British Politics: the Mega-Thread

[FearlessRoar]

Liz Truss was 'ecstatic' with mini-budget plan and claims Number 10 infested with fleas in new memoir​

Liz Truss has revealed she considered abolishing the UK's economic watchdog and replacing leaders at the Treasury and Bank of England, accusing the bodies of being "pro-China" and "pro-Remain".

The country's shortest serving prime minister said she discussed scrapping the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) with her Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng but concluded it would have "amounted to a declaration of war on the economic establishment".

In an extract from her memoir published by the Daily Mail, Ms Truss says the OBR, Treasury, and Bank of England "were more interested in balancing the books than growing the economy" and saw immigration "as a way of fixing the public finances".

Defending her September 2022 mini-budget - which led to a surge in borrowing costs and saw the pound slump to a 37-year low against the dollar - the former prime minister said she would "accept that the communications around the mini-budget were not as good as they could have been".

However, she said the afternoon after which Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng outlined the growth plan was "probably my happiest moment as prime minister" adding "I was ecstatic".

Mr Kwarteng was sacked three weeks later amid rising mortgage costs, before most measures in the statement were axed in an attempt to stabilise financial markets.

The serialisation also includes behind-the-scenes details of domestic life as a senior government figure.

Liz Truss was 'ecstatic' with mini-budget plan and claims Number 10 infested with fleas in new memoir

Liz Truss resigned in October 2022 serving 44 days in office. Her memoir details her short tenure including behind-the-scenes stories of domestic life as a senior government figure.

news.sky.com

 

[hassan918]

Rishi Sunak's flagship smoking ban bill passes first hurdle despite cabinet opposition​

Rishi Sunak's flagship smoking ban has passed its first parliamentary hurdle despite opposition from within his cabinet - as Labour backed the bill.

Mr Sunak wants to raise the legal age to buy cigarettes annually in a bid to phase out the habit, as well as restrict the sales of vaping products.

The proposals would make it illegal to sell tobacco products to anyone born after 1 January 2009 - with the prime minister hoping to create a "smoke-free" generation.

Conservative MPs were given a free vote in the Commons this evening, meaning they were allowed to oppose the government if they wished without facing repercussions.

The House of Commons voted in favour of the plan by 383 votes to 67.

There was a sizeable Tory rebellion and a significant number of abstentions.

Kemi Badenoch, the business and trade secretary and a former leadership contender, said she would not support the legislation before the vote.

Ms Badenoch - who has also been tipped to run to replace Mr Sunak if he loses the next election - said on social media that while she agrees with the plan's intentions, giving adults "born a day apart... permanently different rights" is an issue with the policy - as is the practicality of asking businesses to enforce it.

Other ministers who voted against the bill included Andrew Griffith, Steve Baker, Julia Lopez, Lee Rowley and Alex Burghart, as well as Conservative deputy chair Jonathan Gullis.

In total, 57 Conservative MPs voted against Mr Sunak's plans, with 106 abstaining.

One such abstention was Anne Marie-Trevelyan, a Foreign Office minister, who said ahead of time that she would not support the Tobacco and Vapes Bill.

Another was Commons leader - and another party leadership hopeful - Penny Mordaunt.

Former immigration minister Robert Jenrick was one of those former ministers who signalled beforehand his intention to vote against the government's proposed smoking ban.

"I believe in personal freedom," he posted on X. "Let's educate more and ban less."

Other senior Conservatives - like former prime minister Liz Truss, former business secretary Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg and former home secretary Suella Braverman - all said before the vote they did not support the bill, and they all voted against it.

Another former Tory prime minister, Boris Johnson, has also criticised the plan - calling it "mad" and "nuts".

Labour MPs were whipped to support the prime minister's plans, with shadow health secretary Wes Streeting speaking in support of the policy in the Commons debate ahead of the vote.

Source: SKY

 

[hassan918]

Rishi Sunak warns of 'growing threats' as he announces tens of billions of pounds in extra defence funding​

Rishi Sunak is to increase UK defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2030 as he warns European allies that the continent is at a "turning point" in the face of the growing threats from Russia, Iran and China.

Speaking alongside NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, the UK prime minister said he planned to steadily increase defence spending by the end of the decade, rising to 2.4% a year until 2027/28 - then hitting 2.5% by 2030/31.

Funding will rise from £64.6bn in 2024 to £78.2bn in 2028, and then jump to £87bn in 2030/31.

The government said the commitment amounted to an additional £75bn in funding over the next six years and would see the UK remain "by far the second largest defence spender in NATO after the US".

Labour's Steve Reed told Sky News' Politics Hub with Sophy Ridge that his party "would want to match" the pledge from the prime minister.

But he accused Mr Sunak of "belatedly seeing the defence of our country as important" after his performance in government on defence.

Making the announcement on a visit to Poland, Mr Sunak said the additional funding represented the "biggest strengthening of our national defence in a generation to meet the challenge of an increasingly dangerous world".

He revealed a further £10bn would be spent over the next decade on munitions production and modernisation of the armed forces, and that at least 5% of the defence budget would be committed to research and development.

The prime minister said: "An axis of autocratic states like Russia, Iran and China are increasingly working together to undermine democracies and reshape the world order.

"They are also investing heavily in their own militaries and in cyber capabilities and in low-cost technology, like the Shahed attack drones Iran fired towards Israel last weekend."

He added that this posed a "direct threat to the lives and livelihoods of people in the UK, as well as across Europe and the wider world", as he spoke of the need to take "further action now to deter these growing threats".

Asked by Sky News whether the UK had entered a "pre-war era", the prime minister said: "We have to recognise that the world... is a more dangerous place".

But he said the threats from the likes of Russia were "nothing new" - they just came at a new "pace and intensity", adding: "That's why it's important that we make this investment and we make this investment now."

However, Mr Sunak said the UK was approaching them "from a position of strength and confidence".

Pointing to Ukraine, he said recent gains by the Russians were equivalent to taking over Basildon and Eastbourne, adding: "The allies are united, defence spending is growing across Europe and NATO has two new members.

"If you take a step back, you know, Russia is not in any way succeeding."

The prime minister added: "We have been making the right investments. NATO is strong. Our alliance is strong. People are doing the right thing. And as you know... Russia has not succeeded.

"But we can't be complacent. And that's why [we are making] the announcement today."

Today's commitment comes after growing pressure on the prime minister to increase defence spending in the face of increasing threats from hostile states.

Last month, two serving ministers - Anne-Marie Trevelyan and Tom Tugendhat - publicly urged the government to invest at a "much greater pace".

The House of Commons' spending watchdog, the Public Accounts Committee, also warned the gap between the Ministry of Defence's budget and the cost of the UK's desired military capabilities had risen by £16.9bn - the largest deficit ever - despite a promised injection of more than £46bn over the next decade.

