Reeves admits she will raise taxes in October as Rayner plays down Labour rebellion on housing targets – live

Rachel Reeves has admitted taxes will likely be raised in the October Budget to fill a £22 billion black hole in public finances.

The chancellor said Labour would stick to its election manifesto promises not to raise national insurance, income tax or VAT, but left open the possibility for other tax hikes at the Budget in October.

It comes as the Ms Rayner declared that the UK is living the “most acute housing crisis in living history” as she announced a radical reform to the country’s housing planning system.

Ms Reeves spending announcement has sparked a Labour rebellion among backbenchers with Diane Abbott labelling the chancellors’ public cuts plan a “renewed austerity”.

Deputy prime minister Angela Rayner has played down backlash among Labour backbenchers at the government’s housing plan to impose housebuilding targets for councils.

Following her speech in the Commons, the housing secretary has launched an expert taskforce to spearhead Labour’s plans for a fresh generation of new towns, which the new government says will create communities of at least 10,000 homes each.

Key Points

• Reeves admits taxes will rise in first Labour budget in October

• Angela Rayner declares UK faces ‘most acute housing crisis in living memory’

• Expert taskforce launched to plan fresh generation of new towns

• Badenoch dismisses bullying claims as ‘smears’ amid Tory leadership bid

• Chancellor faces Labour backbench rebellion over winter fuel payment

• Labour introduces mandatory housebuilding targets of 370,000 per year

Labour to take local plans off councils as ‘final and most extreme’ housebuilding measure

07:47 , Salma Ouaguira

Housing minister Matthew Pennycook has said the government would put in place housing plans in local areas as a “final and most extreme” intervention to ensure targets are met.

He told Times Radio: “We are prepared to take local plans off local authorities and ensure they are put in place. That would be the final and most extreme type of intervention that we would contemplate.

“What we’d rather do is encourage and support local councils to get those plans in place. You’re right to refer to them because local plans are the best way that local communities can engage with the planning process, can shape development in their area, in the way that they want to see it take place.”

He added: “We want to see local plans in place by next year, there’ll be a process to drive up coverage across the country.

“But this is right that this is the focus, in the sense we have a local plan-led planning system, and what we’ve inherited from the previous government is only a third up to date local plan coverage.

“So we’ve got a system that is chronically underperforming, that is not functioning as it should as I say, if we boost local plan coverage in the way we want, cities will be able to shape the development in the way that they see fit. But the conversation has to be how it’s done, not whether housing targets and housing need is met.”

Councils will ‘have’ to release green belt land for building

07:45 , Salma Ouaguira

Housing minister Matthew Pennycook has confirmed local authorities may be forced to release green belt land to make space for new housing.

Mr Pennycook told Sky News: “So what local councils will face is when they’re putting their plans in place, a sequential test for releasing land.

“Brown field first, then grey belt, then in extremis, green belt land.

“But if they don’t have those local plans in place, or they’re not performing adequately against their housing targets, grey belt land could be released, through that route.”

Renewable energy budget boosted to £1.5bn as record funding allocated

07:37 , Salma Ouaguira

The UK’s renewable energy budget has been increased to a record £1.5 billion, Ed Miliband announced on Wednesday.

Of that, £1.1 billion will be allocated for offshore wind, which the government described as “the backbone of the UK’s clean energy mission”.

Our political correspondent Millie Cooke has the full story:

Renewable energy budget boosted to £1.5bn as record funding allocated for clean power

Badenoch dismisses bullying claims as ‘smears’ amid Tory leadership bid

07:29 , Salma Ouaguira

Kemi Badenoch has dismissed accusations that she bullied civil service staff while serving as business secretary as “smears”.

The Conservative MP, now shadow communities secretary, is alleged to have created an intimidating atmosphere at the Department of Business and Trade in a report by the Guardian newspaper.

“Let’s be clear: these allegations are smears from former staff who I sacked after they were accused of bullying behaviour, lying about other colleagues to cover up their own failures and general gross incompetence,” Ms Badenoch wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

“Intolerable behaviour I would not stand for,” she added.

The Tory former minister, among those running to be the party’s next leader, also claimed the Department of Business and Trade had confirmed there were no complaints and no investigations against her.

She said the accusations would not “stop me or my campaign” and claimed her bid to be the next Conservative leader following the party’s general election rout had “spooked the lefties and now they’re coming for the one person they know can beat Keir Starmer”.

Ms Badenoch, the MP for North West Essex, added: “The renewal of my party and the country is too important to let the Guardian, acting for the Labour Party, disrupt.”

A spokesman for Ms Badenoch added that she has “high standards and expectations, and she has cultivated high-performing civil service teams who enjoy working with her”.

Housing minister condemns ‘absolutely appalling’ Southport riots

07:27 , Salma Ouaguira

Housing minister Matthew Pennycook has condemned the “absolutely appalling” scenes of riots in Southport last night.

At least 39 police officers have been injured in clashes outside a mosque in Southport, as angry crowds of suspected English Defence League supporters threw bricks and set off fireworks.

The unrest followed a peaceful vigil for the victims of Monday’s shocking attack in which multiple children were stabbed in a Taylor Swift-themed dance class.

He told Sky News: “And to have their space for them to process the trauma, to grieve, overshadowed by this violence and disorder, I think is completely despicable.

“And the home secretary and the prime minister have made clear that those responsible will feel the full force of the law, and rightly so.”

The cabinet minister said he cannot speak about the reason Sir Keir Starmer was heckled by some people but claimed the prime minister was “warmly welcomed” in Southport.

He added the issue behind the riots was ”people coming in from outside Merseyside who aren’t local to try and stir up public disorder”.

Rachel Reeves admits taxes will rise in first Labour budget in October

07:22 , Salma Ouaguira

The chancellor has admitted the government will have to raise some taxes in October’s budget after months of spiraling rumours about Labour’s tax plans.

Asked about how she will raise money to plug the £22bn black hole in public finances, she told the News Agents podcast: “I think we will have to increase taxes in the Budget.”

