Angela Rayner is reportedly set to launch a consultation on whether to ditch Margaret Thatcher’s right-to-buy scheme.
The deputy prime minister, who has promised a “council housing revolution”, will abolish the Tory flagship scheme that allowed council tenants to buy their homes from their local authority, as reported by the Daily Telegraph.
More than 100 local authorities called for the “unsustainable” scheme to to be scrapped on new council homes in a report on the state of Britain’s housing stock published on Tuesday.
Leadership hopeful Kemi Badenoch hit out at Ms Rayner for trying to “destroy one of Baroness Thatcher’s most transformative policies”.
It comes as Tory MPs will take part in the first round of voting as they select a successor to Rishi Sunak.
The first ballot in the Tory leadership contest will take place on Wednesday afternoon, which will begin the process of narrowing the list of the current six candidates.
The field of six is made up of ex-ministers from the previous government: James Cleverly, Robert Jenrick, Dame Priti Patel, Tom Tugendhat, Mel Stride and Ms Badenoch.
An announcement on the result of the first round is expected at about 3.30pm.
Key Points
- Angela Rayner ‘to ditch Thatcher’s Right to Buy scheme’
- Tory leadership voting to get underway
- Final report into Grenfell fire tragedy published today
Starmer feels heat from US over partial arms ban as Netanyahu blasts ‘shameful’ decision
08:33
Joe Middleton
Sir Keir Starmer has found himself at the centre of an international storm over his government’s decision to restrict arms sales to Israel just as mourners were burying six hostages killed in Gaza.
The move to halt 30 of the 350 arms export licences was condemned by Benjamin Netanyahu as “shameful”, while the White House has made it clear it will not be following Britain’s lead.
Joe Biden’s national security communications adviser, John Kirby, said: “Every nation can speak for themselves, on how and to what degree that they support Israel. We’re going to continue to do what we have to do to support Israel’s defensive capabilities.”
The issue has also blown up in the Tory leadership contest, with candidates lining up to attack foreign secretary David Lammy’s announcement.
Starmer faces PMQs for the first time since recess
08:19
Joe Middleton
Sir Keir Starmer will face off with Rishi Sunak for the first time since summer recess. The usual cut and thrust of PMQs in the House of Commons is likely to be tempered by the release of the long-awaited report into the deaths of 72 people in a fire at Grenfell Tower.
Keir Starmer has come to power at a time of ‘anxiety' for the nation, says Tony Blair
08:10
Joe Middleton
Britain’s standing in the world has diminished over the last decade and Sir Keir Starmer has come to power at a time of “anxiety” for the nation, Sir Tony Blair has said of his Labour successor as prime minister.
The ex-PM’s warning comes after Sir Keir claimed “things will get worse before they get better” in a speech ahead of what he said would be a “painful” Budget statement on October 30.
In a wide-ranging interview with the BBC’s Amol Rajan due to be broadcast on Wednesday night, Sir Tony - the last Labour leader who won a general election - was asked if he thought the new Prime Minister had a “mandate” to govern, or if his majority in this summer’s poll was due more to apathy with the Tories.
“Yeah, I think he’s got a mandate, of course. I mean, I think what you’re saying, not in these words, is that the zeitgeist is different,” Sir Tony replied.
The former prime minister claimed there was a “pretty optimistic” spirit across the country when he came to power at the turn of the millennium, as he attempted to “lead the change” on racial and sex equality, as well as devolution.
In contrast, he described the mood in the UK today facing Sir Keir’s Government as “very different”, adding: “I think it’s more anxious. But it’s still a zeitgeist. And I think in the new Government coming in and people wanting a sense of stability, wanting long-term problems solved and sorted out, you know... for sure there’s a mandate there.”
Final report into Grenfell fire published today
07:59
Joe Middleton
A long-awaited report into the deaths of 72 people in a fire at Grenfell Tower is due to be published more than seven years after the blaze.
The lengthy document - the final report of the inquiry into the 2017 disaster - is expected to lay out in detail its findings around the actions of corporate firms in the construction industry, the local authority, London Fire Brigade and government.
Families of those killed have insisted it must be a “landmark report” which prompts widescale change after what was described as a “spider’s web of blame” was spun during inquiry hearings.
A report in 2019, from the first phase of the inquiry, concluded the tower’s cladding did not comply with building regulations and was the “principal” reason for the rapid and “profoundly shocking” spread of the blaze.
This final report, which follows further hearings on the tower’s 2016 refurbishment, will present conclusions on how the west London block of flats came to be in a condition which allowed the flames to spread so quickly.
Tory leadership voting to get underway
07:53
Joe Middleton
Conservative MPs will take part in the first round of voting as they select a successor to Rishi Sunak.
The first ballot in the Tory leadership contest will take place on Wednesday afternoon, which will begin the process of narrowing the list of the current six candidates.
An announcement on the result of the first round is expected at about 3.30pm.
Further voting rounds will take place throughout September, aimed at thinning the ranks to four candidates who will set out their positions to Tory members at the party’s conference at the start of October.
After that, MPs will carry out further rounds of voting to select two final candidates for party members to choose between, with the result announced on November 2.
The field of six is made up of ex-ministers from the previous government: James Cleverly, Robert Jenrick, Dame Priti Patel, Tom Tugendhat, Mel Stride and Kemi Badenoch.
Several of the candidates have officially launched their campaigns in recent days as MPs returned to Parliament, and many have appeared on the airwaves and made speeches and visits to Tory activists across the country over the summer.
Angela Rayner ‘to ditch Thatcher’s Right to Buy scheme’
07:50
Joe Middleton
Angela Rayner is reportedly set to launch a consultation on whether to ditch Margaret Thatcher’s right-to-buy scheme.
The deputy prime minister, who has promised a “council housing revolution”, will abolish the Tory flagship scheme that allowed council tenants to buy their homes from their local authority, as reported by the Daily Telegraph.
More than 100 local authorities called for the “unsustainable” scheme to to be scrapped on new council homes in a report on the state of Britain’s housing stock published on Tuesday.
Leadership hopeful Kemi Badenoch hit out at Ms Rayner for trying to “destroy one of Baroness Thatcher’s most transformative policies”.
Welcome
07:49
Joe Middleton
Good morning and welcome to our blog of all the latest goings on in Westminster and beyond.
