More under 30s voted for Reform than Conservative

More under-30s voted for Reform UK than the Conservatives at the general election, research has found.

A YouGov poll of 35,000 voters suggested that 9.5 per cent of 18 to 30-year-olds supported Nigel Farage’s party, whereas just eight per cent voted Tory.

Mr Farage has said “something very big” is happening among Gen Z voters, who he has said are flocking to Reform.

“The youth thing is really interesting, something very big is happening,” he told The Daily T on Tuesday.

The YouGov research suggests Reform was the third most popular party among voters aged 30 and under at the election, behind Labour and the Green Party.

10:00 PM BST

That’s all for today

Thank you for following The Telegraph’s live politics coverage. My colleague Jack Maidment will be back on Thursday morning to guide you through the latest developments. Here are today’s key moments:

• Sir Keir Starmer faced his first Prime Minister’s Questions, as Rishi Sunak pushed him to support Ukraine

• Jeremy Corbyn wrote to the seven Left-wing MPs suspended by Labour for rebelling over the two-child benefit cap, telling them to “work closely” with him and pro-Gaza independents

• Eluned Morgan was named the next Welsh Labour leader and prospective Welsh First Minister

• Labour’s new prisons minister said Britain’s jails “create better criminals, not better citizens”

• Simon Case is expected to stand down as Cabinet Secretary at the end of the year amid ongoing health problems, it emerged

• James Cleverly, who is running for Tory leader, said the party must get out of the habit of “rowing amongst ourselves” if it is to win power again

• Victoria Atkins, the shadow health secretary said she would not launch a bid to become party leader as the race formally began

• A new Savanta poll found that Tom Tugendhat is the most popular potential Tory leadership challenger among 2024 Conservative voters

• More under-30s voted for Reform UK than the Conservatives at the general election, a YouGov poll found

09:35 PM BST

Plan to convert former RAF base into mega-prison could be revived

A former RAF base being used to house asylum seekers could become a battleground for Labour’s mega-prison building plans, reports Home Affairs Editor Charles Hymas.

RAF Wethersfield, near Braintree in Essex, is currently being used by the Home Office to house about 500 asylum seekers.

However, Sir Keir Starmer pledged during the election campaign to shut down the migrant camp as part of Labour’s overhaul of the asylum system.

This could pave the way for the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) to revive its plans to convert the site into a mega-jail, housing at least 1,700 offenders, as part of efforts to tackle the prison overcrowding crisis.

In a letter to Wethersfield Parish Council sent by the MoJ in March this year, the department confirmed that it retained an “interest” in the former RAF base as part of its “long-term pipeline” for new jails.

Read the full story here.

09:20 PM BST

Victims ‘should have say on prisoners’ early release conditions’

Victims of crime should have a say on prisoners’ early release conditions, the Victims Commissioner has said.

Baroness Helen Newlove, a Conservative peer, said victims should have the chance to request licence conditions such as exclusion zones, no-contact conditions and electronic tagging.

“I am reassured that changes to the release point in the standard determinate sentence will not apply to those offenders convicted of a sexual offence, stalking, controlling behaviour and coercive behaviours, non-fatal strangulation and who have received over four years for a violent crime,” she said.

“However, these exclusions – as welcome as they are, and I understand the limitations of the process – they cannot address every potential risk once released.”

“This is why it is so important that no early release takes place before appropriate release plans have been put in place. This will enable the probation service to manage these offenders effectively and with confidence while they serve their sentence in the community.

“And that, before release, a conversation with the victim takes place, not only to tell them about the change in release date, but to give them an opportunity to request protective licence conditions such as exclusion zones, no-contract contradictions, and the safeguard of electronic tagging where it is needed.”

09:00 PM BST

Watch: Defence Secretary visits Germany

08:45 PM BST

Scrapping Rwanda scheme while switching migrants to asylum system ‘will save £7bn’

Scrapping the Rwanda scheme and processing tens of thousands of asylum claims instead will save the taxpayer more than £7 billion, Home Office officials have suggested.

Yvette Cooper, the Home Secretary, laid legislation on Wednesday to legally end planned deportations to the African nation and clear a backlog of 126,106 migrants through the asylum system.

A Home Office impact assessment estimates it will cost nearly £3.6 billion to process the asylum claims.

However, the report said it would have cost the Government £11 billion to stick with Rishi Sunak’s Illegal Migration Act and the Rwanda scheme.

The analysis suggests the legislation will provide a net “value for money” saving of £7.68 billion over 10 years, according to a central projection, with estimates ranging from a low of £4.7 billion to a high of £16.9 billion.

Read the full story from Home Affairs Editor Charles Hymas here.

