Cleverly: Starmer taking knee for BLM shows Labour ‘takes some violence less seriously’

Sir Keir Starmer taking the knee for Black Lives Matter shows Labour “takes some violence less seriously than others”, James Cleverly has claimed.

He told Yvette Cooper, the Home Secretary, that “any perception whatsoever of treating the same crimes differently based on the race, religion or community of the perpetrators increases tension rather than reduces it”.

Mr Cleverly, the shadow home secretary – who is running to become the next Tory leader – made the remarks in response to Ms Cooper’s statement on the far-Right riots in the wake of the Southport attack.

It comes after a debate over accusations of “two-tier policing” of the riots – accusations described by Sir Mark Rowley, the Metropolitan Police commissioner, as “absolute nonsense”.

Mr Cleverly told the Commons: “Does she now also recognise that the Labour leadership kneeling in the immediate aftermath of the Black Lives Matter disorder, when violent protesters attacked police officers, looks like her party takes some forms of violence less seriously than other forms of violence.

“And does she accept that any perception whatsoever of treating the same crimes differently based on the race, religion or community of the perpetrators increases tension rather than reduces it? And does she accept that at times of heightened tension Government ministers must be and must be seen to be even handed and demand even handedness of others?”

The Prime Minister and Angela Rayner, his deputy, were photographed taking the knee in a meeting room in Parliament in a message of support for the BLM protests.

The protests, in the summer of 2020, were in response to the murder of George Floyd by a police officer in Minneapolis.

Ms Cooper accused Mr Cleverly of “trying to blame the Prime Minister for something that happened four years ago” and was “somehow responsible for the violent disorder on our streets this summer”.

She added: “Also undermining the credibility of police officers who take an oath. Each individual officer takes an oath to operate without fear or favour. “

In a reference to Suella Braverman’s time as home secretary, she said: “I would just remind him his predecessor was the one who first tried to undermine and attack the credibility of the police in the run-up to Armistice Day, and that is why we then ended up with a bunch of folks trying to get to the Cenotaph trying to disrupt the service and launching violent attacks on the police.

“That’s the only reason he got the job of home secretary in the first place, because everyone condemned his predecessor for her behaviour. I’m so sorry that he decided in a leadership election to follow her example rather than something that I really thought he was better than.”

06:40 PM BST

That’s all for today...

Thank you for following today’s politics liveblog.

My colleague Jack Maidment will be back tomorrow morning to bring you the latest

06:03 PM BST

Cooper accuses Cleverly of acting like Suella Braverman in race for leadership

Yvette Cooper has accused James Cleverly of behaving like Suella Braverman in his comments about the policing of the riots in the wake of the Southport attack.

The shadow home secretary cited Sir Keir Starmer kneeling following the Black Lives Matter protests in 2020, claiming that it made it look like Labour “takes some forms of violence less seriously” than others.

He added that the Government “must be seen to be even handed and demand even handedness to others”.

05:56 PM BST

Cooper: Cleverly’s response to riots ‘sounds like a pitch to Tory members’

Yvette Cooper has said that James Cleverly’s response to her statement on the riots “sounded an awful lot more like a pitch” to Tory members.

In response to the shadow home secretary and leadership contender, Ms Cooper said: “I have to say the rest of his response sounded an awful lot more like a pitch to Tory party members in the middle of a leadership election than it did a serious response to the scale of the disorder that we saw and the need for a serious policing response.”

05:53 PM BST

Labour leadership ‘takes some forms of violence less seriously than others’, says Cleverly

James Cleverly has said that the Labour leadership kneeling in the wake of the Black Lives Matter protests in 2020 makes it look like the party “takes some forms of violence less seriously than others”.

Responding to Yvette Cooper, the shadow home secretary told the Commons: “Does she now also recognise that the Labour leadership kneeling in the immediate aftermath of the Black Lives Matter disorder when violent protesters attacked police officers, looks like her party takes some forms of violence less seriously than other forms of violence.

“And does she accept that any perception whatsoever of treating the same crimes differently based on the race, religion, or community of the perpetrators increases tension, rather than reduces it?”

05:48 PM BST

Home Secretary orders rapid review of extremism strategy

The Home Secretary has announced a rapid review of extremism in the wake of the riots in the wake of the Southport attack.

She told the Commons: “I’ve been concerned for a long time not enough is being done to counter extremism, including both Islamist extremism and far right extremism.