It comes as Labour insisted there would be no tax rises for “working poeple” during the general election campaign. But the Tories repeatedly claimed the party would increase them if it comes to power.

Ms Reeves repeated the Labour manifesto commitment of no VAT, national insurance, or income tax increases, but did not rule out inheritance tax, capital gains tax, or pension reform.

She said: “I’m not going to write a Budget or start to write a Budget on this podcast.”

The minister added that Labour plans to stick to “sensible” rules in a bid to bring the government’s longer-term debts down.

Peer accused of Islamophobia over ‘disgusting’ House of Lords speech

07:20 , Salma Ouaguira

Outrage as peer claims Muslim ‘radicals will take us over through power of the womb’

Poll: One in three people think university is not worth time and money

07:14 , Salma Ouaguira

Nearly a third of people think a university education is not worth the time and money, a poll has found.

More than three in four people think opportunities for apprenticeships should be increased, according to research by the Policy Institute at King’s College London (KCL).

The public are “more sceptical” that going to university is worth the investment, the report suggested.

The study, which surveyed more than 2,600 British people in May and more than 1,000 in June, found that 31% agreed that university education is not worth the amount of time and money it usually takes.

This is higher than in 2018 when fewer than a fifth (18%) of the public said university was not worth it.

Nearly twice as many people want greater opportunities for apprenticeships (76%) than greater opportunities to go to university (39%), according to the poll which was conducted with Focaldata.

The study, which included a poll of 369 parents of children aged 11-17 in the UK, suggested that nearly two in five (37%) of this group feel degrees are not good value for money compared to 10 years ago.

The findings come after university leaders have warned of significant financial concerns as a result of frozen tuition fees paid by domestic students and a drop in overseas students.

Nearly three in five (59%) parents of children aged 11 to 17 said it is likely their child will apply to university, or that they’ve already applied, which is down on 2014 (65%).

Nearly half (48%) said they would prefer their child to study an apprenticeship, while 40% said they would prefer them to do a degree, according to the poll.

Expert taskforce launched to plan fresh generation of new towns

07:04 , Salma Ouaguira

An expert taskforce is being launched to spearhead Labour’s plans for a fresh generation of new towns.

The towns, which the new government says will create communities of at least 10,000 homes each, are billed as a part of the largest housebuilding programme since the post-war period.

Angela Rayner, the deputy prime minister, has asked two experts to lead the independent New Towns Taskforce.

Its chair, Sir Michael Lyons, has played leading roles in regeneration development company the English Cities Fund, as well as in local government, and has sat on the board of housing developers.

Deputy chair Dame Kate Barker is a housing economist who also chairs a major universities pension scheme and was an external member of the Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee between 2001 and 2010.

While some of the new communities set to be built through the programme will be separate from existing towns, others will be urban extensions and regeneration schemes of existing places.

Ms Rayner has insisted the taskforce will “work together with local people to help us decide on the right places for these new towns, delivering more homes, jobs and green spaces”.

The communities will be governed by a “New Towns Code”, a set of rules for developers to ensure the towns are well-connected with infrastructure and public services, are well-designed, sustainable and are nice looking places.

The deputy prime minister’s appointment of Sir Michael and Dame Kate comes a day after she announced an overhaul of the planning system to pave the way for 1.5 million new homes over the next five years to tackle England’s acute housing crisis.

VOICES John Rentoul: Sidelined? No – Angela Rayner’s ambitious housing plan may be the making of her

07:02 , Salma Ouaguira

The new deputy prime minister’s first big outing in the Commons was her chance to prove that she has not been pushed to the political margins by Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves – and she delivered in spades, says John Rentoul:

Sidelined? No – Angela Rayner’s ambitious housing plan may be the making of her

Labour ‘failed another generation’ with axing of social care reforms

07:00 , Salma Ouaguira

Labour has ‘failed another generation of families’ with axing of social care reforms

Rapid review of environmental plans aim to ‘save nature’ – minister

06:00 , Salma Ouaguira

The Environment Secretary has pledged to “turn the tide and save nature” as he announced a rapid review of improvement plans.

Steve Reed said a review of the environmental improvement plan (EIP) would be completed by the end of the year as part of efforts to deliver legally binding targets.

He said the Government would develop a statutory plan to meet each of the Environment Act targets – which include halting the decline in species by 2030, cleaning up water bodies and cutting air pollution.

He warned that “nature is dying” and England’s “precious landscapes are in decline”, as an annual report showed mixed progress towards goals in the EIP, including deterioration in some measures for helping wildlife, using resources from nature sustainably and delivering clean air.

The EIP was published by the previous government in 2023 to deliver its goals to boost nature and the environment, including protecting and restoring habitats, cleaning up water and air, boosting recycling and improving flood defences.

But earlier this year, the Office for Environmental Protection watchdog warned the government remained “largely off-track” to meet legally binding green targets and the goals of the EIP .

It warned the government had not been clear enough on how its ambitions will be delivered, and must speed and scale up its efforts.

Tory leadership hopeful Jenrick says party must end ‘mass migration’

05:33 , Salma Ouaguira

Tory leadership hopeful Robert Jenrick said his party has been “unable or unwilling” to do what is required to cut the number of people coming to the UK.

The former immigration minister said hundreds of thousands of people “we didn’t need” had arrived legally while “dangerous” immigrants could not be deported.

Mr Jenrick, who backs pulling out of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) to tackle issues around small boat crossings, said “our people and Parliament must be sovereign”.

In a video to launch his leadership campaign, he said: “When I was minister for immigration, I saw dangerous people coming into our country. I saw us unable to deport them. I saw hundreds of thousands of people we frankly didn’t need coming in legally.

“But our politics was unable or unwilling to deliver what was needed. The new government aren’t going to fix things. They have too many delusions.

“Our party is our country’s best hope. But we have a mountain to climb and real choices to make. We won’t regain people’s trust with platitudes.”

Jacob Rees-Mogg accuses Labour Government of selling a ‘fiscal fairytale’

05:00 , Salma Ouaguira

Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg has accused Labour of selling a “fiscal fairytale” with the chancellor’s claim that the Tories had left behind a £22 billion black hole in the public finances.