08:23 PM BST

Jenrick attacked government for using ‘irregular migration’ term despite doing so himself

Robert Jenrick attacked the Home Office for using the phrase “irregular migration” despite previously using it himself, it has emerged.

The expected Tory leadership contender responded to the use of the term in a post on X, formerly Twitter, on Wednesday morning by saying: “You misspelt illegal.”

But he himself used the term in a statement to the House of Commons in September 2023 when he was immigration minister.

“In contrast, irregular migration into the EU has very significantly increased, with Italy alone seeing a doubling in small boat arrivals,” he said.

08:01 PM BST

Tory leadership contenders ‘like a group of arsonists’, say Lib Dems

The Liberal Democrats have branded the contenders for the Tory leadership as “like a group of arsonists asking for a new box of matches”.

Wendy Chamberlain, the party’s chief whip, said: “This collection of failed ministers now reportedly running for the leadership is a symbol of the chaos the Conservative Party forced upon the country. It’s like a group of arsonists asking for a new box of matches.

“Fortunately for the country the only bonfire is the Conservative Party.

“Whilst the Conservatives fight like rats in a sack, the Liberal Democrats will be a constructive opposition, standing up for the NHS and care.”

07:40 PM BST

The Tory party faces disintegration if it fails to get the next leader right

The rules for the Tory leadership race are finally set, writes Lord Frost.

The runners will soon be on the starting blocks. It’s going to be a marathon not a sprint.

I admit I worry that, as the party gears up for this contest, it is reverting to its instincts. “Just end division, and get behind the new leader,” says the party establishment. “We must not descend into ... infighting,” says James Cleverly in these pages.

Of course that is necessary. But it is a very superficial diagnosis. The infighting is a symptom of much deeper problems. The candidates need to show that they get that, and plan to do something about it.

For, in important ways, this isn’t like an Olympic marathon. The timing may be clear, but what the candidates need to do to win is not. Yes, mathematically, they must get a majority; but what will get them over the line politically is still an open question.

Moreover, they can themselves shape that political context, by convincing colleagues of their analysis of what went wrong and what must now be done.

Read the full article here.

07:20 PM BST

Victoria Atkins: I am not running for Tory leader

Victoria Atkins has announced she will not stand for the Tory leadership as she warned the party against a lurch either to the Left or the Right, reports Deputy Political Editor Daniel Martin.

In a piece to The Telegraph, the shadow health secretary said it had never been her intention to put her name forward to succeed Rishi Sunak.

She said the Conservatives had been defeated not because of a matter of “Right or Left”, but because they had lost people’s trust.

The party could only get back to power by appealing to the young and rebuilding its reputation for pragmatism and competence, she said.

“During the campaign, I met former Conservative voters who wanted to vote for us but could not because our longstanding reputation for integrity, pragmatism and competence had taken a beating in recent years,” Ms Atkins wrote.

Read the full story here.

07:10 PM BST

Pictured: Defence Secretary visits Poland

07:00 PM BST

Tory leadership race officially opens

The race to succeed Rishi Sunak as Conservative leader has now officially begun.

James Cleverly, the shadow home secretary, became the first Tory to declare they would run for the leadership on Tuesday.

Nominations close on Monday afternoon. The winner will be determined by November 2.

06:45 PM BST

Begum: ‘Aggressive’ Labour whips ‘bullied me’ over two-child benefit cap

Apsana Begum has accused “aggressive” Labour whips of bullying her in an attempt to stop her rebelling over the two-child benefit cap.

“The nature of the whipping operation was very aggressive,” she told LBC.

Andrew Marr, the host, then asked: “Did you feel that you were bullied by the whips?”

She answered: “Yes, it definitely felt like that.”

06:20 PM BST

Lammy hails new deal with India on AI

David Lammy has announced a new UK-India scheme aimed at strengthening co-operation on artificial intelligence (AI) and other emerging technologies.

The “technology security initiative” has been agreed by the countries’ national security advisers (NSAs) following negotiations, the Foreign Office said.

The Foreign Secretary travelled to New Delhi on Wednesday where he met Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking to deepen ties across key issues including trade, technology, education, culture and climate.

The Foreign Office said after the visit that the initiative would set out a “bold new approach” for the two countries to work together on telecoms, critical minerals, AI, quantum, health and bio tech, advanced materials and semi-conductors.

Mr Lammy said: “This Government will put growth at the heart of our foreign policy.”

06:05 PM BST

British jails ‘create better criminals’, new prisons minister says

Britain’s jails “create better criminals, not better citizens”, Labour’s new prisons minister has said.

Lord Timpson, the former chief executive of the eponymous high street shoe repair and locksmiths chain, made the remarks in his maiden speech in the House of Lords.

“I’m very clear that prisons must be available as a punishment and a deterrent,” he said.

“But currently, our prisons are not working. They create better criminals, not better citizens.

