Sir Keir Starmer has declined to give Angela Rayner, the Deputy Prime Minister, a seat on the National Security Council despite Sue Gray, his former chief of staff, having attended the committee.
Details published on Thursday show there is no permanent seat for Ms Rayner on the NSC, marking a break from former practice.
The committee, led by the Prime Minister, includes Rachel Reeves, the Chancellor, Yvette Cooper, the Home Secretary, David Lammy, the Foreign Secretary, John Healey, the Defence Secretary, Lord Hermer, the Attorney General and Cabinet Office minister Pat McFadden.
Ms Gray also attended the meetings in her former post as Sir Keir’s chief of staff, it has been reported.
Previous deputy prime ministers have been permanent members of the group since it was established by David Cameron in 2010.
The only exception was Therese Coffey, who served as deputy during Liz Truss’s brief tenure in Downing Street. Ms Truss abolished the NSC to set up a larger foreign policy and security committee instead, with Ms Coffey as the deputy leader.
Other ministers, including Ms Rayner, may be invited to attend, according to the NSC’s agenda. She also sits on the larger National Security Council (Resilience) committee, led by Mr McFadden.
Downing Street denied Ms Rayner had been snubbed. The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said on Thursday: “All Cabinet committees include a range of secretaries of state, usually relevant to their portfolio.
“As you can see on the list of attendees meeting, attendees are not fixed and ministers are always invited according to the specific agenda of the meeting.”
Ms Rayner is also a member of Cabinet committees that are focused on home and economic affairs, and leads the future of work committee to oversee the Government’s reforms to employment law.
In July, allies of the Ms Rayner told The Telegraph they feared she was being “frozen out” after having been identified as the biggest potential threat to Sir Keir.
Polling revealed Ms Rayner to be the most popular choice among Labour voters to succeed him, and she has a strong following on the Left of the party because of her history within the trade union movement.
03:51 PM BST
That is all for today…
Thank you for joining me for today’s politics live blog.
I will be back tomorrow morning.
03:22 PM BST
Lammy: ‘UK’s commitment to Ukraine is unwavering’
The UK’s commitment to Ukraine is unwavering.
It was an honour to welcome President @ZelenskyyUa to London.
We are clear – our collective security depends on standing up to Putin’s imperialism. https://t.co/3XcLhKSkXY
— David Lammy (@DavidLammy) October 10, 2024
03:14 PM BST
Pictured: John Swinney shows support for Breast Cancer Now’s ‘Wear It Pink’ campaign
02:52 PM BST
Tory blame game erupts after Cleverly crashes out of leadership race
From Grant Shapps’ spreadsheet to claims that James Cleverly spent too much time in the pub, the Tory blame game has broken out in earnest, writes Daniel Martin.
Mr Cleverly, the former home secretary, was left licking his wounds after dropping from first place in the MPs’ ballot on Tuesday to last in the vote on Wednesday.
But Mr Shapps, the chairman of Mr Cleverly’s campaign, defended himself and told The Telegraph it was “completely untrue” that the team had urged supporters to engage in tactical voting.
You can read the full story here.
02:33 PM BST
Badenoch campaigns in Ealing after making it to the final two
02:18 PM BST
Telegraph readers deliver verdict on Jenrick campaign speech
Robert Jenrick promised to unite the Tories, take the fight to Labour and radically reduce net migration when he delivered his first speech since making the final two of the leadership contest at lunchtime.
Telegraph readers have been delivering their verdict on Mr Jenrick’s address in the comments section of today’s live blog:
02:13 PM BST
National Insurance increase would be ‘clear breach’ of Labour manifesto, warns Hunt
Increasing employer National Insurance contributions would be a “clear breach” of Labour’s manifesto, Jeremy Hunt said.
The shadow chancellor accused the Government of trying to obfuscate its true intentions on taxation.
His comments came Sir Keir Starmer repeatedly failed yesterday to rule out an increase.
Mr Hunt tweeted: “Regardless of what they say, raising Employer National Insurance is a clear breach of the Labour manifesto and a tax on working people. No amount of obfuscation can hide this.”