The former Tory MP said the figures had been “invented” and accused the government of being “simply dishonest”.

He told GB News: “When the Labour chief secretary to the Treasury Liam Byrne wrote [in 2010] that there was no money left, he was telling the truth.

“But in what has been dubbed the ‘biggest lie in British politics’ Rachel Reeves, the Artful Dodger of 11 Downing Street, takes us for fools in an effort to pick your pocket.

The former business secretary, who lost his seat at the general election, claimed that “inventing a £22 billion black hole and blaming the Tories while spending £8 billion on green energy that won’t cut your bills and £11 billion on overseas climate aid is simply dishonest”.

Sir Jacob added: “Do not be fooled by their fiscal fairytales. Labour has not been in office for a month and already its spin has turned into outright dishonesty.”

New scheme opens for postmasters with overturned convictions

04:30 , Salma Ouaguira

Victims of the Post Office Horizon scandal whose convictions have been quashed can now apply to a new compensation scheme.

Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said he hoped the Horizon Convictions Redress Scheme would bring “some relief to postmasters who have waited far too long to get back the money that is rightfully theirs.”

Postmasters with overturned convictions will begin to receive written confirmation of their exoneration this week, the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) said.

Those eligible for the new scheme can either accept a fixed settlement of £600,000 or, if they believe their losses exceed that amount, can choose a full claim assessment route.

This would mean their application will be fully examined by a team of dedicated caseworkers in the DBT.

Mr Reynolds said: “Postmasters have suffered immeasurably so I hope today’s new redress scheme brings some relief to postmasters who have waited far too long to get back the money that is rightfully theirs.

“Any postmaster who thinks they are eligible for this scheme can come forward and register. We know that every case is different, and this government fully supports the right of every postmaster to choose what is best for them.”

Basic IT security failings left electoral register vulnerable – data watchdog

04:00 , Salma Ouaguira

Basic IT security failings allowed Chinese state-linked hackers to access the election watchdog’s register containing the details of 40 million voters.

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) said the Electoral Commission had failed to keep its servers updated, allowing hackers to exploit the vulnerability.

The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), part of GCHQ, has previously said it was likely that Beijing-affiliated hackers stole data from the electoral register.

Hackers gained access to the system in August 2021 but the breach was not identified until October 2022.

The security patches for the vulnerabilities exploited in the cyber attack were released in April and May 2021, months before the attack, but not installed.

The data watchdog issued a formal reprimand to the Electoral Commission, which has already put in place a series of steps to improve its security.

Stephen Bonner, deputy commissioner at the ICO, said: “If the Electoral Commission had taken basic steps to protect its systems, such as effective security patching and password management, it is highly likely that this data breach would not have happened.

“By not installing the latest security updates promptly, its systems were left exposed and vulnerable to hackers.

“I know the headline figures of 40 million people affected caused considerable public alarm when news of this breach emerged last year.

“I want to reassure the public that while an unacceptably high number of people were impacted, we have no reason to believe any personal data was misused and we have found no evidence that any direct harm has been caused by this breach.”

Watch: Jeremy Hunt sends message to Rachel Reeves after ‘liar’ accusation

03:33 , Salma Ouaguira

Jeremy Hunt sends message to Rachel Reeves after ‘liar’ accusation

Badenoch claims Labour reforms will result in ‘1.5 million ugly homes’

03:00 , Salma Ouaguira

Kemi Badenoch accused Angela Rayner of giving the go-ahead to build “1.5 million ugly homes” in England as part of the new government’s planning reforms.

Shadow housing secretary Mrs Badenoch bemoaned Labour’s move to drop the requirement for new homes to be “beautiful”, with the government arguing it is subjective, difficult to define and leads to inconsistent decision-making on applications.

Mrs Badenoch, who is among the Tory leadership hopefuls, said the requirement previously introduced by her party “means so much to local communities” and people “deserve to live in beautiful homes”.

She also claimed the changes proposed by Labour would result in the “worst of all worlds” by not addressing the “basic economics” of housebuilding and “centralising decision-making”.

Deputy Prime Minister Ms Rayner defended the changes and insisted the government will build “beautiful” homes.

Labour’s manifesto previously outlined its aim for “exemplary” development to be “the norm not the exception”.

Responding to Ms Rayner’s proposed overhaul of the planning system, Mrs Badenoch said the government was seeking to reduce the housing need calculation for London and put pressure on suburban and rural areas.

In full: Rachel Reeves accuses Jeremy Hunt of of lying about public finances as war of words escalates

02:30 , Salma Ouaguira

Rachel Reeves has accused Jeremy Hunt of lying about the state of the public finances after revealing a £22bn hole in the public finances.

The chancellor branded her predecessor as a liar, in her strongest condemnation yet of Mr Hunt and Rishi Sunak’s Conservative Party.

MPs are barred from referring to other members as liars in the chamber as it is deemed unparliamentary, but even outside of the commons it is unusual for senior politicians in the UK to accuse one another directly of lying.

“It is even worse than that, because during the general election campaign I was clear everything I put forward was fully funded,” she told Sky News on Tuesday.

Reeves accuses Hunt of of lying about public finances as war of words escalates

‘First collective action by GPs in 60 years would bring NHS to standstill’ – BMA

02:00 , Salma Ouaguira

GPs have threatened to bring the NHS to a “standstill” with unprecedented industrial action.

Family doctors across England are being balloted by the British Medical Association (BMA) on whether they are in favour of staging collective action amid a row over the new contract for GP services in England.

This collective action could potentially mean GPs limit the number of patients they will see each day to 25, they may choose to stop performing work they are not formally contracted to do, and they could potentially ignore “rationing” restrictions by “prescribing whatever is in the patient’s best interest”.

In an interview with the PA news agency, one of the nation’s top GPs said the action could bring the NHS to a “standstill very quickly” – though medics have said they do not want to make patients “piggy in the middle” and are directing the action at NHS England and the Department of Health and Social Care.

The ballot of GPs is to close on Monday and, if medics vote in favour of collective action, it will start on August 1 and could last for “months”.