The increase in defence spending will go down well with Mr Sunak's supporters among the Tory grassroots and comes fresh from his landmark Rwanda legislation being passed, with the prime minister emphatic that a regular rhythm of flights will be taking off from July.

Both announcements are part of a publicity blitz for the embattled leader as he looks to get on the front foot ahead of next week's local elections, aware that a disastrous night could put him into freefall.

Source: SKY

 

[hassan918]

Tory MP Dan Poulter defects to Labour over NHS 'chaos'​

Conservative MP and former health minister Dan Poulter has defected to Labour.

The MP for Suffolk Central and Ipswich North, with a majority of 23,391 at the last election, has indicated he is not planning to stand at the next general election.

The defection was revealed in an article on The Observer website, in which the part-time GP outlined why he was switching parties.

He said: "The chaos of today's fragmented patchwork of community addiction services - making A&E the default location for people to get treatment and help - has added pressure to an already overstretched service.

"The mental toll of a service stretched close to breaking point is not confined to patients and their families. It also weighs heavily on my NHS colleagues who are unable to deliver the right care in a system that simply no longer works for our patients.

"It is this which has led me today to have resigned from the Conservative party to focus on my work as a doctor and to support Keir Starmer."

He told The Observer the Conservatives had become "a nationalist party of the right" in the last eight years.

"It is not to say all [Tory] MPs are like that," he said.

"There are good MPs, but it feels that the party is ever moving rightwards, ever presenting a more nationalist position."

The mental health doctor sent his resignation to the prime minister Rishi Sunak, saying: "After deep reflection and much heart-searching, I have decided, in all professional conscience, that I can no longer continue as a member of the Conservative Party."

The Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer celebrated his defection on social media.

"It's fantastic to welcome Dr Dan Poulter MP to today's changed Labour Party," he said in a post on X.

"It's time to end the Conservative chaos, turn the page, and get Britain's future back. I'm really pleased that Dan has decided to join us on this journey."

Sky's Jon Craig called the defection a "disastrous blow for the Conservatives and a massive propaganda coup for Labour."

"Dr Poulter's defection means the Commons majority of 80, won by Boris Johnson in December 2019, is now just 41, roughly half what it was three-and-a-half years ago," he added.

"But more than the terrible numbers, bad as they are, it is his threat to support Labour on the NHS in the run-up to the general election that will alarm the Conservatives."

Tory MP Dan Poulter defects to Labour over NHS 'chaos'

Former health minister Dan Poulter said "chaos" in the NHS has led him to defect to Labour from the Conservative Party. The part-time GP said the Conservatives had become "a nationalist party of the right".

news.sky.com

 

[Kroll]

Funny how Labour are now saying "but but we are now calling for ceasefire in Gaza" after losing ground in areas with a high Muslim population in the local elections.

Yes, of course you're saying that now after nearly 40k people have been killed, Gaza effectively flattened and imminent invasion of Rafah.

These people actually think we are stupid, even the Americans abstained from the ceasefire vote at the UN over a month ago. I hope the boycott of Labour continues at the general election, nothing less than these snakes deserve.

 

[hassan918]

Conservative Andy Street's bid to be re-elected West Midlands mayor 'too close to call'​

The battle for West Midlands mayor is down to the wire after a partial recount of votes and the gap between the contenders narrowing.

Incumbent Tory Andy Street's hope of securing a third term in office remains on a knife-edge in the face of a stiff challenge by Labour's Richard Parker.

The request by the Tories for a recount in Coventry indicated they were looking for more votes.

But Mr Parker finished top in the area securing 32,704 votes to Mr Street's 23,237.

While this still leaves Mr Street with an overall lead of 11,455 votes or 2.2 percentage points, the gap between the pair has closed with only Sandwell - a traditional Labour-supporting area - still to call.

However, Sky News estimates that Labour needs to lead the Tories by 16.3 percentage points in Sandwell to win the West Midlands mayoralty.

That is more than double their lead in Sandwell at the previous mayoral election in 2021, when they led by 7.7 points based on first preferences.

Notably, the independent candidate in third place Akhmed Yakoob has so far netted 62,595 votes, doing particularly well in the Birmingham area.

He has been backed by George Galloway of the Workers Party of Britain and is likely to have taken votes from the Labour candidate.

Conservative Andy Street's bid to be re-elected West Midlands mayor 'too close to call'

The outcome of the contest is critical to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak after a hammering in the local elections and its loss threatens to fuel rumblings about his leadership among disgruntled MPs.

news.sky.com

 

[Cricket Warrior]

Graeme McCormick pulls out of SNP leadership race paving way for John Swinney

Graeme McCormick has pulled out of the race to become SNP leader and instead endorsed rival John Swinney as Scotland's next first minister.

Mr McCormick's decision not to pursue a leadership bid leaves Mr Swinney as the only official candidate after Humza Yousaf announced he is stepping down.

Mr Yousaf said he was resigning last week after he decided to end the power-sharing agreement with the Scottish Green Party.

In a statement shared with Sky News, Mr McCormick, a party activist, said he had had a "lengthy and fruitful conversation" with Mr Swinney, adding that he had "met the threshold set by the party rules".

"John and I agreed the challenges which the SNP, our government and our people face, and explored new thinking on a range of issues which I am confident, as they are advanced, will inspire activists both within the SNP and wider independence movement in the following weeks and months," he said.

"This is a fresh start for our members and our politicians, and I'm sure that John's determination to deliver Independence will be rewarded at the forthcoming general election.

"I have therefore concluded that I shall not proceed with my nomination for party leader but instead support John Swinney's nomination for party leader and first minister of Scotland."

It means the party will avoid a three-week leadership contest, which would have been triggered had Mr McCormick not stepped aside and received. the required 100 nominations.

Earlier on Sunday, Mr Swinney warned potential challengers from entering the race, saying it would delay the party from "rebuilding".

"My bid to become SNP leader has received very, very comprehensive support within the SNP. I have sent out a message which is about unifying the SNP to strengthen our party and win Scottish independence," he told Sky's Trevor Phillips.

Graeme McCormick pulls out of SNP leadership race paving way for John Swinney

Mr McCormick's decision not to pursue a party leadership bid leaves John Swinney as the only official candidate to succeed Humza Yousaf after he announced he is stepping down.

news.sky.com

 

[FearlessRoar]

Russian diplomat to be expelled by UK for spying, says James Cleverly​

An "undeclared" Russian military intelligence officer will be expelled from the UK, Home Secretary James Cleverly has told the House of Commons.

He also announced the closure of several Russian diplomatic premises and new restrictions on diplomatic visas.

"We should expect accusations of Russophobia, conspiracy theories and hysteria from the Russian government" in the coming days, Mr Cleverly said.

The Kremlin has not publicly responded to the accusation.

"This is not new and the British people will not fall for it," Mr Cleverly said.

