Keir Starmer suspends seven Labour MPs after rebellion over two-child benefit cap in crunch vote - live

Sir Keir Starmer suffered a backbench rebellion in a vote on the two-child benefit cap that saw him suspend seven Labour MPs.

Apsana Begum, Richard Burgon, Ian Byrne, Imran Hussain, Rebecca Long-Bailey, John McDonnell and Zarah Sultana broke ranks and voted to scrap the amendment.

In total, there were 103 votes to abolish the welfare measure, and 363 to keep it, with the prime minister winning a majority of 170.

But the issue is unlikely to go away, with Sir Keir set to face a grilling on the benefit cap at Prime Minister’s Questions today.

Also likely to come up in the Commons is a set of new reports published by the National Audit Office revealing the real state of government after 14 years of Tory rule.

According to a NAO report, the NHS is at an “unprecedented” breaking point with health workers “working at the limits” of the system.

Rishi Sunak will represent the opposition at PMQs but the race to replace him is on and last night former home secretary James Cleverly announced his candidacy in a video on social media. For updates on the Tory leadership race, click here.

Key Points

• Starmer faces PMQs grilling after suspending MPs over two-child benefit cap

• Labour MP Zarah Sultana ‘slept well’ after being suspended by Starmer

• Starmer sees off scrapping two-child benefit policy

• James Cleverly enters race to become next Tory leader

• NHS at ‘unprecedented’ breaking point, NAO dossiers reveal

Lawlessness ‘characterises’ pornography online, says MP in plea to reform laws

07:59 , Salma Ouaguira

Lawlessness “characterises” pornographic websites, an MP has said, while a minister has agreed there is “much work to do” to tackle illegal behaviour online.

Labour backbencher Tonia Antoniazzi labelled the laws which govern pimping and pornography a “fudge”, during a House of Commons adjournment debate she secured to discuss the prevention of commercial sexual exploitation.

Victims minister Jess Phillips told the Commons that she has been unable to get images depicting her taken down from pornographic websites, weeks after Channel 4 News found more than 400 digitally altered pictures of more than 30 high-profile UK politicians online.

“Lawlessness characterises the online pornography trade with films featuring child sexual abuse, rape and trafficking victims found on some of the UK’s most heavily visited sites,” Ms Antoniazzi said.

“Illegal content is freely accessible on mainstream pornography websites.”

Gower MP Ms Antoniazzi referred to a 47-page All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Commercial Sexual Exploitation report from 2023 which featured a testimony from Alia Dewees.

Diane Abbott breaks silence after missing two-child benefit cap vote

07:56 , Salma Ouaguira

David Lammy to press commitment to free trade deal on first trip to India

07:45 , Salma Ouaguira

David Lammy will push to reset the UK-India partnership on his first trip to the country as Foreign Secretary.

He will travel to New Delhi on Wednesday, where he tell his Indian counterpart, minister of external affairs Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, that he wants to “drive forward greater growth” for both countries and reinforce the UK’s commitment to securing a free trade agreement with India, the Foreign Office said.

He will reiterate the contribution of British Indians to the UK, saying that they enrich the UK’s social and economic landscape and are the epitome of modern Britain.

The previous Conservative government had been seeking to nail down a deal, which they saw as a major post-Brexit prize, but negotiations have dragged on for two years.

Mr Lammy said: “Our free trade agreement negotiations are the floor not the ceiling of our ambitions to unlock our shared potential and deliver growth, from Bengaluru to Birmingham. We have shared interests on the green transition, new technologies, economic security and global security.

“I am travelling to India in my first month as Foreign Secretary because resetting our relationship with the global south is a key part of how this government will reconnect Britain for our security and prosperity at home.”

University tuition fees in England should be cut to £6,000 a year – report

07:43 , Salma Ouaguira

University tuition fees in England should be reduced to £6,000 a year to make post-18 education “more equitable” for students, a think tank has said.

The Government should remove the “distortions and biases” in the funding and oversight of post-18 education that favour full-time degrees over other routes, according to an EDSK report.

It comes as Labour has pledged to create a “secure future” for higher education as it recognises that the funding settlement “does not work” for the taxpayer, universities, staff or students.

University leaders have been calling on the new Government to raise the annual tuition fee for domestic students in line with inflation to help institutions struggling financially.

The previous Government raised the cap on university tuition fees in England to £9,000 a year in 2012 but it has been fixed at £9,250 since 2017.

The paper from the education think tank said many colleges and independent higher education providers are only allowed to charge around £6,000 a year for university-level courses.

“It is a clear indication of how provision within HE (higher education) settings has been prioritised above alternative options to date,” the report said.

The paper also highlights that students in higher education can access more financial support than their peers on higher-level further education courses.

ICYM: Keir Starmer suffers first backbench rebellion of his premiership over two-child benefit cap

07:36 , Salma Ouaguira

Keir Starmer has suspended seven Labour MPs after they voted, against the government, to scrap the two-child benefit cap.

Former shadow chancellor John McDonnell, ex-business secretary Rebecca Long-Bailey, Apsana Begum, Richard Burgon, Ian Byrne, Imran Hussain and Zarah Sultana have been suspended from the parliamentary party.

The move will be seen as a show of strength by the new prime minister after he easily saw off the first rebellion of his premiership, by 363 votes to 103, a majority of 260.

In a bid to head off a larger revolt on the issue, ministers had said on Monday that they would consider ditching the “cruel” policy.

