , Andy GregoryKemi Badenoch has appointed a cross-party shadow cabinet in a bid to reunite the Conservatives after a fractious leadership campaign.
Our Westminster team has more details here:
Who makes up Kemi Badenoch’s newly appointed shadow cabinet?
Jenrick told to ‘have a bit of humility’ in first Commons clash as shadow justice secretary
Tuesday 5 November 2024 12:15 , Andy GregoryRobert Jenrick has used his first Commons appearance as shadow justice secretary to suggest that Labour should apologise to the victims of domestic abusers and sex offenders who have reoffended after being released early from prison.
But Labour justice minister Alex Davies-Jones hit back: “He seems to have a very short memory and I believe it is is he who should be apologising to the country as a whole on behalf of his government’s woeful, absolute misabuse of our justice system and our prisons.
“Under the previous government’s [early release scheme] there was zero exemptions that could protect the public. This government put in serious exemptions to prevent sex offenders being released onto our streets ... and I believe [Mr Jenrick] should maybe have a bit of humility.”
Mr Jenrick replied that there were exemptions in the Tory scheme, which saw more than 13,000 people – a quarter of them convicted of violent crimes – freed early between October and July, but said: “The key thing is we need to get on and build more prisons.”
Labour MP reveals he was mugged while returning to London flat
Tuesday 5 November 2024 11:58 , Andy GregoryLabour MP Chris Webb has revealed that he was mugged in London, with his attackers stealing his phone.
The new MP for Blackpool South said: “Last night, as I was returning to my flat in London, I was attacked and mugged by a group of individuals.
“Luckily, I have no injuries and I am ok. Unfortunately, they just took my phone so I’m without one for the foreseeable future.”
Thanking the Metropolitan Police “for their swift response and support”, Mr Webb said: “The officers who assisted me went above and beyond. They are a remarkable credit to the force.”
Badenoch 'has destroyed any chance of respectable foreign policy’ with Patel appointment
Tuesday 5 November 2024 11:39 , Andy GregoryKemi Badenoch’s decision to appoint Priti Patel as shadow foreign secretary has reportedly been met with scorn by one senior Tory.
Following reports of Ms Patel’s appointment, BBC political editor Chris Mason said he was contacted by the senior Tory who accused Ms Badenoch of having “destroyed within 48 hours any chance she had of having a respectable foreign policy”.
Prior to serving as Boris Johnson’s home secretary, Ms Patel was international development secretary under Theresa May – but was fired from the role in 2017 after holding unsanctioned meetings with senior Israeli politicians, including premier Benjamin Netanyahu, while on a “private holiday”.
Just four Jenrick supporters in Badenoch’s shadow cabinet, journalist says
Tuesday 5 November 2024 11:25 , Andy GregoryKemi Badenoch’s new shadow cabinet includes just four people from her rival Robert Jenrick’s leadership campaign, despite 41 Tory MPs backing him, according to Steven Swinford of The Times.
He suggested that Jenrick-backers who missed out on shadow cabinet positions could later be appointed to more junior roles.
Kemi Badenoch's shadow cabinet includes just four people from Robert Jenrick's campaign - Jenrick himself, Mel Stride, Ed Argar and Vicky Atkins
— Steven Swinford (@Steven_Swinford) November 5, 2024
Given that 41 MPs backed Jenrick for the leadership that's quite a lot from the right of the party who don't have shadow cabinet roles…
Farmers warn 75% of British food production will be hit by Reeves’s tax raid
Tuesday 5 November 2024 11:09 , Andy GregoryRachel Reeves’ inheritance tax raid will hit three quarters of food produced by British farmers, industry chiefs have warned, as the government battles a growing backlash over its extension of death tax.
Under plans announced in the Budget, inheritance tax will be charged at 20 per cent on farms worth more than £1m, although the chancellor has said that in some cases the threshold could in practice be about £3m.
The move has triggered backlash from farming and rural communities and led to a dispute over the number of businesses that would be affected.
While the government has insisted that only a minority of farmers will be impacted, Tom Bradshaw, chief executive of the National Farmers’ Union (NFU), said around “75 per cent of the total farmed area” would be subject to the extended death tax.
Our political correspondent Millie Cooke has the full report:
Farmers warn 75% of British food production will be hit by Reeves’s tax raid
Farage claims Reform has enjoyed membership boost since Badenoch crowned Tory leader
Tuesday 5 November 2024 10:55 , Andy GregoryNigel Farage has claimed that Reform UK has seen a boost in membership since Kemi Badenoch was picked as Conservative Party leader.