He told MPs: "I can tell the House that we will expel the Russian defence attache, who is an undeclared military intelligence officer.

"We will remove diplomatic premises status from several Russian-owned properties in the UK, including Seacox Heath house, a Russian-owned property in Sussex, and the trade and defence section in Highgate, which we believe have been used for intelligence purposes.

"We are imposing new restrictions on Russian diplomatic visas, including capping the length of time Russian diplomats can spend in the UK."

Mr Cleverly said Russia's explanation was "totally inadequate" and the UK response "will be resolute and firm".

"Our message to Russia is clear: stop this illegal war, withdraw your troops from Ukraine, cease this malign activity."

Russian diplomat to be expelled by UK for spying, says James Cleverly

The home secretary says the diplomat is an "undeclared" military intelligence officer.

www.bbc.com

 

[hassan918]

Commons approves plans to exclude from parliament MPs arrested on suspicion of serious offence​

The House of Commons has approved plans to exclude MPs from the parliamentary estate if they have been arrested on suspicion of a serious offence.

The measure came despite the government putting forward a motion to recommend that a ban kicks in when an MP is charged.

MPs voted to reverse moves to water down the measures on "risk-based exclusions" to ensure MPs can be excluded from the parliamentary estate at the point of arrest for serious sexual or violent offences.

That was the original recommendation put forward by the House of Commons Commission - but it was later revised by the government to raise the threshold for a potential ban to the point of charge.

But in a surprise move, MPs voted 170 to 169, a majority of one, in favour of a proposal by Lib Dem MP Wendy Chamberlain to reinstate the original intention of the policy.

It means those who have been arrested on suspicion of a violent or sexual offence will banned from parliament, pending the approval of an independent panel.

The exclusion policy was put forward following a number of incidents involving MPs in recent years. Currently, party whips decide if and when an MP accused of an offence should be prevented from attending the parliamentary estate.

Source: SKY

 

[hassan918]

My feet and hands were amputated after sepsis, says MP​

Conservative MP Craig Mackinlay is due to return to Parliament for the first time after suffering a life-threatening episode of sepsis which led to the amputation of his hands and feet.

The South Thanet MP recalled the shock of waking from an induced coma to find his limbs had turned completely black.

He says they were "like plastic...you could almost knock them...they were black, desiccating, clenched".

"They managed to save above the elbows and above the knees," he added.

"So you might say I'm lucky."

Speaking to the BBC, he said he now he wants to be known as the first "bionic MP", after he was fitted with prosthetic legs and hands.

'A very strange blue'
It was on 27 September, when Mr Mackinlay, 57, began feeling unwell. He didn't think much of it, took a Covid test (which came back negative) and had an early night.

During the night he was badly sick but still didn't think it was anything serious.

However, as the night wore on, his wife Kati - a pharmacist - began to get worried and tested his blood pressure and temperature.

By the morning, she noticed that his arms felt cold and she couldn't feel a pulse. After ringing for an ambulance, Mr Mackinlay was admitted to hospital.

Within half an hour he had turned what he calls "a very strange blue". "My whole body, top to bottom, ears, everything, blue," he says.

He had gone into septic shock. The MP was put into an induced coma that would last for 16 days.

His wife was told she should prepare for the worst, with staff describing her husband as "one of the illest people they'd ever seen". His chances of survival stood at just 5%.

At his wife's insistence, Mr Mackinlay was transported from his local hospital in Medway, Kent, to St Thomas' in central London, directly opposite his workplace, the Houses of Parliament.

He remembers little of this - but what he can remember is the strange dreams which he thinks were brought on by morphine.

As he came to, the grim reality set in.

On waking up, he remembers hearing discussions about his arms and legs. "By then they had turned black...you could almost knock them," he says, likening them to the plastic of a mobile phone.

He says he wasn't surprised when he was told they might have to be amputated.

"I haven't got a medical degree but I know what dead things look like. I was surprisingly stoic about it... I don't know why I was. It might have been the various cocktail of drugs I was on."

My feet and hands were amputated after sepsis, says MP

Craig Mackinlay was given a 5% chance of survival after being rushed to hospital in September.

www.bbc.com

 

[The Bald Eagle]

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak failed to stem growing speculation on Wednesday that he might call an election in July after ministers cancelled events and either curtailed or delayed foreign trips to attend a government meeting.

For most of Wednesday, rumours swirled around parliament that the British leader was poised to call an election - something neither he nor his team would confirm or deny.

The political editor of the Guardian, citing sources, said Sunak would call an election on July 4.
Earlier, when asked about the rumours, Sunak stuck to his wording that a national election would be held in the second half of 2024. But then foreign minister David Cameron cut short a trip to Albania and the defence minister delayed a foreign visit to attend a cabinet meeting of senior ministers.

That fuelled speculation that the meeting could be required to sign off on a decision to call an election earlier than the October or November dates that most pundits had seen as most likely.

"Spoiler alert: there is going to be a general election in the second half of this year," Sunak told parliament.

Sunak's press secretary declined to be drawn on the rumours.
"I know there is a lot of interest in this, as there has been pretty much every week over the last five months. I will just say the same thing I have always said, which is that I am not going to rule anything in or out," she told reporters.

The strategy is risky. Sunak's Conservatives are running way behind Labour in the opinion polls, and despite hailing a decline in inflation and an increase in defence spending, they have failed to make a dent in the opposition party's lead.
Labour has held a lead over the Conservatives of around 20 points in opinion polls since late 2021 - before Sunak took office in October of that year.

The party said on Wednesday it was more than ready for an election.

"We are fully ready to go whenever the prime minister calls an election. We have a fully organised and operational campaign ready to go and we think the country is crying out for a general election," Labour leader Keir Starmer's spokesperson told reporters.

Source: Reuters

 

[FearlessRoar]

General election to be held on 4 July

Rishi Sunak confirms the general election will be held on 4 July.

BBC

 

[Markhor]

General election to be held on 4 July

Rishi Sunak confirms the general election will be held on 4 July.

BBC

Much earlier than anticipated. Surprising as Tories were hammered at the local elections. You'd think he'd want to drag things out.

 

[Markhor]

@Rajdeep Who thought it was a good idea making the announcement in the pouring rain ? He was also nearly drowned out by a prankster playing Labour's 1997 election theme song Things Can Only Get Better.

 

[aboveandbeyond]

Tories days are numbered. Going to be intresting, if Starmer comes in with a majority.

There was a poll, which suggested he will fall short of a majority.

 

[Rajdeep]

@Rajdeep Who thought it was a good idea making the announcement in the pouring rain ? He was also nearly drowned out by a prankster playing Labour's 1997 election theme song Things Can Only Get Better.


View attachment 143991

What kind of poor behaviour is this? Liking or disliking him is another story but disrespecting him like this is not cool at all. We will see what Labour does. Hope someone gate crash Kier Starmer's speech as well.