Labour’s manifesto stated: “We will ensure taxes on working people are kept as low as possible. Labour will not increase taxes on working people, which is why we will not increase National Insurance, the basic, higher, or additional rates of Income Tax, or VAT.”
02:03 PM BST
Group of centrist Tories won’t endorse Jenrick or Badenoch
A group of centrist Tories has refused to endorse either of the final two candidates in the race to succeed Rishi Sunak.
The Tory Reform Group (TRG), which describes itself as “the home of One Nation Conservatism since 1975” said in a statement: “TRG members were consulted throughout the process, and the results clearly show that neither candidate has secured widespread support from the majority of our membership.
“Both have used rhetoric and focused on issues which are far and away from the party at its best, let alone the One Nation values we cherish and uphold. Therefore, the board of the TRG has unanimously concluded that we are unable to endorse either candidate.”
The group urged Kemi Badenoch and Robert Jenrick to “recognise where the values of the British people lie, and to work for positive change rather than try to divide us”.
02:01 PM BST
Pictured: Rayner and Reynolds visit Co-Op logistics depot in Durham
01:51 PM BST
Downing Street denies ‘snubbing’ Rayner over National Security Council seat
Angela Rayner has been left out of the permanent membership of the UK’s National Security Council (NSC), despite being Deputy Prime Minister.
Details published today showed there was no permanent seat for Ms Rayner on the NSC, in a break with former practice.
The committee, chaired by the Prime Minister, includes the Chancellor Rachel Reeves, Cabinet Office minister Pat McFadden, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, Foreign Secretary David Lammy, Defence Secretary John Healey and the Attorney General Lord Hermer.
Other ministers, including Ms Rayner, may be invited to attend according to the NSC’s agenda. But previous deputy prime ministers have been permanent members of the group since it was established by David Cameron in 2010.
Downing Street denied Ms Rayner had been “snubbed”.
The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: “All Cabinet committees include a range of secretaries of state, usually relevant to their portfolio.
“As you can see on the list of attendees meeting, attendees are not fixed and ministers are always invited according to the specific agenda of the meeting.”
01:45 PM BST
Pictured: Starmer shakes hands with Rutte as Nato chief visits No 10
01:10 PM BST
Shapps urges Starmer to give Zelensky ‘good news’ on Storm Shadow
With President Zelenskyy visiting Downing Street today it’s time for @Keir_Starmer to deliver him some good news on the use of long-range Storm Shadow missiles. The UK must urgently regain lost leadership by backing Ukraine to defeat Putin’s illegal invasion of their country🇬🇧🇺🇦 pic.twitter.com/qBuyCsSqn6
— Rt Hon Grant Shapps (@grantshapps) October 10, 2024
12:56 PM BST
Zelensky: Ukraine working with allies on victory plan
Volodymyr Zelensky said he used his meeting with Sir Keir Starmer at Downing Street today to outline the details of his “victory plan” for the war with Russia.
“We have agreed to work on it together with our allies,” Mr Zelensky said.
“The victory plan aims to create the right conditions for a just end to the war. I thank the United Kingdom for its continued defence support of our country, including with long-range weapons.”
12:53 PM BST
Mark Rutte tells Nato allies: ‘Stop worrying about a Trump presidency’
Nato secretary general Mark Rutte said he was not concerned about the possible return of Donald Trump to the White House potentially leading to a withdrawal of US support for Ukraine.
Mr Rutte told reporters in Downing Street: “I know that he understands completely and agrees with me that this fight in Ukraine is not only about Ukraine, it’s also about the safety and the future security of the United States. He knows this.
“We also know that in the US, in Congress and in the Senate, there is broad bipartisan support for this. So really, stop worrying about a Trump presidency.”
Asked if he was worried about Mr Trump withdrawing support for Ukraine he said: “I’m not worried about that because I’m absolutely convinced that the US is in this because they understand it is not only for Ukraine, but also for them, and that from from Washington to San Francisco, the whole of the US would be less secure if Putin would be successful in Ukraine.”