Our Whitehall editor Kate Devlin has the full story:

Starmer suspends seven rebel MPs including McDonnell over two-child benefit cap vote

Labour MP Zarah Sultana ‘slept well’ after being suspended by Starmer

07:26 , Salma Ouaguira

Zarah Sultana, one of seven Labour MPs suspended for backing an SNP motion to scrap the two-child benefit cap, said she slept well after the vote.

“I slept well knowing that I took a stand against child poverty that is affecting 4.3 million people in this country and it is the right thing to do and I am glad I did it,” she told ITV’s Good Morning Britain.

She said she saw the email on the way home from the vote last night saying she had had the whip removed.

Speaking to ITV’s Good Morning Britain, she said: “I look forward to many bills that will be coming forward in this Government including nationalising rail, the new deal for working people, but I was also very honest that we should go further, we can make a real difference to people’s lives.

“And when you’ve got anti-charity campaigners, think tanks, trade unions saying that the key driver for child poverty in this country – which is the sixth largest economy in the world – is the Tories’ two-child benefit cap, then it is a moral imperative on the Labour Party to scrap that and do everything that they can to make sure that not a single child has to live in unnecessary hardship and poverty.”

New clinical guidance aims to ‘ensure safety and dignity’ of trans patients

07:20 , Salma Ouaguira

A first-of-its-kind set of guidelines for the care of transgender people before and after general surgery has recommended gender-inclusive language and consideration of whether a patient should be accommodated in a single room rather than on a ward.

The guidance, created independently of the NHS, is said to have been put together amid a “dearth of knowledge and confidence amongst anaesthetists when caring for transgender and gender-diverse patients”.

Published in Anaesthesia – the journal of the Association of Anaesthetists – it was produced by a working group of experts including those from the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh and the University of Cambridge, and sets out 15 recommendations.

It states there is “currently no existing guidance covering the scope and focus of this document”, and that it covers “the specific clinical care required for this cohort of patients when attending for either elective or emergency surgery or anaesthetic care”.

The recommendations include confirming and using a patient’s preferred name and pronouns, with a suggestion that digital pre-assessment questionnaires can allow the person to “privately and safely disclose both their sex at birth and gender”.

The guidelines advise that someone’s transgender identity “need only be shared with the patient’s consent and if it is deemed important for the safety of their care”, and should be given the same level of confidentiality as “any other sensitive personal information”.

Transgender and gender-diverse patients should be cared for in an environment that “respects their gender identity”, the guidelines state, adding that “in some circumstances, this may involve providing a single room”.

Starmer faces PMQs grilling after suspending seven MPs over two-child benefit cap

07:12 , Salma Ouaguira

Sir Keir Starmer faces a Commons grilling in his first Prime Minister’s Questions amid backbench unease over a vote on the two-child benefit cap that saw him suspend seven Labour MPs.

The PM will be quizzed from the Government benches by MPs for the first time since entering Number 10 after stripping Labour rebels of the whip for backing an SNP motion to scrap the welfare measure.

Former shadow chancellor John McDonnell, ex-business secretary Rebecca Long-Bailey, Apsana Begum, Richard Burgon, Ian Byrne, Imran Hussain and Zarah Sultana have been suspended from the parliamentary party.

Although the rebellion was small and the motion comfortably defeated by Government, opposition to the cap within Labour is not limited to the seven who lost the whip.

The House of Commons voted 363 to 103, majority 260, to reject the amendment tabled in the name of SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn.

More than 40 Labour MPs recorded no vote, with some of those listed spotted in the chamber throughout the day, while others will have had permission to miss the vote.

The decision to remove the whip from the seven who defied the Government over the amendment is an early show of ruthlessness from the new administration, and sends a message that dissent will not be taken lightly.

Ahead of the vote, Sir Keir had said there is “no silver bullet” to end child poverty but acknowledged the “passion” of MPs who were considering opposing the continuation of the Tory measure.

Children ‘being failed in dual crises of poverty and mental health’

07:00 , Salma Ouaguira

Children are being failed in “dual crises of poverty and mental health”, according to charities which have ramped up calls for the Government to scrap the two-child benefit limit.

The groups said money and mental health are “inextricably linked” and that those children growing up in families facing financial hardship face a knock-on impact throughout their lives.

The report from the Centre for Mental Health, Save the Children UK and the Children and Young People’s Mental Health Coalition recommended the new Labour Government should scrap both the two-child limit and the benefit cap “to ensure all children receive their benefit entitlements”.

The cap, introduced in 2013 under the then-Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition government as a way of “restoring fairness to the welfare state”, sees the amount of benefits a household receives reduced to ensure claimants do not receive more than the cap limit.

Any pay deal for junior doctors ‘will be affordable’ – Streeting

06:30 , Salma Ouaguira

The Government hopes to agree a pay deal with junior doctors that “the country can afford,” the Health Secretary has said as official talks began to try and bring the long-running dispute to a close.

Wes Streeting said that junior doctors made a “reasonable case” that their pay had not kept up in line with inflation, but said that their request for a 35% uplift was not affordable.

But addressing the Commons, Mr Streeting insisted that the Government was negotiating with medics from the British Medical Association (BMA) “in good faith”.

Formal negotiations between the new Government and the BMA’s Junior Doctors Committee began on Tuesday with a view to end the long-running dispute over pay.

Dr Vivek Trivedi and Dr Robert Laurenson, co-chairmen of the Committee, refused to answer questions from reporters as they arrived at the Department for Health and Social Care on Tuesday morning.