“That makes the public less safe, so we have to make prisons rehabilitative and make sure that when offenders are given a second chance, they can seize them.”

06:00 PM BST

Potential Scottish Tory leadership candidate suggests new party could fight Holyrood elections

The Scottish Tories should stop fighting Holyrood elections, one of the early favourites in their leadership contest has said as he suggested a new Right-wing party be set up instead, reports Scottish Political Editor Simon Johnson.

Murdo Fraser said that the Conservatives should continue to stand candidates in Scotland for Westminster general elections as voters should have the chance to vote for a party that can form the UK Government.

But he suggested that Tories should not fight Holyrood elections, which he said should instead be contested by a new centre-Right party that would have a better chance of winning power.

He cited the Canadian political system, whereby parties at the federal level of government are often connected to sister parties in the provinces. Mr Fraser is weighing up another leadership bid, having lost to Ruth Davidson 13 years ago.

His new proposal watered down his controversial plan during his unsuccessful leadership campaign in 2011, when he called for the Scottish Tories to be replaced with an entirely new party.

Read the full story here.

05:55 PM BST

New Welsh Labour leader proud to be first woman in role

Eluned Morgan has said she is proud to be the first woman to lead Welsh Labour.

“I feel really proud, not for myself, but for all the women in Wales, I think this is time to celebrate,” the prospective First Minister said.

“It’s the 21st century, it’s high time we had a woman lead. Not for me, but really to inspire women to let them believe that it is possible for them.

“There were some young girls here earlier, young children, they were looking at an example of something they’ve never been able to see before.”

05:50 PM BST

Labour ‘does not recognise’ rebel MP allegations

Labour has said it “does not recognise” allegations by rebel MP Apsana Begum that party whips offered her support for domestic violence legislation if she backed down over the two-child benefit cap.

The now-independent MP for Poplar and Limehouse, who suffered domestic abuse by her ex-husband, told Sky News on Wednesday that whips had resorted to “draconian” measures in their attempts to crush the backbench revolt.

A party spokesman said: “We do not recognise these allegations.”

05:36 PM BST

Two-child benefit cap rebellion not ‘gesture politics’, McDonnell insists

John McDonnell has insisted that the rebellion over the two-child benefit cap was not “gesture politics”.

The MP, who was Jeremy Corbyn’s shadow chancellor, was suspended from the party on Tuesday night after voting for an SNP amendment to the King’s Speech that called for the cap’s abolition.

“The concern grew that the reason for not committing to scrapping the cap was neither funding nor the timescale for practical implementation by the taskforce,” Mr McDonnell wrote in The Guardian.

“Instead, the fear is that, behind the scenes, party strategists were looking at polls and focus groups, and seeing that the cap was popular among some potential supporters. Not wanting to alienate them would mean ignoring a few hundred thousand children in poverty.

“Seven Labour MPs, myself included, voting for an amendment when the government has such an overwhelming majority will be criticised by some as futile or gesture politics. Of course, I disagree.”

05:25 PM BST

The Daily T: Has Keir Starmer shown his ruthless side?

Just hours after kicking seven of his MPs out of the Parliamentary Labour Party for rebelling over the two-child benefit cap, Sir Keir Starmer was absolutely brimming with confidence at the despatch box as he took on his first Prime Minister’s Questions in the role.

So are we beginning to see a new ruthless and assured side to Starmer now that he’s Prime Minister?

Camilla and Kamal host a watchalong of PMQs and assess his performance – and that of the now Leader of the Opposition, Rishi Sunak – keeping a special eye out for questions about that internal rebellion, plus all the Lib Dem, SNP, Green and Reform subplots.

Listen to the full episode here.

05:10 PM BST

More under-30s voted Reform than Tory, research finds

More under-30s voted for Reform UK than the Conservatives at the general election, research has found.

A YouGov poll of 35,000 voters suggested that 9.5 per cent of 18 to 30-year-olds supported Nigel Farage’s party and eight per cent voted Tory.

The Greens won almost 18 per cent of voters aged 30 and under, up from six per cent in 2015.

04:50 PM BST

Rowling attacks Labour over Nandy’s trans remarks

JK Rowling has attacked Labour after Lisa Nandy said individual sports should be able to decide whether biological males who identify as women can take part in female-only events.

The Harry Potter author wrote on X, formerly Twitter: “A woman who thinks trans-identified sex offenders should be in ‘the prison of their choosing’ was hardly going to balk at males in women’s sport, was she?

“Lisa Nandy told us loudly and proudly who she was pre-election. She’s one of the main reasons I couldn’t vote Labour.”

04:27 PM BST

Labour whips threatened to pull domestic violence support, rebel MP claims

A Labour MP who survived domestic abuse has claimed party whips attempted to convince her not to rebel over the two-child benefit cap by promising to support any domestic violence legislation she tabled in Parliament.