12:51 PM BST
Nato chief: One weapon system will not change Ukrainian fortunes
Mark Rutte said that “it will not be one weapon system which will make the change” in the Ukraine-Russia war.
Asked if he sympathised with Volodymyr Zelensky’s requests to be able to hit targets in Russia with UK Storm Shadow missiles, the Nato secretary general said: “Well, I think it is a bit more nuanced, because when you look at what the UK is doing, I think it is now £3 billion a year you guys are providing Ukraine with this military aid, with training.”
Other countries were also stepping up support, he added.
“The whole of the alliance is in this, and let’s not focus on one system, one weapon system, it will not be one weapon system which will make the change,” Mr Rutte said.
“So I understand what Zelensky is asking, but at the same time, he also agrees that there is a broader issue to be debated to make sure that they prevail.”
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12:49 PM BST
No 10 won’t be drawn on Ukraine’s Storm Shadow request
Downing Street said “no war has ever been won by a single weapon” as it was pressed on whether Ukraine could fire Storm Shadow missiles at targets in Russia.
Ukraine has long sought permission to use Western missiles to hit targets inside Russia and while No 10 is thought to be supportive of such a move, the US is said to be opposed due to fears of escalation.
The Prime Minister’s official spokesman told reporters at lunchtime: “No war had ever been won by a single weapon.
“The discussions that the UK, Ukraine and international partners are having are about all the range of support that we can provide Ukraine heading into the crucial winter months ahead.”
12:46 PM BST
No legal reason stopping Ukraine using Western missiles inside Russia, says Nato chief
Mark Rutte, the Nato secretary general, said there was no legal reason why Western-supplied long-range missiles could not be used by Ukraine against targets in Russia, but the decision lay with individual countries like the UK.
Speaking to reporters in Downing Street he said: “First of all, that is up to the allies, the individual allies, to decide how weapons they deliver into Ukraine can be used.
“Legally that is possible because legally Ukraine is allowed to use its weapons, if they can hit targets in Russia, if these targets present a threat to Ukraine.
“But whether individual allies do, that’s in the end, (is) always up to individual allies. Of course we discussed this. I was last week in Kyiv. We discussed it today, but in the end, it is up to the individual allies.”
12:41 PM BST
Jenrick: ‘We did not trade any votes’
Robert Jenrick said his leadership campaign did not engage in “horse-trading” during MP votes.
There have been myriad claims of potential vote lending but Mr Jenrick insisted he and his team had not engaged in such action.
He told reporters: “We did not trade any votes. We worked relentlessly to persuade colleagues to get the greatest number of supporters we could in Parliament.
“And I think you will have seen in the way that I have conducted myself over the summer that we have worked hard.”
12:33 PM BST
My values haven’t changed, insists Jenrick
It was suggested to Robert Jenrick that he was “parading as Nigel Farage but actually in heart and in truth you are more like David Cameron”.
The fact that Mr Jenrick was a Remainer but is now an ardent Brexiteer calling to leave the ECHR was cited as evidence.
Mr Jenrick said: “I don’t think it is a fair description. My values haven’t changed. What has changed is the exposure to the reality on the ground.”
12:30 PM BST
Jenrick rejects ‘false choice’ between ending mass migration and economic growth
Robert Jenrick was asked if he would end mass migration even if it damaged economic growth.
He said: “I think that is a false choice. As I have set out consistently I don’t believe the age of mass migration has made any of us richer.
“In 25 years since Tony Blair became prime minister, 5.9 million people net have come into our country and yet this has been a era marked by low economic growth and poor productivity growth.”
Mr Jenrick said he wanted to “end mass migration and fire up our economy”.
12:27 PM BST
Jenrick offering Tory members ‘serious answers to big challenges’
Robert Jenrick is now taking questions from the media.
He was told that numerous polls of the Tory grassroots suggested he was less favoured than Kemi Badenoch.
Asked what he could offer that she could not, Mr Jenrick said throughout the leadership contest he had offered the “serious answers to the big challenges this country faces”.