Mr Streeting was asked about the negotiations during his first Oral Health Questions in the House of Commons.

Shadow health secretary Victoria Atkins said: “In opposition, (Mr Streeting) described the 35% pay rise demand by the junior doctors committee as reasonable. What he didn’t tell the public was that this single trade union demand would cost an additional £3 billion, let alone the impact on other public-sector workers.

“So, will he ask the Chancellor to raise taxes or will she ask him to cut patient services to pay for it?”

Mr Streeting, in his reply, said: “What I said was that the doctors were making a reasonable case that their pay hadn’t kept up in line with inflation, but we were clear before the election that 35% was not a figure we could afford.

“We are negotiating with the junior doctors in good faith to agree on a settlement that we can deliver and the country can afford.”

Wes Streeting launches ‘review’ into cash and timetable for 40 new hospitals

06:00 , Salma Ouaguira

A review of plans for 40 new hospitals could delay projects, a shadow health minister warned, as the new Health Secretary vowed not to give patients “false hope” about when they can expect more up-to-date facilities.

Wes Streeting faced questions in the Commons about the Conservatives’ £20 billion New Hospital Programme – for new and refurbished hospitals by 2030 – and told MPs he has ordered a review into the scheme’s funding and timetable.

He said: “It’s painfully clear that the previous government’s New Hospital Programme, that said they would deliver 40 new hospitals by 2030, is not deliverable in that timeframe.

“I want to see the New Hospital Programme completed but I’m not prepared to offer people false hope about how soon they will benefit from the facilities that they deserve.

“That’s why I’ve asked officials as a matter of urgency to report to me on the degree to which the programme is funded, along with a realistic timetable for delivery.”

In May 2023, the Department of Health and Social Care claimed “the Government is on track to deliver the manifesto commitment to build 40 new hospitals in England by 2030”, in line with a flagship Tory manifesto pledge made in 2019, before former prime minister Boris Johnson led his party to an 80-seat majority.

Watch: Cleverly hints he will launch Tory leadership bid

05:30 , Salma Ouaguira

Cleverly hints he will launch Tory leadership bid

British army not as strong as it should be because of ‘historic underinvestment’ says defence chief

05:00 , Salma Ouaguira

Britain’s army is not as strong as it should be because of “historic underinvestment”, the head of the military has admitted, with “deficiencies in people, equipment, stockpiles, training and technology”.

Admiral Sir Tony Radakin, the chief of defence staff, said there was a need for “humility” to recognise the limitations and “near-term financial challenges” faced by our armed forces.

But he said Russia, the main adversary of the West, has been hugely damaged by brutal losses in Ukraine and will take a decade or more to rebuild its military strength to the level it had at the time of Vladimir Putin’s invasion and rectify the shortcomings exposed.Our world affairs editor Kim Sengupta has the full story:

British army not as strong as it should be, admits defence chief

Councils face ‘unsustainable financial pressure’ on homelessness, says watchdog

04:30 , Salma Ouaguira

Councils are facing “unsustainable financial pressure” in dealing with record levels of homelessness, the public spending watchdog has said as it called for a long-term and cross-Government strategy to tackle the problem.

England remains an outlier in the UK as the only one of the four nations without a strategy or target for statutory homelessness, which the National Audit Office (NAO) noted is the case despite its recommendation for one seven years ago.

The NAO report, published on Tuesday, is its first since 2017 on the issue, which covers people considered homeless as they are in temporary accommodation provided by their local authority, rather than those rough sleeping.

The report acknowledged the rough sleeping strategy under the previous Conservative government, but said no such strategy had been formulated to tackle statutory homelessness – something each of the other UK devolved administrations has an overarching strategy or action plan for.

Funding for local authorities to meet their obligations under the 2017 Homelessness Reduction Act, extending local authorities’ statutory duties to include prevention and relief, is a major issue amid rising need, the NAO said.

The report stated: “Funding remains fragmented and generally short-term, inhibiting homelessness prevention work and limiting investment in good-quality temporary accommodation or other forms of housing.

“Until these factors are addressed across government, DLUHC (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities) will not be able to demonstrate that it is delivering optimal value for money from its efforts to tackle homelessness.”

Increasing number of NHS bodies failing to break even, report warns

04:00 , Salma Ouaguira

An increasing number of NHS bodies have been unable to break even, according to a new report on the financial management and sustainability of the health service.

NHS England is facing challenges on an “unprecedented” scale, the National Audit Office (NAO) warned, with its sustainability hinging on how well it manages future demand.

Concerns have also been raised that the health service “may be working at the limits of a system which might break before it is again able to provide patients with care that meets standards for timeliness and accessibility”.

The report is the ninth of its kind by the NAO, and the first to be published since February 2020. Experts said its findings depict “a picture of systemic failures and inefficient decision-making”. It warned that NHS England’s financial position is “worsening” due to a “combination of long-standing and recent issues, including failure to invest in the estate, inflationary pressures, and the cost of post-pandemic recovery”.

According to the NAO, NHS England is expected to spend £153 billion in 2023/24. It said “many NHS bodies failed to break even” during the period and in the previous 12 months, although the NHS calculates it underspent against its overall budget by about £30 million last year after additional cash from Government and reallocation of central funding.

The combined deficit of the 42 integrated care systems (ICSs) – which were introduced in 2022 to bring together the NHS, councils and voluntary sector to create services based on local needs – was £1.4 billion, the NAO said.

