Sir Keir Starmer is set to face a grilling in prime minister’s questions after Labour was hit by criticism over cuts to winter fuel payments.
The party is set to launch the renters reform bill in the Commons but the long-waited legislation has been overshadowed by the row.
The party has been accused of punishing pensioners after MPs voted to cut the allowance for millions across the country.
Father of the House and former Tory minister Sir Edward Leigh called Sir Keir’s claims about the previous government’s financial decisions “absolute and complete rubbish”.
A Tory motion aimed at blocking the policy was rejected by MPs on Tuesday with a majority of 120.
The government insisted the proposed changes are needed to fill a £22 billion “black hole” in public finances left behind by previous Conservative governments.
The Winter Fuel Payment was introduced by Tony Blair’s government in 1997 and was expanded to all pensioners in 2000.
The new change will now mean that only those in receipt of pension credit or other certain benefits will continue to receive them.
Key Points
- Starmer to face PMQs showdown over winter fuel payment cuts
- Labour stands firm on winter fuel payment cuts, says minister
- How did my MP vote in the winter fuel allowance motion?
- Government to launch renters reform bill in parliament
- Reeves acknowledges economic challenges as UK growth flatlines
PMQ’s schedule for today
09:35
Salma Ouaguira
MPs are expected to sit in the House of Commons from 11.30am.
The session will start with questions to the Secretary of State for Wales, Jo Stevens.
Prime minister’s questions will then take place at 12 midday.
The main business will be focused on a general debate on Building Safety and Resilience.
Liz Truss accuses Labour of ‘punitive taxes’ on pensioners
09:34
Salma Ouaguira
VOICES: Starmer’s won the winter fuel battle, for now...
09:25
Salma Ouaguira
The PM’s position is now stronger so he can now follow through with his strategy of things getting worse before they get better, writes John Rentoul:
Uncertainty over tribunal appeals in new renters’ rights reforms, says minister
09:15
Salma Ouaguira
It is “hard to tell” how many tenants would take landlords to tribunals under Government reforms to renters’ rights, the housing and planning minister has said.
Matthew Pennycook told LBC: “We just don’t know on some of these reforms what the implications will be in terms of, for example, how many tenants will challenge an unjustified, unreasonable within-tenancy rent increase at tribunal.
“We’d expect it to be a bit more. We don’t think there’ll be huge numbers, but there are potential challenges for the courts and tribunal service to have to deal with.
“We’re working very closely with colleagues in the Ministry of Justice to ensure that the court system is ready at the point that the new system comes into effect.”
Tenants can already challenge landlords at tribunals over a rent increase they feel is unreasonable but under the reforms tribunals will not be able to award a rent increase that is higher than the landlord proposed, Mr Pennycook said.
“We want a proportion of tenants to go to the tribunal because it will have a sort of public interest role in benchmarking what is the reasonable rent increase in any area but we don’t want a system where the tribunals are swamped.”
The Bill also includes new mediation, a new ombudsman for the private renting sector and a new landlord database, he said.
Pictured: Lammy and Blinken arrive in Poland
09:05
Salma Ouaguira
Cleverly slams Labour’s early release strategy for prison overcrowding
08:57
Salma Ouaguira
Shadow home secretary James Cleverly has criticised Labour’s approach to tackling prison overcrowding, describing it as “completely” misguided.
Following the early release of around 1,700 prisoners on Tuesday to alleviate overcrowding.
Mr Cleverly told Sky News: “They got the prioritisation completely wrong. We have domestic abusers, we have sex offenders, we have criminals that have many repeat convictions.”
He added: “The point is, we’ve seen the images of people saying thank you to the Labour government, just as we saw images of illegal migrants in France waiting for a Labour government before they came across on small boats.
“Labour have got all their priorities wrong.”