12:23 PM BST
Poor performing public service leaders ‘have got to go’, says Jenrick
Turning to the UK economy, Robert Jenrick said that he wanted to deliver a “small state that works”.
He said that government is “wasting billions and everyone in our country knows that” and there is a “major problem with public sector productivity”.
He said: “The best leaders in our public services should be empowered and those responsible for persistently poor performance have got to go.”
12:16 PM BST
Jenrick: Tories won’t survive unless they get serious about tackling migration
The Conservative Party has “no future” if it fails to advocate exiting the European Convention on Human Rights, according to Robert Jenrick.
He told supporters at a speech at the Policy Exchange think tank: “Unless we leave our party has no future. To regain the trust of the British public we must truly do whatever it takes.”
Mr Jenrick said he would introduce a legally binding cap on net migration of “tens of thousands or lower”.
He said: “My way is the promise of a plan, not a plan tomorrow. That won’t cut it. If we don’t get serious on migration our party won’t survive. It is as simple as that.”
Mr Jenrick also appeared to take a swipe at Kemi Badenoch as he said: “That was surely the purpose of having this long contest. Not to spend months debating personalities, not to say there will be a plan tomorrow but we don’t know what it is.
“That is a recipe for more infighting and for more loss of public trust. So what I stand for, and this does differ from some of the other candidates that have put themselves forward over the course of this contest, is I have set out very clear policy answers.”
12:11 PM BST
Labour believes voters should ‘shut up and tolerate’ illegal migration, claims Jenrick
Labour believes that high levels of illegal migration are just a “fact of life” and the British people should “shut up and tolerate it”, Robert Jenrick argued.
“But the British public deserve better than that,” he said.
Mr Jenrick repeated his pledge to take the UK out of the European Convention on Human Rights and said that suggestions it could be reformed were nothing better than a “fantasy”.
“It is leave or remain and I am for leave.”
12:09 PM BST
Jenrick promises ‘complete break from Labour’ if he becomes Tory leader
Robert Jenrick said if he becomes leader of the Conservative Party it will stand for a “complete break from Labour’s failing agenda”.
He said he would bring forward a “new approach”.
He said: “If I am chosen as the next leader of the Conservative Party we will stand for a complete break from Labour’s failing agenda.
“Keir Starmer’s delusions, weakness, and stale ideas are taking our country in the wrong direction.
“Our job is to send him packing.”
12:06 PM BST
Jenrick speech now underway
Robert Jenrick is now on his feet as he delivers a speech at the Policy Exchange think tank.
“It’s great to be in the final two,” he said.
The former immigration minister said “now we move forwards”.
11:53 AM BST
Jenrick’s speech titled ‘The Choice We Face’
Robert Jenrick’s speech at the Policy Exchange think tank should get underway at noon.
It has the title: “The Choice We Face”.
11:42 AM BST
Khan grilled over Taylor Swift police escort row
Sadiq Khan has failed to totally deny reports he lobbied Scotland Yard to secure a royal-style police escort for Taylor Swift, writes Nick Gutteridge.
The Mayor of London insisted he had “never interfered in operational matters as far as the police are concerned” when confronted about the row.
He was questioned about his role in the controversy by Susan Hall, his former Tory rival for the mayoralty, during a debate at City Hall today.
She challenged him to “categorically state that you had absolutely no role in either arranging the escort or lobbying the Met for a different decision on it”.
Mr Khan replied: “I can categorically confirm that operational matters are matters for the police, not matters for the Mayor, and I’ve never interfered in operational matters as far as the police are concerned.
“What I can confirm is that I regularly speak to the commissioner and his senior team about matters of safety in London whether it’s concerts, whether it’s sporting events, whether it’s carnival, whether it’s New Year Eve’s fireworks, whether it’s the King’s coronation.”
11:37 AM BST
MPs to vote on Employment Rights Bill on Oct 21
MPs will vote for the first time on Labour’s flagship workers’ rights legislation later this month, the Government has announced.
The Employment Rights Bill will receive its second reading on Oct 21.
Lucy Powell, the Commons Leader, made the announcement during the business statement in the House of Commons this morning.