He told LBC: “Seeing it already. Seeing it already. We’ve gone through 95,000 members this morning. So we’ve gone up 1,500 in the last three or four days.
“And these are Conservatives who are hanging on to see whether the party could change direction. For us as a party, it’s very good news.”
Speaking from a Donald Trump rally in the US, he said of Ms Badenoch: “There’s going to be no change whatsoever. She is a continuity candidate with all the influences of Michael Gove and all the gang in 10 Downing Street, and somehow she thinks, miraculously, she can bring them together.
“There are two parties within the Conservative Party. You’ve got the Reform-minded people and the Liberal Democrat-minded people, and they are so far apart, it’s not true.”
Chris Philp’s history of gaffes as Tory MP appointed shadow home secretary
Tuesday 5 November 2024 10:40 , Andy GregoryThey say God loves a trier and Chris Philp, the former minister for policing, is one Tory who can never be accused of failing to put in a shift, frequently appearing in the media to dutifully defend the latest party line on the issue of the day.
The reward for his unwavering loyalty may now have arrived, as he takes a leadership role in Kemi Badenoch’s new cabinet, after being appointed as shadow home secretary.
While the MP for Croydon South is not afraid to get his hands dirty, evidenced by his loyal defences of Boris Johnson and Liz Truss in the darkest hours of their respective premierships, some critics have suggested he does not share the communication skills and political nous displayed by some of his front bench colleagues.
Matt Mathers takes a look at his history of gaffes:
Chris Philp’s history of gaffes as Tory MP appointed shadow home secretary
Tom Tugendhat’s absence in shadow cabinet ‘not a snub’, Tory source says
Tuesday 5 November 2024 10:28 , Andy GregoryOne notable absence from Kemi Badenoch new shadow cabinet is leadership rival Tom Tugendhat, who previously held the esteemed chairmanship of the Commons foreign affairs committee and served as security minister under Rishi Sunak.
However, Jessica Elgot of The Guardian reports a Conservative source as suggesting that Mr Tugendhat was in fact offered a role but turned it down, joining other senior Tories such as Andrew Mitchell and James Cleverly on the backbenches.
Tom Tugendhat declined a role - was not snubbed - according to Tory source https://t.co/k94Q6u5ZXc
— Jessica Elgot (@jessicaelgot) November 5, 2024
Lib Dems warn ‘shadow cabinet of contradictions a recipe for Tory chaos’
Tuesday 5 November 2024 10:02 , Andy GregoryKemi Badenoch’s new shadow “cabinet of contradictions is a recipe for yet more Conservative chaos”, the Liberal Democrats have claimed.
“How can they claim to be able to hold this new government to account when they have just as many disagreements with each other?” said Lib Dem Cabinet Office spokesperson Sarah Olney MP.
“From a shadow justice secretary who wants to leave the ECHR to a shadow foreign secretary who had to resign for holding undisclosed meetings, this shadow cabinet has more than a ‘whiff of impropriety’.
“The Conservative Party voted for the economic vandalism caused by Liz Truss’s mini Budget and shattered the NHS. Every major challenge that this country faces the Conservative Party is responsible for.
“The Liberal Democrats are the only Party that can provide the decent opposition that this country needs.”
Badenoch vows she will ‘win back trust of the public’
Tuesday 5 November 2024 09:39 , Andy GregoryKemi Badenoch has insisted she will “win back the trust of the public”, as she announced her shadow cabinet.
The new Tory leader said: “I am delighted to have appointed my shadow cabinet, which draws on the talents of people from across the Conservative Party, based on meritocracy and with a breadth of experience and perspective, just as I promised during the campaign.
“Our party’s problems will only be solved with a team effort, and I am confident my shadow cabinet ministers will deliver effective opposition as we seek to win back the trust of the public.
“We will now get to work holding Labour to account and rebuilding our party based on Conservative principles and values. The process of renewing our great party has now begun.”
New Tory co-chair says he must rebuild party’s record low membership
Tuesday 5 November 2024 09:35 , Andy GregoryThe Conservative Party’s new co-chair has said he needs to build the party’s membership, which has significantly declined.
Nigel Huddleston was asked about Reform UK reporting it has 95,000 members, while the Tory leadership election results on Saturday showed the party had 131,680 Tory members eligible to vote – a record low.
He told LBC: “One of my roles is to grow the membership base, and I understand why people have joined Reform, but I say if you want change in Britain, you need to join the Conservative Party, because we will be the ones who hopefully will form the next government.”
He added: “I think when we we’re able to articulate our policy platform, it resonates with large numbers of people across the country, including millions of people who maybe voted Reform at the last election, we need to make sure that they can come back to the Conservatives, and we want to be clear that they have a home here because we share their values.”
