Sir Keir Starmer is poised to increase tuition fees for the first time in eight years, according to reports.
Education secretary Bridget Phillipson is expected to announce this afternoon that fees will rise in line with the Retail Price Index inflation from September 2025, The Telegraph reported.
Matching university tuition fees to the current rate of inflation at 2.7 per cent means they would increase to around £9,500. Fees have been frozen at £9,250 since 2017.
It comes after Kemi Badenoch named the first members of her new shadow cabinet, with close ally Laura Trott to step in as shadow education secretary.
Neil O’Brien, who supported Robert Jenrick during the leadership contest, has been named shadow minister for education.
The announcements came after a speech to CCHQ staff on Monday, in which Ms Badenoch reportedly insisted that her party can turn their fortunes around in one political term.
The party must first focus on principles such as free speech and personal responsibility before setting out policy, she added.
Key Points
- Kemi Badenoch tells CCHQ staff that Tories can turn their fortunes around at next election
- First members of new Tory shadow cabinet revealed
- Anger over Badenoch’s ‘cruel’ claim Partygate was overblown
- ‘I was wrong’ to promise no tax rises, Rachel Reeves admits
- Trade union threatens legal action over winter fuel cut
- Keir Starmer sets sights on small boats as new funding for Border Security Command
Keir Starmer poised to increase tuition fees to first time in eight years
13:28
Millie Cooke, Political Correspondent
Sir Keir Starmer is expected to increase university tuition fees for the first time in eight years.
Education secretary Bridget Phillipson is expected to confirm the plans this afternoon, which will see fees rise in line with the Retail Price Index inflation from September 2025, The Telegraph reported.
University tuition fees have been frozen at £9,250 since 2017. Matching them to the current rate of inflation at 2.7 per cent would mean they increase to around £9,500.
The Department for Education declined to comment.
Small boat smugglers to be fast-tracked through courts like rioters
13:16
Andy Gregory
The government is preparing to fast track people people smugglers through the courts in the same way as those who participated in the summer riots.
As part of a £150m package of measures to tackle the small boat crisis announced on Monday, the prime minister will order the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) to speed up charges for people smugglers.
The prime minister is looking to replicate efforts earlier this year that delivered swift justice following the August riots that swept England and Northern Ireland after three young girls were killed in Southport, Downing Street said.
The claim of government intervention playing a role in the swift justice which faced rioters was criticised last month by the head of the judiciary, with lady chief justice Baroness Carr saying: “Suggestions that the listing of riot cases speedily in the criminal courts was a consequence of government action or pressure was a false constitutional narrative.”
The listing of court cases was “a judicial function – it cannot be otherwise”.
Badenoch makes first major frontbench appointment
12:58
Andy Gregory
Our political correspondent Millie Cooke has more information about the first Tory shadow cabinet appointments:
Kemi Badenoch has made two appointments to the Shadow Department for Education, ahead of Education Questions in the House of Commons this afternoon.
Laura Trott – who served as the the chief secretary to the Treasury in Rishi Sunak's government – has been appointed shadow education secretary, Ms Badenoch's first major appointment to the shadow frontbench. She was a prominent Badenoch-backer during the leadership contest.
Meanwhile, Neil O’Brien has been appointed as shadow minister for education. While he previously backed Ms Badenoch in 2022, he lent his support to rival Robert Jenrick during this year's contest.
No 10 refuses to be drawn on targets for small boat crossings
12:45
Andy Gregory
Downing Street insisted the government wants to see small boat crossing numbers falling, but would not reveal if ministers have a target.
Sir Keir Starmer’s official spokesperson insisted the government is “going to make progress as rapidly as is possible” on migrant crossings, pointing to its record of 9,400 returns recorded since Labour took power.
But he would not be drawn into revealing if the government has a target for when crossings will start to reduce, telling reporters: “I am not going to set out new targets here today. You have got the manifesto commitment, you have got the prime minister’s words.
“Clearly the government’s ambition is to reduce small boats crossings and that is why we are putting significant resource focus into this crisis.”
Asked if the government would be satisfied were numbers making the crossing to remain the same next year, he replied: “No, the government wants to do everything it can to reduce small boats crossings.