 

[shaz619]

Much earlier than anticipated. Surprising as Tories were hammered at the local elections. You'd think he'd want to drag things out.

His days are numbered, his last throw of the dice, the 1922 committee were going to boot him out otherwise

 

[shaz619]

@Rajdeep Who thought it was a good idea making the announcement in the pouring rain ? He was also nearly drowned out by a prankster playing Labour's 1997 election theme song Things Can Only Get Better.


View attachment 143991

Rishi Quack Quack is not wired like normal people, he is not just out of touch with reality, but it seems the weather to. He’s a national laughing stock and deserves to be humiliated for being a joke of a PM.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1793619231818318057

 

[Cricket Warrior]

The key bills that hang in the balance as parliament's 'wash-up' period gets under way

Rishi Sunak's decision to call a general election has kickstarted what is known as the "wash-up" period - the term used to describe the final days before parliament is formally dissolved.

It means the government will now try to progress any outstanding legislation with the aim of making it law before parliament is prorogued, and the current parliamentary session comes to an end, on Friday.

However, with such a limited timeframe, it is expected that a number of bills that have defined this parliamentary session are likely to fall by the wayside.

The key bills that hang in the balance as parliament's 'wash-up' period gets under way

Some of the bills that have been debated in parliament may not make it into law now Rishi Sunak has called a general election.

news.sky.com

 

[Kroll]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1793339940866347131

He's all washed up. C'mon the Workers Party!

 

[BouncerGuy]

Sunak and Starmer hit UK campaign trail after shock election call

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and his Labour Party rival Keir Starmer kicked off their election campaigns on Thursday, each arguing that only they can snap the country out of its economic and political malaise.

Sunak, whose Conservatives have trailed Labour by more than 15 points in polls since he became prime minister in October 2022, shocked and angered many in his party when he gambled by calling a July 4 election, months earlier than expected.

He argued on Thursday that the economy was turning a corner and he had a plan to tackle illegal immigration. But with prices in the shops up 21% in the last three years and the national health service buckling under record waiting times, it may be hard to persuade voters that Britain is on the right track.

"Even though there's more work to do and I know it will take time for you to see the benefits, the plan is working," Sunak told voters at an event with workers in central England.

The former investment banker announced his decision in the pouring rain in Downing Street on Wednesday, having to shout over protesters blaring the song "Things Can Only Get Better" - an anthem associated with Labour's crushing 1997 election victory under Tony Blair that ended the last long period of Conservative rule.

Sunak also admitted on Thursday that two of his flagship policies were now in doubt due to the timing of the election - sending illegal migrants to Rwanda to deter them from arriving in Britain, and banning smoking for younger generations.

He did receive one boost, however, when Nigel Farage, a former Brexit campaigner, said he would not seek election for Reform, likely blunting the appeal of the right-wing party and reducing its ability to eat into the Conservative's voter base.

At stake is control of the world's sixth largest economy which has endured years of low growth and high inflation, is still battling to make a success of its 2016 decision to leave the European Union, and is slowly recovering from twin shocks of COVID-19 and an energy price spike caused by the war in Ukraine.

That backdrop makes the economy one of the most important electoral battlegrounds. The two parties are also likely to focus on migration, defence, health and security.

POLITICAL TURMOIL

Polls show voters want change, even if they are not hugely enthused by Starmer and his Labour Party, after 14 years of Conservative government marked by unprecedented levels of political turmoil and so-called culture war issues.

Coffee shop worker Kitty McMurray, on her way to work, said the country needed an election because it felt like everything was falling apart. "Bring it on," the 29-year-old said.

Starmer told voters at an event in Gillingham, southeast England, that he wanted to renew, rebuild and reinvigorate Britain. He focused on deprivation and the invisible barriers that prevent many from improving their lot.

Referencing children who live in inner-city areas where big corporations such as Google have a presence, he said: "they cannot imagine themselves ever making that journey from their school to those jobs. It's a few hundred yards."

Starmer is the country's former chief prosecutor who has pulled Labour's politics back to the centre ground after it lurched to the left under his predecessor.

Were Labour to win, Starmer would become Britain's sixth prime minister in eight years, the highest turnover since the 1830s, underscoring the level of turmoil that has gripped a country once known for its political stability and pragmatism.

While the electioneering gets underway, activity in parliament is expected to pick up too as the government works out which of the pieces of legislation currently in process will be rushed through, and which will fall by the wayside.

Sunak said on Thursday that flights to Rwanda would now not start before the election, casting doubt on the divisive policy as Labour have vowed to scrap it. His policy to ban anyone aged 15 and under from ever buying cigarettes was not mentioned on the parliamentary agenda in the next few days.

REUTERS

 

[Cricket Warrior]

Michael Gove to step down as MP

Long-serving Conservative cabinet minister Michael Gove has announced he will not stand for re-election as an MP at the general election.

Mr Gove, who was first elected MP for Surrey Heath in 2005, began his cabinet career as education secretary when David Cameron became prime minister in 2010.

It is understood he made the decision in the last couple of days.

Mr Gove has been a close ally of Rishi Sunak, and also served under Theresa May and Boris Johnson.

Alongside Mr Johnson, he was one of the leaders of the Leave campaign in the 2016 Brexit referendum.

His decision comes as more than 70 Conservative MPs have announced they are leaving Parliament rather than fight the election on 4 July.

In a letter to his local Conservative Association chairman, Mr Gove thanked party members for helping him to win his seat at five general elections.

He said his parents, who adopted him when he was four months old, brought him up with the belief that "to help others is the greatest gift you can be given" as he grew up in Aberdeen.

Mr Gove said he could "never have imagined" having the opportunity to be an MP sitting in the Commons, "let alone around the Cabinet table" serving under four prime ministers - an unbroken 14 years apart from the brief premiership of Liz Truss.

He said he was grateful to Lord Cameron for giving him the chance to pursue education reform, Mrs May "who asked me to support her in challenging times", and Mr Johnson "who delivered Brexit and set out the levelling up vision".

Mr Sunak, he added, "asked me to return to government when I believed my ministerial career had ended" and allowed him to pursue the cause of levelling up.


BBC

 

[Markhor]

Add the infected blood scandal to the Post Office saga, Hillsborough, Grenfell, Jimmy Savile, Bloody Sunday etc etc. The report released this week is shocking.

Around 3000 people killed after being given infected blood transfusions by our sainted NHS !

Peoples' lives destroyed by state institutions who covered up their incompetence for decades.

Our governing classes and institutions are rotten to the core.

 

[hassan918]

Conservatives admit sending email critical of own MPs 'in error'​

The Conservatives have admitted mistakenly sending out an email which reportedly accused MPs and ministers of failing to "get behind" the party's election campaign.

