Sir Keir Starmer is set to announce the government’s legislative agenda for the years ahead in the King’s Speech this morning.
As part of the State Opening of Parliament, King Charles is expected to outline around 35 draft laws including a national housebuilding programme to build 1.5 million homes, a bill to enact Labour’s pledge to nationalise the railways and a workers’ rights bill.
The prime minister said the measures would “take the brakes off Britain” and “create wealth for people up and down the country” by spurring economic growth.
As part of the new set of policies, local governments could receive more powers and a law to ensure all government budgets get advance independent scrutiny.
Also expected are new measures to strengthen border security, following on from Sir Keir’s decision to scrap the Conservatives’ plan to send people arriving in the UK across the English Channel on a one-way trip to Rwanda.
Key Points
- Government sets out plans to ‘take the brakes off’ the economy in King’s Speech
- UK inflation to fall below target for first time in three years, economists say
- Gething resigns as Welsh first minister after pressure from Labour ministers
- Rayner slams Trump’s running mate JD Vance after ‘Islamist UK’ comment
- Sayeeda Warsi blasts ‘Islamophobic’ comment from Trump’s vice president
Pinned: King’s Speech: What is happening today?
07:53
Salma Ouaguira
King Charles III will officially open the new session of parliament today donning his ceremonial robes and the crown of state to deliver a speech laying out the legislative program of the new Labour government.
Key timings:
- 11.20am - The King is expected to arrive at parliament.
- 11.30am - He will head through the House of Lords and take up his throne.
What can we expect from the King’s Speech?
- After his arrival, the monarch will summon the Commons and the Black Rod will go to knock on the Common’s door.
- As part of the tradition, the door will be slammed in their face to demonstrate the Parliament’s sovereignty and MPs will had to the Lords to watch the King deliver the speech.
- The King will then leave the chamber and parliament will start to debate the announced policies in a process which could until next week.
New fears Brexit has ‘drained life out of UK economy’ following IMF report
07:30
Salma Ouaguira
Opponents of Brexit have warned that the latest figures from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), confirm that leaving the EU “has drained the life out of the British economy”.
The claims come as Sir Keir Starmer’s new Labour government begin a reset of the UK’s relationship with the EU following their victory in the general election.
The prime minister is set to host European leaders at the European Political Council at Blenhiem Palace on Thursday just days after his new Europe affairs minister Nick Thomas-Symonds went to Brussels to starts talks on a new Brexit deal.
But the urgency of the problem appears to have been highlighted in the latest IMF projections.
According to the IMF the UK only grew 0.1 per cent in 2023 and will only grow by 0.7 per cent by the end of this year. While growth is set to double next year, according to the IMF, it will still only grow by 1.5 per cent.
Our political editor David Maddox has the full story:
Labour government welcomes inflation rates ahead of King’s Speech
07:24
Salma Ouaguira
The Labour government has welcomed the predicted fall in inflation after nearly three years of it being above target.
Darren Jones, chief secretary to the Treasury, said: “It is welcome that inflation is at target, but we know that for families across Britain prices remain high.
“We face the legacy of 14 years of chaos and economic irresponsibility.
“That is why this Government is taking the tough decisions now to fix the foundations so we can rebuild Britain and make every part of Britain better off.”
But experts said it will be the finer details of the inflation data that could come under greater scrutiny.
In particular, economists will be looking at services inflation, which tracks categories such as hospitality, culture and housing, and has put more pressure on the overall rate in recent months.
Sanjay Raja, a senior economist for Deutsche Bank, said he expects live music inflation to nearly double to around 10% in June from 5.7% in May.
New Labour government sets out plans to ‘take the brakes off’ the economy in King’s Speech
07:18
Salma Ouaguira
Britain’s new Labour Party government campaigned on a promise to bring bold change at modest cost. Prime Minister Keir Starmer gets a chance to show how he aims to reconcile those two aims on Wednesday when the government announces its plans for the coming year.
Starmer said the measures announced in the King’s Speech to Parliament would “take the brakes off Britain” and “create wealth for people up and down the country” by spurring economic growth.