Apsana Begum, who was stripped of the party whip for rebelling, told Sky News: “I was shocked in the way that I was treated because that element of supporting me in being able to tackle the situation around my abusive ex-husband and domestic abuse was put into the context of the whipping operation itself, and that was shocking and I think unacceptable.”

Asked if whips had offered support for her bills on domestic abuse if she did not rebel, Ms Begum said: “Yes.”

She added: “It’s unacceptable. But that demonstrates, I think, the way in which a draconian stand was taken in regards to the two-child limit.”

04:05 PM BST

Labour goes soft on civil servants working from home

Sir Keir Starmer has been accused of backtracking on efforts to force civil servants to work in the office for at least three days a week, writes Money Reporter Noah Eastwood.

It comes as Labour fails to back the previous government’s plan to curtail rampant working from home across Whitehall.

The Telegraph has learnt that ministers are still yet to tell civil servants whether rules that limit home working to two days a week will be kept.

It has prompted fears among senior Conservatives that it means home working will become the “norm” again under the new Government.

John Glen, the shadow paymaster general, said: “Taxpayers deserve the very best from the civil service, yet under Labour, it looks like working from home is the new norm.”

Read the full article here.

03:50 PM BST

Scrapping Tempest jet project ‘akin to ditching Spitfire in 1930s’

Scrapping the next-generation Tempest fighter jet project would be akin to ditching Spitfires in the 1930s, the shadow defence secretary has warned.

James Cartlidge made the remarks as MPs approved legislation which Foreign Office minister Catherine West said would provide the legal framework for the programme.

“Overall, this is my view, I happen to believe that withdrawing from GCAP now would amount to the equivalent of scrapping the Spitfire programme in the 1930s – it is that serious,” he told the Commons.

03:35 PM BST

Jenrick will ‘unite’ Tories, says Kruger

Robert Jenrick should be the next Conservative leader because he will “unite” the party, Danny Kruger has said.

The co-chair of the New Conservatives told The Sun: “The challenge we have got is to win back those voters we have lost to Reform, but also hold the centre of the party together and convince those wavering voters in the middle who might have left to the Lib Dems or even Labour that we are actually a responsible and competent party of government.

“And I think Rob manages that. He’s got the competence and the personality and the temperament, also he has got the right policies.”

Mr Kruger added: “We lost the election because we were incompetent in government.

“And in order to restore competence, we need to do things which might appear right wing like reassert our control of our borders and our laws and take a much more robust position on migration.”

03:30 PM BST

Good afternoon

Tim Sigsworth here, taking over from my colleague Jack Maidment for the rest of the day.

03:20 PM BST

Eluned Morgan ‘truly honoured’ to be Welsh Labour leader

Eluned Morgan said she is honoured to become the first woman to lead Welsh Labour.

Baroness Morgan said after her appointment was confirmed: “I am truly honoured to become the first woman to lead Welsh Labour and to be put forward as our party’s nominee to become the next first minister of Wales.

“At this pivotal time for our country, strength, stability, and unity will be my guiding principles. I want to ensure that everyone in Wales has the opportunity and ability to fulfil their potential.”

She added: “Through my leadership, Wales – and what is best for our country – will always come above all else.”

03:16 PM BST

Starmer congratulates Eluned Morgan on becoming new Welsh Labour leader

Eluned Morgan has been confirmed as the new Welsh Labour leader and is set to succeed Vaughan Gething as first minister of Wales.

She will be the first woman to take the role.

Sir Keir Starmer congratulated her on her appointment

03:11 PM BST

Starmer accused of ‘control freakery’ after suspending rebel MPs

Sir Keir Starmer has been accused of “control freakery” by the Labour Left after suspending seven MPs for rebelling over the two-child benefit cap.

The Prime Minister is facing a growing backlash over his decision to strip the MPs of the whip on Tuesday night after they backed an SNP bid to “immediately abolish” the limit, with one suggesting they had been the victim of a “macho virility test”.

Critics have also accused him of backtracking on his own demands to scrap the policy.

You can read the full story here. 

02:59 PM BST

Second homes tax raid to backfire and cost Treasury £172m

A tax raid on second homeowners risks backfiring and driving up avoidance that could cost the Exchequer £172m, experts have claimed.

Almost 150 local authorities plan to use enhanced powers to charge second homeowners double council tax, in a move that is due to rake in millions for councils in holiday hotspots.

But experts have warned that the clampdown is resulting in second homeowners “flipping” their properties so they are classed as small businesses, which do not have to pay council tax.

You can read the full story here. 

02:42 PM BST

Tom Tugendhat most popular Tory leadership contender with public and Conservative voters

Tom Tugendhat is the most popular potential Tory leadership challenger among 2024 Conservative voters, according to a new poll by Savanta.

