Newslinks for Thursday 5th September 2024 | Conservative Home

Patel out as Jenrick comes top in first Tory leadership vote

“Robert Jenrick has topped the ballot among Tory MPs after Dame Priti Patel was eliminated in the first round of voting in the Conservative leadership contest. Jenrick, the former immigration minister, won the support of 28 of the party’s 121 MPs in the first ballot, with Kemi Badenoch coming second with 22 votes. James Cleverly, the shadow home secretary, was just one vote behind Badenoch and allies believe that he has the “momentum” to make the final two. Tom Tugendhat, the shadow security minister, came fourth with 17 votes and Mel Stride, the shadow work and pensions secretary, finished fifth with 16. The close result is likely to trigger a frenetic battle to reach the final two, with the majority of Patel’s 14 supporters expected to back Jenrick or Cleverly in the second round of voting.” – The Times

• Ex-Home Secretary repeats call for Tory members to have more say in running party – The Guardian
• Who is the man once previously dubbed ‘Robert Generic’? – Daily Telegraph

>Yesterday:

ConservativeHome survey finds Badenoch ‘runaway favourite’…

“Kemi Badenoch is leading the race to be the next Tory leader and would beat all of her rivals in a head-to-head contest, a survey of Conservative Party members has suggested. The senior Tory had 34% of the support in the poll of more than 800 members, conducted by the ConservativeHome website between Sept 2 and 3. Robert Jenrick was in second place on 18%, while Tom Tugendhat was in third place on 13%. James Cleverly followed him with 11% while Dame Priti Patel received 7%. Mel Stride was in sixth place on 2%. Some 15% were undecided. The survey suggested Mrs Badenoch would beat all of her rivals if she makes it to the final two in the contest.” – Daily Express

• ConHome shows she is ‘favourite among activists’ – Daily Mail
• Jenrick had second-best head-to-head record – Daily Telegraph

>Today:

>Yesterday: ToryDiary: Our survey. Badenoch maintains her lead in the leadership race – and defeats all comers in the final round.

…as she vows to do ‘whatever it takes’ to tackle immigration…

“Kemi Badenoch has vowed to do “whatever it takes” to get a grip on immigration levels. The Tory leadership contender said when she was in government she blocked a trade deal that would have seen migration soar. Her comments came at a closed-door hustings for Conservative MPs, who today vote on whittling the six contenders for the party’s top job down to five… She faced pressure at the event yesterday over her refusal to pledge to either leave the European Court of Human Rights or set an annual migration cap – both have been promised by her closest rival Robert Jenrick. He yesterday defended his previous stance as immigration minister.” – The Sun

>Yesterday: Ben Houchen in Comment: Jenrick says he saw at the Home Office ‘things most people haven’t seen’ on the Blueprint

…and slams Starmer for ‘prioritising the mob’ over British interests in Israel arms row

“Kemi Badenoch has accused Sir Keir Starmer of choosing “the mob over UK interests” as she slammed the decision to suspend some arms exports to Israel. The Tory leadership hopeful – who previously served as Trade Secretary – said the Government was “scared” of “intimidation and lobbying”. Mrs Badenoch declared she has seen the legal advice and accused Sir Keir of “using and politicising the law for political ends”. The UK has suspended around 30 out of a total of approximately 350 licences because of concerns they could be used in violations of international humanitarian law in the Gaza conflict. The Prime Minister has claimed Britain’s allies “understand” its move to suspend some arms exports to Israel, insisting it was a “legal not a policy decision”.” – Daily Express

• Prime Minister accused of risking damaging ‘split’ with the US – Daily Mail
• Cameron decided not to suspend arms exports to Israel ‘despite advice on humanitarian breaches’… – FT
• …and insists Holocaust memorial must be built next to Parliament – Daily Telegraph

Time to move on from Tory ‘old guard’, say three MPs as they back Tugendhat

“Three first-time Tory MPs have declared their support for Tom Tugendhat’s leadership bid with a call for the party to move on from the “old guard”. In a piece for The Telegraph, Patrick Spencer, Harriet Cross, and Neil Shastri-Hurst say Mr Tugendhat is a “fresh face” who can lead the party into the future. The intervention is notable as one of the key dynamics playing out in the race to replace Rishi Sunak is how much government experience should be valued. James Cleverly, 55, held two great offices of state – the Foreign Office and the Home Office. Dame Priti Patel, 52, is a former home secretary but has been voted out of the contest’s first round.” – Daily Telegraph

Comment:

• Conservatives need a leader who can battle irrelevance – Robert Shrimsley, FT
• How to make the Tory party matter again – Iain Martin, The Times
• Commitment to a long, barely-watched contest might come back to haunt Tories – Tim Stanley, Daily Telegraph