The King’s Speech is the centerpiece of the State Opening of Parliament, an occasion where royal pomp meets hard-nosed politics, as King Charles III dons a diamond-studded crown, sits on a gilded throne and announces the government’s legislative agenda.
Starmer said the speech would be a “down payment on our plans for the next five years,” which center on getting the U.K.’s stuttering economy growing strongly.
Labour won a landslide election victory on July 4 as voters turned on the Conservatives after years of high inflation, ethics scandals and a revolving door of prime ministers. Starmer has promised to patch up the country’s aging infrastructure and frayed public services, but says he won’t raise personal taxes and insists change must be bound by “unbreakable fiscal rules.”
The government said Wednesday’s speech will include more than 35 bills – the Conservatives’ last speech had just 21 – ranging from housebuilding to nationalizing Britain’s railways and decarbonizing the nation’s power supply with a publicly owned green energy firm.
UK inflation to fall below target for first time in three years, economists say
07:04
Salma Ouaguira
The fight against inflation in the UK could see it fall below the Bank of England’s target level for the first time in more than three years, economists have predicted.
New data released from the Office for National Statistics on Wednesday will reveal how fast prices were rising across the UK last month.
It comes after inflation returned to the Bank’s 2% target in May, after nearly three years of it being above target largely as a result of soaring food and energy prices.
But analysts think the rate of Consumer Prices Index (CPI) inflation might have undershot the target in June, with it coming in at 1.9% for the month, according to a consensus compiled by Pantheon Macroeconomics.
The last time it was below target was in April 2021, when CPI was recorded at 1.5%.
“After nearly three years of running above target, in May, UK CPI inflation returned to the Bank of England’s target of 2%. This is indisputably good news,” said Sandra Horsfield, an economist for Investec.
“Yet jubilation about this must be tempered: the ‘cost-of-living crisis’ is far from over for some.”
“The new Labour government will need to factor ongoing cost-of-living pressures in for some time yet, even if CPI inflation stays broadly on target,” she said.
Exclusive: Unions demand ‘oven ready’ workers’ rights laws in Starmer’s first King’s Speech
07:00
Salma Ouaguira
Trade union leaders have laid out their demands to Keir Starmer for the King’s Speech for “oven ready” legislation to reverse Tory anti-strike laws.
With 35 bills set to be contained in Labour’s first legislative programme in 14 years which will be read out by King Charles on Wednesday, there are fears in the trade union movement that Sir Keir may deprioritise his pledges on workers rights.
Speaking exclusively to The Independent, Trades Union Congress (TUC) president Matt Wrack, who is also general secretary of the Fire Brigades Union (FBU), warned that “words will not be enough” from the new Labour prime minister and rapid action is expected.
Our politics editor David Maddox has the full story:
How UK’s defence compares to the 1980s as defence review rolled out
06:30
Salma Ouaguira
Prime minister Keir Starmer’s review of Britain’s defences comes as the West faces a “dangerous quartet” of Russia, China, North Korea and Iran, according to Nato chief Lord Robertson.
Russia remains the key threat, as it is continuing to wage war in Ukraine, including a deadly missile strike on a children’s hospital in Kyiv last week. Relations with Russia are at their worst since the Cold War period, and military experts believe that European countries need to be prepared for conflict.
But how do Britain’s armed forces compare now to 40 years ago, in 1984, when the UK was engaged in a stand-off with Russia?
Our data correspondent Alicja Hagopian has the full analysis:
Labour MP required to reswear allegiance to King amid fears of legal action
06:00
Salma Ouaguira
A Labour MP was warned he risked possible legal action and losing his seat after failing to mention four words while swearing allegiance to the King.
Clive Lewis, who favours living in a republic, appeared in the chamber on Tuesday to repeat the affirmation after already making one attempt “under protest” to officially take his seat after the General Election.
MPs are required by law to make an oath or affirmation of allegiance to the Crown and are not allowed to speak in debates, vote or receive their salary until they do so.
Norwich South MP Mr Lewis omitted the words “his heirs and successors” during his first attempt to swear in, which prompted Commons officials to warn there was “doubt about whether the manner in which you made the affirmation is legally valid”.