New Tory shadow cabinet revealed in full
Tuesday 5 November 2024 09:30 , Andy GregoryHere is the full list of appointees:
- Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer: Mel Stride MP
- Shadow Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs: Dame Priti Patel MP
- Shadow Home Secretary: Chris Philp MP
- Shadow Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Shadow Secretary of State for Northern Ireland: Alex Burghart MP
- Shadow Secretary of State for Defence: James Cartlidge MP
- Shadow Secretary of State for Justice: Robert Jenrick MP
- Shadow Secretary of State for Education: Laura Trott MP
- Shadow Health and Social Care Secretary: Ed Argar MP
- Shadow Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities: Kevin Hollinrake MP
- Shadow Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Victoria Atkins MP
- Shadow Secretary of State for Business and Trade: Andrew Griffith MP
- Shadow Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero and Shadow Minister for Equalities: Claire Coutinho MP
- Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions: Helen Whately MP
- Shadow Secretary of State for Transport: Gareth Bacon MP
- Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport: Stuart Andrew MP
- Shadow Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology: Alan Mak MP
- Shadow Secretary of State for Scotland and Shadow Minister of State for Energy and Net Zero: Andrew Bowie MP
- Shadow Secretary of State for Wales and Shadow Minister for Women: Mims Davies MP
- Opposition Chief Whip (Commons): Dame Rebecca Harris MP
- Shadow Leader of the House of Commons: Jesse Norman MP
- Shadow Leader of the House of Lords: Lord True
- Co-Chairmen of the Party: Nigel Huddleston MP & Lord Johnson
- Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury: Richard Fuller MP
- Also attending:
- Parliamentary Private Secretary: Julia Lopez MP
Kemi Badenoch unveils new Tory shadow cabinet
Tuesday 5 November 2024 09:27 , Andy GregoryKemi Badenoch has unveiled her shadow cabinet, with senior roles for leadership rival Robert Jenrick, Priti Patel and Chris Philp.
After a combative leadership contest, Mr Jenrick – a staunch advocate of leaving the European Convention on Human Rights – was handed the justice brief, while Mr Philp was appointed shadow home secretary, Ms Patel given foreign affairs, and Mel Stride made shadow chancellor.
As announced yesterday, Laura Trott is now shadow education secretary, while Helen Whately will take work and pensions, and Ed Argar was given health.
Ministers have been ‘working hard’ to ensure UK-US ties remain strong regardless of election outcome
Tuesday 5 November 2024 09:27 , Millie Cooke, Political CorrespondentHealth secretary Wes Streeting has said the government has been working hard to ensure that, whoever wins the presidential election, “the deep ties that bind our two nations are as strong as they have ever been”.
While he admitted that the Labour government “may not be ideological bedfellows with President Trump”, the government will “work with whoever” the American people choose.
“I think that is particularly important in a world in which we see war on the continent of Europe, in Ukraine, war in the Middle East, wider geopolitical risks and threats where the US and the UK have common history, but also common cause in terms of the future we want to build, in the future of democracy.
“The American people will decide who their president is and we will work with whoever they choose”, he told LBC.
How Starmer is preparing for a new US president
Tuesday 5 November 2024 09:14 , Andy GregorySince becoming prime minister on 5 July, Sir Keir Starmer has only met with one of the two candidates hoping to be elected president – and it was not with his natural Democrat ally Kamala Harris, but Republican rival Donald Trump.
The lack of a meeting between Ms Harris and Sir Keir was not a snub from either side but reflects a twin-track approach that Labour has been taking in preparing for the outcome tomorrow for many months now, dating back to when they were still in opposition.
Our political editor David Maddox reports:
Working with Kamala – and bracing for Trump: How Starmer is preparing for US election
Government has dropped plans to ban smoking in pub gardens, Wes Streeting confirms
Tuesday 5 November 2024 09:00 , Andy GregoryThe government has dropped plans to ban smoking in outdoor areas such as beer gardens and outside stadiums as part of an extended smoking ban after those plans were leaked to the media, Wes Streeting has confirmed.
The health secretary told GB News: “We’ve got to balance the upside benefits on public health with any potential negative ... either on people’s liberties or on people’s livelihoods.
“And it’s no secret that the hospitality sector has been ... through the mill in recent years. The impact of the pandemic, the challenges in the wider economy, the amount of money we’ve got spare in our pockets.
“And there aren’t many advantages to leaks of government discussions, but one of the advantages of this leak was that it’s meant we’ve been able to have a discussion with the hospitality sector.