This deficit was initially planned to be £720 million for the year.

New poll reveals voters main concerns as Starmer comes under pressure

03:00 , Salma Ouaguira

Public concern about the NHS is at its highest level since the Covid crisis, according to a new poll.

Nearly half, 47 per cent, name the health service as the most important issue - the highest since December 2019, just before the pandemic hit.

Immigration is also a growing issue, at the highest level since January 2017 and cited by 31 per cent of those asked.

It comes as Keir Starmer faces pressure from his own backbenchers over a number of issues – including benefits, Brexit and Gaza.

Poll reveals voters concerns as Starmer faces pressure over benefits, Brexit and Gaza

Labour to end use of Bibby Stockholm asylum accommodation barge

02:30 , Salma Ouaguira

The Government will end the use of the Bibby Stockholm barge for housing migrants off England’s south coast as part of an overhaul of the asylum system, the Home Office has announced.

The contract for the barge moored in Dorset will not be renewed past January as demand for such accommodation will be reduced by moves to clear the asylum backlog, the department said.

The vessel was one of several sites, including the military bases RAF Wethersfield in Essex and RAF Scampton in Lincolnshire, used by the previous Tory government in a bid to cut the cost of housing migrants in hotels.

But the new Labour Government said continuing the use of the Bibby Stockholm would have cost more than £20 million next year, and that scrapping it forms part of the expected £7.7 billion of savings in asylum costs over the next 10 years.

Dame Angela Eagle, minister for border security and asylum, said: “We are determined to restore order to the asylum system, so that it operates swiftly, firmly and fairly; and ensures the rules are properly enforced.

“The Home Secretary has set out plans to start clearing the asylum backlog and making savings on accommodation which is running up vast bills for the taxpayer.

“The Bibby Stockholm will continue to be in use until the contract expires in January 2025.”

The Government’s efforts to tackle the UK’s asylum backlog include redeploying more than 100 Home Office staff from working on the now-scrapped Rwanda deportation scheme to focus on a “rapid returns unit” to send people with no right to be in the UK back to their home country.

Councils spending half their budgets on homelessness as problem hits record high, damning report finds

02:00 , Salma Ouaguira

Local authorities are spending as much as half their budgets tackling the UK’s homelessness crisis in the UK, a damning new report has found.

In 2022/23, £2.4 billion was been spent on homelessness services, more than twice the amount spent in 2010/11, including £1.6 billion on temporary accommodation alone. The huge sums are putting a massive strain on local authority finances, according to the report published by the National Audit Office (NAO) on Tuesday.

The NAO said there was a £204.5 million gap in the funding local authorities received to cover the cost of providing temporary accommodation and the actual costs needed in 2022-23, up by more than £150 million in a decade.

A number of the councils that spoke to the NAO said they would likely have to issue a Section 114 notice due to the costs, similar to bankruptcy, much like authorities in Birmingham last year.

Councils spending half their budgets on homelessness as problem hits record high

Listen: Suella Braverman told to hang her head in shame by angry LBC listener

01:30 , Salma Ouaguira

Listen: Suella Braverman told to hang her head in shame by angry LBC caller

Call for action to tackle ‘devastating’ gynaecology waiting lists

01:00 , Salma Ouaguira

There is an “urgent need for action” to tackle soaring gynaecology waiting lists, top medics have said as they warned that some women are forced to “endure months of suffering”.

Long waits are resulting in emergency admissions due to worsening ill-health, the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) said.

The waiting list for gynaecological care in England currently stands at almost 600,000, RCOG said.

Almost half (46%) had been waiting for longer than the target of 18 weeks and one in 20 (5%) had been waiting for more than a year as of April 2024, according to new analysis by the College.

The figures suggest that, as of April, 29,660 women had been waiting for more than a year.

Meanwhile, data on emergency admissions show that, in March 2021, there were almost 143,000 emergency admissions in gynaecology, rising to nearly 170,000 in March 2023 – the latest figures available.

The College has produced a new data dashboard showing the proportion of long waits around the UK.

Officials said the data, published with the help of LCP Health Analytics, reveal a “postcode lottery” of care, with some patients having to wait weeks longer, on average, compared with others in neighbouring regions.

Government working to deliver 700,000 dental appointments ‘as matter of urgency’

Wednesday 24 July 2024 00:30 , Salma Ouaguira

Health Secretary Wes Streeting has said 700,000 dental appointments will be delivered “as a matter of urgency” to address “dental deserts”.

Mr Streeting also confirmed the Government would continue with some aspects of the Tories’ dentistry recovery plans, but said he would be dropping the “gimmicks”.

Prior to the General Election, the Conservatives set out a £200 million dental recovery plan aimed at bolstering the NHS and providing 2.5 million more appointments.

Speaking during health questions on Tuesday, he told the Commons: “NHS dentistry is non-existent in huge parts of the country.

“There were aspects of the previous government’s dental recovery plan which we will stick with because they’re the right solutions. There are other gimmicks which we will not proceed with and we will come forward, as I’ve stated, with a serious plan to reform the dental contract.”

Labour MP Alice Macdonald described her constituency of Norwich North as a “dental desert” and called for a dental school to be established in the east of England, to train more dentists.

Mr Streeting branded Norwich North the “Sahara of dental deserts”, stating there were only 36 dentists per 100,000 residents, compared to the national average of 53.