Housing minister slams Labour MP’s ‘unacceptable’ property conditions
08:55
Salma Ouaguira
Housing minister Matthew Pennycook said he has not spoken to Labour MP Jas Athwal about the condition of his rental properties after a BBC investigation found issues including black mould in some of them.
Mr Pennycook said: “I have not spoken to him directly, but you will have seen the comments of the prime minister – that behaviour is unacceptable.
“The MP in question has made an apology. I understand they’ve removed their letting agent, but I don’t think that in any way excuses that behaviour. Landlords have a responsibility to ensure their properties are well-maintained and well-managed.”
Mr Pennycook said he has not spoken to Mr Athwal partly because he has been getting the legislation ready to introduce in parliament, “but there are other people that can deal with the those conversations”.
Cleverly stays in Tory leadership race despite flatlining support
08:51
Salma Ouaguira
James Cleverly has secured a spot in the final four of the Tory leadership contest but has failed to boost his support in yesterday’s second round of voting.
Mr Cleverly told Sky News this morning: “I think the message that I was getting is people were confident I would get through to the final four, a lot of my supporters wanted to make sure I got through to the final four, we have achieved that, I am very pleased with that.
“And I now intend to take the message that I have been promoting around the country and to my fellow MPs to party conference.
“Then get to the final two and ultimately win this competition to lead the party.”
Chancellor to reveal details on £1.25bn Tata Steel deal to support UK’s green transition
08:45
Salma Ouaguira
Rachel Reeves has confirmed that further details of a £1.25 billion deal with Tata Steel, the owner of Britain’s largest steelworks, will be released today.
She said: “The steel sector is incredibly important for the UK economy and we’re working in partnership with business and trade unions to help that transition to green steel, which is what businesses are looking for today… while also preserving jobs.
“We’ll be making greater detail available today but the steel sector is a vital part of our UK economy.”
Business secretary Jonathan Raynolds is expected to deliver a statement to parliament following prime minister’s questions, providing further clarity on the deal.
Rachel Reeves acknowledges economic challenges as UK growth flatlines
08:33
Salma Ouaguira
Chancellor Rachel Reeves has admitted that the UK’s economic challenges are inmense after the latest data revealed no growth in July.
The Office for National Statistics confirmed that GDP flatlined in the wake of Labour’s election victory.
Ms Reeves said she is “under no illusions” about the scale of the task acknowledging that 14 years of economic stagnation cannot be reversed quickly.
She said: “We faced a situation when I became chancellor where there was a £22bn black hole in the public finances this year.
“That meant we had to make difficult decisions – tough decisions – to get a grip of those public finances, so we could bring stability back to the economy.
“These weren’t decisions that I wanted to make, they weren’t decisions that I expected to make, but in the circumstances that we faced it was absolutely right to make sure that our public finances are on a firmer footing.
“Only through doing that do we have the chance to bring stability back to our economy, and start to grow the economy after 14 years.”
Renters’ rights bill aims to tackle ‘disreputable landlords, says minister
08:30
Salma Ouaguira
Reforms for renters will seek to “drive out disreputable landlords from the sector”, housing and planning minister Matthew Pennycook has said.
The Renters’ Rights Bill to be introduced today will “decisively level the playing field between landlords and tenants”, Mr Pennycook said.
He told LBC that “good landlords have nothing to fear from these reforms” but that landlords will not be able to “arbitrarily evict any tenant with a section 21 notice, including tenants that make complaints about things like damp and mould, rather than fix those problems.”
He said: “We recognise that most landlords provide a good service to their tenants. We want to drive out disreputable landlords from the sector, but good landlords through this Bill will have robust grounds for possession when they need to take their properties back.”
Mr Pennycook said he did not recognise warnings that the changes could prompt landlords to sell their buy-to-let properties and reduce how many rental properties are available.
He said: “If a proportion of over-geared buy-to-let landlords leave and we have more professional private rent providers come in, that will actually, I think, drive some improvements for tenants. We want to see, for example, an increase in the build-to-rent sector where you’ve got professional providers coming in and providing a slightly different offer.”