“And based on the evidence on the upside risks and the arguments on the downside risks, we’ve chosen not to proceed with the outdoor hospitality proposal at this time.”
The Tobacco and Vapes Bill – which will be introduced to the Commons on Tuesday – still aims to stop smoking and vaping outside schools and children’s playgrounds, he said.
‘Immense talent’ in Tory party for Badenoch to utilise, co-chair insists
Tuesday 5 November 2024 08:55 , Andy GregoryTory co-chair Nigel Huddleston has said he expects Kemi Badenoch could double up on positions and appoint “new talent” to make sure the opposition can shadow the government with a drastically reduced number of MPs.
Asked how the party would be able to cover and shadow with its 121 Conservative MPs when there are 124 positions in the government, he told Sky News: “Well, we will cover it because we’ve got immense talent in the Conservative Party.
“It’s not uncommon. For example, when I was in government, a couple of times, I was both a whip and a minister, and that happens as well.
“So actually, you don’t need quite the number that you might imagine in terms of coverage, and we’ve got some very competent people who can often do two jobs. But the key thing is, we’ve also got some new talent as well in the party.
“We’ve got 28 new MPs, some of whom you’ve seen deliver the most amazing maiden speeches and bringing great experience. And I suspect that some of those will be in the government as well.”
Politics Explained | Can Keir Starmer succeed in reducing immigration?
Tuesday 5 November 2024 08:44 , Andy GregoryKeir Starmer has announced that the government is to make further progress on its manifesto pledge to “smash the criminal gangs” and reduce the flow of irregular migration in small boats across the English Channel.
At the Interpol General Assembly in Glasgow – complete with pipe band and more than 1,000 police officers from 196 nations – the prime minister reiterated his motivation and determination: “There is nothing progressive about turning a blind eye as men, women and children die in the Channel.”
His idea is to raise the importance of the issue: “People-smuggling should be viewed as a global security threat similar to terrorism.”
In this Politics Explained piece, The Independent’s associate editor Sean O’Grady looks at whether the prime minister can actually make a difference without a major deterrent to illegal crossings:
Wes Streeting responds to Sir Chris Hoy’s call to lower prostate cancer screening age
Tuesday 5 November 2024 08:30 , Andy GregoryHealth secretary Wes Streeting has responded after Sir Chris Hoy suggested that “potentially millions of lives” can be saved if the screening age for prostate cancer is lowered.
The six-time Olympic cycling champion revealed last month that his cancer is terminal after he first made public in February that he was undergoing treatment, including chemotherapy. A tumour was found in Hoy’s shoulder and a second scan found primary cancer in his prostate, which has metastasised to his bones.
Asked about the call on BBC Radio 4’s Today progamme, Mr Streeting said: “I think he makes a very compelling case. I’ve asked the NHS to look at whether we are currently in the right place when it comes to screening.
“So that’s something that we’re actively looking at, and one of the many reasons why Chris Hoy’s openness about his own experience with cancer, his family’s experience with cancer, I think has been so impactful.”
Olympian Sir Chris Hoy is calling for reform in prostate cancer screening and diagnosis.
— BBC Radio 4 Today (@BBCr4today) November 5, 2024
Health Secretary Wes Streeting says it is something the NHS is 'actively looking at' and calls Sir Chris' story 'impactful'.
#R4Today
Starmer accuses Tories of ‘still living in fantasy world'
Tuesday 5 November 2024 08:18 , Andy GregorySir Keir Starmer has accused the Tories of “still living in fantasy world” and seeing “no reason to change whatsoever” as the party’s new leader appointed members of her shadow cabinet on Monday.
Speaking to Labour MPs at a meeting of the parliamentary party on Monday evening, the prime minister said: “While we’re getting on with the job, facing up to the real problems the country faces in our economy and public services, the Tories are still living in a fantasy world.
“While we’re having a national conversation about the future, they’re shouting into a void, sealed off from reality. While we changed our party, so we could change our country, they see no reason to change whatsoever.”
University tuition fee rises labelled ‘morally wrong'
Tuesday 5 November 2024 08:05 , Andy GregoryEducation unions have labelled the planned university tuition fee rises as “economically and morally wrong”, after it was announced that fees for domestic undergraduate students in England will rise to £9,535 per year after eight years of being frozen at a maximum of £9,250.
Branding the rise “economically and morally wrong”, Jo Grady, general secretary of the University and College Union (UCU), said: “Taking more money from debt-ridden students and handing it to overpaid underperforming vice-chancellors is ill conceived and won’t come close to addressing the sector’s core issues.”