Watch: James Cleverly admits he has ‘no idea’ how many people are on Bibby Stockholm

Wednesday 24 July 2024 00:00 , Salma Ouaguira

Ex-minister tells Post Office inquiry she was repeatedly ‘misled’ by officials

Tuesday 23 July 2024 23:30 , Salma Ouaguira

A former postal affairs minister said she became “worried” about Post Office prosecutions in the Horizon IT scandal when she realised they concerned “leafy middle-class people” with no previous convictions.

Baroness Lucy Neville-Rolfe told the Post Office Horizon IT Inquiry she was repeatedly “misled” by officials, including civil servants, who failed to provide her with sufficiently accurate and impartial advice regarding issues surrounding the IT system and unsafe prosecutions.

The Conservative peer previously served as a business department minister where she was responsible for postal affairs between May 2015 and July 2016.

She told the public inquiry on Tuesday that, before postal affairs was added to her portfolio, she was aware several MPs had raised issues regarding the Horizon system and related prosecutions in Parliament but was repeatedly advised there was no evidence to support these concerns.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe said she became “worried” once she had examined individual examples and realised they involved seemingly “honest citizens” with no criminal history that had “suddenly” been handed convictions.

The former Cabinet Office minister said her “road to Damascus” moment was a meeting she attended in June 2015 with MPs and Post Office officials where MPs Andrew Bridgen and Kevan Jones outlined issues in specific cases.

Is Keir Starmer’s election honeymoon over already?

Tuesday 23 July 2024 23:00 , Salma Ouaguira

Three years ago no one thought he could win – now his critics say it won’t last, writes John Rentoul:

Is Keir Starmer’s election honeymoon over already?

MP calls for ‘psychological testing’ of police to tackle gender violence

Tuesday 23 July 2024 22:30 , Salma Ouaguira

A Labour MP has called for police officers to be psychologically tested as part of tackling violence against women and girls.

Dawn Butler, MP for Brent East, referred to the murder of Sarah Everard by off-duty police constable Wayne Couzens and the case of two Met police officers who were jailed for taking and sharing photos of sisters Bibaa Henry and Nicole Smallman.

On Tuesday during the King’s Speech debate on immigration and home affairs, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said the Government would “increase standards in policing” and introduce “mandatory vetting standards across forces”.

Ms Butler intervened asking: “On the point of mandatory vetting, does (Ms Cooper) also agree with me that we should have psychological testing as well for the police?

“Some of the incidents that have been brought to light like the kidnapping and killing of Sarah Everard, taking the pictures of Bibaa and Nicole in Brent is absolutely appalling and can only be done by people who have lost compassion in their job.”

Ms Cooper replied: “(Ms Butler) makes an important point here because some of this is about the vetting standards before people ever are appointed as police officers, but some of it is also about the culture that can operate within forces or within small groups within forces that also always needs to be challenged and needs to be challenged by leadership as well.

“We do want to see national vetting standards. Let’s be clear. There are police officers every day of the week who are doing an incredible job to keep all of us safe, also showing immense bravery.”

Home Office minister takes seat in Lords after recall to frontline politics

Tuesday 23 July 2024 22:00 , Salma Ouaguira

A former Home Office minister has returned to the department after getting called back to frontline Westminster politics by Sir Keir Starmer.

Sir David Hanson was Labour MP for the North Wales seat of Delyn for nearly 28 years before losing his seat at the 2019 election.

He was awarded a knighthood the following year.

The 67-year-old has now received a peerage to enable him to join Labour’s top team in Government.

He has been appointed as a minister in the Home Office, where he previously served under Gordon Brown.

Lord Hanson of Flint wore the traditional scarlet robes for the short introduction ceremony in the upper chamber, where he swore the oath of allegiance to the King.

He was supported by fellow Labour peers Lord Grocott and Lord Jones.

Lord Hanson served as a minister of state in three separate departments between 2005 and 2010, having previously been parliamentary private secretary to Tony Blair and a junior Wales minister.

James Cleverly enters race to become next Tory leader

Tuesday 23 July 2024 21:50 , Holly Evans

James Cleverly will become the first Tory to throw their hat in the ring and replace Rishi Sunak in what promises to be a fierce leadership battle.

The former home secretary said he could “unite the Conservative Party and overturn Starmer’s loveless landslide” as he blew the race wide open with an emotional pitch featuring clips of home video of his childhood growing up in south London.

In a post on social media, the shadow minister said he was running to “restore the confidence of the British people in us as a party” and “re-establish our reputation” as a party that “helps grow the economy, helps people achieve their goals, their dreams and their aspirations”.

Read the full article here:

James Cleverly enters race to become next Tory leader

Diane Abbott reacts to Labour MPs suspension

Tuesday 23 July 2024 21:40 , Holly Evans

Labour MP Diane Abbott has reacted to the news that seven of her colleagues have been suspended for voting to scrap the two-child benefit policy, saying she is “horrified”.

The Hackney North and Stoke Newington MP said: “Personal reasons meant I could not be in Westminster this evening to vote against the 2 child benefit cap. But horrified colleagues suspended for 6 months for voting against, when removing the cap is supposed to be party policy.”

Government has ‘significant gaps’ in awareness of local road conditions – report

Tuesday 23 July 2024 21:40 , Salma Ouaguira

The Government is unaware of the state of English local roads or how well councils are using funds to tackle potholes, Whitehall’s spending watchdog has found.

Local authorities are not required to report the condition of unclassified roads, which make up 62% of their networks, the National Audit Office (NAO) said in a report.