“It inherited a situation where small boats crossings before the election were up 18 per cent on the same period from the year before. That is not an acceptable position and that is a reflection of the system in chaos, and that is why the government is focused on putting in place the practical steps that will bring small boats crossings down.”
Kemi Badenoch announces first shadow cabinet appointments
12:23
Andy Gregory
The first members of Kemi Badenoch’s new shadow cabinet have been named.
Laura Trott has been appointed shadow education secretary and Neil O’Brien has been appointed shadow education minister in Kemi Badenoch‘s opposition team, it is understood.
Both will be on the opposition front bench for education oral questions in the Commons on Monday afternoon.
Badenoch tells CCHQ staff that Tories can turn their fortunes around at next election
12:04
Andy Gregory
New Tory leader Kemi Badenoch is understood to have told Conservative Party staff that they can turn their fortunes around in one political term, but must initially focus on principles over policy.
Ms Badenoch has been at the party's headquarters in Westminster on Monday morning as she is in the process of deciding who will be in her top team.
In an address to CCHQ staff, it is thought Ms Badenoch said the first challenge for the party will be winning back council seats at local elections.
She is also understood to have said the party can turn their situation around in one term and that policy will come soon, but the party needs to start with principles such as freedom of speech and personal responsibility.
Watch: Starmer hits out at Tory Rwanda plan as he 'resets plan' to tackle people smuggling
11:57
Andy Gregory
‘Nothing progressive about turning a blind eye to small boat crossings’, PM says
11:48
Millie Cooke, Political Correspondent
There is “nothing progressive” about turning a blind eye to people making dangerous channel crossings to reach the UK, Sir Keir Starmer told Interpol’s general assembly.
In total, 31,904 people have made the journey so far this year, up 16.5 per cent on the same point in 2023.
“Security doesn't stop at our borders”, the prime minister said, adding that illegal migration is a “massive driver of global insecurity”.
“There is nothing progressive about turning a blind eye as men women and children die in the channel. And you don't advance the cause of global justice or compassion for those individuals to pretend that there is”, he said.
Starmer announces funding boost for Interpol in ‘clear message’ to criminals
11:44
Millie Cooke, Political Correspondent
The UK will increase its funding for Interpol projects, investing £6m this year, Sir Keir Starmer said.
Speaking at the organisation's general assembly in Glasgow, the prime minister said the money will support improved data sharing and faster communications capabilities, as well as a global fraud threat assessment network.
“We want to send a clear message to the world's most hardened criminals that there is no safe haven. There is no place you can hide from justice”, he said.
“Together, we've got the whole world covered, and together we will defeat you.”
Analysis: Yvette Cooper makes the case for international law against isolationists
11:40
David Maddox, Political Editor
While the home secretary was really just the warm up act in Glasgow at the Interpol conference for the prime minister, she made a very important point at a tipping point in world history.
With the Tories still considering withdrawing from the European Convention of Human Rights (EDHR) as they try to ape Nigel Farage, and Americans considering voting for an isolationist president in Donald Trump, Yvette Cooper made the case for international law.
She told the audience: “International security and domestic security are one and the same thing.”
At a time when political parties want to start to unpick the network of international agreements, Ms Cooper’s statement carries special significance.
UK to draw up new agreements with other nations to tackle smuggling gangs
11:38
Millie Cooke, Political Correspondent
The UK is drawing up new agreements with other countries to tackle people smuggling gangs and tackle the small boats crisis, Yvette Cooper has said.
Announcing a £150m package of measures to tackle the small boat crisis, the home secretary said the new agreements will “strengthen law enforcement, disrupt supply chains, break the business models of the gangs and to bring offenders to justice”.
“We know that the best way to strengthen UK Border Security, is to work in partnership with other countries”, she said.
Ms Cooper called for an “integrated global response” to tackle people smuggling gangs, saying they are “profiting from human misery, putting lives at risk, undermining border security and destabilising communities.”
She said: “Here in the UK, our new Border Security Command is leading the fight against the criminal gangs who, every week, are crowding vulnerable people into flimsy dinghies on the coast of France, leaving dozens this year to drown or be crushed to death as they attempt to cross the channel.
“But we know those gangs operate not just on our shores, but all across Europe and beyond - a network of exploitation stretching around the globe.”