Mr Lewis, writing on X, said: “After omitting to swear allegiance to King Charles’ ‘heirs and successors’ last week, I’ve had to take the oath again in order to sit in the House of Commons. The majority of the public are committed to democracy, and so I hope one day MPs can swear an oath based on those values.”
He posted a photo of the letter he received from the House of Commons Journal Office, adding: “If I had not re-sworn the oath, then based on a law from 1866, I could be fined, subjected to legal action, and my seat ‘shall be vacated in the same manner as if (I) were dead’.
“This should change, so MPs have the choice to swear allegiance to our constituents and democracy.”
Rayner admits families are ‘frustrated’ over two-child benefit cap but refuses to scrap it
05:30
Salma Ouaguira
Deputy prime minister Angela Rayner has admitted families are “frustrated” at Labour’s refusal to scrap the two-child benefit fap but declined to scrap it.
Sir Keir Starmer faces a party rebellion after pressure from Labour MPs and unions grew to ditch the policy.
Asked why Labour will not scrap the cap, Ms Rayner told BBC Breakfast: “We are going to be reviewing Universal Credit and I think that is important. Secondly, we have got a child poverty strategy, which, it is not just one lever.
“I accept that people are frustrated around the two-child cap, they are frustrated over 14 years, we have had 14 years of the Tories who have put us on the highest tax burden for 70 years and the lowest growth.
“That is why growth is imperative to us so we can afford to spend on making sure we can lift children out of poverty.”
Trump’s vice president pick suggests UK an ‘Islamist country’
05:00
Salma Ouaguira
Donald Trump’s choice for vice president described the UK as an “Islamist country” with nuclear weapons during a speech at a right-wing conference last week.
JD Vance, the Ohio senator, was announced as Mr Trump’s running mateon Monday after the former president was shot in the ear during a rally in Pennsylvania at the weekend.
Recounting a conversation he was having with a friend, the 39-year-old said he had been wondering which “truly Islamist country” would be the first to gain access to nuclear weapons.
“I was talking about, you know, what is the first truly Islamist country that will get a nuclear weapon?” he said. “Maybe it is Iran, maybe Pakistan already kind of counts, and then we finally decided that it’s actually the UK – since Labour just took over.”
Watch: Rayner rejects Vance characterisation of UK as ‘Islamist’ under Labour
04:30
Salma Ouaguira
Comment: Trump’s running mate JD Vance has insulted the UK with his racist ignorance
04:00
Salma Ouaguira
When the Republicans’ choice for vice-president told a national conference that the UK is a ‘truly Islamist country’, it was more than just an insulting anti-Muslim joke: it has serious diplomatic repercussions, says Baroness Sayeeda Warsi:
Rayner announces increased devolution opportunities for local areas
03:30
Salma Ouaguira
Deputy prime minister and communities secretary Angela Rayner has said the Government “can’t have major infrastructure programmes being held up at a local planning level” as she announced increased devolution opportunities for local areas.
Asked if reforms that would see planning decisions made at a national level is the opposite of devolution, Ms Rayner told the BBC: “Planning, whether it’s our national infrastructure planning, will always have a local element to it, where they will take the first decisions.
“I’ve set out that I want local mandatory targets, again, I think that’s important so that there is skin in the game, again, that they’re making decisions, but we can’t have major infrastructure programmes being held up at a local planning level.
“And the Chancellor also set out the 400 new planners that we will put on board in a taskforce to support us in making sure we do communicate with local authorities and local communities to get our national infrastructure kick started.
“At the moment people are waiting up to seven, eight, nine, 10 years for planning of national interest to get under way and that’s slowing down growth and we’ve seen that that’s having a negative impact, not just on our GDP and what the country can provide, but on local communities as well and our public services so we have to get growth.”
She added: “We have to get Britain building if we want growth, and we’re being very upfront about that and I think we got a clear mandate not only for devolution, which I’ve set out today, but also about making sure that we get the growth and those homes that people desperately need.”
Migrant Channel crossings since Labour election victory top 1,000
03:00
Salma Ouaguira
More than 1,000 migrants have arrived in the UK after crossing the Channel since Sir Keir Starmer became Prime Minister, as the Government warned of a “difficult summer ahead”.