Staff at Tory headquarters accused some MPs of focusing too much on ministerial business and said some were refusing to knock on doors or were away on holiday, The Times reported.

The document was accidentally emailed to MPs by a senior figure in the campaign, the newspaper said.

Responding, a Conservative Party spokesperson said: "The email was sent in error and immediately recalled. Those who received it have been contacted with an apology".

Party sources said not all of the information in the memo related to general election campaigning, as parts of the document detailed past concerns.

Rishi Sunak has experienced several setbacks in the first few days of the campaign, including getting drenched in Downing Street while announcing the election and asking voters in Wales whether they were looking forward to the Euro football tournament when their country's team had not qualified.

Some of the concerns detailed by the Times include a reference to the Plymouth Moor View MP Johnny Mercer, where an issue with "MP cooperation" was noted.

Sarah Atherton, the MP for Wrexham, was accused of "refusing to engage" with a note saying she "wants to cancel this week's campaigning sessions".

Sky News has contacted both MPs for comment.

A Liberal Democrat source said: "This embarrassing leaked memo shows even Conservative MPs are refusing to get behind Rishi Sunak's botched campaign".

Source: SKY

 

[hassan918]

Diane Abbott has Labour whip restored after investigation​

Diane Abbott has had the Labour whip restored after an investigation into her conduct, Sky News understands.

The first black woman to be elected to parliament, Ms Abbott was suspended from the party last year after writing a letter in The Guardian suggesting Jewish people do not face racism, and that instead they suffer prejudice similar to "redheads".

She apologised shortly after it was published, but had remained sitting as an independent MP for more than a year while the party's national executive committee carried out its investigation.

Sky News now understands that she had the whip returned to her earlier today, paving the way for the veteran MP to run for Labour again in her Hackney North constituency, should she wish to stand in July's election.

Ms Abbott has been a Labour MP since 1987 when she made history by becoming the first black woman to sit on the Commons' benches.

A stalwart on the left of the party, she is a close ally of former leader Jeremy Corbyn and served as his shadow home secretary during his tenure.

Her initial suspension was welcomed last April by a range of MPs from across the House and by groups representing the Jewish community.

But as the length of the investigation into her conduct grew, questions were also raised about the motivations of the current leadership and whether she would be allowed back into the party's ranks.

Speculation grew further after a report in The Guardian exposed remarks that had been made about her by one of the Conservatives' largest donors Frank Hester, saying Ms Abbott made him "want to hate all black women" and that she "should be shot".

Many from the Labour movement called for her to have the whip reinstated at this time, but while party leader Sir Keir Starmer was seen offering her support in the chamber, he repeatedly said the investigation needed to be concluded.

Reports were swirling earlier on Tuesday that Ms Abbott might be ejected from the party entirely, along with claims the investigation had been wrapped up months ago.

And there were suggestions she could even join her friend and ally Mr Corbyn on the outside and run as an independent for the general election on 4 July.

But shortly before 7pm, Sky News discovered she had been reinstated.

Sir Keir was asked by reporters about her case when he was on the campaign trail in Hertfordshire this afternoon but gave little away, saying: "The process overall is obviously a little longer than the fact-finding exercise.

"But in the end, this is a matter that will have to be resolved by the National Executive Committee and they'll do that in due course."

However, Conservative Party chairman Richard Holden said it was "inconceivable" Sir Keir wasn't told the process had finished.

"No ifs, no buts," said Mr Holden. "This isn't another flip-flop or yet another policy U-turn. Sir Keir Starmer has blatantly lied to the British people and has serious questions to answer."

Source: SKY

 

[hassan918]

D:Ream ban Labour from using Things Can Only Get Better in election campaign​

The pop band behind New Labour's 1997 anthem Things Can Only Get Better has banned Sir Keir Starmer from using the song in the election.

D:Ream's founding members Alan Mackenzie and Peter Cunnah said they were dismayed to hear their number one hit play through a loudspeaker as Rishi Sunak announced he was calling a general election on 4 July.

The pair told LBC their first thought was: "Not again."

"The fact that it's gone back to a political thing, I find disturbing. I was thinking, can we get on with our lives? But now it's come back," Cunnah said, speaking from his recording studio at home in Donegal.

"You question, are we just some sort of protest song on a speaker down at the end of a street? It's like some very odd piece of gravity that you just can't escape."

But Sir Keir brushed off the snub, telling LBC: "Well, look, we're not in 1997. We're in 2024.

"The choice before the country is absolutely stark. We've had now 14 years of chaos and division. And if the Tories get back in there's just going to be more of the same.

"We can turn the page, we can start anew, rebuild our country with Labour. And we will have a song for that moment if we're privileged enough to come in to serve."

D:Ream ban Labour from using Things Can Only Get Better in election campaign

Founding members Alan Mackenzie and Peter Cunnah said they were dismayed to hear their number one hit play through a loudspeaker as Rishi Sunak announced he was calling an election.

news.sky.com

 

[hassan918]

Reform UK candidate apologises for comments suggesting UK should have stayed neutral during Second World War​

A Reform UK candidate has apologised for an old internet post which said that Britain should have "taken Hitler up on his offer of neutrality" instead of fighting the Nazis in the Second World War.

Ian Gribbin, who is standing in the East Sussex seat of Bexhill and Battle, told Sky News that he apologises and withdraws the comments "unreservedly".

He added that he is "upset" at how they have been "taken out of context", saying his mother was the daughter of Russian Jewish people who fled persecution.

Mr Gribbin said: "I apologise for these old comments and withdraw them unreservedly. I further apologise for the upset that they have caused.

"I myself am upset at the way these comments were taken out of context especially when my mother was the daughter of Russian Jews fleeing persecution."

As first reported by the BBC, Mr Gribbin said in a post on the UnHerd website in 2022 that Britain should have "taken Hitler up on his offer of neutrality" during the Second World War.

The post, seen by Sky News, said: "Britain would be in a far better state today had we taken Hitler up on his offer of neutrality…. but oh no Britain's warped mindset values weird notions of international morality rather than looking after its own people."

In another post that year he also described women as the "sponging gender".

Asked about the comments, Reform UK leader Nigel Farage said his party "ran out of time" to properly vet candidates.

He claimed all parties "will suffer" from selection controversies because of the speed at which they had to pick people after the election was called.

Mr Farage said: "They've got a bigger problem in the Green Party. They've had to suspend 20 of their candidates for putting out pretty vile antisemitic tweets.

"Here's something, I think every party will suffer because it was a snap election. We've put in place a good vetting programme, but we've run out of time."

Reform UK candidate apologises for comments suggesting UK should have stayed neutral during Second World War

Ian Gribbin, the Reform candidate for the Bexhill and Battle constituency, told Sky News that he apologises and withdraws the comments "unreservedly".

news.sky.com

 

[hassan918]

Keir Starmer reveals how he 'set trap' for Boris Johnson over partygate scandal​

Sir Keir Starmer said he always suspected Boris Johnson's relationship with the truth "would bring him down"- as he revealed how he "set a trap" for the ex-prime minister over the partygate scandal.

