Rishi Sunak latest news: Labour hold 17-point lead over Tories

The Labour Party holds a 17 point poll lead over the Conservatives, according to a new survey conducted by Savanta.

The poll, carried out between November 17-19 in the run up to this week’s Autumn Statement, put Labour on 44 per cent of the vote and the Conservatives on 27 per cent.

Labour were down by two points and the Tories were down by one point when compared to the company’s previous poll conducted between November 10-12.

Meanwhile, the Liberal Democrats, Reform UK, Green Party and the SNP all saw their support increase by one point each to 11 per cent, seven per cent, five per cent and three per cent, respectively.

You can follow the latest updates below and join the conversation in the comments section here.

04:00 PM GMT

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03:39 PM GMT

Sir Keir Starmer chooses EU anthem as song that ‘sums up Labour Party’

Sir Keir Starmer has chosen the European Union’s official anthem as the song he believes “sums up the Labour Party”.

The leader of the opposition picked Ode to Joy, the final movement of Beethoven’s 9th symphony, which he described as “incredibly powerful”.

Ode to Joy was adopted by the EU as its official anthem two decades ago and the song became a favourite of Remain activists, whose campaign resulted in it reaching the top of the iTunes chart on the eve of Britain’s departure from the bloc in 2020.

You can read the full story here.

03:13 PM GMT

Net zero drive a 'catastrophe', says Richard Tice

Richard Tice has urged Rishi Sunak to abolish all remaining net zero targets as he claimed green policies would “impoverish us all”.

Mr Sunak delayed or diluted a number of flagship green pledges in September but Mr Tice, the leader of the insurgent Right-wing party Reform UK, said he had not gone far enough.

“Net zero is the greatest single act of financial self-harm that people in Westminster have ever imposed on the British people,” he told the Telegraph Politics newsletter.

“It’s a catastrophe, it’s going to impoverish us all, it’s sending our jobs and our money abroad.”

He added: “Anybody who thinks that if you get to net zero you’re going to stop climate change is a naive, misinformed fool.”

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03:04 PM GMT

Reform UK leader calls for Home Office to be abolished

The Government should abolish the Home Office and replace it with a new “department of immigration”, the leader of Reform UK has urged.

Richard Tice said the Home Office was no longer “fit for purpose” in the wake of figures published on Thursday that showed net migration hit a record high of 745,000 in the year to December 2022, three times higher than the pre-Brexit peak.

Mr Tice told the Telegraph Politics newsletter: “We need a whole new Department of Immigration. The Home Office is not fit for purpose.

“It needs to be, frankly, just put in the bin. Just start again with a new department of immigration, staffed by people who believe in the cause of sovereign independence. That is critical.”

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02:49 PM GMT

Government scrapping 'arbitrary' rule on heat pumps

An “arbitrary” rule with the potential to force households to install heat pumps in the middle of their gardens is set to be scrapped by the Government.

Under the plans, buried in the detail of the Autumn Statement, people would no longer have to fit the devices at least one metre from neighbouring properties.

Ministers say ditching the rule would help to “capitalise on the UK’s world-leading approach to decarbonising the economy”.

Currently, planning regulations mean that to qualify for the Government’s £5,000 heat pump grant devices should be installed at least one metre (3.28ft) from any boundary wall.

You can read the full story here.

02:28 PM GMT

Household debt burden set to double by 2026

The household debt burden is set to double by 2026, with sky-high repayment charges far outstripping savings from National Insurance cuts.

The Office for Budget Responsibility forecasts that the cost of paying back household debt will rise from £73 billion in 2023 to £151 billion in 2026, some £50 billion higher than it was during the 2008 financial crisis.

According to Lib Dem analysis, this means people will be forced to fork out an extra £230 per month by 2026, compared with the £40 the average earner will save from the Chancellor’s cut to National Insurance.

You can read the full story here.