The National Union of Students (NUS) said students were being asked to “foot the bill” to keep the lights and heating on in their universities and to prevent their courses from closing down amid the “crisis”.
Alex Stanley, vice president for higher education of the NUS, said: “This is, and can only ever be, a sticking plaster. Universities cannot continue to be funded by an ever-increasing burden of debt on students.”
But Vivienne Stern, chief executive of Universities UK (UUK), which represents 141 universities, said the Government’s decision was “the right thing to do”.
Ms Phillipson announced that maintenance loans would also rise in line with inflation in the 2025/26 academic year to help students facing cost pressures, by an increase of 3.1 per cent.
Welcoming the government’s move, Ms Stern said: “A decade-long freeze in England has seen inflation erode the real value of student fees and maintenance loans by around a third, which is completely unsustainable for both students and universities.”
Tory co-chair pressed on whether reports of Jenrick’s new role are ‘jumping the gun'
Tuesday 5 November 2024 07:54 , Andy GregoryAsked if Kemi Badenoch was “infuriated” about media reports that she had appointed her leadership rival Robert Jenrick to the post of shadow justice secretary, after he warned that such reports “might be jumping the gun”, Tory party co-chair Nigel Huddleston told GB News: “It takes a lot to make Kemi furious.”
“She wants to make sure that this is a shadow cabinet and a shadow team that reflects the breadth of the party and embraces all the talents,” he said.
Political observers had questioned the wisdom of appointing Mr Jenrick to the role given his insistence on the policy of departing from the European Convention on Human Rights.
PM rejects calls for immigration powers to be devolved
Tuesday 5 November 2024 07:52 , Andy GregoryPrime minister Sir Keir Starmer has rejected calls for immigration powers to be devolved to the Scottish government.
Speaking in Glasgow at the Interpol General Assembly, Sir Keir expressed a desire to “reset” the relationship between Holyrood and Westminster, after it has deteriorated under successive Tory governments.
But when asked by journalists whether this included devolving immigration powers, he said: “No, we’re not looking at that.”
Scottish deputy first minister Kate Forbes says UK immigration policies are “actively harming” Scotland’s economy. In June, she called for a “tailored migration system” to suit the specific needs of certain Scottish industries.
Kemi Badenoch’s new shadow cabinet to hold first meeting this morning
Tuesday 5 November 2024 07:51 , Andy GregoryThe first meeting of Kemi Badenoch’s shadow cabinet is planned to take place around 10am, the new Conservative Party co-chair has said.
Nigel Huddleston told GB News he expected most of the key roles to be officially announced ahead of the meeting.
But he said reports of the appointment of Robert Jenrick as shadow justice secretary “might be jumping the gun”.
Tobacco and vaping legislation to be introduced later today
Tuesday 5 November 2024 07:50 , Andy GregoryThe Tobacco and Vapes Bill is set to be introduced in the House of Commons on Tuesday, bidding to create the “first smoke-free generation” in the UK.
It will prevent anyone born after 1 January 2009 from legally smoking by raising the the age at which tobacco can be bought. The bill will also introduce restrictions on vape advertising and will restrict flavours.
Separate environmental legislation will see disposable vapes banned from June 2025.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting said: ”Unless we act to help people stay healthy, the rising tide of ill health in our society threatens to overwhelm and bankrupt our NHS. Prevention is better than cure.
“This Government is taking bold action to create the first smoke-free generation, clamp down on kids getting hooked on nicotine through vapes, and protect children and vulnerable people from the harms of secondhand smoke.
“This historic legislation will save thousands of lives and protect the NHS. By building a healthy society, we will also help to build a healthy economy, with fewer people off work sick.”
Good morning, and thanks for joining us on The Independent’s politics live blog.
We’ll be bringing you the latest updates as the government’s new Tobacco and Vapes Bill is introduced the House of Commons, and Westminster watchers warily turn their gaze to the US election.
Tuition fee hike will not fix universities’ financial crisis, sector leaders say
Tuesday 5 November 2024 17:24 , Alex CroftThe hike on tuition fees will not be enough to alleviate the “severe” financial pressures facing universities, sector leaders have said.
This is because the rise in national insurance contributions will squeeze the institutions’ budgets further, they say.
On Monday, education secretary Bridget Phillipson announced that undergraduate tuition fees would rise to £9,535 next year, having been frozen at £9,250 since 2017.
But Professor Robert Van de Noort, vice-chancellor of the University of Reading, says the rise in line with inflation will only stop their real-terms value declining further than they have already.
“It may help to prevent things getting progressively worse, but does not entirely alleviate the severe financial pressures facing the sector, which increased this month with the increases to national insurance employer contributions,” he said.