“As there’s been no proper strategy in place since 2015, I have ordered a rapid review of extremism to ensure we have the strongest possible response to poisonous ideologies that corrode community cohesion and fray the fabric of our democracy.”

05:43 PM BST

Cooper: ‘Robust and swift’ government response was ‘strong deterrent’ to rioters

The “robust and swift” response from the Government and the courts was a “strong deterrent” to rioters, Yvette Cooper said.

She announced that 1,280 had been arrested over the course of the riots, 800 were charged and 570 taken to court.

She told the Commons: “This robust and swift response from government and the criminal justice system has provided a strong deterrent and showed our steadfast determination to keep people safe. And most importantly, order was restored.”

05:40 PM BST

Southport riots were not protests but ‘thuggery, racism and crime’, says Home Secretary

Yvette Cooper has condemned those taking part in the riots in Southport as “thuggery, racism and crime”.

The Home Secretary said: “This disgraceful disorder and racist hatred, including that whipped up by a hateful minority online, was an insult to those grieving over Southport.

“So let’s be very clear those violent and criminal attacks were not protests, they were not about grievance, they were thuggery, racism and crime.”

She added: “Plenty of people across the country have strong views about crime, about policing, about immigration, asylum, the NHS and more, but they do not pick up bricks and throw them at the police.

“They do not loot shops or attack places of worship, or they do not set buildings alight knowing that other human beings are inside.”

05:37 PM BST

Cooper: ‘Our hearts ache’ for the victims of Southport attack

The Home Secretary has said that “our hearts ache” for the victims of the Southport attack and their families.

She told the Commons: “Five weeks on our hearts ache for the three precious little girls who lost their lives for their loved ones and for the other children who were injured, or endured unspeakable horror that day.”

04:57 PM BST

Coming up: Home Secretary to give statement on riots

Yvette Cooper will shortly give a statement to Parliament on the recent riots and disorder following the attack in Southport last month.

You can watch the upcoming speech here.

04:44 PM BST

Former schools minister criticises scrapping of one-word Ofsted judgements

The decision to replace the one-word Ofsted judgment of a school’s performance with four separate judgments puts England’s reputation for education “in jeopardy”, Nick Gibb has said.

Writing in The Telegraph, the former minister for school standards said that the move announced by the Government today had the right “motivation” but was “nevertheless a mistake”.

Read Nick Gibb’s comment piece here

04:30 PM BST

David Lammy announces suspension of some arm exports to Israel

The UK will stop exporting some military equipment to Israel after concluding that there is a risk they may be used to breach international law in Gaza, David Lammy has announced.

Around 30 licenses for the export of arms to Israel out of 350 will be affected, with aircraft, drones and helicopters among the equipment withheld.

The Foreign Secretary told the Commons: “It is with regret that I inform the House today, the assessment I have received leaves me unable to conclude anything other than that for certain UK arms exports to Israel, there does exist a clear risk that they might be used to commit or facilitate a serious violation of international humanitarian law.

“I have informed my Rt Hon friend, the Business and Trade Secretary, and he is therefore today announcing the suspension of around 30 from a total of approximately 350 to Israel, as required under the Export Controls Act.”

Follow The Telegraph’s Israel liveblog for all the latest.

04:17 PM BST

Government ‘looking at’ 243 question form for pensioners for winter fuel allowance

The Government is “looking at” the 243 questions that pensioners are being forced to answer to keep their winter fuel allowance.

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) was accused last week of deliberately making pension credit “inaccessible” to retirees with a 22-page form that includes questions such as, “Does your partner agree to your application?”

Asked whether the Government was considering whether all the questions were necessary, a Downing Street spokesman said: “So here’s an issue that the DWP have been looking at.

“They’ve also surged additional staff to cover increasing pension credit calls so that we can handle those.

“And we obviously urge anyone who thinks they may be entitled to pension credit to check that now. My understanding is the vast majority of individuals applying for pension credit use the online system. Around 80 per cent of people use the online system where around between 35 and 48 questions need to be completed.

“But obviously, for accessibility purposes, there’s also a paper form available. And for anyone who has got any concerns about the application process, they should call DWP on the helpline where assistance is offered to guide you through the claim process.”

04:01 PM BST

New feline resident in No10 as PM gets kids a kitten

Larry the Cat, the Cabinet Office chief mouser, will have to get used to yet another feline housemate as Sir Keir Starmer’s children are getting a new kitten to live with them in No10.

The Prime Minister told BBC5 Live that after “a long summer of negotiations”, he had managed to talk his children down from a German Shepherd dog as a new pet to a Siberian cat.