Yvette Cooper calls for greater cooperation on tackling people smuggling gangs
11:20
Andy Gregory
Home secretary Yvette Cooper has said she wants stronger international cooperation to tackle violence against women and girls, and child sexual abuse, the “scale of which should continue to shame us all”.
She told delegates at the Interpol conference in Glasgow: “We must also have a much stronger and more integrated global response to the organised immigration crime, which is growing around the world and profiting from human misery – putting human lives at risk, undermining border security and destabilising communities.”
Ms Cooper added: “We know these gangs operate not just on our shores but all across Europe and beyond, a network of exploitation stretching around the globe.”
Yvette Cooper says UK ‘proud to be at the heart’ of international policing efforts
11:14
Andy Gregory
Home secretary Yvette Cooper is speaking at the Interpol conference in Glasgow.
Ms Cooper said: “At a time when networks of organised and serious crimes fan the world, it matters more than ever to have equally integrated and global networks of law enforcement agencies working together to fight crime and to keep our communities safe.
“The UK is proud to be at the heart of those efforts. Every year our Interpol bureau in the National Crime Agency sends out 20,000 requests to partners around the world. And every day, they manage more than 1,000 incoming messages, and we see the impact of that cooperation here on our streets.”
Badenoch arrives at Tory HQ to unveil shadow cabinet
10:50
Andy Gregory
Kemi Badenoch has arrived at the Conservative Party headquarters to unveil her new shadow cabinet after winning the Tory leadership contest, ahead of its first meeting on Tuesday.
Ruth Davidson gives just 40 per cent chance of Kemi Badenoch leading Tories into next election
10:25
Andy Gregory
Ex-Scottish Tory leader Ruth Davidson has said she believes there is a 35 to 40 per cent chance that Kemi Badenoch will lead the Conservative Party into the next general election.
Speaking on the Electoral Dysfunction podcast, Ms Davidson said: “We don’t hang around with this sort of thing. We want the leader to be a net plus any time we go to the polls. And if they’re not, we don’t mess about.
“I would say, to put a figure on it, 35 per cent, 40 per cent? She’s got every opportunity to start the rebuilding. But there are things you really have to do when you’re in opposition, and part of that is you’ve got to put in the legwork, you’ve got to be humble. You’ve got to ask people for their vote, listen to them about what they need.
“You’ve got to show that the party’s changed. You don’t just stand up there and try and scold them into submission and become Conservatives. And I am yet to see any evidence that that is going to be her approach.”
Yvette Cooper says new Border Security Command funding is from Budget
10:12
Andy Gregory
Home secretary Yvette Cooper has said that the additional £75m announced today for Labour’s new Border Security Command is new funding from the Budget.
She told BBC Breakfast: “It’s in addition to the £75m we’d already talked about, which is only just starting to be invested now.”
Yvette Cooper refuses to commit to targets on reducing Channel crossings
09:39
Andy Gregory
The home secretary has avoided committing to specific targets on bringing down Channel crossings.
Pressed on when a drop in the number of migrant crossings could be expected, Yvette Cooper told BBC Breakfast: “We obviously want to make progress as far and as fast as possible. The prime minister has said we need to see significant progress being made.
“We know, of course, it does take time to get the investigators in place, to make sure that we can get the new technology in place. So we’re going to try and make progress as rapidly as possible.
“What I’m not going to do is what Rishi Sunak did ... [and] just, you know, set out slogans and say everything was going to be solved in 12 months, and all on the basis of a slogan, because I don’t think people will take that seriously anymore.”
She said high numbers of crossings in October were “linked to the weather” but that “we’ve actually got to go after the criminal gangs at the heart of this, rather than it simply being dependent on the weather”.
'What I'm not going to do is what Rishi Sunak did and set out slogans and say everything was going to be solved in 12 months'
— BBC Breakfast (@BBCBreakfast) November 4, 2024
On #BBCBreakfast Home Secretary Yvette Cooper was questioned about when there will be a reduction in small boat crossings as she promised an extra £75m… pic.twitter.com/LONLUo671X
Politics Explained | Who will fill new Tory leader Kemi Badenoch’s shadow cabinet?
09:20
Andy Gregory
One of the main reasons the Tories suffered so heavily in July was division. Divided parties do not win elections, and since Brexit Tory politics has been a soap opera, with the Conservative ranks riddled with infighting.