11:34 AM BST
Starmer tells Rutte: Nato as important today as it was when it was founded
Sir Keir Starmer told Nato’s Mark Rutte that the invasion of Ukraine underlined the importance of the alliance.
During talks in No 10 this morning, the Prime Minister said: “We’ve obviously just been with President Zelensky. If the Ukraine conflict shows us one thing, it’s that Nato is as important today as it was on the day it was founded.”
Mr Rutte, the Nato secretary general, thanked the UK for being one of the key players in the alliance and playing a leading role in supporting Ukraine with training and “military aid going in”.
11:32 AM BST
Reeves to lure back foreign cash with ‘concierge service’ as tax fears mount
Rachel Reeves is preparing to launch a new concierge service for foreign investors amid fears her Budget tax raid will make Britain a less attractive destination for overseas money.
The Government will unveil a one-stop shop for foreign companies to make investing in the UK easier as the Chancellor seeks to cushion the blow from higher taxes on overseas investors.
Ms Reeves is planning to hit international non-doms and private equity investors with higher taxes at her maiden Budget on Oct 30, a move at odds with the Government’s bid to make the UK a more attractive destination for foreign capital.
You can read the full story here.
11:14 AM BST
Cooper attended Swift concert for free after ‘pressuring Scotland Yard to give singer VIP escort’
Yvette Cooper attended one of Taylor Swift’s London concerts for free after allegedly pressuring Scotland Yard to give the pop star a VIP police escort, it has emerged.
The revelation comes as the Home Secretary faces pressure to come clean over whether she pushed police to give the singer royal-style protection for a series of gigs in the capital in August.
You can read the full story here.
10:57 AM BST
PM welcomes Nato chief to No 10 for joint talks with Zelensky
Sir Keir Starmer has welcomed Nato’s new secretary general Mark Rutte to No 10 for talks with Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky.
The Prime Minister told the Nato chief that he and Mr Zelensky had been “meeting all morning, going through the plan for victory”.
Mr Rutte said “this is about Ukraine, but it’s also about the defence of the West and how we stay safe”.
10:55 AM BST
Starmer hails workers’ rights reforms
Today, my Labour government is introducing the biggest upgrade to workers’ rights in a generation.
Turning the page on an economy riven by insecurity, ravaged by dire productivity and blighted by low pay.
We will grow our economy across the country and make work pay again.
— Keir Starmer (@Keir_Starmer) October 10, 2024
10:46 AM BST
Spain threatens UK with hard border on Gibraltar
Spain has threatened the UK with a hard border on Gibraltar unless it accepts Madrid’s “generous” post-Brexit deal, which would mean Spanish troops stationed on the Rock.
José Manuel Albares, Spain’s foreign minister, gathered regional authorities and journalists in Andalusia, which borders Gibraltar, weeks before the introduction of the European Union’s digital border system.
A proposed deal between the EU and the UK would result in Gibraltar being included within the Schengen area, dispensing with the land border.
But Madrid has insisted that its security forces would have to be present to police arrivals to Gibraltar’s airport and port.
You can read the full story here.
10:20 AM BST
Braverman’s Cambridge speech postponed after Palestine group’s ‘mob-rule tactics’
Suella Braverman has been forced to call off a speech at the University of Cambridge by pro-Palestinian protesters using “mob-rule tactics”.
The former home secretary was due to talk about her career and life in politics on Thursday to the Cambridge University Conservative Association (CUCA), which she led 20 years ago as a student.
But Cambridge for Palestine, a campaign group, called on supporters to “no platform” the “far Right”, claiming her “hyper-authoritarian populist policies on migration, policing and protest” represented “everything we stand against”.
You can read the full story here.
10:03 AM BST
Reader poll: Should Boris Johnson return to politics?
Boris Johnson isn’t ruling out a future return to front-line politics (see the post below at 07.24).
Do you think he should return? You can have your say in the reader poll below:
09:47 AM BST
Pictured: John Healey and Sir Tony Radakin arrive in Downing Street
09:30 AM BST
Starmer promises continued commitment to supporting Ukraine during Zelensky talks
Sir Keir Starmer said Volodymyr Zelensky’s visit to Downing Street represented a chance for the Ukrainian president to talk through his plans in more detail.