“There’s been a long summer of negotiations, back and forth, different options. But now we’ve gone for, and this is an agreed after long negotiations. I said we’d get in the room and sort it out. We are now getting a kitten instead of a dog.”

He added that his daughter was picking up the feline, who will join Larry and the Starmers’ rescue cat Jojo, today.

“The problem we’ve got, which is the same for JoJo the cat, is that the only door out of our new flat is bomb proof. And therefore, getting a cat flap, it is proving a little bit difficult.

“But our daughter persuaded us that the problem isn’t any bigger for two cats than one. And therefore, we’re now getting this kitten.”

03:42 PM BST

Rayner refuses to rule out scrapping single person discount on council tax

Angela Rayner has refused to rule out scrapping the single person discount on council tax.

Asked whether she could reassure pensioners, who are common beneficiaries of the relief, that the Government would not remove the discount, the Housing Secretary did not give a direct answer.

She told the Commons: “On a serious note, I find it astonishing that members opposite, after running down the economy in the way that they have, after the Chancellor had to come to this House to talk about the billions of pounds’ black hole, that they’re now trying to play that this Government is about raising taxes.

“This Government is about making sure that working people are better off and will intend to do that.”

The single person discount means that those living alone get 25 per cent off the bill.

03:35 PM BST

Good afternoon

Good afternoon, Genevieve Holl-Allen here, taking over from Jack Maidment on the liveblog this afternoon.

03:30 PM BST

Angela Rayner: No plans to increase council tax

Angela Rayner said the Government has no plans to increase council tax.

Kemi Badenoch sought an assurance from the Housing Secretary as they clashed in the House of Commons this afternoon.

The shadow housing secretary said: “It has been reported that the Secretary of State is being lobbied to increase council tax and remove discounts like the single occupant discount.

“Will she take this opportunity to reassure the House that the Government has no plans to increase council tax as they assured us before the election.”

Ms Rayner replied: “Yes.”

There has been speculation in recent weeks that Labour could look to make changes to council tax at the Budget on Oct 30 to raise more revenue.

03:14 PM BST

Jenrick: ‘We need to breathe fresh life and energy into our movement’

02:59 PM BST

Protecting single-sex spaces not top priority for most voters, says Jenrick

Protecting single-sex spaces is not the top priority for the vast majority of people, Robert Jenrick has claimed.

The Tory leadership candidate reportedly said he is “as concerned as the next person” about how Britain is approaching “sensitive” issues around trans rights, but added: “That is not what 90 per cent of the public are thinking about.”

You can read the full story here. 

02:45 PM BST

‘Independent Alliance’ writes to Hoyle seeking formal recognition

The five independent MPs who have formed the “Independent Alliance” (see the post below at 14.26) have written to Sir Lindsay Hoyle, the Commons Speaker, to seek formal recognition.

The letter states: “As of Monday 2nd September 2024, the below five signatories have formed a technical group – known as the ‘Independent Alliance’ – and will sit together in the house under this name.

“Our appointed Parliamentary business manager will be in touch to discuss arrangements regarding next steps shortly.”

02:31 PM BST

James Cleverly: I will resurrect Rwanda

James Cleverly today vowed to resurrect the Rwanda deportation plan as he formally launched his bid to succeed Rishi Sunak as leader of the Conservative Party.

The shadow home secretary told supporters and activists at the Old War Office in Whitehall that migration could not be brought down without a “deterrent” but refused to commit to introducing an “arbitrary” net migration target.

“When we deal with illegal migration, I stand by what I have always said, we need to have a deterrent,” Mr Cleverly said.

“And as leader, as prime minister, I will use my contacts and my reputation with Rwanda to resurrect that incredibly important partnership.”

You can read the full story here. 

02:26 PM BST

Jeremy Corbyn forms ‘Independent Alliance’ with four other independent MPs

Jeremy Corbyn has formed an “Independent Alliance” with four other independent MPs to boost their voice in the House of Commons.

Mr Corbyn is joining forces with Shockat Adam, Ayoub Khan, Adnan Hussain and Iqbal Mohamed, giving the alliance the same parliamentary strength as Reform UK and the DUP.

Forming an official grouping should increase the MPs’ chances of being allocated questions and speaking slots in the Commons.

The five MPs said in a joint statement issued this afternoon:

02:16 PM BST

Busy afternoon in Commons as MPs return to Westminster

The House of Commons returns from its lengthy summer recess this afternoon from 2.30pm.