This results in “significant gaps” in its understanding of the quality of road surfaces, the document stated.

The Department for Transport (DfT) told the NAO it decided to limit the data it collects to minimise administrative burdens.

The report stated that the lack of information received by the department means it “does not know” the impact of its funding for local roads maintenance, which totalled £1.1 billion in the 2022/23 financial year.

The cost of bringing pothole-plagued local roads in England and Wales up to scratch has been estimated at £16.3 billion.

RAC head of policy Simon Williams said: “It’s bad enough that historically the Government doesn’t really know just how bad our roads are.

“But it’s absolutely staggering that it doesn’t know whether the money it gives to councils has been used effectively.

“This has to change and we very much hope the new Government acts fast to fix it.”

Government has ‘limited evidence’ on how well funding helps disadvantaged pupils

Tuesday 23 July 2024 21:20 , Salma Ouaguira

The Department for Education has “limited evidence” on how well its disadvantage-related funding helps to boost the attainment of poorer children, Whitehall’s spending watchdog found.

The Government has “little understanding” of whether schools spend funding focused on disadvantaged children for the intended purposes, the National Audit Office (NAO) report said.

It examines whether the Department for Education (DfE) is achieving value for money through its funding to improve educational outcomes for disadvantaged children in England.

The attainment gap between disadvantaged children and their peers at the end of GCSEs is “wider than a decade ago” even though it is a “strategic priority” for the DfE, the report said.

The NAO estimated that the DfE spent £9.2 billion in 2023-24 to improve the attainment of disadvantaged children, but it does not know the full impact of almost half of the investment.

It concluded: “DfE has evidence to support some of its interventions and uses this to help schools and early years providers to make decisions.

“However, it does not yet understand the outcomes resulting from a significant proportion of its expenditure on disadvantaged children.

“It also does not have a fully integrated view of its interventions, or milestones to assess progress and when more may need to be done.

“This, and the lack of sustained progress reducing the disadvantage attainment gap since 2010-11, means that DfE cannot demonstrate it is achieving value for money.”

Labour suspends MPs who defied Government in two-child benefit cap vote

Tuesday 23 July 2024 21:00 , Holly Evans

The seven Labour MPs who defied the Government by backing an amendment to scrap the two-child benefit cap have lost the whip, the PA news agency understands.

Apsana Begum, Richard Burgon, Ian Byrne, Imran Hussain, Rebecca Long-Bailey, John McDonnell and Zarah Sultana have been suspended from the parliamentary party for six months, after which their position will be reviewed.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer faced his first Commons rebellion on Tuesday as the Government comfortably defeated calls to scrap the cap.

But the division list showed seven MPs rebelled to back the SNP-led amendment.

More than 40 Labour MPs recorded no vote, with some of those listed spotted in the chamber throughout the day, while others will have had permission to miss the vote.

Kendall lays out plan to reform DWP, shift from ‘strivers v scroungers’ rhetoric

Tuesday 23 July 2024 20:40 , Salma Ouaguira

Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall criticised the former government’s “strivers versus scroungers” rhetoric as she laid out plans to transform the DWP.

In her first major speech in taking over at the helm of the Department of Work and Pensions, Ms Kendall said she would seek to implement a fundamental reform of the department.

“Under my political leadership, the DWP will shift from being a department for welfare to being a department for work,” she said at an event in Barnsley to coincide with the publication of the Pathways to Work Commission report authored by former cabinet minister and current health adviser Alan Milburn.

She said the current system is “both too siloed and too centralised” and that “the Conservatives put political point-scoring ahead of solving problems”.

She said: “Their divisive rhetoric about strivers versus scroungers or claiming people just felt ‘too bluesy’ to work may have grabbed headlines, but it did absolutely nothing to actually get Britain working again.

“As today’s report rightly concludes, people who are economically inactive are not one single group. There will be a few who act fraudulently, others who say they can’t work but who can.

“But the vast majority face a complex range of barriers which stop them from getting what both they and policymakers want – a pathway into paid employment.”

She said job seekers will still be obligated to engage with support, look for work, and take jobs when they are offered.

But she said more attention would also be paid to wider issues – such as health, skills, childcare and transport – that play a role in determining whether people can get work, stay in work and succeed in their work.

New home registrations fell by 23% annually in second quarter of 2024

Tuesday 23 July 2024 20:20 , Salma Ouaguira

The number of new homes being registered across the UK fell by 23% in the second quarter of this year, compared with the same period in 2023, according to an industry body.

Some 29,281 new homes were registered to be built in April to June 2024, down from 37,861 a year earlier, the National House Building Council (NHBC) said.

The NHBC has a 70%-80% share of the UK warranty market.

Its figures indicate the stock of new properties in the pipeline because homes are registered with the NHBC before being built.

The NHBC said 33,847 new homes were completed in the second quarter of this year, down by 6% on the same period in 2023, when 36,145 homes were completed.

Despite the annual falls, the NHBC said that, when compared with the previous quarter, new home registrations and completions are tracking positively, having increased by 34% and 29% respectively.

Labour MP reacts to having whip suspended

Tuesday 23 July 2024 20:16 , Holly Evans

Labour MP Zarah Sultana has reacted to having the whip suspended, after she voted in favour of scrapping the two-child benefit cap.

Ms Sultana said on social media: “I have been informed by the Chief Whip & the Labour Party leadership that the whip has been withdrawn from me for voting to scrap the two-child benefit cap, which would lift 330,000 children out of poverty.