02:00 PM GMT

Jeremy Hunt hails Nissan investment 'win'

01:18 PM GMT

Poll: Labour hold 17 point lead over Tories

Labour hold a 17 point poll lead over the Tories, according to a new survey conducted by Savanta.

The poll, carried out between November 17-19, put Labour on 44 per cent of the vote and the Conservatives on 27 per cent.

Labour were down by two points and the Tories were down by one point when compared to the company’s previous poll conducted between November 10-12.

The Liberal Democrats, Reform UK, Green Party and the SNP all saw their support increase by one point each.

12:54 PM GMT

Join the conversation

Telegraph readers are discussing the record net migration figures and what they will mean for the future of Britain:

Gilbert Bellairs said: “They pretend the immigration figures are something they can only influence, like economic growth. But every visa for a ‘legal’ migrant, every hotel room for an illegal migrant is authorised by the Government. They should know exactly how many immigrants there are.”

KMC said: “Mass immigration has destroyed the social and cultural cohesion of the entire nation in 25 years and every year it feels a bit worse. Major change is needed, Conservative and Labour politicians need sweeping to one side entirely. Both have failed the country miserably and neither deserve any mandate to govern!”

You can join the conversation in the comments section here.

12:34 PM GMT

PM to press ahead with smoking ban despite New Zealand U-turn

Rishi Sunak will press ahead with his smoking ban for young people despite New Zealand ditching its plans for a similar policy.

New Zealand’s new centre-right government is repealing the policy.

Asked if Mr Sunak will now reconsider his own ban, the Prime Minister’s Official Spokeswoman said: “No. Our position remains unchanged, We are committed to that.

“This is an important long-term decision and step to deliver a smoke-free generation which remains critically important.”

12:13 PM GMT

No ‘running commentary’ on new migration measures, says No10

Downing Street said it will not provide a “running commentary” on measures which could be introduced to bring down legal migration levels.

Asked what Rishi Sunak made of Robert Jenrick’s proposals, the Prime Minister’s Official Spokeswoman said: “We do think it is too high and it is placing unacceptable pressure on UK communities and that is why we will look at what further measures may need to be taken to get those numbers down.

“But we won’t provide a running commentary on policy development and discussions.”

11:50 AM GMT

Starmer picks EU anthem as music that ‘sums up Labour Party’

Sir Keir Starmer has picked the EU anthem as the piece of classical music that “sums up the Labour Party”.

The Opposition leader talked about the “sense of destiny” and “moving forward to a better place” in Beethoven’s 9th Symphony, which includes the choral Ode to Joy, in a radio interview.

Asked what piece of classical music best sums up Labour, Sir Keir told Classic FM: “One of the pieces I’ve got is Beethoven’s 9th Symphony, the choral Ode to Joy.

“You’ve got the orchestra, you’ve got the voices, you’ve got this big combination. This is very sort of Labour.”

Beethoven’s symphony is one of the most popular pieces of classical music and has been used at events including the BBC Proms as well as for the EU’s anthem since the 1970s.

11:30 AM GMT

Tories have ‘utterly betrayed’ the British people on immigration, says Richard Tice

The Tories have “utterly betrayed” the British people on immigration, according to Reform UK’s leader.

Richard Tice said the Government had failed to get migration under control and that the gross number of people arriving in the UK each year was equivalent to the population of Birmingham.

Mr Tice said: “The British people have completely lost trust in this Government, who have totally and utterly betrayed what they promised us with Brexit: to take back control of our borders.”

You can read the full story here.

11:15 AM GMT

Cameron, not Sunak, looked like PM during state visit, says Osborne

George Osborne said it looked like David Cameron was the prime minister rather than Rishi Sunak during the state visit of the South Korean President earlier this week.

Mr Osborne said it was a good thing that Mr Sunak “doesn’t suffer from the tall poppy syndrome” and was willing to appoint a political heavyweight to his Cabinet.

But he suggested it could result in some interesting optics for the premier.