Proceedings will kick off with housing questions before a raft of urgent questions and statements.

Andrew Mitchell, the shadow foreign secretary, has been granted an urgent question on the situation in Ukraine and there will follow statements on the Middle East, the summer riots and the Infected Blood Compensation Scheme.

Urgent questions and statements normally last about an hour each.

01:55 PM BST

Tugendhat putting in the miles to win over Tory members

01:49 PM BST

Listen: The Daily T’s interviews with Tory leadership hopefuls

The Daily T podcast has done sit down interviews with four of the six Tory leadership candidates (so far).

You can find the podcasts here:

Click here to view this content.

01:43 PM BST

Telegraph readers deliver verdict on Badenoch speech

How was Kemi Badenoch’s speech received by Telegraph readers?

Readers have been busy discussing the address in the comments section of today’s live blog. Here is a selection of the responses:

01:13 PM BST

Starmer grilled over Labour cronyism allegations

Sir Keir Starmer was questioned on allegations of cronyism which continue to dog the Government.

It follows the announcement of a probe into Labour-era hires to the senior civil service by the Whitehall appointments watchdog.

The Prime Minister told the media during a visit to a primary school in Orpington: “I stood on the steps of Downing Street and said we would be a government of service, in the service of everybody, whether they voted for us or not.

“That’s what we’re getting on with. We want the best people in the best posts, for sure, but that government of service matters deeply to this government, matters deeply to me, because I came in to government to serve.”

12:57 PM BST

‘It’s unacceptable for any landlord’

Sir Keir Starmer was questioned on why he had not taken action after tenants claimed they were living with black mould and ant infestations in some of Labour MP Jas Athwal’s rental properties.

Asked if it was good enough when housing was one of the priorities for the Government, the Prime Minister told the press during a visit to an Orpington primary school: “No, it’s not good enough. It’s unacceptable for any landlord, and I’ll be really clear about that it doesn’t matter whether it’s a Labour MP or anybody else, it’s unacceptable.

“What’s happened in this case is this MP has now recognised that, is taking the necessary measures to put it right.

“The sooner that’s done, the better, but I’m not going to pretend to you or anybody else that this is in any way acceptable.”

Asked if he would remove the whip from the MP if it is not put right as quickly as possible for the tenants and questioned on why he has not taken action, Sir Keir said: “It has to be put right. He’s taking action to put it right, we need to do that as quickly as possible.”

12:44 PM BST

Starmer hits back at Badenoch over Labour criticism

Sir Keir Starmer said he is “not going to take lectures” from the previous government following Kemi Badenoch’s comments about the Labour Party (see the post below at 11.18).

Asked to respond to Mrs Badenoch’s description of the Labour government as dishonest and misleading the public over the state of public finances, the Prime Minister told the media during a visit to an Orpington primary school: “I say I’m not going to take lectures from anyone from the previous government who left the worst possible inheritance.

“The country is in a real state, the economy has been badly damaged, nobody really argues in relation to that. There’s a £22 billion black hole unaccounted for, not on the books, the OBR didn’t know about it.

“So, I think that what the Conservatives could do was to apologise for the mess that they made. What we’re doing is cleaning it up. We’re going to strip it out, make sure that we rebuild the foundation so we can bring about the change that we were elected to bring about in this country.”

12:37 PM BST

Reader poll: Who should be the next Tory leader?

There are currently six candidates in the race to replace Rishi Sunak: Kemi Badenoch, James Cleverly, Tom Tugendhat, Dame Priti Patel, Mel Stride and Robert Jenrick.

But by the end of Monday next week the field will be down to four.

Who do you believe should be the next leader of the Conservative Party? You can have your say in our reader poll below:

Click here to view this content.

12:30 PM BST

The history of the tens of thousands net migration pledge

Immigration has emerged as a key issue during the Tory leadership campaign, with candidates setting out how they would reduce numbers if they replace Rishi Sunak.

The idea of introducing an annual cap has been floated by both Robert Jenrick and Tom Tugendhat. Both have suggested it could be set at less than 100,000, with Mr Jenrick going further by saying he would be open to going even further.

The Tories pledged for nine straight years, starting with David Cameron in 2010, to get numbers into the tens of thousands but they never achieved it as the promise became something of an electoral nightmare.

The pledge was dropped by Boris Johnson in 2019 and annual arrivals to the UK have surged in the years that have followed.

Labour has not put a number on reducing net migration but has said broadly current levels are too high and must come down.