Dr Katie Bramall-Stainer, chairwoman of the BMA’s England General Practitioners Committee, said the last time GPs took “collective action” was in 1964 when family doctors collectively handed in undated resignations to the Wilson government.

This led to reform including the Family Doctor Charter of 1965.

Rachel Reeves’ spending axe at a glance: What was in Chancellor’s speech?

01:30 , Salma Ouaguira

Rachel Reeves has announced billions of pounds in spending cuts, after ordering the Treasury to carry out an audit of the UK’s public finances.

The chancellor said her aim was to “expose the scale of what has been uncovered” after Labour came to power, pointing to a £22 billion black hole left by the previous government.

Here is a quick look at the headline announcements from Ms Reeves’ speech in the House of Commons.

• £22 billion spending black hole: Ms Reeves told the Commons Labour had inherited “a projected overspend of £22 billion” beyond what the previous government had planned for, which she said the Tories had “covered up”.

• Overspends: The projected overspend by the previous Tory government on the asylum system, including the “failed” Rwanda plan, was more than £6.4 billion for this year alone, she said.

• Ukraine: There is “not enough money set aside for the reserve” to fund costs associated with Ukraine, the Chancellor said.

• Pay rises for doctors, teachers and other public sector workers: Among the pay offers was a deal agreed with junior doctors which will see them get a 20% pay rise over two years in a bid to resolve their long-running pay dispute with the government.

• Advanced British Standard: Rishi Sunak’s proposed new qualification, due to bridge the gap between A-levels and T-levels, will not go ahead.

• Pensions and social care: Adult social care charging reforms delayed by the Tories will not be taken forward, saving more than £1 billion by the end of next year, she also announced.

• Budget date set: October 30 will be the date of the new government’s first budget. The chancellor it will involve taking “difficult decisions” to meet Labour’s fiscal rules, and said this would include decisions on spending and tax.

• Office of value for money: The government will set up a new watchdog aimed at ensuring all public spending provides value for money.

Budget for new clean power schemes gets boost to record £1.5bn

01:00 , Salma Ouaguira

The government is increasing the budget to support the next wave of renewable energy schemes to a record £1.5 billion, it has announced.

Labour has focused heavily on making Britain a “clean energy superpower” with a target to achieve clean power by 2030 to shore up energy security and cut bills while tackling climate change.

The new government was under pressure to up the support for renewables to meet its goals, after a faltering auction process last year which saw no companies submit bids to build new offshore wind farms.

Auctions for the so-called Contracts for Difference (CfD) scheme see developers bid to secure a fixed price they can charge for each megawatt hour (MWh) of renewable power they generate.

The previous government had already been forced to boost the pot to a record-breaking £1 billion for green power, to attract investment amid rising costs and international competition.

Now Energy Secretary Ed Miliband has announced a further increase to £1.56 billion.

That includes £1.1 billion for offshore wind – up £300 million on the previously announced pot for the technology this year.

Mr Miliband said: “Last year’s auction round was a catastrophe, with zero offshore wind secured, and delaying our move away from expensive fossil fuels to energy independence.

“Instead, we are backing industry to build in Britain, with this year’s auction getting its biggest budget yet.

“This will restore the UK as a global leader for green technologies and deliver the infrastructure we need to boost our energy independence, protect billpayers, and become a clean energy superpower.”

Ministers plan to ‘make work pay’ with ‘genuine’ living wage

Wednesday 31 July 2024 00:00 , Salma Ouaguira

The Government has announced plans to introduce a “genuine” living wage and remove age bands for the statutory rate.

Ministers said the Low Pay Commission’s (LPC) remit will be overhauled to factor in the cost of living when it recommends minimum wage rates.

Age bands described as “discriminatory” will be removed, in changes promised by Labour in the run-up to the election.

Business and Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said: “For too long working people have faced the worst of the cost-of-living crisis, but this Government is taking bold action to address it and make work pay.

“The new remit to the LPC is the first of many vital steps we will take to support more people to stay in work and improve living standards.

“Our focus remains on putting more money in working people’s pockets and boosting economic growth.”

The LPC has been told to narrow the gap between the minimum wage rate for 18 to 20-year-olds and the National Living Wage, which the Government said will be the first step towards achieving a single adult rate.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves said: “Economic growth is our first mission, and we will do everything we can to ensure good jobs for working people. But for too long, too many people are out of work or not earning enough.

“The new LPC remit is an important first step in getting people into work and keeping people in work, essential for growing our economy, rebuilding Britain and making everyone better off.”

Proposed law to bring train services into public ownership clears first hurdle

Tuesday 30 July 2024 23:30 , Salma Ouaguira

Government legislation designed to help nationalise train operation in Britain has moved closer to becoming law.

The Passenger Railway Services (Public Ownership) Bill would ensure that appointing a public sector train operator as existing contracts expire becomes the default position rather than a last resort.

It would mean privately-owned operators such as Avanti West Coast, East Midlands Railway, Great Western Railway and Thameslink would be gradually brought into public ownership.

MPs voted 351 to 84, majority 267, to give the Bill a second reading on Monday evening and it is expected to clear its remaining stages in the Commons on September 3.

Transport secretary Louise Haigh said there was “nothing ideological about fixing what’s broken” and also pledged to “rip up contracts early” if train operators do not meet their obligations to passengers.

Shadow transport secretary Helen Whately labelled the Bill “a rushed piece of left-wing ideology”, although Liberal Democrats’ transport spokeswoman Wera Hobhouse said passengers were “repeatedly failed” under the previous Conservative government.

Nursery group urges parents not to hold door open for anyone after knife attack

Tuesday 30 July 2024 23:00 , Salma Ouaguira

A nursery group has urged parents not to hold the door open for others at drop-off and pick-up following an attack at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class.

Childbase Partnership, which looks after 6,000 children in 44 day nurseries across England, has sent out a “high priority” email to parents about security measures after three children died in the knife attack in Southport.

An “alert” was issued to all nurseries in the group on Tuesday morning to reassure parents that the settings were reviewing established security procedures which staff must follow to meet “a variety of threats”.