In an interview with The Guardian, the Labour leader said he "couldn't care less" about the insults Mr Johnson hurled at him over the despatch box, including when the then PM called him a "pointless human bollard".

"I'm not saying I have great insight, but I felt his character would bring him down," he told the newspaper.

"I thought, there's a guy who is detached from the truth. Whether he's lying or not, it doesn't matter to him."

Sir Keir then laid out the specific way he "set a trap" for Mr Johnson to catch him out over the Downing Street parties scandal, according to The Guardian.

He said: "When I first asked him, 'Did you apply all the rules?' I hadn't seen the video of Allegra [Stratton, then director of strategic communications].

"But he was told about her laughing in response to being asked, 'What do we say about the parties?' So I said [to my team], 'I think there's something here. Let's get him on record. Because his instinct will be to lie.'

The former director of public prosecutions added: "It was a thread that we pulled over months. I was less bothered by what he was saying to me than trying to be forensic and getting him on the record. It paid dividends in the end. He had to leave parliament - because he'd lied."

Ms Stratton resigned in December 2021 over a video which showed her laughing about a Downing Street Christmas party, which happened when London was under strict COVID restrictions.

Mr Johnson lasted seven more months, narrowly surviving a no-confidence motion triggered by outrage within his party at reports of repeated rule-breaking in Downing Street.

Mr Johnson, his wife Carrie and then chancellor Rishi Sunak were among 83 people fined over lockdown-breaching events in Downing Street during the pandemic, when the nation lived under strict social distancing restrictions.

The scandal meant Mr Johnson was on thin ice by the time the Chris Pincher affair emerged - sparking a wave of mass resignations which ultimately brought him down.

Mr Johnson was later found to have "deliberately" misled MPs over the partygate scandal by a Commons inquiry - a ruling which led to him quitting parliament altogether, claiming he was the victim of a "witch-hunt".

The former Tory leader has always denied misleading colleagues over the parties, insisting that when he claimed "all rules had been followed", that is what he believed to be true at the time.

Source: SKY

 

[ElRaja]

how are the labour supporters feeling, whats ur view on the next five years.

as a disaffected former tory voter im glad the party has been pummeled, unfortunately the early noises sound all wrong, and i dont think theres any hope for the economic right in this country.

just cos the other thread might disappear in time, gonna say this now, reform getting 13% of the vote is the craziest thing ive ever seen, never imagined a far right party would do so well, and if labour dont deliver the UK will be on the political precipice in five years.

 

[The Bald Eagle]

Shabana Mahmood, a British-Pakistani of Kashmiri origin and a Member of Parliament (MP) from Birmingham has been officially sworn in as the United Kingdom's new Lord Chancellor

The ceremony took place at the Royal Courts of Justice in London on Monday.

Justice Secretary Mahmood, as reported by the media, pledged her commitment to "defending the international rule of law and upholding human rights."

The 43-year-old Labour Party member shared her appointment on social media platform X, expressing her honour at taking on the role. She emphasized her commitment to protecting the judiciary from external pressures, stating, "I will be a champion of the Rule of Law. 900 years into this ancient role, it is more vital than ever before."

Hailing from Small Heath, Birmingham, Mahmood has made history as the first Muslim woman to hold the position. She took her oath of allegiance to the Holy Quran and proudly noted that she is "the first Lord Chancellor to speak Urdu."

The ceremony was attended by prominent judicial figures, including Lady Chief Justice Sue Carr, Supreme Court President Robert Reed, and Chancellor of the High Court Julian Flaux.

In her inaugural speech, Mahmood reiterated the new Labour government's dedication to "defending the international rule of law and upholding human rights" in accordance with the European Convention on Human Rights, established post-World War II.

She highlighted the need for enhanced access to justice for women and girls who suffer from violence and abuse.

Lady Chief Justice Sue Carr, addressing Mahmood, acknowledged the inevitable challenges ahead, stating, "There will no doubt be challenges and choices to be made today and tomorrow. That is an inevitable feature of governing. We will work with you and your ministers as you face these demands. I very much look forward to forging a stable, long-term partnership with you as Lord Chancellor within, of course, constitutional bounds, in the service of justice and the achievement of justice."

Source: The Express Tribune

 

[The Bald Eagle]

Labour's manifesto pledge to reduce the voting age from 18 to 16 in UK general elections has not been included in the King's Speech

But Commons leader Lucy Powell told the BBC votes for 16 and 17-year-olds remained a commitment, and she hoped they would be able to vote in the next general election.

During the recent election campaign, the Conservatives accused Labour of trying to "distort the political system" to entrench itself in power.

Forcing members of the House of Lords to retire at the age of 80 was another pledge which did not make the cut when King Charles read out the new government's planned laws for the new parliamentary session.

Then-Home Secretary James Cleverly warned that measures like extending the vote to 16 and 17-year-olds were an attempt by Labour to "lock in their power permanently, because they don't really feel confident they're going to be able to make a credible case to the British people at the next election".

Pressed on Radio 5 Live on why lowering the voting age had not featured in this King's Speech, Ms Powell said there were "plenty of big bills that didn’t make it into this".

An elections bill would come later in the parliamentary cycle, she promised, adding: "It's absolutely a manifesto commitment."

Asked if 16 and 17-year-olds would be able to vote in the next general election, she said: "I hope so. That's the intention."

A session of parliament often lasts for around a year - and there are several sessions in a full parliamentary term of five years.

People aged 16 and over can already vote in parliamentary and local elections in Scotland and Wales.

The speech did include some reform of the House of Lords - a bill to remove the right of the remaining hereditary peers to sit and vote in the Lords - but not to reform the retirement age.

An official briefing paper on the House of Lords (Hereditary Peers) Bill said that in the 21st century, there should not be nearly 100 places reserved for individuals born into certain families, with those seats in effect reserved for men.

Lords reforms under Tony Blair reduced the number of hereditary peers to 92. That was intended to be only a short-term compromise, but the arrangements have persisted for 25 years.

The King indicated that further constitutional changes were likely later in the parliamentary cycle.

The government would "strengthen the integrity of elections and encourage wide participation in the democratic process", he said.

A "modernisation committee" of the House of Commons would be tasked with "driving up standards, improving work practices and reforming procedures", he added.

The UK voting age was last lowered in 1969 - from 21 to 18 - by Harold Wilson's Labour government.

The age was reduced to 16 for elections in Scotland - by the Scottish Parliament - in 2015. A similar measure took effect in Wales in 2020.