Editorial:

>Yesterday:

Reeves plans to ‘fiddle’ fiscal rules to boost borrowing, claim Tories…

“Rachel Reeves has been accused by the Conservatives of paving the way to “fiddle the fiscal rules” to give her scope for borrowing billions in next month’s Budget. Shadow chancellor Jeremy Hunt claimed on Wednesday that Reeves wants to leave her hands free to announce a change to the way public debt is measured in her October 30 Budget, giving her more leeway to borrow. City analysts estimate that redefining public debt to exclude BoE bond portfolio losses would triple the government’s headroom to borrow, up from around £9bn that existed in March. Hunt said Reeves was “planning to fiddle the fiscal rules, leading to a massive increasing in borrowing and debt with hard working taxpayers left to pick up the tab”.” – FT

• Labour warned ‘this will cost £1bn’ as crackdown on wealthy to backfire miserably – Daily Express

More:

• Military projects face being cut or cancelled, warns Defence Secretary – The Sun
• ‘British ISA’ plan scrapped by government – FT
• Public sector workers need above-inflation pay rises, says TUC chief – The Guardian

Comment:

• The OBR has given Labour a green light to go for growth – Louis Ashworth, FT Alphaville
• Reeves is right to scrap Hunt’s gimmicky British ISA – Nils Pratley, FT

…as Government threat of leak inquiry over state pension rise reports…

“Downing Street is facing the threat of a leak inquiry over reports that the state pension is set to rise by more than £400 next year. The Tories are poised to raise concerns with the statistics watchdog that the Government briefed out sensitive labour market figures. On Wednesday the BBC reported on internal Treasury analysis which it said showed the state pension is set to rise by another £400 from next April. The briefing also inadvertently revealed average wage increases for May to July – a figure which has not yet been published – are set to come in at 3.5 per cent. The figures emerged as Rachel Reeves battles growing criticism of her decision to withdraw the winter fuel allowance from 10 million pensioners.” – Daily Telegraph

• Ministers slammed for ‘making excuses’ over winter fuel allowance axe – Daily Mail

>Yesterday: Sir John Redwood’s column: The next Conservative leader has a huge opportunity

…and Starmer a rebellion on plan to scrap winter fuel payments

“Labour is facing a rebellion in a ­Commons vote next week over the scrapping of winter fuel payments. Sir Keir Starmer defended his decision to restrict the payments of up to £300 to only the poorest pensioners, blaming the Conservatives for leaving a financial “black hole”. However, the prime minister is facing growing pressure to backtrack, amid warnings that the policy will leave many pensioners struggling. Tory MPs heckled Starmer with shouts of “shame” throughout prime minister’s questions… Since coming to power, the government has offered a 22 per cent pay deal to junior doctors, plus a deal with the Aslef train drivers’ union that involved a pay rise of nearly 15 per cent over three years.” – The Times

• Labour ‘plot to tear apart state pension’ as expert issues dire warning – Daily Express

PMQs:

• Rattled Starmer repeatedly calls Sunak ‘PM’… – Daily Mail
• …as Tory leader rips into him over pensioners in fiery Commons clash – Daily Express

More:

• Miliband accused of clobbering OAPs to fund his ‘mad dash’ to net zero – The Sun
• New wind farms ‘won’t increase household energy bills’ – The Times

Comment:

• Three conference fights Starmer must win – Katy Balls, The Times

Editorial:

• Ideology blinds Miliband to ­reason and cold reality – The Sun

>Yesterday:

UK rejects French appeal for asylum treaty after Channel drownings

“Downing Street has rejected calls from the French government for the UK to strike a new asylum treaty with the EU as migrant crossings continued just hours after 12 people died in the latest tragedy in the Channel. People smugglers took advantage of calm conditions on Wednesday and dozens of migrants were pictured being brought into Dover by Border Force vessels. French police prevented about 200 further migrants in clashes on a beach on the French coast earlier in the morning. A total of 317 migrants successfully crossed in five boats on Tuesday, an average of about 63 per vessel. They crossed on the same day as an inflatable dinghy carrying 70 migrants that sank after it ripped apart in the biggest tragedy in the Channel this year.” – The Times

• French minister says Britain’s soft touch on illegal migration is to blame for Channel tragedy… – The Sun
• …as it emerges migrants ‘refused chance to be rescued’ minutes before latest tragedy – Daily Mail

More:

• Blair backs youth mobility scheme with EU – The Times

Editorial:

• Labour must stop prevaricating over small boats and instead reach for bold policies – The Times