Lorna Wigley, quality and health and safety director of Childbase Partnership, called on parents to refrain from holding the door open for others at nursery and to report any concerns to staff “immediately”.

The email, seen by the PA news agency, reminded parents that only people registered on a form will be permitted to pick up their child from nursery.

Ms Wigley said: “Following the tragic event in Southport on Monday 29th July 2024, I am writing to reassure you that an alert has been issued to all nurseries which are currently reviewing both security equipment and the established procedures staff must follow in meeting a variety of threats.

“As always, your support and vigilance are vital in ensuring that the efforts of your highly trained nursery staff team achieve the desired results.

“Please do not hold the door open for anyone when you and your child enter the nursery building and report any concerns you have to staff immediately.”

She added: “The security of our children in nursery is an absolute priority and our policies and practices are therefore subject to continuous review and evaluation by the company’s Health and Safety team and, where necessary, external specialists.”

Decision to end universal winter fuel payments ‘too narrow’, says Martin Lewis

Tuesday 30 July 2024 22:30 , Salma Ouaguira

The Chancellor’s decision to end the previously universal winter fuel payment for pensioners unless they are on benefits has been branded “too narrow with the winter we have coming”.

The payments of up to £300 have been made available to everyone above state pension age.

However, from this winter pensioners will only receive a payment if they are receiving pension credit.

The Treasury said the winter fuel changes would see the number of pensioners receiving the payments fall from 11.4 million to 1.5 million – so just under 10 million would miss out.

Martin Lewis, founder of MoneySavingExpert, immediately warned the targeting of the payments was “too narrow with the winter we have coming”, adding: “The energy price cap is likely to rise 10% this October and stay high across the winter, leaving most energy bills nearly double those pre-crisis, at levels unaffordable for millions.”

He added: “Plus, with this announcement, the Government has a huge moral imperative to ensure the 800,000 people eligible for pension credit who don’t get it, are informed, educated and helped through the process.

“It is planning an awareness-raising campaign, but it needs to ensure that reaches every corner – and, if possible, proactively and personally contact people.

“Pension credit is a crucial gateway benefit, giving access to a host of other entitlements, and now with the link to the winter fuel payment, it makes it even more important to ensure fewer miss out.”

Hospitals inquiry chairman to rule on admission of health board’s report

Tuesday 30 July 2024 22:00 , Salma Ouaguira

The chairman of a public inquiry into safety and wellbeing issues at two Scottish hospitals said he will make a decision “later in the week” on whether to admit as evidence an expert report from one of the health boards involved in the scandal.

The inquiry was launched in the wake of deaths linked to infections at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow, including that of 10-year-old Milly Main.

It is also examining problems that led to the delay in the opening of the new Royal Hospital for Children and Young People in Edinburgh.

At a hearing in Edinburgh on Tuesday, lawyers representing a number of parties to the inquiry called on chairman Lord Brodie KC not to admit the report from NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHSGGC) as evidence, ahead of hearings scheduled to start on August 19.

Counsel to the inquiry Fred Mackintosh KC said the report “appears to reach the significant conclusion that there were no excess infections in the hospital after 2015”, which, he said, seems to contradict the views of many others.

Mr Mackintosh also raised concerns about the level of co-operation with the inquiry by NHSGGC, saying the report contained a “major epidemiological study” the inquiry was unaware was being undertaken, and the inquiry had not been provided with all the data supporting the report’s findings.

He also said the report had not addressed the question of whether there were any issues with “key building systems” including water supply and ventilation, which are a central focus of the inquiry.

What is the universal winter fuel payment?

Tuesday 30 July 2024 21:30 , Salma Ouaguira

The chancellor has confirmed she is ending universal winter fuel payments, which are currently paid to all pensions.

She said those not receiving pension credits or other means tested benefits will not receive winter fuel payments from this year onwards.

Under the previous plans, those born before September 25, 1957, could have received between £250 and £600 to help pay for the heating over the winter period.

Most received the grant, which was available to those on a State Pension, Pension Credit, Carers Allowance and Income Support.

Ministers urged to intervene after Bannockburn horse track approved

Tuesday 30 July 2024 21:00 , Salma Ouaguira

Conservation campaigners have been left “shocked and disappointed” after councillors backed a development on Scotland’s “historic” Bannockburn battlefield site.

The National Trust for Scotland is now urging Scottish Government ministers to intervene and “call in” the decision to grant planning permission for a trotting track for harness racing.

Such a move would give ministers – and not Stirling Council – the final say on the planning application.

The National Trust for Scotland had already objected to the plans, saying the development is “in the vicinity of where Bruce’s army faced off against the vanguard of Edward’s army on the first day of the battle”.

It claimed the trotting track would “fundamentally alter the experience of the site”, on the outskirts of Stirling, for both current and future generations.

The battle, fought in June 1314, famously saw Robert the Bruce and the Scots defeat the English troops led by King Edward II.

With the development having parking for more than 200 cars and access roads, the National Trust for Scotland warned the traffic could result in an “elevated risk of collision on the main road, endangering residents and visitors”.

It added that crowd noise, together with the public address system at the track, would “greatly detract from the visitor experience at a nationally important historic site”.

Electoral reform and proportional representation: Ask us anything

Tuesday 30 July 2024 20:30 , Salma Ouaguira

It’s almost been a month since Labour’s historic election victory, which sparked renewed conversation about electoral reform.

Even a fleeting glance at July’s election results shows that Britain’s first-past-the-post system can produce some interestingly disproportionate outcomes.

Labour scored about 35 per cent of the popular vote – modest by historic standards – but managed to secure 63 per cent of seats in the House of Commons, and thus also a landslide 174-seat majority.

Political columnist Andrew Grice is here to answer your questions on the alternatives to first-past-the-post and whether there’s enough appetite for reform in Westminster.

Register to submit your question in the comments box under this article.

Scroll down or click here to leave your comment.

Rapid review of environmental plans aim to ‘save nature’ – minister

Tuesday 30 July 2024 20:00 , Salma Ouaguira

The Environment Secretary has pledged to “turn the tide and save nature” as he announced a rapid review of improvement plans.