Source: BBC

 

[Cricket Warrior]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1815827290561077381

 

[FearlessRoar]

Need more MPs with principles

https://twitter.com/x/status/1816021541169041455

 

[FearlessRoar]

Eluned Morgan set to be Wales' next first minister​

Eluned Morgan is poised to become Wales’ next first minister and its first female leader after no one else entered the race to be Welsh Labour leader.

Ms Morgan, 57, is expected to be confirmed in the top job later this afternoon in a meeting of Labour officials.

She won the support of almost all of Labour’s politicians in the Welsh Parliament.

The contest was triggered by the resignation of Vaughan Gething, who was forced out by the resignations of three ministers and his chief legal adviser.

The Cardiff-born politician is a former Member of the European Parliament and a life peer who has been MS for Mid and West Wales since 2016.

Ms Morgan, who has overseen the Welsh health service since the last Senedd election, has promised to unify the split Welsh Labour group, which has been beset by rows since the election of Mr Gething last March.

Huw Irranca-Davies, who supported Mr Gething’s opponent Jeremy Miles in the last leadership contest, is expected to be her deputy.

Vaughan Gething remains the first minister until Eluned Morgan is confirmed in a vote of the Senedd, which is likely to be recalled from its summer recess at a yet to be determined date.

Mr Gething’s time in office was dogged by controversy over donations of £200,000 from a company owned by a man previously convicted of illegally dumping waste.

It later emerged that he had also lobbied environmental regulator Natural Resources Wales on behalf of a subsidiary of the same company.

He lost a vote of no confidence after two of his Members of the Senedd (MSs) failed to back him.

His sacking of a minister for allegedly leaking text messages led to further drama when the politician involved, Hannah Blythyn, denied speaking to the press.

He quit only 118 days into the job.

What happens after today?

A formal roll call vote is required of all 60 MSs before the new first minister is confirmed.

With only one candidate in the race it became apparent that Mr Gething may quit earlier than planned - requiring the Senedd to be recalled.

BBC Wales was told earlier in the week that discussions have happened between the first minister's office, Welsh Labour and the Senedd.

The Senedd would require a request from the Welsh government to bring the parliament back from recess. While it is expected such a request would be granted, full plans are not being made yet and there is no date for a recall.

The fact that some MSs are abroad on holiday would be an added complication. How a vote would work - a roll call of the 60 MSs - if those circumstances did not change is unclear.

The vote requires every MS to say out loud who they think should be first minister.

In theory the opposition, with exactly half the numbers in the Senedd, could prevent Ms Morgan from being confirmed by getting behind a single candidate.

But that is not going to happen and Labour will have the numbers to get their new first minister confirmed.

Welsh Liberal Democrat Jane Dodds plans to abstain, while Conservatives and Plaid Cymru plan to nominate their own leaders.

Eluned Morgan set to be Wales' first female leader

No one else entered the race to be Welsh Labour leader.

www.bbc.com

 

[FearlessRoar]

Mel Stride becomes fourth Tory MP to enter leadership race​

Mel Stride has become the fourth Conservative MP to enter the race to become the party's next leader.

The former work and pensions secretary - who now holds the shadow role - hinted his candidacy to Sky News earlier this week, saying there was a "reasonable chance" he would run.

But he has now officially joined ex-home secretary James Cleverly, former security minister Tom Tugendhat, and the last immigration minister Robert Jenrick in the contest to replace Rishi Sunak.

Politics latest: Stride insists he's not in a 'weak position'

Nominees must have 10 backers to submit their papers to enter the race.

Three other Tory MPs have picked up nomination papers: Priti Patel, Kemi Badenoch and Suella Braverman.

Mr Stride was first elected to parliament in 2010 for the seat of Central Devon.

He has held a number of senior government posts, including as financial secretary to the Treasury and paymaster general.

Speaking to Sky News this morning, Mr Stride said he was putting himself forward because he believed the Conservative Party had a "huge job to do".

"I think that I am the right person to put myself forward to do that," he said.

"What I focussed on during my time in parliament and through the general election is winning for my party," he continued.

"I'm a team player and that's what I've done. I now look at where we are as a party, which is we have a huge amount of ground to make up, both in terms of trust with the British electorate, but also in terms of that reputation for competence that we need to deliver.

"And I think I'm in the right position to tackle those two challenges through time, because it will take time, and we have time now to do that."

Asked if he is in a weak position after retaining his seat by just 61 votes at the general election, Mr Stride said: "I don't think so.

"I won my seat against the odds and I won it because I fought, and fought and fought really hard to preserve that."

Nominations for the leadership race opened on Wednesday at 7pm, with Mr Sunak's replacement as Conservative leader announced on 2 November.

The party said the former prime minister, who led the Conservatives to their worst-ever defeat on 4 July, will remain acting leader until that date.

In the coming days more leadership hopefuls are expected to formally declare their candidacy. They have until Monday to do so, when nominations close at 2.30pm.

Tory MPs will then narrow down the candidates to four MPs who will make their case to party members at the Conservative conference this autumn.

The four candidates will then be whittled down to the final two candidates, with the winner chosen by party members.

Mel Stride becomes fourth Tory MP to enter leadership race

He joins James Cleverly, Tom Tugendhat and Robert Jenrick as a candidate to replace former prime minister Rishi Sunak.

news.sky.com

 

[BouncerGuy]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1841503886596591623

 

[ElRaja]

budget around the corner, labour doing labour, wasnt entirely unexpected, however the scant details on the usage of the proposed tax hikes is portends the malaise this country is sleep walking towards. a decade and a half of no productivity increases or real growth is the real issue. no amount of robbing peter to pay paul will work once peters pockets are empty. the UK isnt where it was 25 or 30 years ago, with access to deep and leniant capital markets. with an aging population, and no real concrete plans to deal with anemic growth, markets wont be happy to bank roll ever more profligate central governments.

if this plans somehow spurs growth, which i cannot see how it does, it will be a massive win for labour, however ever more likely a budget that puts an already strained working class under a larger strain with no real growth to show for it in three or four years leaves the door wide open for the far right parties to move in, both on economic and social fronts.

 

[FearlessRoar]

Kemi Badenoch wins race to be next Tory leader​

Kemi Badenoch has won the race to be the next leader of the Conservative Party.

The 44-year-old North West Essex MP has been declared the winner of the months-long contest, beating Robert Jenrick.

Ms Badenoch received 53,806 votes to Mr Jenrick's 41,388.

Ms Badenoch has served as shadow business and trade secretary since the Conservative Party lost the general election in July and Rishi Sunak said he would stand down as leader, triggering the campaign.

Her campaign was called Renewal 2030 and has targeted the next election for the Tories to return to power.

Ms Badenoch has been criticised at times for her outspoken approach, with opponents jumping on comments she has made about subjects such as maternity pay, gender equality and net zero.

But she has long been popular among the party membership, and previously ran to be leader in 2022.