In a piece setting out what Kemi Badenoch needs to do to get the party back on track, pollster Luke Tryl tells The Independent that ending the infighting and picking a united top team will be one of her most important tasks.
On Sunday her first shadow cabinet appointment was revealed when interim chief whip Stuart Andrew tweeted that he was being replaced by Rebecca Harris, the MP for Castle Point in Essex. Dame Rebecca has been an MP since 2010 and a Conservative whip since 2018.
But Ms Badenoch is picking from a depleted pool, with the Tories having returned just 121 MPs in July. And a slew of Tory heavyweights including Rishi Sunak, James Cleverly, Jeremy Hunt and Oliver Dowden have said they will not serve in Ms Badenoch’s shadow cabinet, opting for stints on the backbenches instead.
Our political correspondent Archie Mitchell has more analysis in this latest Politics Explained piece:
James Dyson condemns Rachel Reeves’s first Budget as ‘spiteful’
09:02
Andy Gregory
Sir James Dyson has condemned Labour’s Budget as “spiteful”, warning her so-called tractor tax will be the “death of entrepreneurship”.
The leading British businessman – who employs more than 2,000 people in the UK - claimed that the new government will “kill off home-grown family businesses”, dubbing the changes an “ignorant swipe at aspiration”.
Our political correspondent Millie Cooke reports:
Yvette Cooper condemns ‘appalling’ tweet shared by Labour MP
08:30
Andy Gregory
Home secretary Yvette Cooper has said she strongly disagrees with a tweet that a backbench MP appeared to have reposted saying Kemi Badenoch represents “white supremacy in blackface”.
Ms Cooper told LBC she did not see the post that Dawn Butler appeared to have shared, saying: “I didn’t see the post, I clearly strongly disagree with that.”
Pressed on why no action had been taken against Ms Butler, she said: “As I said, I haven’t seen the post and I think those sorts of issues around party issues, those are always ones for the Whip.”
Asked whether the words in the post had a “racist sentiment”, Ms Cooper said: “The words that you have read out are clearly appalling and I would strongly disagree with them. So, I haven’t seen the post. I don’t know the circumstances around it but I think we should congratulate Kemi Badenoch on her election.
“I will continue to disagree with her on all sorts of issues, but, nevertheless, I congratulate her on her election.”
Badenoch appoints new chairs of Tory party
08:05
Andy Gregory
Kemi Badenoch has appointed Nigel Huddleston and Lord Dominic Johnson as joint chairs of the Conservative Party.
They will reportedly join the new Tory leader at party headquarters on Monday morning to meet staff.
Full appointments are set to be announced in time for the first meeting of Ms Badenoch’s shadow cabinet on Tuesday.
Badenoch’s Partygate claim labelled ‘insulting’ by Covid bereaved
07:47
Andy Gregory
People whose loved ones died during the Covid pandemic have expressed anger over Kemi Badenoch’s suggestion that the Partygate row was “overblown”.
Lobby Akinnola, a spokesman for the Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice who lost his father during the pandemic, told The Independent Ms Badenoch’s comment was “cruel and highlights just how detached politicians can be from the people they represent”.
Nazir Afzal, a former chief crown prosecutor whose older brother Umar died of Covid while self-isolating, told TheGuardian: “Ms Badenoch needs to remember that people were dying and being stored in industrial fridges while those in government partied in breach of the rules that they created for the rest of us.
“It was a question of trust and integrity and such a failure cannot ever be overblown.”
Naomi Fulop, whose mother Christina died in January 2021 told the outlet that Badenoch’s comments were “insulting and extremely painful”.
Ms Fulop, who is a member of Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice UK, said: “It is not possible to overblow the impact of those in government partying while my mother died alone. We then had to have a very restricted funeral, as did thousands and thousands of other people.”
She added: “Badenoch said the Tory party needs to have an honest conversation about what’s gone wrong and one of the big things that went wrong was Partygate so I’m quite mystified that she doesn’t realise the impact that’s had on families like mine and the wider public.”
Starmer to double funding for new Border Security Command
07:29
Andy Gregory
Sir Keir Starmer is set to double the funding Labour’s Border Security Command as he fixes his sights on ending small boat crossings.