Steve Reed said a review of the environmental improvement plan (EIP) would be completed by the end of the year as part of efforts to deliver legally binding targets.

He said the Government would develop a statutory plan to meet each of the Environment Act targets – which include halting the decline in species by 2030, cleaning up water bodies and cutting air pollution.

He warned that “nature is dying” and England’s “precious landscapes are in decline”, as an annual report showed mixed progress towards goals in the EIP, including deterioration in some measures for helping wildlife, using resources from nature sustainably and delivering clean air.

The EIP was published by the previous government in 2023 to deliver its goals to boost nature and the environment, including protecting and restoring habitats, cleaning up water and air, boosting recycling and improving flood defences.

But earlier this year, the Office for Environmental Protection watchdog warned the government remained “largely off-track” to meet legally binding green targets and the goals of the EIP .

It warned the government had not been clear enough on how its ambitions will be delivered, and must speed and scale up its efforts.

The annual progress report into EIP, published on today, showed improvements across the 10 goals but also highlighted there had been a deterioration in some areas in six of the goals and areas of little or no change in five.

Editorial: Reeves didn’t just point the finger at the Tories – she crucified them

Tuesday 30 July 2024 19:33 , Salma Ouaguira

The chancellor was relentless: a £22bn black hole of unfunded promises. The national reserves not just blown, but double-spent. She did not quite bellow ‘J’accuse’, but that was the gist, writes Joe Murphy:

Reeves didn’t just point the finger at the Tories – she crucified them

Lammy: Thousands of UK nationals risk becoming trapped in a warzone in Lebanon

Tuesday 30 July 2024 19:00 , Salma Ouaguira

Thousands of UK nationals risk “becoming trapped in a warzone” if they fail to leave Lebanon, the Foreign Secretary has warned.

Speaking at the House of Commons despatch box on Tuesday, David Lammy issued a one-word message to British nationals in the Levantine nation: “Leave.”

He confirmed Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer had chaired a Cobra emergency meeting on Tuesday amid tensions in the Middle East.

The meeting followed a rocket strike which killed 12 young people on a football field in the mainly Druze town of Majdal Shams.

Mr Lammy told MPs: “On July 27, Hezbollah launched a series of rockets into northern Israel and the occupied Golan Heights.

“Tragically in Majdal Shams, one strike killed at least 12 civilians, young people, one just 10 years old, who were playing football. I extend my deepest sympathies to their families and to the Druze community as they grieve for their loved ones.

“The government is unequivocal in condemning this horrific attack and calling on Hezbollah to cease their rocket strikes. This atrocity is a consequence of indiscriminate firing, paying no heed at all to civilian life.

“This attack is part of an intensifying pattern of fighting around the Israeli-Lebanese border. For months now, we’ve been teetering on the brink.

“The risk of further escalation and regional destabilisation is now more acute than ever.”

Yes, the chancellor’s raid is going to pinch… but it’s time us boomers gave something back

Tuesday 30 July 2024 18:25 , Salma Ouaguira

Rachel Reeves has done the right thing by cutting annual winter fuel payments for pensioners like me, says Susan Elkin:

The chancellor’s raid is going to pinch… but it’s time us boomers gave something back

In full: Rayner’s planning ‘revolution’ slashes London house building target

Tuesday 30 July 2024 18:00 , Salma Ouaguira

Angela Rayner’s planning “revolution” will see London’s housebuilding target slashed by 20,000 homes, despite a wider push to boost the number of houses being built each year.

The deputy prime minister and housing secretary unveiled a major overhaul of the planning system today, which will see all councils in England given new, mandatory housing targets as part of a plan to deliver 1.5 million more homes in the UK.

She warned that Britain is facing the “most acute housing crisis in living memory”, claiming that the number of new homes is set to drop below 200,000 this year – something Ms Rayner dubbed “unforgiveable”.

Our political correspondent Millie Cooke has the full story:

Angela Rayner’s planning ‘revolution’ slashes house building target for London

French border control zone at Dover to be expanded ahead of new EU rules

Tuesday 30 July 2024 17:30 , Salma Ouaguira

The French border control zone at the Port of Dover will be expanded to reduce the risk of queues at peak times when new EU rules come into force.

Under the EU’s Entry/Exit System (EES), expected to come into force in the Autumn, travellers entering from the UK and other non-EU countries will have to register their details at the EU border and provide biometric data.

As the Government prepares for the change, Home Office Minister Seema Malhotra laid a statutory instrument in Parliament on Monday to allow French border officials to operate in an expanded zone at the Port of Dover.

It will commit the Home Office to working with the French Government, local authorities and businesses to streamline EU border checks at the port.

The change in law is part of the preparations to minimise the risk of traffic disruption. The aim is to create more space to process passengers for a better customer experience.

The Home Office is working with the French Interior Ministry to amend the border control arrangements between the two countries to accommodate the expanded zone.

The port plans to change the location of passport control for passengers arriving to board the ferry from the Eastern Docks to a new border control zone at its Western Docks.

The port has also been making major upgrades to its port infrastructure, including building bespoke facilities to carry out the checks.

‘Ambitious’ UK-EU agri-food deal will help ease NI trade issues, says minister

Tuesday 30 July 2024 17:00 , Salma Ouaguira

Securing an “ambitious” agri-food deal with the EU will allow for a more free flow of goods from Great Britain into Northern Ireland, a government minister has insisted.

Nick Thomas-Symonds, who is minister for EU relations in the Cabinet Office, said a negotiated sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) agreement between the UK and EU would be mutually beneficial to both sides.

The minister, who will lead the UK side in talks about new links with the EU, was in Northern Ireland on Tuesday to hear from various stakeholders about the post-Brexit trade barriers that have created the need for checks on goods entering the region from across the Irish Sea.

Labour has pledged to “reset” relations with Brussels, with the striking of a deal on food safety and animal and plant health among the new government’s priorities.

Mr Thomas-Symonds told reporters in Belfast that negotiations would not be able to start until early next year – as the new-look European Commission is not yet in place following recent EU-wide elections – but he said the Government wanted to undertake the groundwork before then.