A survey conducted between July 19-21 gave Mr Tugendhat a net favourability rating of plus 21 among 2024 Tory voters.

James Cleverly was a close second on plus 19 and Kemi Badenoch was in third place on plus 10.

Mr Tugendhat was also the most popular among the general public, but he was in negative territory, securing a net favourability score of minus 3.

Chris Hopkins, political research director at Savanta, said: “The person who will most likely welcome our findings is Tom Tugendhat, who is the most popular Conservative leadership contender among the public and Conservative voters of those we polled. James Cleverley, who just announced his candidacy, is not far behind. Game on.”

Mr Cleverly is the only person so far to have formally declared their candidacy in the race to replace Rishi Sunak. Nominations in the contest open at 7pm this evening.

02:27 PM BST

Welsh Labour in ‘turmoil’, says Plaid Cymru

Plaid Cymru’s leader, Rhun ap Iorwerth, has congratulated Eluned Morgan on becoming the likely next leader of Wales, but said Welsh Labour are in “turmoil”.

In a statement, he said: “I congratulate Eluned Morgan on becoming leader of Labour in Wales. The fact that she is the third leader in three months speaks volumes about the turmoil at the heart of the governing party.

“Wales needs its First Minister to succeed, but for that to happen, decisions must be different, and outcomes must be better.

“The direct legacy of Eluned Morgan’s time in government so far is record-high waiting lists and an inability to get to grips with the significant challenges with the NHS. People are crying out for more ambitious, more competent, and more effective leadership.

“Eluned Morgan should but won’t call an election, so whilst Labour continue to fight amongst themselves, Plaid Cymru is focused on offering a real alternative that people in all parts of Wales can unite behind.”

02:15 PM BST

Farage’s verdict on first PMQs as MP: ‘Tories agree with Labour on virtually everything’

02:10 PM BST

PM ‘completely agrees’ with Army chief on war warning, says No 10

Sir Keir Starmer “completely agrees” with the head of the Army, Downing Street has said after the Chief of the General Staff warned Britain has three years to prepare for war.

Asked whether the Prime Minister shared General Sir Roly Walker’s view, his official spokesman said Sir Keir had spoken himself of the “generational threat of Russia aided by the likes of North Korea and Iran”.

Asked whether the strategic defence review, which the Government aims to complete within a year, was the best use of time given the apparent urgency, the spokesman said: “The Prime Minister completely agrees with the thrust of the head of the Army.

“He’s talked previously about the new and dangerous era we live in and that is why we’ve launched a strategic defence review to assess those dangers, assess those challenges, and ensure we have got the capabilities we need to respond to those challenges as and when they arise.”

01:35 PM BST

No 10: Voting against Government policy at King’s Speech a ‘serious matter’

Defying the Government over the King’s Speech “is a serious matter”, a spokesman for Sir Keir Starmer said in defence of the decision to strip the party whip from seven Labour rebels.

The rebels had backed an SNP amendment last night calling for the two-child benefit cap to be scrapped and were promptly punished for going against the Government.

The spokesman told reporters: “We’ve been very clear on our position on the child limit and why we did not commit to removing it both during the campaign and since. And that is because given the economic situation we’ve inherited, we are very clear that we’re not going to make promises that we can’t keep.

“Now clearly voting against the party’s position on the King’s Speech is a serious matter.”

Asked whether the return of the whip to the seven MPs was conditional on them voting consistently with the Government over the next six months, she said: “That’s a matter for the Chief Whip.”

01:19 PM BST

Starmer fails to commit to Tempest talks with Saudi Arabia

Sir Keir Starmer failed to give a firm commitment to speaking to Saudi Arabia about potentially joining the Tempest fighter jet programme.

Rishi Sunak said his government had held some initial talks with Saudi Arabia about joining the coalition between the UK, Italy and Japan and asked the Prime Minister if he would continue those talks.

Sir Keir said Tempest was a “really important programme” but did not respond to the specific point.

It comes after Sir Keir failed to give a cast iron commitment that the project will go ahead amid a strategic defence review.

01:14 PM BST

Labour pressing ahead with plan to replace business rates system

Sir Keir Starmer confirmed at PMQs that the Labour Government will scrap the current system of business rates and replace it with something else.

Labour MP Jack Abbott asked the Prime Minister what he was planning to do to revive struggling town centres.

Sir Keir replied: “On town centres, he is right that we need vibrant high streets, we need to make the change that we were voted in to bring about and that is why we will replace the business states system to level the playing field.”

01:09 PM BST

Welsh Tories: 2026 Senedd elections ‘can’t come soon enough’

The leader of the Welsh Conservatives said the 2026 Welsh Assembly elections “can’t come soon enough” as he responded to Eluned Morgan becoming Welsh Labour leader (see the post below at 13.01).