12:21 PM BST

Pictured: Starmer visits a school in south east London

12:06 PM BST

Parents will be relieved by shift away from one-word Ofsted ratings, says Starmer

The Prime Minister has said the scrapping of single-phrase inspection headline grades for schools in England will be a relief for parents.

Asked whether he was sacrificing simplicity for parents, Sir Keir Starmer told the media on a visit to a primary school in Orpington: “I’ve got a mission for our Government, which is to make sure that every single child, whatever their background, wherever they come from, has the best possible education.

“This move today is about driving up standards, making sure we’ve got a richer picture so parents can see in a more accountable way the real strength of a school and making sure we’ve got the improvements in to catch schools quickly.”

He said he was “really pleased that we’re able to do it so quickly” and he believed a lot of parents “will be really relieved” to have a “richer picture, more accountability and that you’ve got a Government that is absolutely determined to drive up standards”.

11:58 AM BST

James Cleverly launches Tory leadership campaign

James Cleverly is set to formally launch his bid to succeed Rishi Sunak as leader of the Conservative Party.

The shadow home secretary will deliver his first major campaign speech at 12pm ahead of the first round of voting by MPs on Wednesday.

You will be able to watch the speech live here on our dedicated live blog.

11:52 AM BST

Badenoch criticises Jenrick and Tugendhat for offering ‘easy answers’ on immigration

Kemi Badenoch appeared to criticise Robert Jenrick and Tom Tugendhat as she suggested they were offering voters “easy answers” on reducing immigration.

Both Mr Jenrick and Mr Tugendhat have advocated imposing an annual cap of less than 100,000. Mr Jenrick has also called for the UK to leave the European Convention on Human Rights.

Asked for her views on a potential immigration cap, Mrs Badenoch said: “We had a cap of tens of thousands when David Cameron came in. We need to ask ourselves why didn’t that work rather than just saying we will make another promise.

“Something went wrong there so it is not just about throwing out numbers and throwing out targets. Something is wrong with the system.

“So I am talking about the system. People who are throwing out numbers and saying ‘oh, well we will leave the ECHR’ and so on are giving you easy answers.

“That is how we got in this mess in the first place. I am not going to do that.”

Mrs Badenoch said there needed to be “change from the ground up” on immigration, including looking at who is actually enforcing border control measures at the Home Office.

11:43 AM BST

‘I am combative on behalf of my party, not with my party’

It was suggested to Kemi Badenoch that some people may feel she is too confrontational and too divisive to unite and lead the Conservative Party.

Asked what her message would be to her Tory colleagues who may feel that way, she replied: “I would say to them that I am combative on behalf of my party, not with my party.”

11:40 AM BST

I am not writing off next election, insists Badenoch

Kemi Badenoch’s campaign slogan is “Renewal 2030”, prompting a question about whether she was already writing off the next general election, expected to take place in 2029.

“No, not at all,” she said.

Mrs Badenoch said she was simply pointing out that “it is about the 2030s now” in terms of the problems which need to be addressed.

11:37 AM BST

Badenoch criticises Tories’ net zero approach

Kemi Badenoch is now taking questions from the media.

Asked if she could give examples of her claim that the Tories in power had too often “talked Right but governed Left”, Mrs Badenoch said there were many.

She said that there were a number of cases where the Tories had advocated “big state rather than limited state”, citing the handling of the net zero agenda.

She said: “There were many things which I felt that we did in the last government when I was in and when I was a backbencher which were big state rather than limited state.

“What we did with net zero, in my view, was an example. We all want to deliver a better environment but creating legislation and the target without working out how we were going to do it, in my view, was trusting regulation rather than innovation. That for me is an example of talking Right yet governing Left.”

11:29 AM BST

Badenoch: ‘There is no limit to what we can do’

Kemi Badenoch said that as an engineer she knew how to find answers to complex problems.

Said the Tories needed to use their time in opposition “wisely” to come up with policy plans to win over young people.

“We need to be confident Conservatives again,” she said.

Concluding her speech, she said: “Our party has principles, the very best principles. They are the principles of the British people, the principles not of the centre ground but of the common ground.

“They are the source of our country’s strength, its heritage and its future. With the right engineering there is no limit to what we can do.

“So it is time to begin this work, it is time to give new hope, it is time to renew.”

11:24 AM BST

Badenoch vows to ‘deal with hard truths’ and not engage in ‘spin’

Kemi Badenoch said “truth is not relative” as she vowed to “deal with hard truths” rather than engage in “spin”.