The prime minister is expected to use a speech to the Interpol General Assembly in Glasgow on Monday to kick off a week-long blitz on the issue that will see him travel to Hungary for talks on tackling people smuggling.
Monday’s speech will see Sir Keir pledge another £75m for his new border command, taking its total funding to £150m over two years, with the new money to be used to fund high-tech surveillance equipment and 100 specialist investigators.
The PM will say: “The world needs to wake up to the severity of this challenge. I was elected to deliver security for the British people. And strong borders are a part of that. But security doesn’t stop at our borders. There’s nothing progressive about turning a blind eye as men, women and children die in the Channel.”
Reforming council tax would've led to some ‘paying significantly more’, Reeves argues
07:00
Tara Cobham
Reforming council tax would have led to some people “paying significantly more”, Rachel Reeves said as she was charged with “dodging” the issue.
Asked whether her Budget had “dodged” the question of whether to reform council tax by uprating property values, the Chancellor told Sky News’s Sunday Morning With Trevor Philips: “That’s a very complicated and tricky issue to address and it would result in some people paying significantly more in tax.”
Asked what happened to making “tough choices”, she added: “I think we made plenty of tough choices in the Budget this week.”
Shadow culture secretary happy to hold any position in new shadow cabinet
06:00
Tara Cobham
The shadow culture secretary has said she would be happy to hold any position in Kemi Badenoch’s new Conservative shadow cabinet.
Julia Lopez told Sky News’s Sunday Morning With Trevor Philips: “My main priority is to be part of the team that rebuilds the Conservative Party.
“Kemi wants to lead a renewal of the whole movement from top to bottom, so I will serve in whichever capacity she thinks I am best suited. It’s the mission for me, rather than the position.”
Ms Lopez said she had not yet had discussions about what her new role may be.
Kemi Badenoch’s first duty must be to provide an effective opposition
05:00
Tara Cobham
The election of Kemi Badenoch as leader of the Conservative Party is an intriguing moment. Not only have the members of the party finally disposed of the calumny that they would never elect a non-white candidate, but – given the options available to them – they have to some extent made up for their folly in electing Liz Truss the last time they were asked to vote.
Robert Jenrick’s rather unconvincing reinvention as a hardline anti-immigration candidate required him to adopt an unrealistic position on the European Convention of Human Rights (ECHR). While recognising that the European Court is an imperfect organisation, The Independent will have no truck with any politician who seeks to renounce a document drawn up by British lawyers after the trauma of world war that underpins the protection of fundamental rights across the continent.
Not only would withdrawal from the ECHR have been wrong in principle, it would not be the magic solution to the problem of irregular immigration – a point made with some courage by Ms Badenoch – and the policy would have plunged the Tory party into a prolonged civil war, because a large share, probably a majority, of its reduced contingent of MPs remain rightly committed to the ECHR.
Read more here:
Watch: Badenoch dismisses Reeves’ position as first female chancellor as ‘low glass ceiling’
04:00
Tara Cobham
Worst of Britain’s Brexit pain is still to come, admits Treasury minister
03:00
Tara Cobham
The majority of Brexit’s impact on Britain’s economy is still yet to be felt, a minister has warned.
In a damning assessment of Britain’s departure from the European Union, Treasury minister Tulip Siddiq said 60 per cent of the impact of Brexit is yet to materialise.
The Treasury economic secretary cited Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) forecasts that the economy would shrink by 4 per cent in the long run due to Brexit. And Ms Siddiq said that Britain’s imports and exports would end up 15 per cent lower than they would be had the UK stayed in the EU.
Political Correspondent Archie Mitchell reports:
Lopez says Badenoch would take ‘very rounded approach' to tackling immigration
02:00
Tara Cobham
The shadow culture secretary said new Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch would take a “very rounded approach” to tackling immigration.
Asked if Ms Badenoch would not support any of the immigration policies argued by her leadership rival Robert Jenrick, including withdrawal from the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), Julia Lopez told Sky News’s Sunday Morning With Trevor Philips: “I think what happened in the leadership election was that we started talking about these things as if leaving the ECHR was an end in itself, and that’s not the end that we were seeking.