VOICES: The moment the Tory leadership contest finally became interesting
08:20
Salma Ouaguira
As Mel Stride becomes the latest candidate to be knocked out of the race to succeed Rishi Sunak, whoever wins this contest, it will only be the beginning of the next phase in the Tories’ civil war, writes Sean O’Grady.
Minister warns fixing Tory ‘mess’ could take a decade
08:07
Salma Ouaguira
Labour has claimed it will continue to blame the Conservatives for the UK’s economic woes until they have fully “fixed their mess”.
Housing minister Matthew Pennycook told Sky News: “We will stop blaming the previous government when we have fixed their mess.
“And when it comes to that £22 billion in-year black hole when we have put the public finances on a sound footing so that we can have sustainable growth that allows us to invest in public services and improve living standards.”
Asked if it would be more than one five-year term, he added: “I think rebuilding Britain as we were very clear throughout the general election is a long term project. It is at least a 10 year project. It will take time because of the severity of the inheritance that we received.”
Jon Trickett defies Labour to oppose winter fuel payment cuts
07:58
Salma Ouaguira
Labour Mo Jon Trickett was the only member of his party to vote against cuts to winter fuel payment, breaking ranks as the Tory motion to block the changes was defeated.
In a statement following the vote, Mr Trickett claimed he could not support the reduction “in good conscience” highlighting the impact of the payment.
He said: “That Labour government cut pensioner poverty from 28 per cent to 13 per cent,” contrasting with the current 18 per cent rate after 14 years of Conservative rule.
The Normanton and Hemsworth MP warned that this winter would be “extremely difficult” for his constituents, with the loss of the payment pushing many further into poverty.
“The consequences of pensioner poverty are devastating—it can even be a matter of life and death,” he stressed.
Mr Trickett, an MP since 1996 and former leader of Leeds City Council, criticised the government’s priorities, advocating instead for taxing the wealthiest rather than cutting support for working-class pensioners.
He added: “I will sleep well tonight knowing I voted to defend my constituents.”
How did my MP vote in the winter fuel allowance motion?
07:52
Salma Ouaguira
Sir Keir Starmer has seen off a backbench rebellion over plans to cut the winter fuel allowance but the Government’s majority on the matter fell to 120.
MPs voted 348 to 228 to axe the payment for all but the country’s poorest pensioners, rejecting a Tory bid for the controversial policy to be blocked. The Government’s usual working majority is 167.
The division list has shown Labour MP for Normanton and Hemsworth, Jon Trickett, supported the Conservation motion while no vote was recorded for 53 Labour MPs, although this does not automatically equate to an abstention for each MP as they may have received permission to miss a vote.
The map below shows how your local MP voted for the Conservative motion to keep the universal winter fuel allowance:
Labour stands firm on winter fuel payment cuts, says minister
07:43
Salma Ouaguira
The government will not water down its policy on scaling back winter fuel payments for pensioners, minister Matthew Pennycook has said.
The housing and planning minister told Sky News: “We’re not going to water down that policy. We think it’s the right decision to make.”
Asked about the government’s decision to award pay increases to public-sector workers while reducing winter fuel support, he said: “What this government has done is implement the recommendations of the independent public sector pay review bodies. Now, unless the opposition in parliament are saying they would have rejected those recommendations out of hand, allowed industrial action to continue, which was extremely costly to the UK economy, they would have faced that same decision.”
Asked about Labour MP Jon Trickett’s comment that he would sleep well after voting against the party’s proposed removal of the winter fuel payment for some pensioners, Mr Pennycook said: “All of us took that decision with an extremely heavy heart.”
Whether Mr Trickett would face any sanctions for voting against his party was a matter for the chief whip, the housing and planning minister said.
Labour gives renters the right to have pets and ends no-fault eviction
07:40
Salma Ouaguira
Labour will give renters the right to have pets and end no-fault evictions as it revives a package of rental reforms abandoned by the Tories.