“I will always stand up for the most vulnerable in our society.”

James Cleverly announces intention to run for Tory leader

Tuesday 23 July 2024 20:09 , Holly Evans

James Cleverly has announced his intention to run to be leader of the Conservative party in a video posted on his social media.

Writing in the Telegraph, he said: “We need to rediscover confidence that our core values are shared by the British public and present an offer of unity, security, and prosperity.

“We must ditch the self indulgent infighting and be ready to deliver when the next chance comes. This will take dedication, discipline and focus.”

Labour has suspended the 7 MPs who rebelled over the two-child benefit cap

Tuesday 23 July 2024 20:07 , Holly Evans

It is understood Labour has suspended the seven MPs who rebelled over the two-child benefit cap - including former shadow chancellor John McDonnell.

It is thought the decision will be reviewed after 6 months.

The move will be seen as a show of force by Keir Starmer, who appears determined to impose discipline on his party.

The seven MPs are Apsana Begum, Richard Burgon, Ian Byrne, Imran Hussain, Rebecca Long-Bailey, John McDonnell and Zarah Sultana.

Lib Dems amendment over health and care defeated

Tuesday 23 July 2024 20:03 , Holly Evans

A Lib Dems’ amendment to the King’s Speech, which listed a series of concerns over its content, including a lack of “sufficient measures” to address the health and care crisis, was defeated by 382 votes to 85, majority 297.

Streeting seeks to reassure trans community as he backs implementing Cass Review

Tuesday 23 July 2024 20:00 , Salma Ouaguira

Trans people of all ages will benefit from the full implementation of the Cass Review into gender identity services, according to the Health Secretary.

Wes Streeting told MPs that the Government is “wholeheartedly committed” to implementing measures put forward by the independent review, adding he believes it will deliver “material improvements” for trans people.

Mr Streeting also said he wanted to “reassure LGBT+ communities across the country”, particularly the trans community, about the Government’s desire to work with them, just days after facing criticism for continuing with restrictions on puberty blockers.

His remarks came after he was challenged by his Conservative shadow Victoria Atkins, who in her final act as health secretary used legislation to impose a so-called “banning order” on puberty blockers, which suppress the natural production of sex hormones to delay puberty.

Campaign group TransActual, and a young person who cannot be named, are making a bid to challenge the decision.

The Cass Review, commissioned by NHS England and published in April, concluded that gender care is currently an area of “remarkably weak evidence” and young people have been caught up in a “stormy social discourse”.

Seven Labour MPs break ranks and vote for scrapping policy

Tuesday 23 July 2024 19:53 , Holly Evans

The seven Labour MPs who rebelled and voted in favour of scrapping the two-child benefit cap were: Apsana Begum, Richard Burgon, Ian Byrne, Imran Hussain, Rebecca Long-Bailey, John McDonnell and Zarah Sultana.

They were joined by the SNP, Green Party, independents including Jeremy Corbyn and much of the Liberal Democrat party.

Keir Starmer suffers first backbench rebellion of his premiership over two-child benefit cap

Tuesday 23 July 2024 19:47 , Holly Evans

Keir Starmer has faced the first backbench rebellion of his premiership after seven Labour MPs broke ranks to vote to scrap the two-child benefit cap.

The new Labour government comfortably won the vote, however, by 363 votes to 103, a majority of 260.

In a bid to head off the revolt, ministers said on Monday that they would consider ditching the “cruel” policy.

Read the full article here:

Keir Starmer suffers first backbench rebellion as PM over two-child benefit cap

SNP vow to continue campaign to scrap controversial policy

Tuesday 23 July 2024 19:41 , Holly Evans

Labour has “failed its first major test in Government,” the SNP said after MPs voted against scrapping the two-child benefit cap.

The party’s Westminster leader Stephen Flynn MP said: “Labour MPs had the opportunity to deliver meaningful change from years of Tory misrule by immediately lifting thousands of children out of poverty – they have made a political choice not to do so.

“This is now the Labour Government’s two-child cap – and it must take ownership of the damage it is causing, including the appalling levels of poverty in the UK.

“The SNP will campaign vigorously for the cap to be abolished at the earliest opportunity. It is the very worst of Westminster’s welfare cuts, and every day it remains more children suffer.

“The Labour Government has a moral duty to go much further and faster to tackle child poverty.

“Scrapping the cap is the bare minimum we should expect. In order to eradicate child poverty, the UK Government must take much bolder action, including matching the Scottish Child Payment UK-wide by raising universal credit by £26.70 per child, per week at the UK budget.”

Government must do ‘the sums’ before committing to axing two-child cap – Kendall

Tuesday 23 July 2024 19:40 , Salma Ouaguira

The Government has to do “the sums” before committing to axing the two-child benefit cap, the Work and Pensions Secretary said, as Sir Keir Starmer faces a possible rebellion over the policy in the Commons.

A King’s Speech debate could end with a vote on the matter on Tuesday evening if Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle selects one of several amendments that have been tabled.

The Prime Minister has said there is “no silver bullet” to end child poverty but acknowledged the “passion” of Labour MPs who are considering rebelling over the continuation of the Tory measure.

Liz Kendall said she is “absolutely passionate about driving down child poverty” and that it is a “real priority for this Government”.

But, pressed on whether that means abolishing the cap, she told Times Radio that Labour was elected “on the promise that we would only make spending commitments that we know we can keep”.

“I’m not into a wink and a nudge politics,” she said.