The Cabinet Office minister said Northern Ireland would be at the “forefront” of his mind when it came to the discussions with Brussels.

“I wouldn’t expect hard-edge formal negotiations to begin until the early part of next year, but do I hope that an SPS agreement, an ambitious SPS agreement, is going to ease the situation in terms of GB-NI trade, absolutely,” he said.

Rapid review of environmental plans aim to ‘save nature’ – minister

Tuesday 30 July 2024 16:30 , Salma Ouaguira

The Environment Secretary has pledged to “turn the tide and save nature” as he announced a rapid review of improvement plans.

Steve Reed said a review of the environmental improvement plan (EIP) would be completed by the end of the year as part of efforts to deliver legally binding targets.

He said the Government would develop a statutory plan to meet each of the Environment Act targets – which include halting the decline in species by 2030, cleaning up water bodies and cutting air pollution.

He warned that “nature is dying” and England’s “precious landscapes are in decline”, as an annual report showed mixed progress towards goals in the EIP, including deterioration in some measures for helping wildlife, using resources from nature sustainably and delivering clean air.

The EIP was published by the previous government in 2023 to deliver its goals to boost nature and the environment, including protecting and restoring habitats, cleaning up water and air, boosting recycling and improving flood defences.

But earlier this year, the Office for Environmental Protection watchdog warned the government remained “largely off-track” to meet legally binding green targets and the goals of the EIP .

It warned the government had not been clear enough on how its ambitions will be delivered, and must speed and scale up its efforts.

In the ‘battle of the budgets’, who’s being economical with the truth?

Tuesday 30 July 2024 16:25 , Salma Ouaguira

Amid a furious war of words between Rachel Reeves and Jeremy Hunt over the £22bn black hole in Britain’s finances, a clear winner has emerged, says Sean O’Grady:

In this ‘clash of the chancellors’, who’s being economical with the truth?

Starmer says Southport attack ‘touches a nerve with the whole country’

Tuesday 30 July 2024 16:12 , Salma Ouaguira

Sir Keir Starmer has said the attack in Southport “touches a nerve with the whole country”.

Speaking to ITV he said: “I think it touches a nerve with the whole country. It’s awful to contemplate, to hear for myself the experiences of the first responders, what they had to deal with.

“It’s really hard to take in for anybody. It’s not what any of them came to work for. But of course, they’re professionals, and they deal with it.”

He added: “I think about the families, the friends, the loved ones, those directly impacted, and, of course, the wider community here. But there’s no pretending I think that anybody in the country is not untouched by what happened yesterday”

Reeves faces Labour backbench rebellion over winter deaths with fuel payment cuts

Tuesday 30 July 2024 16:06 , Salma Ouaguira

The chancellor has been tackled by their own side over how many more elderly people will die of cold as a result of stripping 10 million pensioners of their winter fuel payments.

In response to the red-on-red criticism in Parliament, the government frontbench said it understood the “disappointment”, but insisted it was the right, if tough choice, given the state of the public finances inherited from the Tories.

The new administration was also accused of “picking” on pensioners with the move, which it was claimed would wipe out the benefits of the triple lock, which guarantees state payouts rise each year in line with inflation, earnings or by 2.5% – whichever is higher.

Challenging the government, Labour peer Lord Sikka argued the move was “taking away” £300 from pensioners by “a measure that was not in our manifesto”.

He told the upper chamber: “I have received already many messages where pensioners are very, very concerned about this.

“The government could have introduced a taper to lessen the pain to help many pensioners. Would the minister give a commitment that he would have another look at that?”

He also pointed out a document produced by the Treasury “has lots of financial numbers but there is no mention of any human whatsoever”.

Lord Sikka said: “Last year, 5,000 pensioners died because of cold and were unable to afford heating. Has the minister made any estimates of how many more will die because £300 will be taken away from them?”

Pictured: Starmer visits Southport to pay tribute to victims

Tuesday 30 July 2024 16:00 , Salma Ouaguira

Angela Rayner’s plans for ‘council house revolution’ welcomed

Tuesday 30 July 2024 15:58 , Salma Ouaguira

Social housing plans announced by the Deputy Prime Minister as part of Labour’s overhaul of planning have been welcomed by organisations working with those most impacted by a shortage of homes.

Angela Rayner described the Government’s overhaul of the planning system as “the biggest boost to social and affordable housing in a generation”.

Although not stating a specific figure as a target for the number of social homes to be built annually, Ms Rayner stated an “aspiration” that in 2025-26, which is the first full financial year of the new Parliament, the number of social rent homes “is rising rather than falling”.

Liberal Democrat deputy leader Daisy Cooper, speaking in the Commons in response to Ms Rayner’s announcement, described a “conspicuous absence of a particular target on social homes – not affordable homes but on social homes”.

The Liberal Democrats have repeatedly called for a target of building 150,000 social homes a year.

Charities such as Shelter have long set out a target of 90,000 social homes a year, which they said is “necessary to end homelessness and relieve the extreme pressure on private renting”.

They said building 90,000 social homes “would pay for themselves in just three years and return an impressive £37.8 billion back to the economy, including through jobs, savings to the NHS and the benefits bill”.

Abbott leads Labour rebellion over Reeves’ spending cuts

Tuesday 30 July 2024 15:46 , Salma Ouaguira

Diane Abbott has led criticism of Rachel Reeves’s spending plans labelling them “renewed austerity”.

It comes as the chancellor unveiled a raft of brutal cuts to deal with a £22bn black hole in the country’s finances.

But her set of measures to save up on funding has sparked criticism among members of her own party.

The veteran MP for Hackney has accused Ms Reeves of presiding over an era of “renewed austerity”.

Ms Abbott is leading a left-wing backlash over the chancellor’s move to scrap winter fuel allowance payments, cancel transport projects and Boris Johnson’s plan to build more hospitals.

Cleverly attacks Labour over London housebuilding target

Tuesday 30 July 2024 15:37 , Salma Ouaguira

James Cleverly has criticised the government’s housebuilding plan after Angela Rayner set out a target of 80,000 new homes a year for London.