Home Office figures show 427 people made the journey in seven boats on Monday, taking the provisional total for the year so far to 14,759.
It means the number of arrivals recorded since Sir Keir took office on July 5 in the wake of Labour’s election victory now stands at 1,185.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper told a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday that Channel crossings were at a record high in the first half of the year and indicated a “difficult summer ahead”, according to Downing Street.
The total number of crossings for 2024 to date is 12% higher than the number recorded this time last year (13,200) and up 1% on the same period in 2022 (14,554), according to PA news agency analysis of Government data.
Last year, 29,437 migrants arrived in the UK after making the journey, down 36% on a record 45,774 in 2022.
UK inflation to fall below target for first time in three years, economists say
02:30
Salma Ouaguira
The fight against inflation in the UK could see it fall below the Bank of England’s target level for the first time in more than three years, economists have predicted.
New data released from the Office for National Statistics on Wednesday will reveal how fast prices were rising across the UK last month.
It comes after inflation returned to the Bank’s 2% target in May, after nearly three years of it being above target largely as a result of soaring food and energy prices.
But analysts think the rate of Consumer Prices Index (CPI) inflation might have undershot the target in June, with it coming in at 1.9% for the month, according to a consensus compiled by Pantheon Macroeconomics.
The last time it was below target was in April 2021, when CPI was recorded at 1.5%.
“After nearly three years of running above target, in May, UK CPI inflation returned to the Bank of England’s target of 2%. This is indisputably good news,” said Sandra Horsfield, an economist for Investec.
“Yet jubilation about this must be tempered: the ‘cost-of-living crisis’ is far from over for some.”
“The new Labour government will need to factor ongoing cost-of-living pressures in for some time yet, even if CPI inflation stays broadly on target,” she said.
Meanwhile, experts said it will be the finer details of the inflation data that could come under greater scrutiny.
In full: Trump’s vice president pick suggests UK an ‘Islamist country’
02:00
Salma Ouaguira
Plaid Cymru claims outgoing First Minister is ‘on borrowed time'
01:30
Salma Ouaguira
Rhun ap Iorwerth, the leader of Plaid Cymru, has said the outgoing First Minister was “on borrowed time”.
He said: “You must remember that the four ministers that called on him to go voted to show their confidence in him not that many weeks ago.
“It was hardly decisive action by them but today had to come.”
Mr ap Iorwerth said the people of Wales did not want a “revolving door” of Labour First Ministers. He said: “They should be asked what king of people they want and Plaid Cymru is ready for that election. We’ve had a UK general election, we now need to focus on what kind of government we want for Wales.
“I’ve no doubt that this is a Labour government, that’s been in government for 25 years now, that is losing the confidence of the people of Wales.”
Mr ap Iorwerth insisted he was not someone with “a massive appetite for lots of elections”, following the Conservative leader Andrew RT Davies saying if a snap election was held now another one would need to be carried out in 2026.
He added: “All I’m seeing is the chaos that we had because of the actions of Vaughan Gething over the last three months and how slow Labour were to take that step to get rid of him.”
Nigel Farage to visit ‘friend’ Donald Trump at RNC following assassination attempt
01:00
Salma Ouaguira
Labour wants to build UK trade links with ‘friends in the EU’, business secretary to tell G7
Wednesday 17 July 2024 00:30
Salma Ouaguira
Starmer to ‘take back control'
Wednesday 17 July 2024 00:05
Andre Langlois
Sir Keir Starmer has made it clear that wealth creation and economic growth will be his overriding priorities when Labour’s first programme for government since November 2009 is unveiled in parliament.
In a nod to the promises made by supporters of Brexit, the prime minister has promised to “take back control” of the country and “lay the foundations of the real change” it says people are desperate to see.
When King Charles reads out the speech in the Lords for the state opening of parliament at 1pm on Wednesday, the moment will mark the beginning of a major reset for the country.
Full story:
Starmer praises outgoing England manager Gareth Southgate after Euro defeat
Wednesday 17 July 2024 00:01
Salma Ouaguira
Sir Keir Starmer said Gareth Southgate had brought “hope and belief” back to England and praised the way the manager had spoken out on social issues.