“I’m not going to look constituents in the face and tell them I’m going to do something without actually having done the sums, figuring out how I’m going to pay for it, figuring out how we transform opportunity for those children, not just in terms of their household income, which is essential, but about having sustained improvements to helping people get work and get on in work, more childcare, early years support, sorting out the dire state of people’s housing.

“It’s got to be part of a much bigger approach.”

Starmer sees off scrapping two-child benefit policy

Tuesday 23 July 2024 19:33 , Holly Evans

On Amendment D to scrap the two-child benefit policy, the ayes voted 103, the noes voted 363, so MPs reject the amendment.

The majority is 260, with a number of Labour MPs rebelling against their own government, but with a majority of more than 170 Sir Keir Starmer easily saw them off.

MPs voting on SNP amendment to scrap two-child benefit cap

Tuesday 23 July 2024 19:27 , Holly Evans

MPs have divided to vote on amendment D which regards scrapping the two-child benefit policy

The amendment, tabled by the SNP, regrets that the King’s Speech “fails to include immediate measures to abolish the two-child benefit limit to universal credit.”

Tories amendment on boosting defence spending fails to pass

Tuesday 23 July 2024 19:20 , Holly Evans

MPs have voted on Amendement L, with the ayes voted 117, the noes 384, with the majority at 267.

The amendment, which was tabled by the Conservatives, regrets that the King’s Speech “does not commit to boosting defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2030 with a fully funded plan”.

Suella Braverman: I want Donald Trump to be president

Tuesday 23 July 2024 19:20 , Salma Ouaguira

Suella Braverman has said she would vote for Donald Trump if she was a US citizen, claiming “the world will be safer” if the Republican presidential hopeful wins the November election.

The former home secretary’s endorsement of the ex-president came as she is widely believed to be preparing a bid to lead the Conservative Party from the right.

“I want Trump to be president,” she said while guest-hosting a programme on LBC Radio on Tuesday.

“Don’t look at the characters and the personalities – if we look at the policy, I think the world will be safer under Donald Trump.

“If we look at his record as president, you know, no wars were started while Donald Trump was president.”

She continued: “I think there’s been a real track record of peace and stability globally that we saw from Trump when he was president and that we can expect going forward. And right now the world is a very volatile place.

“I do think that we need a strong president in the White House. I personally would give my vote to Donald Trump were I an American citizen.”

Tom Tugendhat asks if home secretary will resign if Channel migration rises

Tuesday 23 July 2024 19:16 , Holly Evans

Shadow security minister Tom Tugendhat has asked the Government frontbench whether the Home Secretary will resign if cross-Channel migration rises.

Speaking from the Conservative frontbench, Mr Tugendhat said: “If she (Home Secretary Yvette Cooper) is wrong, God forbid, and the numbers rise – I know, wonders will never happen – what will the Home Secretary do? Will she take responsibility and resign?

“Or will she reach for the old Blair-Brown playbook that is the golden thread running through this King’s Speech and instead farm out the blame, set up a new quango, pretend it’s not your problem and hope that it all goes away?”

Mr Tugendhat also sad: “The trouble with Labour’s plans is we know that however well meaning they are, they always lead to the same outcome.

“While Conservatives see industry as the source of our prosperity, Labour just views it as something to be taxed.”

Why have the Tories opted for such a long leadership election campaign?

Tuesday 23 July 2024 19:14 , Holly Evans

Short of money after a bruising election defeat, the Tories may seek to use the autumn conference as a platform for hustings says John Rentoul

Read the full article here:

Why have Tories opted for such a long leadership election campaign?

Plan to oust hereditary peers from House of Lords branded a ‘vendetta’

Tuesday 23 July 2024 19:06 , Holly Evans

The Government has been accused of waging a “vendetta” in its plan to remove the remaining hereditary peers from the House of Lords.

Critics called the move “political vandalism” as members of the unelected chamber debated the measure contained in the recent King’s Speech.

Legislation has been proposed to end what the Government has called the “outdated and indefensible” presence of peers who are there by right of birth.

The presence of 92 hereditary members and the by-elections used to fill vacancies has been the subject of ongoing criticism given the exclusive, male-dominated list of eligible candidates and the limited number of people able to vote in the contests.

Lords reforms under Tony Blair reduced the number of hereditary peers to 90, plus the Earl Marshal and Lord Great Chamberlain.

That was intended only as a short-term compromise, but the situation has persisted for 25 years.

Downing Street rejects suggestion that racism at play in scrapping Rwanda scheme

Tuesday 23 July 2024 19:00 , Salma Ouaguira

Downing Street has denied that the Government’s decision to scrap the scheme to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda was racist after James Cleverly suggested it showed a “disdainful attitude” to Rwanda.

The Prime Minister’s official spokesman rejected a suggestion by the shadow home secretary that there was a racial element to the Labour Government deciding to nix the agreement, saying the scheme was scrapped because it was ineffective.

Mr Cleverly told Times Radio that the Labour Government cancelled the agreement with the Rwandan government “without even having the good grace to contact them directly to inform them”, which he said would not have happened had the deal been with a European country.

When asked if he was saying the decision was racist, Mr Cleverly said: “You and I both know that this would never have happened like this had it been with a European country. It’s because there is a below-the-salt disdainful attitude to African countries and the Rwandan government.”

The Prime Minister’s official spokesman rejected the suggestion that racism was at play in the decision to scrap the scheme.

He told reporters: “The decision to scrap the scheme was based on the scheme being a completely ineffective policy.”