It is not clear who her shadow cabinet will be made up of, but she has suggested that all those who ran to be leader against her should be involved.

Kemi Badenoch wins race to be next Tory leader

The North West Essex MP has won the popular vote among the Conservative Party members - beating Robert Jenrick to be the next leader of the opposition.

news.sky.com

 

[Bewal Express]

Kemi Badenoch wins race to be next Tory leader​

Kemi Badenoch has won the race to be the next leader of the Conservative Party.

The 44-year-old North West Essex MP has been declared the winner of the months-long contest, beating Robert Jenrick.

Ms Badenoch received 53,806 votes to Mr Jenrick's 41,388.

Ms Badenoch has served as shadow business and trade secretary since the Conservative Party lost the general election in July and Rishi Sunak said he would stand down as leader, triggering the campaign.

Her campaign was called Renewal 2030 and has targeted the next election for the Tories to return to power.

Ms Badenoch has been criticised at times for her outspoken approach, with opponents jumping on comments she has made about subjects such as maternity pay, gender equality and net zero.

But she has long been popular among the party membership, and previously ran to be leader in 2022.

It is not clear who her shadow cabinet will be made up of, but she has suggested that all those who ran to be leader against her should be involved.

Kemi Badenoch wins race to be next Tory leader

The North West Essex MP has won the popular vote among the Conservative Party members - beating Robert Jenrick to be the next leader of the opposition.

news.sky.com

Will she turn out to be the William Hague or the David Cameron of the Tory Party. Labour has started off very poorly with the disaster of the gifts from a known influencer in Lord Alii.

 

[FearlessRoar]

Atkins: Conservatives must hold 'awful socialist government' to account​

Victoria Atkins, the former health secretary, had backed Robert Jenrick in the Conservative leadership race.

She says she feels "very disappointed" for Mr Jenrick, but urged the Conservative Party to get behind Kemi Badenoch as leader.
"We as a Conservative family now really want this to work," she says.

"We also have an important job to do, we have got to hold this awful socialist government to account and we know that we can do this."

Ms Atkins, now shadow health secretary, says "everybody is willing Kemi on now, we want this to succeed".

"We've got to make it succeed, not just for us as Conservative members and activists, but also for the sake of the country."

The ex-minister adds that the Conservatives are "all willing Kemi and the whole of our party on to win".

But does Ms Atkins think Ms Badenoch will still be leader at the next general election?

"Yes I do, because I know during this contest each of the candidates were so very, very carefully tested - and all of them have got the message, loud and clear, from the party... that we need to get ourselves together, really take the fight to Labour and ensure we are presenting a positive vision."

Sky News

 

[BouncerGuy]

Badenoch promises change after historic Tory leadership win

Kemi Badenoch has promised to win back voters who have deserted the Conservatives after securing an historic victory in the party's leadership contest.

The 44-year-old becomes the first black woman to lead a major political party in the UK.

She defeated fellow right-winger Robert Jenrick, 42, by 12,418 votes after a marathon contest to replace Rishi Sunak, who led the party to the biggest defeat in its history in July's general election.

In her victory speech, Badenoch promised to "renew" the party and told cheering supporters it was "time to get down to business".

Badenoch, who is the sixth Tory leader in less than nine years, now faces the task of uniting a fractured party and leading opposition to Sir Keir Starmer's Labour government.

The Saffron Walden MP said the Conservatives need to "bring back" voters who abandoned them, adding: "Our party is critical to the success of our country.

"But to be heard, we have to be honest."

The party must admit it “made mistakes” and “let standards slip” over the last 14 years in government, she said.

Badenoch chose not to set out detailed policies during her campaign, focusing instead on returning the Conservatives to "first principles".

All eyes will now turn to who she appoints to her top team as she sets out the future shape of the party over the coming days.

She praised Jenrick despite a sometimes bruising campaign and hinted he may be offered a senior job, telling him “you have a key role in our party for years to come”.

Badenoch, who became an MP in 2017 after a career in banking and IT, has said she would offer jobs to all of the Tories who launched leadership bids in July.

But shadow home secretary James Cleverly, who came third in the race, has ruled himself out.

The BBC understands, Badenoch plans to reveal her shadow cabinet by Wednesday, ahead of the critical Budget vote and her debut clash with Sir Keir at Prime Minister’s Questions.

Jenrick did not speak to reporters after the result was announced, but on social media called on his supporters "to unite behind Kemi and take the fight to this disastrous Labour government".

He also thanked "everyone who supported my vision for a Conservative Party rooted in the common ground of British politics".

Badenoch got 53,806 votes to Jenrick’s 41,388 - making it the closest Tory leadership race of recent times.

Bob Blackman, who oversaw the election as chair of the Conservative 1922 Committee, revealed the party membership had shrunk to 132,000 - the lowest level on record and down 40,000 members since the last vote by members in 2022.

Badenoch was congratulated by several of her predecessors, including Sunak, who posted on social media: "I know that she will be a superb leader of our great party."

Ex-prime minister Boris Johnson lauded Badenoch's "courage and clarity" and said she "brings a much needed zing and zap to the Conservative Party".

In a social media post, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said "the first Black leader of a Westminster party is a proud moment for our country".

He added: "I look forward to working with you and your party in the interests of the British people."

But Labour Party chair Ellie Reeves said the Conservative leadership campaign showed the party had "learned nothing since the British people resoundingly rejected them in July".

Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey also congratulated Badenoch, saying "the first Black leader of a major UK political party is a historic moment for the country".

But Reform UK deputy leader Richard Tice called Badenoch "another in a long line of Tory politicians who say one thing and do another".

In a statement, he said: “Kemi Badenoch was front and centre of a government that failed Britain."

Over the 14-week campaign, the debate was dominated by immigration, the economy and how the Conservatives can rebuild trust with voters.

The party was reduced to a record low of 121 seats in the House of Commons at the general election, with under 24% of the vote.

It lost voters in all directions to Labour, the Liberal Democrats and Reform UK, with thousands of Conservative voters also choosing to stay at home on 4 July poll.

Badenoch's appointment as Conservative leader comes several days after Labour outlined its first Budget in 14 years.

Writing in the Sunday Telegraph ahead of the Budget's unveiling on Wednesday, Badenoch was critical of the chancellor's plans, saying: "Rachel Reeves is conjuring up billions of pounds out of thin air to invest infrastructure."

In response to the new Tory leader, Chancellor Rachel Reeves told the Observer: “If Kemi Badenoch opposes this Budget, then she has to tell the country if she opposes investment to cut waiting lists, investment to recruit teachers and investment to build critical infrastructure. Labour has made its choices, now the Tories need to make theirs.”

Badenoch told the Sunday Telegraph after her election on Saturday: "Labour are going to fail because they are repeating many of our mistakes and are doubling down on this broken system."

BBC