Andrew RT Davies said in a statement: “I firstly congratulate Eluned Morgan on becoming the first female leader of Welsh Labour, and if supported by the Senedd, Wales’ first ever female First Minister.

“The Baroness has picked up the crown at the coronation, with Prince Charming as her deputy. Eluned Morgan has presided over the worst Welsh NHS waiting lists on record, so the question must be asked, is this really the best that Labour can do?

“If her lack of delivery in Wales’ NHS is replicated across the Welsh economy and education system then Wales is going to be a lot worse off in the future.

“The 2026 Senedd election can’t come soon enough to give Wales the change it desperately needs to unlock the hope and opportunity that will build a new and stronger Wales.”

01:01 PM BST

Eluned Morgan set to replace Vaughan Gething as First Minister of Wales

Eluned Morgan is set to become the new leader of Welsh Labour and the likely first minister of Wales, after no other candidates entered the race to replace Vaughan Gething.

Mr Gething announced his resignation last week after a torrid four months in office, featuring rows over donations and sacked ministers.

Baroness Morgan, 57, the current Welsh health minister, was the only contender to be the Welsh Labour Party’s new leader as nominations closed at midday today.

Once confirmed she will be the first woman to lead the Welsh Government.

12:59 PM BST

Corbyn and other independents write to suspended Labour MPs

Jeremy Corbyn and four other independent MPs have written to the seven Labour MPs who lost the party whip for voting in support of scrapping the two-child benefit cap.

The letter says the Labour leadership has put “party before country” and welcomes more independent voices in Parliament who are “free to speak out against inequality and injustice without fear of repercussion from their party whip”.

It was signed by former Labour leader Mr Corbyn and Ayoub Khan, Adnan Hussain, Shockat Adam and Iqbal Mohamed.

The independent MPs said they “look forward to working closely” with the suspended Labour members: Apsana Begum, Imran Hussain, Rebecca Long-Bailey, Ian Byrne, Richard Burgon, Zarah Sultana and John McDonnell.

The letter adds: “As the two major parties fail to defend the bold changes this country desperately needs, we will be there to offer a real alternative – and to defend a society that cares for each other and cares for all.”

12:38 PM BST

Tories ‘lost control’ of UK borders, claims Starmer

Sir Keir Starmer claimed the Tories had “lost control of our borders” as he was grilled on the Labour Government’s approach to tackling illegal and legal immigration.

The Prime Minister said it was a “serious issue that requires a serious answer”.

Referring to scrapping the Rwanda scheme, Sir Keir said Labour “won’t waste further time on a gimmick”.

12:35 PM BST

PM hits back at SNP after ‘honeymoon is over’ jibe

Pete Wishart, the SNP MP, asked if Sir Keir Starmer’s “honeymoon” was “over before it has even begun” after the Labour rebellion on the two-child benefit cap last night.

Sir Keir hit back and said: “Having left for the election campaign with quite a significant number of SNP members and come back with a small handful, I really don’t think lectures on what the electrate in Scotland are thinking, I am very proud of our Scottish Labour MPs on this side of the House.

“I simply repeat the point I made to his leader. Perhaps the SNP needs to account for the 30,000 extra children in poverty in Scotland.”

12:28 PM BST

Sir Keir Starmer defends approach to tackling child poverty after Labour rebellion

Stephen Flynn, the SNP’s leader in Westminster, took aim at the Labour Government for failing to abolish the two-child benefit cap.

Mr Flynn pointed out that senior Labour figures including Gordon Brown had called for the cap to be scrapped.

Sir Keir said: “I am glad he mentioned Gordon Brown because the last Labour government lifted millions of children out pf poverty, something we are very, very proud of and this Government will approach the question with the same vigour with our new taskforce.

“Already we have taken steps - breakfast clubs, abolishing no fault evictions, decent homes standard... and a plan to make work pay.

“But I would just say this. Before he lectures everyone else, he should explain why since the SNP came to power there are 30,000 more children in poverty in Scotland.”

12:22 PM BST

Starmer warns there is a ‘more severe crisis than we thought’ in public finances

Sir Ed Davey, the leader of the Liberal Democrats, raised the issue of family carers having to repay money to the Department for Work and Pensions because they had gone over the carers’ allowance threshold.

He asked for a meeting with Sir Keir to discuss the issue.

The Prime Minister replied: “We have a more severe crisis than we thought as we go through the books of the last 14 years.”

Tory MPs jeered but Sir Keir continued: “I know they don’t like it. There was a reason the electorate rejected them so profoundly.”

Sir Keir added that “there is a crisis and a failure absolutely everywhere after 14 years of failure”.