The Prime Minister said: “Gareth’s time as England manager will be remembered for bringing back the hope and belief the country had been crying out for for so long.
“He and his teams have given us so much. No-one will forget the run to the World Cup semi-final in 2018 or making our first two finals of the Euros.
“The wins over Germany and Denmark at Wembley in 2021 were utterly joyous, coming just as crowds were allowed back in after the dark days of Covid.
“Gareth also brought a deeper understanding of what the job means and represents. During turbulent times, he has been a thoughtful spokesperson on events far beyond football.
“He has been a mentor to our brilliant young talent. And at every step of the way, he has shouldered the dreams of the country with dignity and honour.
“I join with everyone today in saying thank you to both Gareth and his team for all they have achieved and for laying the foundations for future success.”
Donald Trump will be ‘strong and decisive’ in support of Ukraine
Tuesday 16 July 2024 23:41
Andre Langlois
Former prime minister Boris Johnson has claimed that Donald Trump “will be strong and decisive” in his support of Ukraine and in “defending democracy”.
The Conservative ex-premier was in Washington this week to attend the Republican National Conference in Milwaukee, where Mr Trump was named the party’s official candidate in the upcoming US presidential elections.
Full story:
Place for people ‘who look like me’ in politics, says Gething as he stands down
Tuesday 16 July 2024 23:30
Salma Ouaguira
Vaughan Gething said there had to be a place in politics for people “who look like me”, after quitting as Welsh first minister.
Mr Gething, the first black leader of a European nation, announced he was stepping down after four months in the role following a series of controversies.
But Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said Mr Gething could take “enormous pride” in acting as a role model for “a generation of young people”.
Mr Gething was born in Zambia in 1974, where his father, a Welsh vet from Ogmore-by-Sea in Glamorgan, met his mother, a chicken farmer.
In a statement announcing his resignation, Mr Gething said: “I have always pursued my political career to serve Wales.
“And being able to show underrepresented communities that there is a place for them, for us, is an honour and privilege that will never diminish.”
He added: “To those in Wales who look like me – many of whom I know feel personally bruised and worried by this moment – I know that our country can be better. I know that cannot happen without us.
“There will – and there must be – a government that looks like the country it serves.”
The Prime Minister said: “Vaughan should take enormous pride in being the first black leader of any country in Europe.
“That achievement will have broadened the ambitions and raised the gaze of a generation of young people in Wales and beyond.”
So long to the ‘special relationship’ – Trump and Vance will be disastrous for Britain
Tuesday 16 July 2024 23:00
Salma Ouaguira
Donald Trump’s decision to pick his critic-turned-champion JD Vance as his vice-presidential nominee should raise alarm bells in Westminster.
With values and objectives now at odds, the special relationship faces a rocky future, writes Sean O’Grady:
Labour promises ‘packed’ agenda in King’s Speech
Tuesday 16 July 2024 22:30
Salma Ouaguira
The Government is poised to present a “packed” legislative agenda focused on economic growth in the King’s Speech on Wednesday.
Downing Street said the Prime Minister had begun Tuesday’s Cabinet meeting by thanking ministers for their work on the agenda – the first Speech from the Throne under a Labour Government in 14 years – while Commons Leader Lucy Powell said it represented “a packed legislative agenda and the Government’s determination to return politics to public service”.
Wednesday’s Speech is expected to include around 35 Bills with a heavy emphasis on securing economic growth, the first of Sir Keir Starmer’s five “missions for national renewal”.
This is likely to include more devolution of powers away from Westminster, the creation of a national wealth fund and GB Energy, reform of the planning system, and a boost for workers’ rights through Labour’s “new deal for working people”.
Other measures could include the reintroduction of Rishi Sunak’s proposed ban on anyone born after 2009 buying tobacco, measures to help renationalise the railways and a new, strengthened version of the Renters Reform Bill that sought to end no-fault evictions.
There will also be new legislation on spending rules, giving more power to the Office of Budget Responsibility (OBR) following the economic turmoil triggered by Liz Truss’s mini-budget in 2022.