She said: “I believe in truth. Truth is not relative. Those who know me best know that I don’t do spin.

“I do do charm, sometimes, but I think life is better when people say what they think. I think politics is better when we tell it like it is. Spin can only get you so far.

“It is better to deal with hard truths today than big problems tomorrow.”

11:20 AM BST

Tory leadership contender calls for smaller government

Kemi Badenoch advocated smaller government.

She said: “This was one of our mistakes. We talked Right but governed Left, sounding like Conservatives but acting like Labour.

“Government should do fewer things, but better, and what it does it should do with brilliance.”

11:18 AM BST

Badenoch: Labour ‘clueless, irresponsible and dishonest’ about tax plans

Kemi Badenoch labelled the Government as “clueless, irresponsible and dishonest” over its tax plans.

“They are trying to pull the wool over the eyes of the public about the state of Britain’s finances,” she said.

She said Labour was “already making worse mistakes than we did” but the Tories could not sit back and simply point out the Government’s errors.

“We have to focus on renewal,” she said.

11:12 AM BST

UK future ‘not as bright as it once was’, says Badenoch

Kemi Badenoch is now on her feet as she launches her bid for the Tory leadership.

She said that she can understand why people would want to come to the nation to build their own lives.

But she said that the “future is not as bright as it once was” because “we have lost control”.

11:09 AM BST

Claire Coutinho endorses Kemi Badenoch

Claire Coutinho, the shadow climate change and net zero secretary, endorsed Kemi Badenoch as she introduced the latter’s leadership speech.

Ms Coutinho said that the Tories needed to bring forward a “new conservative consensus based on our values”.

“That’s why Kemi Badenoch is the best person to lead our party and our country,” she said.

Ms Coutinho said Mrs Badenoch would “revitalise” the Tories.

11:04 AM BST

Kemi Badenoch is a ‘real star’, says Lord Maude

Lord Maude, the Tory former minister, is introducing Kemi Badenoch.

The Conservative peer said that Labour “didn’t positively win” the general election as he argued it was “an election we lost”.

He said the Tories needed to rebuild trust and to do so there would be “no substitute for honesty, integrity and consistency”.

Lord Maude said the Tories had “one chance to halt the slide” and that started with choosing the right leader to replace Rishi Sunak.

He said Mrs Badenoch had all of the qualities that he had described and described her as a “real star”.

10:54 AM BST

Kemi Badenoch set to launch Tory leadership bid

We are expecting Kemi Badenoch’s Tory leadership campaign launch event to get underway at 11am.

You can watch the speech using the livestream at the top of the page and I will guide you through the key developments with my posts.

One thing to watch out for early is who will introduce Mrs Badenoch. There has been speculation that a senior Tory who is yet to publicly endorse her could do the honours.

We don’t have long to wait to find out.

10:50 AM BST

Badenoch vows to ‘take the fight’ to the ‘cultural establishment’

Kemi Badenoch teed up her speech today with a short video posted on Twitter in which she took aim at her critics.

She included a clip of former Doctor Who actor David Tennant telling her to “shut up” and said: “No, I will not shut up.”

Mrs Badenoch said the “cultural establishment” was trying to “keep conservatives down” and she would not be afraid to “take the fight” to them if she becomes Tory leader.

We are expecting Mrs Badenoch to start her campaign launch event at 11am.

10:37 AM BST

James Cleverly: I would abolish stamp duty

Conservative leadership contender James Cleverly has said he wants to abolish stamp duty on all homes.

Writing for The Telegraph, the former home secretary, called for the “bad tax” to be eventually scrapped for all buyers of residential properties, in order to get more people on the housing ladder.

You can read the full story here. 

10:25 AM BST

Jenrick now has 16 publicly declared Tory MP backers

Robert Jenrick’s Tory leadership campaign received a boost this morning as he was endorsed by two more Conservative MPs.

Newly-elected Peter Bedford has backed Mr Jenrick (see the post below at 10.09) and Edward Argar, the shadow justice secretary, has also endorsed him.

It is thought that takes the total number of Tory MPs to have publicly declared their support for the former immigration minister to 16.

There are 121 Tory MPs in total.

10:09 AM BST

Tory MP endorses Robert Jenrick

09:56 AM BST

Labour ‘running scared’ over winter fuel payment decision, claims Stride

The Tories claimed Labour was “running scared” of holding a vote on the decision to scrap winter fuel payments for 10 million pensioners.