12:15 PM BST

Sunak and Starmer agree on PM’s ‘essential’ ability to greenlight national security action

Rishi Sunak said he and the Tories would support Sir Keir Starmer in scenarios where the Prime Minister may need to use his prime ministerial prerogative to respond swiftly and without a vote in Parliament on matters of national security.

Mr Sunak said the ability to act swiftly was “essential to ensure the safety and security of the British people”.

“I agree it is essential,” Sir Keir replied.

12:13 PM BST

Sunak: ‘Fatuous’ Russian claims on Ukrainian territory must not block Kyiv’s Nato membership

Rishi Sunak urged Sir Keir Starmer to ensure that “fatuous” Russian claims on Ukrainian territory are not a block on Kyiv’s ambitions of joining Nato.

“I wholeheartedly agree,” Sir Keir replied.

Mr Sunak asked if the new Government will take forward work on rolling out further sanctions on Russia and to use the money to pay for Ukrainian reconstruction.

Sir Keir replied that the Government was looking at the issue and said the “use now made of what has been seized and frozen is an important issue on which I think we can move forward”.

12:09 PM BST

Sunak urges Starmer to put pressure on Germany to boost support for Ukraine

Rishi Sunak said he wanted to focus his PMQ questions on the UK’s support for Ukraine.

He said that Ukraine needed to “decisively win out against Russia aggression”.

Mr Sunak asked Sir Keir Starmer if he had asked Germany about the prospect of handing long-range missiles to Ukraine.

Sir Keir said he had raised the issue with Berlin and his message at a recent Nato summit was that he wanted “all of our allies to provide further support where they can to the Ukrainian people”.

12:07 PM BST

Sunak jokes he may not be best placed to offer advice on winning to Team GB

Rishi Sunak wished Team GB well at the Olympics.

But the former prime minister jokes that he was probably “not the first person they want to hear advice from on how to win”.

The joke prompted laughter and some “awwwws” from MPs in the Commons.

12:05 PM BST

Starmer: Households should not ‘pay the price’ of water company ‘mismanagement’

The first question directed at Sir Keir Starmer at PMQs was about Thames Water and water regulation.

Told that the water regulation system was “broken”, Sir Keir said that households “should not pay the price of the mismanagement by water companies”.

12:02 PM BST

PMQs now underway

Sir Keir Starmer started his first PMQs as Prime Minister by offering his best wishes to a soldier who was stabbed outside an army base in Kent.

The Prime Minister said the whole House of Commons was “shocked” by the news.

“We wish him a swift recovery” he said.

Sir Keir also wished Team GB good luck ahead of the Olympics in Paris.

11:53 AM BST

Packed Commons awaits Starmer’s first PMQs as premier

The House of Commons is packed ahead of Sir Keir Starmer’s debut Prime Minister’s Questions as premier.

Rishi Sunak will likely be relishing the chance to ask the questions rather than having to answer them as he takes part in his first PMQs as the Leader of the Opposition.

Mr Sunak was provided with some ammunition last night in terms of what he could ask about after seven Labour MPs were stripped of the party whip following a rebellion over scrapping the two-child benefit cap.

11:45 AM BST

Pictured: Starmer leaves No 10 ahead of first PMQs as Prime Minister

11:34 AM BST

Reader poll: Should the Conservative Party merge with Reform?

James Cleverly said this morning that the Tories would not merge with Reform if he wins the Conservative Party leadership contest.

What do you think? You can have your say in our reader poll below:

11:24 AM BST

Cleverly claims Labour ‘going soft on border control’ after reference to ‘irregular migration’

James Cleverly claimed Labour was “going soft on border control” after the Home Office referred to “irregular migration” instead of illegal migration.

The shadow home secretary said the apparent change in rhetoric “will be seen as an invitation to the people smugglers”.

Robert Jenrick, Nigel Farage and Richard Tice have all also criticised the Home Office on the issue.

11:13 AM BST

Majority of 2024 Tory voters believe Farage would do bad job as Conservative leader

A majority of 2024 Tory voters believe Nigel Farage would do a very or fairly bad job as Tory leader.

But almost a third believe he would do a very or fairly good job, placing him ahead of every likely Conservative leadership contender.

An Ipsos survey conducted between July 12-15 found that 54 per cent of 2024 Tory supporters said Mr Farage would do a bad job as Tory leader while 31 per cent said he would do a bad job.

James Cleverly was in second place, with 30 per cent saying he would do a good job. Some 15 per cent said he would do a bad job.

11:02 AM BST

Farage ahead of every Tory leadership contender on who would be best Sunak replacement

Nigel Farage has been backed as the person most likely to do a good job as the next leader of the Conservative Party, according to a new poll.