Gething’s short tenure as Welsh leader marked by scandal
Tuesday 16 July 2024 22:00
Salma Ouaguira
Vaughan Gething’s short rein as First Minister of Wales has ended in scandal.
Questions over a £200,000 donation to his Labour leadership campaign have dogged him since he became First Minister in March.
A row over a leaked phone message which led to him sacking one of his ministers and Plaid Cymru’s withdrawal of support for his Government added to the sense of chaos.
The First Minister has been under pressure over a donation from the Dauson Environmental Group, which is owned by David Neal, who has previously been convicted of environmental offences.
There have also been concerns about a possible conflict of interest in the money coming from a company which was loaned £400,000 by the Welsh government-owned, Development Bank of Wales (DBW).
The loan from the DBW was given to Neal Soil Suppliers – a subsidiary of Dauson – in 2023 to help purchase a solar farm, at a time when Mr Gething was economy minister.
Mr Gething has always insisted that he cannot take any decision relating to Dauson – which is based in his constituency – and the DBW is entirely independent of ministers.
But Plaid cited the donation as one of the reasons for ending its co-operation agreement in the Senedd with the Welsh Labour administration.
Sunak hit by mass strike of Tory MPs before surprise snap election
Tuesday 16 July 2024 21:40
Salma Ouaguira
Rishi Sunak was warned he was losing his grip on his own MPs after he was hit by a mass strike in the last days of his premiership.
In a sign of the pressure Mr Sunak was under before he shocked Westminster by calling a snap general election, the then prime minister was told the situation was unsustainable.
On a single day Conservative whips received a request from around 200 Tory MPs – well over half of the parliamentary party - to be slipped, or excused from voting, a former senior Downing Street insider said.
The phrase refers to allowing MPs to miss a whipped vote, often by “pairing” them with an opposition MP also away from Westminster that day.
Our Whitehall editor Kate Devlin has the full story:
Husband of murdered MP Jo Cox claims candidates ‘felt hunted’ during election
Tuesday 16 July 2024 21:20
Salma Ouaguira
Brendan Cox, the husband of murdered MP Jo Cox, said politicians “felt hunted” during the election and “unable to go about campaigning”.
Mr Cox told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “There was a wide range of intimidation, but I do think it was another level.
“Having spoken to lots of MPs about it, there was a sense that something had changed, that they felt hunted, that they felt unable to go about campaigning – that there were men in balaclavas, there were fireworks being thrown, there were tyres being slashed.”
He added: “Let’s be clear, this isn’t just about one community. It’s not just about people that are pro-Gaza.
“Whether it was around the Scottish referendum or the Brexit referendum, I think there is something more caustic in our democratic culture which means that intimidation of MPs, and in some cases even attacks on MPs and councillors, is being seen as more legitimate by a wider range of courses.”
Welsh Conservatives dismiss Plaid Cymru’s call for a snap Senedd election
Tuesday 16 July 2024 21:00
Salma Ouaguira
Andrew RT Davies, the leader of the Welsh Conservatives, has rejected Plaid Cymru’s call for a snap Senedd election.
Speaking to the PA news agency, Mr Davies said: “I think that’s being very hot-headed in the current climate.
“Because actually, what would happen would be that we could have an election now and then we’d still have to have a full Senedd election in 2026.
“I don’t think people want a full-blown general election here in Wales. What people want is clear leadership, direction of travel, and improvements in their everyday lives.
“What we want to deliver from the Conservative camp are the solutions that will do that and drive up performance here in Wales and we can do that and make that offer in 2026.”
Mr Davies said the First Minister should have resigned when he lost the non-binding vote of no-confidence earlier this year, rather than “drag it out”.
He added it was clear that Mr Gething was feeling “very bitter and sore”, but he wished the outgoing First Minister and his family all the best.
Huw Irranca-Davies tipped as Welsh Labour leadership contender
Tuesday 16 July 2024 20:40
Salma Ouaguira
Huw Irranca-Davies, who ran to be party leader in 2018, has been tipped as a potential Welsh Labour leadership contender.
He told BBC Wales that Vaughan Gething was “brave” to quit as First Minister and it was a “very difficult day”.