The change did not require the Government to hold a vote in the House of Commons and the measure has already gone through.

But opposition parties want a retrospective vote to be held in an attempt to reverse the move.

Responding to suggestions that ministers will not grant a vote (see the post below at 09.42), Mel Stride, the shadow work and pensions secretary, said: “Labour are running scared over their plans to cut winter fuel payments for pensioners.

“Not only do they want to block Parliament having a say on their plans, they have not published an impact assessment as they want to hide the true costs to pensioners.

“There is no reason not to grant this debate and vote on this other than to ride roughshod over Parliament - the only reason Labour aren’t granting one is because they are running scared of asking their own MPs to vote on this matter.”

09:42 AM BST

Will the Government grant a vote on winter fuel payments?

The Tories and the Liberal Democrats are both pushing for a vote to be held on Labour’s decision to scrap winter fuel payments for 10 million pensioners.

It doesn’t sound like the Government is going to play ball.

A Government source told the Daily Mail: “We are not going to do that.”

The source said the parties could use one of their opposition day debates in the future to discuss the issue but that would be unlikely to lead to a binding vote.

09:33 AM BST

Pictured: Shadow education secretary Damian Hinds speaks to broadcasters outside Parliament

09:20 AM BST

Chris Philp backs Kemi Badenoch for Tory leader

Chris Philp has become the fifth shadow cabinet member to back Kemi Badenoch for the leadership of the Tory party.

Mr Philp, the shadow Commons leader and former policing minister, said Ms Badenoch had demonstrated she understood “how and why we went wrong and how to fix it”.

Declaring his support for her in an article in The Telegraph, he said: “For too long, most politicians have shirked the responsibility of honest debate on challenging issues.

“Everyone agrees Kemi has never done that. It is time for a renewal of the way we do politics and a renewal of the Conservative offer to our country.”

You can read the full story here. 

08:57 AM BST

School report cards will give parents ‘clearer picture’, says Starmer

08:45 AM BST

Starmer ‘misled’ voters over Labour tax plans, claims Chris Philp

Chris Philp claimed Sir Keir Starmer had “effectively misled” voters during the general election campaign over Labour’s tax plans.

Sir Keir warned last week that the Budget on Oct 30 will be “painful” because of the state of the public finances as he paved the way for tax rises.

Labour had promised no new tax rises on working people during the campaign.

Mr Philp, the shadow Commons leader, told Sky News: “We also need to hold the Labour Government to account because Starmer effectively misled the public during the election campaign.

“He fought the campaign saying no more taxes but he has broken those promises already.”

08:38 AM BST

Parents prefer one-word ratings, says former Ofsted head

Parents prefer one-word school ratings, the former head of Ofsted has admitted after Labour announced they were being scrapped.

Amanda Spielman, the watchdog’s chief inspector of education between 2017 and 2023, said the “simplicity and clarity” of the now-abandoned ratings made it clear whether schools were doing well or not.

But she conceded the one-word ratings system had “become more of a problem than a help”. 

The existing system will be replaced by school “report cards” from September next year. Parents will now no longer be told whether a school is outstanding, good, requiring improvement or inadequate overall by inspectors.

Ms Spielman told BBC Radio 4’s Today Programme: “When you survey parents, generally, they like the simplicity and clarity. Various surveys have showed stronger support from parents for models with overall effectiveness judgements.

“But nevertheless, they had become – because of the weight of consequences that government had hung on them – they had become more of a problem than a help.”

08:28 AM BST

Cleverly to deliver Tory leadership speech at lunchtime

James Cleverly will deliver a leadership campaign speech at lunchtime when he will say the Tories must “think and act like Conservatives again” if they are to return to power.

Mr Cleverly will say the Tories “must get our act together” to present solutions to “an unstable world, global migration and a crisis of confidence in capitalism”.

He will say: “That means being honest and realistic about the role of the state. About what it should and can do, and what it should not and cannot. The state should focus on doing fewer things very well, not everything badly.

“We accept that the state has a primary duty to protect its people and its borders. But Conservatives must be honest about the trade-offs in doing these things properly.”

His address will come just hours after Kemi Badenoch launches her campaign as the contest heats up ahead of the first vote by Tory MPs on Wednesday.

08:22 AM BST

Pictured: Shadow Commons leader Chris Philp arrives in Westminster

08:04 AM BST

What is the timetable for the Tory leadership contest?

The House of Commons returns from its summer recess today and Tory MPs will vote for the first time in the leadership contest on Wednesday Sept 4.