Mr Osborne told his Political Currency podcast: “I think it is to Rishi Sunak’s credit that he doesn’t suffer from the tall poppy syndrome, that you don’t want other big people around you and I thought that was a big weakness of the Boris Johnson government, it was a big weakness of Theresa May.

“It points to some Sunak self-confidence although they probably need to organise better the order in which they inspect troops because people will have seen these pictures of the South Korean President being welcomed in Britain and looking at a guard of honour and David Cameron looked like he was the prime minister and Rishi Sunak was chasing his tail.

“But to be honest I don’t think Rishi will be too worried about that. I think everyone knows he is the Prime Minister and if you are in 10 Downing Street you are always very aware who the prime minister is.”

10:47 AM GMT

Sunak won’t be drawn on Jenrick’s migration plan

Rishi Sunak refused to be drawn on Robert Jenrick’s five-point plan to reduce net migration.

Asked if he supported the immigration minister’s proposals, the Prime Minister said: “I am clear that the overall level of net migration is simply too high and it has got to come down to more sustainable levels.

“The ONS have said that migration is now already slowing so that is encouraging but there is more to do, for sure…”

10:30 AM GMT

Pictured: Sunak and Hunt visit a Nissan factory in Sunderland this morning

10:08 AM GMT

Sunak: Migration levels are 'too high' and have 'got to come down'

Rishi Sunak said net migration levels are “too high” and must “come down to more sustainable levels”.

Asked if he would apologise for the Tories breaking their manifesto pledge to cut immigration, Mr Sunak told broadcasters during a visit to a Nissan factory in Sunderland: “I’m very clear that the levels of migration are too high and they’ve got to come down to more sustainable levels. I’ve been clear about that.

“It is good to see that the ONS [Office for National Statistics] yesterday did say that the levels of migration are now slowing - in their words - which is a welcome step. But we’ve got more to go. That is why I announced a policy earlier to clamp down on the number of dependents that students can bring when they’re coming here, where we’ve seen a very significant rise in that.

“That action I took represents the single toughest measure that anyone has taken to bring down the levels of legal migration in a very long time. So that should give people a sense of my commitment to bringing migration down. And if we see further abuse of the system, of course we’re prepared to act and do more.”

10:04 AM GMT

Labour: Migration numbers represent ‘huge Tory failure’

Anneliese Dodds, the Labour Party chairwoman, said the Conservatives had failed to control migration after revised figures showed the numbers arriving legally into Britain last year was at an all-time high.

“They represent a huge failure of the Conservative Government when it comes to our economy and migration policy as well,” she told Times Radio.

“What lies behind these figures is a 54 per cent increase in work visas, a 156 per cent increase in health and social care visas.”

09:44 AM GMT

‘We are absolutely determined to have those figures go down’

A Cabinet minister has suggested that reforms to the welfare system and tax cuts in the Autumn Statement could lead to a reduction in net migration.

Work and Pensions Secretary Mel Stride told LBC Radio: “We are absolutely determined to have those figures go down.

“I think what is really important is what DWP [Department for Work and Pensions] and I are doing to get more people to engage with the labour market so we can take pressure off the labour market which is driving some of this migration growth.

“And secondly that those employment taxes that the Chancellor was able to reduce I think is very significant too because that will help increase the supply of labour as well.”

09:21 AM GMT

Ministers will ‘come forward with further approaches’ to curb legal migration

The Government will be “coming forward with further approaches” to curb levels of legal migration, the Work and Pensions Secretary said this morning.

Mel Stride was asked during an interview on Times Radio if he agreed with Suella Braverman who said “enough is enough”.

He said: “As I have said, we do accept that these figures are too high, they are unacceptable and that is exactly why we will be coming forward with further approaches to making sure that we bring these down.”

09:00 AM GMT

Net migration numbers ‘unacceptable’, says Mel Stride

Mel Stride, the Work and Pensions Secretary, said yesterday’s net migration figures showing a new record high were “unacceptable”.