“We are seeking lower immigration overall, and Kemi wants to take a very rounded approach to taking that immigration level down. That means looking at every aspect of the challenge. Leaving the ECHR may end up being one of those policy prescriptions.
“Visas may end up being one of those policy prescriptions, but what she doesn’t want to do is to start writing a manifesto at this stage of the Parliament before we know what we are likely to be taking on at the next general election.”
Pressed on whether leaving the ECHR was still on the table, Ms Lopez added: “She said that if that’s what is required, that is what she will do.”
Kemi Badenoch made ‘rape joke’ on social media in unearthed post
01:00
Tara Cobham
Newly elected Tory leader Kemi Badenoch has been condemned over an unearthed image that shows her making a joke about rape on her personal Facebook page.
The former women and equalities minister has been criticised by anti-domestic abuse charity Women’s Aid, which said it was appalled by the image.
In a post on her own page dated from January 2008, which was still visible on her profile as recently as this week, Ms Badenoch shared an image of three men with the caption: “The Drummond beer rape incident.”
Political Correspondent Millie Cooke reports:
Watch: Reeves admits she was wrong about public finances during election
00:00
Tara Cobham
Badenoch makes first senior appointment as Conservative leader
Sunday 3 November 2024 23:46
Joe Middleton
Rebecca Harris has been appointed Conservative chief whip, according to her predecessor Stuart Andrew.
In a post on X, Mr Andrew said: “It has been an honour and a privilege to serve as the Conservative Party chief whip.
“Rebecca Harris is a great friend and a brilliant whip. I wish her all the best in the role.”
The MP for Castle Point in Essex has been a Conservative whip since 2018.
There has been no official announcement from the party, with further appointments expected before Tuesday.
Non-recent allegation of sexual assault made against late Alex Salmond received by police
Sunday 3 November 2024 23:00
Tara Cobham
A non-recent allegation of sexual assault made against Alex Salmond has been received by police.
Mr Salmond was leader of the Alba Party up until he died suddenly aged 69 during a visit to North Macedonia last month.
The politician was first minister of Scotland from 2007-2014 under the Scottish National Party (SNP) government, but resigned from the SNP in 2018 after a number of allegations of sexual misconduct came to light.
Read the full story here:
Shadow culture secretary dismisses suggestions Badenoch has ‘abrasive’ character
Sunday 3 November 2024 22:00
Tara Cobham
The shadow culture secretary dismissed suggestions Kemi Badenoch had an “abrasive” character, saying people “want to see politicians who are straight talking”.
Put to her that Ms Badenoch might need “a personality transplant” as new Tory leader with some colleagues saying she is “rude”, and asked whether she was going to be “nice” to people, Julia Lopez told Sky News’s Sunday Morning With Trevor Philips: “We’re in a situation now where Kemi secured the most MP votes, Kemi also secured the most votes among the membership.
“People want to see politicians who are straight talking. She speaks with clarity, she speaks with truth.
“She’s already had a discussion in a different media outlet about how she might start to change some of the ways in which she deals with people, if that’s necessary, but I don’t know it’s necessary right now.”
Chancellor refuses to back down in face of national insurance hike backlash
Sunday 3 November 2024 21:00
Tara Cobham
Rachel Reeves is refusing to back down in the face of criticism over her government’s increase to employer national insurance contributions.
The chancellor also said she did not consider or discuss raising the rise before the general election.
Asked if she will think again about increasing employer national insurance contributions amid concerns from GPs, care homes and charities, Ms Reeves told the BBC’s Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg: “I’m not immune to their criticism.
“But we’ve got to raise the money, we’ve got to put our public finances on a firm footing.”
Asked if she considered or discussed raising employer national insurance contributions before Labour’s election win, Ms Reeves replied: “No, this was not something that was on the agenda before the election.”
The Chancellor said the previous Tory government cut employee national insurance contributions on a “false premise” but she thought it would be “wrong” to put that back up.
She said: “It would have been felt immediately in the payslips of working people rather than asking businesses to contribute, and second it would have been a direct breach of our manifesto commitment. So we had to make difficult choices but leadership is about difficult choices.”
Watch: Badenoch calls Partygate furore ‘overblown’ in first TV interview as Tory leader
Sunday 3 November 2024 20:00
Tara Cobham