There are six candidates – James Cleverly, Dame Priti Patel, Tom Tugendhat, Kemi Badenoch, Mel Stride and Robert Jenrick – and Tory MPs will be tasked with whittling the list down to four.

The first vote to eliminate a candidate is on Sept 4 and a second vote to eliminate a second candidate will take place on Monday Sept 9.

The four remaining candidates will then make their case to members at the Conservative Party conference in Birmingham between Sept 29 and Oct 2.

Tory MPs will then vote between Oct 9-10 to eliminate two more candidates, leaving a final duo who will face a ballot of Conservative Party members.

Member voting will close at 5pm on Oct 31 and Rishi Sunak’s replacement will then be announced on Nov 2.

07:59 AM BST

Badenoch to launch Tory leadership bid with speech in Westminster

Kemi Badenoch will formally launch her Tory leadership campaign this morning as the race to replace Rishi Sunak approaches its next big milestone.

Mrs Badenoch will deliver a speech in which she will lash out at Labour and call for change in the Conservative Party.

The shadow communities secretary, the bookmakers’ favourite to win the contest, is expected to say her party has to “focus on renewal” to be ready to return to power.

She will say the Conservatives “can’t just sit around pointing out how terrible Labour are” and must not “keep having the same policy arguments from the last parliament”.

Mrs Badenoch is one of six candidates in the race, along with James Cleverly, Mel Stride, Dame Priti Patel, Robert Jenrick and Tom Tugendhat.

Tory MPs will vote this week and next week to whittle the field down to four candidates.

07:52 AM BST

Education Secretary can’t say when private school tax raid will deliver extra teachers

Bridget Phillipson was unable to say precisely when Labour will deliver on its pledge to recruit an extra 6,500 teachers, paid for by a tax raid on private school fees.

The Government will impose VAT on the fees from January and will use the money generated to invest in the state education sector, including a teacher recruitment drive.

But Ms Phillipson, the Education Secretary, was unable to say when that money would actually result in new teachers in state school classrooms.

She told Times Radio: “This will be progress over the course of the Parliament because that is a rather large number of teachers that we need to recruit.

“But that was a day one priority because I am clear that the way that we drive up standards in our schools… is by having fantastic teachers at the front of those classrooms and in far too many classes we have teachers having to step in and take lessons in areas where they are not a specialist because of the gaps that we see at the moment.

“This is a straightforward question of priorities. I do believe we need more investment in our state schools and we will be doing that by raising VAT on private school fees.”

07:44 AM BST

Phillipson: Schools ratings should not be ‘boiled down’ to a single word

It is not right to “boil down” a school’s performance to a single word, Bridget Phillipson said as she defended the move to overhaul the Ofsted ratings system.

The Education Secretary was told that children are judged using a single letter or number when they take exams and she was asked why it was wrong for schools to be similarly graded.

She told Times Radio: “Yes, although across a range of measures, not reduced down to one and that will be the situation for schools.

“They will be judged across a range of different areas but I don’t think that should be boiled down to one word.

“I don’t think that can capture a school’s strengths or areas where further improvement is required.”

07:39 AM BST

One-word Ofsted grades ‘too high-stakes’ for school staff, says Education Secretary

One-word Ofsted grades for schools are “too high-stakes for staff”, Bridget Phillipson said.

The Education Secretary said new report cards would provide parents with more information about a school’s performance.

She told Times Radio: “This is something that we committed to in our manifesto and the reason for that is that we believe the one word judgements are far too low information in terms of what parents need and are also too high-stakes for staff.

“So what we are going to put in their place is a better system, a stronger system, that gives parents more information in the form of a report card about what is working within a school, what is really going well but also areas for improvement.”

07:37 AM BST

Bridget Phillipson defends making Ofsted grading overhaul a priority

The Education Secretary has defended the Government’s decision to prioritise an overhaul of the Ofsted school ratings system over other problems in the sector.

Bridget Phillipson announced today that the one-word labels of outstanding, good, requiring improvement or inadequate will be replaced by a new system of report cards.

Asked why the Government was focusing on the school grading system instead of other potentially bigger problems in the education sector like pupil absenteeism or teacher recruitment, she said she believed the Ofsted change was an “important reform”.

Ms Phillipson told Times Radio: “There are a range of areas where we need to take action and that is precisely what we have been getting on and doing. In terms of the announcements that I have made since becoming Education Secretary, I do believe this is an important reform.

“It is one that has wide support and will be an important part of how we drive up standards in our schools.”