Asked whether he would stand to replace him, Mr Irranca-Davies said he did “not even want to consider that today”, adding: “It’s not the time or the day to do it.”
Veteran MP Diane Abbott urges government to stop sending arms to Israel
Tuesday 16 July 2024 20:20
Salma Ouaguira
Diane Abbott has urged the Labour government to stop arms sales to Israel following David Lammy’s meeting with Benjamin Netanyahu.
As Israeli strikes continue to kill hundreds of Palestinians in Gaza, the foreign secretary reiterated calls for a ceasefire during a visit to Jerusalem.
But the ‘Mother of the House’ urged Sir Keir Starmer to take bolder action.
Posting on X, formerly Twitter, Ms Abbott said: “Calling for a ceasefire is good. But there is no sign Netanyahu is listening. The government must have a plan to stop sending arms to Israel.”
Calling for a ceasefire is good. But there is no sign Netanyahu is listening.
— Diane Abbott (@HackneyAbbott) July 16, 2024
The government must have a plan to stop sending arms to Israel.https://t.co/HM1jlYEofi
Rayner ‘concerned’ about violence and intimidation in politics after Trump shooting
Tuesday 16 July 2024 20:00
Salma Ouaguira
Deputy prime minister Angela Rayner has said she was left “concerned” about violence and intimidation in politics after the shooting of former US president Donald Trump.
Ms Rayner told the BBC: “I think we have to take a step back and people have to understand that it was hard fought for, the democracy that we have.
“I’m incredibly proud of our democracy, and that is about voting in the ballot box. It’s not about suppressing somebody’s views. It’s not about violence. And it’s really getting at what type of country and what type of world do we want to live in?
“And that’s about we can have difference of opinions, and we can debate them robustly and I do, but you can’t intimidate people who are elected or we want to stand for office, because one of the things I’m concerned about is many times when I go into colleges or to schools and do talks, the one thing that the students always ask me about is how do I cope with the level of abuse that I receive?
“I find that sad that that is their question because it worries me that people won’t want to stand for office, and for a thriving democracy we need people to stand for office and we need people to uphold our democracy by making sure that people aren’t intimidated.”
Reform issue attack to Labour over small boat crossings
Tuesday 16 July 2024 19:40
Salma Ouaguira
Labour have no plan for immigration.
— Richard Tice MP (@TiceRichard) July 16, 2024
Britain needs reform. pic.twitter.com/NCNm7LS3z5
Senior Tory urges Sunak to stay as leader until contest
Tuesday 16 July 2024 19:20
Salma Ouaguira
Shadow veterans minister Andrew Bowie has said Rishi Sunak should stay on as Conservative Party leader until November.
Asked if he agreed with shadow foreign secretary Andrew Mitchell that the former prime minister should continue to act as party leader until November, Mr Bowie told Sky News: “I think it’s important that there is some stability at the top of the Conservative Party as we determine how and the length of the leadership election that we’re about to undertake.
“And Rishi gives us that certainty, gives us that continuity, and I hope he finds within himself to carry on whilst we get our house in order and select who is to succeed him and lead us into the next election in four or five years.
He added: “Yes, from my perspective, I think he should stay.”
Asked if the party should move to the right, Mr Bowie said: “Absolutely not, I mean, that’s for the party members to decide who the leader is going to be, but I think that the Conservative Party does better when it commands the centre ground.
“That’s where we have done better traditionally, and that’s where we command most support in the country when we do so. So it’s not for me to determine where the party goes, that’s for Members of Parliament in general, and indeed, the party membership.”
Plaid Cymru calls for snap Senedd election after Gething’s resignation
Tuesday 16 July 2024 19:00
Salma Ouaguira
Plaid Cymru called for a snap Senedd election in the wake of Vaughan Gething’s resignation.
Plaid leader Rhun ap Iorwerth said: “The people of Wales have lost faith in the First Minister, belatedly he has done that right thing and resigned.
“But the people of Wales are losing confidence in Labour’s ability to govern Wales.
“This could be the third Labour first minister in seven months – a revolving door of chaos.
“Labour has put party interests ahead of the interests of the nation for too long.
“The people of Wales must be given the opportunity to elect a new government and an election must be called.”