He told Times Radio: “I think the fundamental point here is that these figures we recognise are far too high, they are unacceptable and that is why we have been taking action for example, 150,000 students, looking at their dependents and clamping down on the number of dependents that people can bring over to the UK.

“And in the round in terms of things that we are looking at at the moment, the OBR, the independent forecaster around the Autumn Statement, has recognised that that will be bringing these migration figures lower.

“But there is more to be done and clearly the Home Office and the Home Secretary, Prime Minister and others are looking very closely at this and we do accept these figures are too high and they do need to start to come down.”

08:41 AM GMT

Sunak hails new Nissan investment in Sunderland

Number 10 announced this morning that Nissan will directly invest up to £1.12 billion to produce new electric versions of the Nissan Juke and Qashqai vehicles models in Sunderland.

This will enable more investment in infrastructure projects and the supply chain, including a new battery factory. The investment could therefore total up to £2 billion, the Government said.

Nissan employs 7,000 people directly in the UK and supports another 30,000 jobs in its supply chain.

Rishi Sunak said the investment will make Sunderland the UK’s electric vehicle “Silicon Valley”.

“Nissan’s investment is a massive vote of confidence in the UK’s automotive industry, which already contributes a massive £71 billion a year to our economy,” the Prime Minister said.

08:26 AM GMT

PM thanks Qatar and Egypt for ‘intensive diplomacy’

The Prime Minister has thanked Qatar and Egypt for their “intensive diplomacy” in helping to secure a pause in the fighting in the Israel-Hamas war.

The temporary truce in the conflict came into effect early this morning, setting the stage for the exchange of dozens of hostages held by militants in Gaza for Palestinians imprisoned in Israel.

Rishi Sunak tweeted: “This humanitarian pause is critical to end the terrible ordeal of hostages held by Hamas and get life-saving aid into Gaza.

“I want to thank Qatar, Egypt and others for the intensive diplomacy that has got us here. We will not stop until all hostages are safely returned.”

08:07 AM GMT

Lord Blunkett: Immigration system is ‘out of control’

Lord Blunkett, the former Labour home secretary, said the immigration system was “out of control” as he responded to the new record high in net migration.

He said the UK was now in a “different ball park altogether” to the Tories’ original pledge of reducing net migration to the tens of thousands.

Asked if he was relaxed about the current level of immigration, Lord Blunkett told Sky News: “No, I’m not relaxed because I think the system’s out of control. I think 165,000 people were waiting for their applications to be processed.

“And I think a failure to understand that you actually have to deal with other countries if you’re going to get this right, including much better agreements with the French. I think all of that can be done. But I think if you elevate immigration as a major political issue and then you fail to deliver, it’s not surprising that people become disillusioned.”

07:58 AM GMT

'We don’t need more immigration to fill our labour market'

Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg suggested the Government was not taking the net migration issue “as seriously as it ought to”.

He told GB News: “We don’t need more immigration to fill our labour market. We have millions of people who could and indeed should be filling these jobs.

“But the system militates against them, because in shortage occupations domestic wages may be undercut by 20 per cent for immigrant labour making our own poor poorer and giving industries an incentive to say that there are shortages because it’s a route to cutting their costs.

“And I’m afraid it doesn’t seem to me as if the Government is taking this as seriously as it ought to. It’s much easier to deal with legal migration than it is to deal with a much smaller number of illegal crossings in small boats. There are no human rights considerations. It can be done by administrative action.”

07:54 AM GMT

Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg apologises for Tory net migration failure

Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg, the former business secretary, has apologised for the Tories’ failure to deliver on their net migration pledges.

He told his GB News show last night: “First of all an apology. Along with many other Tory MPs, I stood in 2010 on a manifesto to cut migration to the tens of thousands.

“We have failed, and it is now cumulatively in the millions. The Office for National Statistics recorded a record-breaking figure of 606,000 for net migration in 2022. But the reality is worse.

“The 2022 figure has been revised upwards to an even more unsustainable 745,000. That’s an addition of 139,000 people that the Government hasn’t accounted for.”

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