He tweeted: “We need to build more homes in urban areas like London, massively increasing densification.

“Labour would rather concrete over the greenbelt than make Sadiq Khan do his job.”

British nationals in Lebanon urged to leave amid escalating tensions

Tuesday 30 July 2024 15:30 , Salma Ouaguira

British nationals in Lebanon risk “becoming trapped in a warzone” if they fail to leave, the foreign secretary has warned.

In a House of Commons statement on Lebanon and a conflict between Israel, Lebanese Hezbollah and other non-state actors, David Lammy told MPs: “The prime minister chaired a Cobra meeting this morning and I’m working with Foreign Office consular teams to make sure we are prepared for all scenarios, but if this conflict escalates, the government cannot guarantee we’ll be able to evacuate everyone immediately.

“People may be forced to shelter in place and history teaches us that in a crisis like this one, it is far safer to leave while commercial flights are still running rather than running the risk of becoming trapped in a warzone.

“My message, then, to British nationals in Lebanon is therefore quite simple: leave.”

It comes as tensions have been escalating after Isreal’s military said it struck several targets in neighbouring Lebanon linked to Hezbollah.

Angela Rayner says new homes ‘should have style and character’

Tuesday 30 July 2024 15:20 , Andy Gregory

Angela Rayner has said the new homes built by the government “should have character and style”.

Speaking during the Commons debate, Tory MP Sir John Hayes told MPs that he had served on the Building Beautiful Commission and as he asked Ms Raynerfor a meeting to discuss the new homes that Labour hopes will be built.

“For she will know that the wealthy can always live in beautiful places, in beautiful homes. But the people from council houses, as she and I originate, deserve their chance to know, to sense and to see beauty,” he said.

The housing secretary replied: “I absolutely agree with everything that [Sir John] says and I know the minister will be meeting shortly with all stakeholders, and I think he’s got a meeting with those that you’ve just mentioned as well in the coming days.

“I would love to work with [Sir John] to make sure that we build the houses that people deserve, whether those are social affordable housing or any other housing. They should be beautiful. They should have character and style, and we’re determined to make that happen.”

Rayner denies plans will ‘ride roughshod through local communities’

Tuesday 30 July 2024 15:06 , Andy Gregory

Housing secretary Angela Rayner insisted the government’s housing targets will not “ride roughshod” over the wishes of local communities.

Tory MP Wendy Morton said: “I’m no nimby but today what we’re seeing is a lurch back to top-down mandated targets that will ride roughshod through local communities, like those that I represent.”

Ms Rayner said: “It’s not riding roughshod over local decisions and what local people want because having mandatory housing targets and plans means that people will be able to decide.

“What we’re saying – and what we said at the general election – is that we will build 1.5 million homes. We said that really clear and we have a mandate to do that. We think the new method for housing targets works better.”

Green Party co-leader Adrian Ramsay said his constituents were being “priced out of being able to live in their local community” as he asked what number of the 1.5 million homes would be “affordable” and how many would be council homes.

Ms Rayner replied: “That can be chosen by the local area, if they say ‘I want a particular amount of social rents’, they can put that in there, and I would say that, again, looking at the document, looking at the methodology that we’re using, I think, and looking at the affordability test, I think that that makes things much better in terms of giving a number and a figure that reflects the realities of people in the local area.”

Angela Rayner hits back at Lee Anderson’s council house ‘quip’

Tuesday 30 July 2024 14:54 , Andy Gregory

Angela Rayner shot back at a “quip” from Lee Anderson that she was “a little bit of an expert when it comes to council housing, as the Reform MP asked her to confirm that “priority will be given to British families, veterans and pensioners” for the new houses Labour hopes will be built.

The deputy PM replied: “We have confirmed that people with a local connection will get priority in this homes.

“But I also say to the honourable gentleman, who tries to make a quip about the fact that I grew up in a council house – the situation I hear and when I took on this brief is that, actually, people used to talk about my childhood as if I grew up in poverty.

“But there’s many kids today that if they got a council house it would be considered they’d won the lottery. Those children today can’t have that. So we will build the homes. We will prioritise that people locally can get them, and we will make sure that first-time buyers get first dibs as well.”

Tory MP Mark Francois accuses Labour of pursuing ‘the old failed way’ of housebuilding

Tuesday 30 July 2024 14:46 , Andy Gregory

Tory MP Mark Francois has attacked “pernicious top-down targets” as he accused Labour of “going back to the old failed way” of housebuilding.

“It is possible to have successful development, but from experience it has to be something you do with people and not to people. This is the latter,” he told the Commons. “These pernicious top-down targets have the practical effect at ground level of setting one town against another, one village against another, and one local community against another.

“And given the chancellor’s statement on public spending yesterday, who will pay for the tens of billions of pounds of infrastructure that will be required to make all of this work? All experience shows that on development and housebuilding the man or the woman in Whitehall really does not know best. Why, then, are you going back to the old failed way of doing it which will not work?”

But Angela Rayner replied that she was “shocked” to point out to him that “national targets have always been there, it’s not something that I’ve dreamt up”, adding: “The important thing is, is our new method is clearly based upon what the housing stock, and affordability, and the need in their area.

“This is a need that has created a housing crisis in this country – and that is why the electorate elected the Labour government … because we said we are going to fix the housing crisis that we inherited.”

Rayner: Council housing masterplans will go to ‘square one’

Tuesday 30 July 2024 14:19 , Salma Ouaguira

Housing masterplans which councils have in draft may have to return to square one under new planning rules, Angela Rayner has suggested.

Liberal Democrat deputy leader Daisy Cooper asked: “For those local authorities which are at an advanced stage of their draft local plan, will they need to start again with the new standard method or will they continue?”

Ms Rayner replied: “In terms of local plans, it depends on where they’re up to, in terms of the direct question you asked, and there will be a transition, and we outline that within this consultation because we recognise areas have got quite far on.

“In terms of where that’s up to, it very much depends on what the difference is between what their local plan says and what we’ve asked.”

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