The Prime Minister said as he welcomed Mr Zelensky to No 10 this morning that it was “very important we’re able to show our continued commitment to support Ukraine” and it was a chance to “go through the plan, to talk in more detail”.
09:28 AM BST
Coming up: Jenrick to deliver speech after making final two
Robert Jenrick will deliver a speech at the Policy Exchange think tank later today as he tries to build momentum after making it into the final two of the Tory leadership campaign.
Mr Jenrick made it into the final stage of the contest along with Kemi Badenoch after James Cleverly was eliminated yesterday.
The former immigration minister should be on his feet at the think tank in central London at noon and I will guide you through the key developments.
There will also be a stream so you will be able to watch the address live.
09:24 AM BST
Wes Streeting attends G7 meeting of health ministers in Italy
09:06 AM BST
Starmer welcomes Zelensky to No 10 for talks
Volodymyr Zelensky has just arrived in Downing Street for talks with Sir Keir Starmer.
The Prime Minister welcomed the Ukrainian president just after 9am. They embraced before shaking hands and posing for photographs in front of No 10’s famous black door.
Mark Rutte, the Nato secretary general, is also due to meet with Sir Keir at No 10 later today.
08:58 AM BST
Pictured: No 10 chief of staff Morgan McSweeney arrives in Downing Street
08:56 AM BST
Reeves ‘needs up to £25bn of tax rises to avoid austerity’
Rachel Reeves must raise taxes by as much as £25bn in order to ensure Britain does not return to austerity, a leading think tank has warned.
The Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) said the Chancellor’s pledge to protect government spending meant she was on course for a tax-raising Budget that could surpass the post-election raids launched by Gordon Brown in 1997 or George Osborne in 2010.
The think tank warned this would push the tax burden up to 37.9pc – its highest share in peacetime.
You can read the full story here.
08:36 AM BST
Labour will not force people to adopt flexible working, insists minister
The Government will introduce statutory guidance on when companies can refuse workers permission to work flexibly, the Business Secretary has said.
Asked who will decide when flexible working is not possible, Jonathan Reynolds told the BBC: “There will be some clear statutory guidance with grounds upon which that wouldn’t be possible.
“So that might mean you have to train junior members of staff, it might be that you have management responsibilities.
“But it will be straightforward and of course we should always recognise where this can be agreed between an employer and employee.
“There are real business benefits and benefits for the employee of that flexibility, keeping more people in work for longer, having more people in the labour market, so those are good things.
“But of course, we are not going to dictate, it doesn’t work for everyone, but the process will be improved by this legislation.”
08:23 AM BST
Badenoch and Jenrick set for TV debate
Robert Jenrick and Kemi Badenoch will face each other in a televised Tory leadership debate on Oct 17.
GB News is hosting the event which could be a key moment in the battle to replace Rishi Sunak.
The programme, entitled “Decision Time: The Race To Lead”, will be broadcast between 7pm and 9pm.
08:12 AM BST
Reynolds: ‘This is a Government that is going to make everybody better off’
A Cabinet minister insisted everybody will be better off under the Government after it was suggested to him that pensioners would have to “hide behind the sofa wrapped in a blanket” when the Budget is delivered on Oct 30.
Jonathan Reynolds, the Business and Trade Secretary, told Sky News: “This is a Government that is going to make everybody better off.
“Specifically for pensioners, we already have the commitment to the triple lock, that’s a guarantee that pensioners will be better off this year, next year, the year after that.
“That is a significant pledge from this new Government, so people should be reassured from commitments like that.
“Yes, it is a challenging situation, but we are serious on delivering on our objectives, which is an economy that works better for everyone, better growth, better investment and making sure everyone benefits from that.”
08:01 AM BST
Union boss: Workers’ rights reforms leave ‘more holes than Swiss cheese’
Unite the union warned Labour’s Employment Rights Bill will fail to make work pay but welcomed it as a step forward for workers.