In a major overhaul of renters rights to be introduced to Parliament today, the government has vowed to “clean up the mess” in the rental market left behind by the Conservatives.
Sir Keir Starmer’s party will abolish Section 21 so-called no-fault evictions, under which tenants can be removed from rented housing when a fixed-term tenancy ends or during a rolling tenancy.
Our political correspondent Archie Mitchell has the full story:
Starmer to face PMQs showdown over winter fuel payment cuts
07:30
Salma Ouaguira
Sir Keir Starmer is set to face tough questions at prime minister’s questions after Labour came under fire for slashing winter fuel payments.
The party has been accused of “punishing” pensioners following a vote to cut the allowance for millions across the country.
Former Conservative minister Sir Edward Leigh blasted Starmer’s criticism of the previous government’s financial decisions, calling them “absolute and complete rubbish”.
On Tuesday, MPs voted down a Tory motion to block the policy, with a majority of 120. Labour defended the cuts, arguing they are necessary to address a £22 billion financial shortfall inherited from prior Conservative governments.
Labour to launch renters reform bill in parliament
07:25
Salma Ouaguira
Legislation including a blanket ban on no-fault evictions will be introduced today, the government has confirmed.
The Renters’ Rights Bill will ensure greater security for renters by creating a “level playing field between tenants and landlords”, the government said.
The previous government pledged to end section 21 evictions, which allow landlords to evict tenants with two months’ notice without providing a reason, but concern about its impact on landlords and the courts was set to lead to a delay in implementation.
The Conservatives’ Renters (Reform) Bill then ran out of time to progress through Parliament before the election.
The government said it will go further than previously proposed by banning section 21 evictions for both new and existing tenancies, with research by charity Shelter finding 26,000 households have been evicted through the process since 2019.
The Bill will also extend Awaab’s Law – named after the toddler who died after exposure to mould in his family’s social rented home – to the private sector to ensure all landlords speedily address hazards and make homes safe.
In addition, the Bill would end blanket bans imposed by some landlords on those receiving benefits or with children.
Starmer to lead new Council of Nations and Regions with devolved First Ministers
07:24
Salma Ouaguira
Sir Keir Starmer has confirmed he will lead a new Council of the Nations and Regions, which will involve the first ministers of the three devolved administrations.
The new body will take the place of joint ministerial councils, which previously operated and brought ministers from Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast together with UK government ministers.
However, Sir Keir claimed that under the Tory government the “prime minister didn’t bother turning up” to such meetings – with the then-Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Michael Gove often involved in the talks.
Sir Keir pledged his new body would be a “a proper council”, revealing he had spoken about his plans to Scottish First Minister John Swinney when they met in Edinburgh shortly after Labour’s general election victory.
Speaking to Scottish lobby journalists at a briefing in Downing Street, Sir Keir confirmed: “The council of nations and regions, which we promised to set up, we will set up.”
He added: “A proper council, where Scotland is properly represented by the First Minister in a formal setting with me and the other First Ministers, meeting on a regular basis, where we can look at challenges and opportunities together.”
The UK economy recorded no growth in July
07:16
Salma Ouaguira
Official figures have revealed there was no growth in the UK economy in July.
It comes after a month of no growth at all in the previous month, the Office for National Statistics said.
Economists had been expecting GDP to edge up by 0.1% in the month, according to a consensus provided by Pantheon Macroeconomics.
The latest data comes after the economy continued its recovery from recession at the end of last year, with growth of 0.6% between April and June.
Responding to the latest figures, chancellor Rachel Reeves said: “I am under no illusion about the scale of the challenge we face and I will be honest with the British people that change will not happen overnight.
“Two quarters of positive economic growth does not make up for fourteen years of stagnation.
“That is why we are taking the long-term decisions now to fix the foundations of our economy.”