Companies involved in Grenfell to be barred from public contracts, says Starmer

“Companies condemned in the Grenfell Tower inquiry will no longer be considered for public contracts, Keir Starmer has said as the prime minister apologised for decades of state failures uncovered by the inquiry. In a sombre statement to the Commons, Starmer said action over contracts would be one of the first steps in response to the final report chaired by Sir Martin Moore-Bick into the 2017 disaster. It comes after a leading member of Grenfell United, which represents survivors and bereaved family members, told the Guardian this week that companies found at fault should no longer receive public contracts. About £250m in public deals have been made in the past five years with corporations involved in the high-rise’s refurbishment, according to searches of public contracts by the outsourcing data firm Tussell for the Guardian.” – The Guardian

• Pickles to be criticised over disaster – Daily Mail

Editorial:

• A shocking indictment of government and industry – The Guardian

Labour to tighten up right-to-buy to stop house ‘flipping’

“Council tenants will have to pay tens of thousands of pounds more to buy their homes under a clampdown designed to slow the sell-off of social housing. Discounts on the sale of council houses will be slashed within weeks, with ministers considering further restrictions such as requiring people to have lived in their homes for years longer to qualify. Restricting the right-to-buy for newly built council houses is also being considered as ministers try to prevent so many homes from moving into the private sector and being “flipped” at a profit. Downing Street insisted that the policy would not be scrapped altogether, despite pressure from housing campaigners to end right-to-buy to boost council house numbers.” – The Times

• Ministers introduce plans to remove all hereditary peers from Lords – The Guardian

>Today: John Oxley’s column: There can be no ‘small-state conservatism’ unless we fight the small battles against red tape

>Yesterday: Joanna Marchong in Comment: Labour’s smoking ban plans are the thin end of the wedge

Water company bosses could face jail under reforms

“Water company executives face up to two years in prison if they obstruct environmental investigations, under sweeping government plans to clean up rivers and seas. Bosses have previously faced only the threat of fines if their companies hinder officials looking for wrongdoing over sewage spills and other environmental misdeeds. However, they would face imprisonment under new sentencing powers in a “special measures” water bill being introduced to parliament. The step marks a victory for The Times’s Clean it Up campaign, which called for the threat of custodial sentences. Steve Reed, the environment secretary, who will give a “water reset” speech at a rowing club on Thursday, said that the action was needed to end disgraceful behaviour in the water industry.” – The Times

• Bans on big bonuses if executives fail to protect the environment – Daily Mail
• New legislation gives regulator Ofwat extra powers on executive pay at utility companies – FT

>Today: John Bald in Local Government: Labour’s education policy is still hamstrung by egalitarian dogma

MoJ plan to free up prison spaces set to fail ‘because cells being filled by rioters’

“The UK government’s plan to free up prison spaces for at least 18 months with next week’s launch of the early release scheme is doomed to fail because cells are being filled by rioters, the prison governors’ leader has said. Tom Wheatley, the president of the Prison Governors’ Association, said the lord chancellor, Shabana Mahmood, “will be lucky to get 12 months before we are full again” after charges against hundreds of people for their role in the recent disorder. Wheatley, whose organisation represents 95% of governors in England and Wales, has urged the government to urgently consider further measures to reduce the prison population or build new cells at pace if they are to avoid another overcrowding crisis next summer.” – The Guardian

• Risky offenders will go free, warns prisons watchdog – The Times

SNP makes £500m public spending cuts

“John Swinney blamed Westminster for Scotland’s financial problems today as he desperately tried to deflect criticism of the SNP’s stewardship of the economy. The First Minister warned that the Scottish Parliament is facing ‘some of its toughest tests’ in the 25 years of devolution, the day after his administration axed £500million of public spending. But unveiling his government’s programme for the coming year he referenced ‘problems and difficulties … caused by 14 years of austerity driven by the UK Government’… It came after independent experts said the SNP, which has been in power for 17 years, had to shoulder much of the blame.” – Daily Mail

• Swinney’s slimmed-down plans prompt criticism of ‘managed decline’ – The Guardian
• Scotland drops controversial plans to outlaw conversion therapy – Daily Telegraph

Comment:

• Is Swinney’s programme sounding the death knell for devolution? – Alan Cochrane, Daily Telegraph

News in Brief:

• Britain has its border priorities out of whack – Sam Bidwell, The Critic
• The Teesworks freeport is a clear win for the North East – Nick Tyrone, CapX
• Labour’s battle for Britain – Andrew Marr, New Statesman
• Starmer has revealed his weakness over Israel – Tom McTague, UnHerd
• No one wants to help the SNP – Euan McColm, The Spectator