Sharon Graham, Unite’s general secretary, said some of the workers’ rights reforms would leave “more holes than Swiss cheese” for employers to take advantage of.
“This Bill is without doubt a significant step forward for worker but stops short of making work pay,” she said.
“The end to draconian laws like Minimum Service Levels and the introduction of new individual rights, for example on bereavement leave, will be beneficial. But the Bill still ties itself up in knots trying to avoid what was promised.
“Failure to end fire and rehire and zero hours contracts once and for all will leave more holes than Swiss cheese that hostile employers will use.
“The Bill also fails to give workers the sort of meaningful rights to access to a union for pay bargaining that would put more money in their pockets and, in turn, would aid growth.
“Unite will continue to make the workers’ voice heard as we push for improvements to the legislation as the Bill goes through Parliament.”
07:44 AM BST
Steve Baker declares support for Kemi Badenoch
Steve Baker, the Tory former Brexit minister, said he will vote for Kemi Badenoch in the Tory leadership contest as she faces Robert Jenrick in the final two.
Mr Baker, who lost his seat at the general election, told GB News: “I shall vote for Kemi and with a good heart too, because she’s authentic and she’s got a ferocious passion for what she believes.
“I think for a long time, the Conservative Party’s been all over the place because it’s kind of lacked an intellectual keel. It’s forgotten what it believed and followed polls rather than trying to lead them.
“And what Kemi does is she truly believes in conservative ideas, and she argues for them with great passion. And it’s that authenticity which for me tells me it should be Kemi.”
07:34 AM BST
Rayner: Tories ‘out of step with modern Britain’ with opposition to workers’ rights reforms
Angela Rayner said Labour’s Employment Rights Bill will deliver the “biggest upgrade to rights at work in a generation”.
The Deputy Prime Minister said Tory opposition to the reforms demonstrated the Conservative Party was “out of step with modern Britain”.
She tweeted: “We know the out of touch Tories will oppose this every step of the way. Just like they opposed Labour’s minimum wage, and now – shamefully – want to take us back to the dark ages, when women were denied maternity pay. But it’s clear they are out of step with modern Britain.”
07:29 AM BST
Labour threatening return to 1970s with workers’ rights reforms, claim Tories
The Government is threatening to take businesses and the UK economy back to the 1970s with its workers’ rights reforms, the Tories have warned.
Ministers are today publishing Labour’s flagship Employment Rights Bill which they argue will provide greater flexibility to both workers and employers.
The Bill includes measures to end “exploitative” zero hours contracts and to establish day one rights to protection against unfair dismissal and to paternity, parental and bereavement leave.
But Kevin Hollinrake, the shadow business secretary, claimed the reforms would have “inevitable negative economic impacts”.
He said: “Despite a chorus of opposition and the fastest decline in confidence from business owners large and small on record, Labour are rushing this legislation through Parliament to appease their trade union paymasters, ignoring the inevitable negative economic impacts on jobs and wages.
“This is a thinly veiled reward for the trade unions after they donated £28 million to Keir Starmer’s Labour Party.
“We will look closely at the detail of what the Labour Party have set out. But businesses and the economy needs certainty not the threat of being sent back to the 1970s, unleashing waves of low threshold, zero warning strikes, driving down growth and slowing productivity.”
07:24 AM BST
All effective politicians have ‘cockroach-like’ drive to survive, says Boris Johnson
Boris Johnson said all effective politicians have a “cockroach-like” drive to survive as he hinted at a potential return to front-line politics.
Asked about the possibility of a comeback, Mr Johnson told Times Radio: “The real answer is what Her Maj the Queen said, and I can say that without breaching any confidence; you should only do things if you think you can be useful.”
Asked if he was saying that he believed he could no longer be useful, he replied: “I’m not saying that.”
He continued: “For politicians to be effective, they must be like wasps in a jam jar. They’ve got to want continually, cockroach-like to survive and to continue. That’s not necessarily a despicable thing from the point of view of the electorate because we all need people who really, really want to do their best for us.”
Mr Johnson made the comments as he continued to promote his new book “Unleashed”.