An Ipsos survey of the general public, conducted between July 12-15, found that 28 per cent of people believed the Reform UK leader would be a very or fairly good leader of the Tories.

That put him ahead of all of the likely Tory contenders in the race to replace Rishi Sunak.

However, some 48 per cent of respondents said Mr Farage would be a very or fairly bad leader of the Tories.

James Cleverly, Tom Tugendhat and Suella Braverman were in joint second place behind Mr Farage, with 16 per cent of people saying they believed they would be a good leader.

Kemi Badenoch and Priti Patel were in joint third place on 15 per cent, Robert Jenrick was next on 12 per cent and Victoria Atkins was last on 9 per cent.

10:54 AM BST

Pictured: Nigel Farage arrives at Parliament today

10:47 AM BST

Starmer’s ‘housebuilding revolution’ could violate human rights

Sir Keir Starmer’s plans for a housebuilding revolution risk breaching human rights laws, lawyers have said.

They say the Government will face a string of legal battles over its proposal to reduce compensation to landowners forced to hand over their assets under compulsory purchase order (CPO) powers.

As outlined in the King’s Speech, the Government wants to reduce how much money is paid to owners and developers for use in housebuilding, saying it wanted to make the payouts “fair but not excessive”.

This is part of its plans to shake up housebuilding targets and build 1.5 million new homes.

You can read the full story here. 

10:35 AM BST

Pictured: Healey meets UK personnel heading to Paris to provide Olympic security

10:19 AM BST

Tice accuses Labour of ‘downgrading illegal migration’

Richard Tice accused Labour of “downgrading illegal migration to irregular”.

The deputy leader of Reform UK said voters “will not tolerate this fudge”.

The Home Office said in a tweet sent on July 22 that “we are taking control of irregular migration”, prompting a backlash.

Mr Tice tweeted:

10:07 AM BST

Farage accuses Labour of attempt to ‘bury illegal immigration’

Nigel Farage claimed Labour wanted to “bury illegal immigration” as a subject for debate as he responded to the Home Office referring to “irregular migration” instead. (see the post below at 09.51).

The Reform UK leader said: “We will not let them get away with it.”

He tweeted:

09:51 AM BST

Jenrick criticises Home Office for rebranding illegal migration as ‘irregular migration’

Robert Jenrick has taken aim at the Home Office after it referred to “irregular migration” instead of illegal migration.

The Home Office tweeted that it was “taking control of irregular migration”, highlighting the Labour Government’s new Border Security Command which has been set up to stop small boat Channel crossings.

Mr Jenrick, a former immigration minister and a potential Tory leadership contender, retweeted the statement and said: “You misspelt illegal.”

09:46 AM BST

Coming up: Starmer to face first PMQs at noon

Sir Keir Starmer will face his first Prime Minister’s Questions as premier at noon today.

Sir Keir and Rishi Sunak have clashed numerous times during the weekly session in the House of Commons but their roles will be reversed at lunchtime.

When the Labour leader was on the opposition benches he seemed to enjoy returning to his prosecutorial roots when grilling Mr Sunak.

All eyes will now be on how he handles being the subject of the interrogation rather than the interrogator.

09:38 AM BST

Pictured: Pro-Palestine protesters outside the Foreign Office this morning

09:30 AM BST

Cabinet Secretary Simon Case to stand down amid health problems

Simon Case is expected to stand down as Cabinet Secretary at the end of the year amid ongoing health problems.

The head of the civil service, one of the most powerful figures in Whitehall, took a leave of absence last year due to a “private medical matter”, delaying his appearance at the Covid inquiry.

It is now thought he will stand down within months.

You can read the full story here. 

09:19 AM BST

Ashworth accuses Labour rebels of ‘gesture’ politics

Jonathan Ashworth accused the seven Labour MPs suspended for rebelling over the two-child benefit cap of “gesture” politics.

The former Labour MP, who played a prominent role in his party’s election media campaign but was unseated in the general election, told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “They knew that this amendment was never going to pass because of the commanding majority Keir Starmer has.

“To join with the odds and sods, who are pretty impotent in Parliament, they knew there was no chance of this amendment passing. It was a gesture. That’s not how you change policy. You don’t change policy by gestures, you change policy by engaging with the policymaking structures.”

He continued: “I don’t think any of us should be surprised that Labour MPs who were … not defending the first [Labour] King’s Speech for 14 years would lead to this disciplining.”

09:14 AM BST

Cleverly denies Cooper’s Rwanda claim

James Cleverly has denied calling the Rwanda asylum policy “bats---”.

Yvette Cooper, the Home Secretary, previously claimed that Mr Cleverly, who was tasked with working on the policy to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda when he was home secretary, called the plan “bats--- crazy”.

Mr Cleverly told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme this morning: “Yvette Cooper keeps throwing that accusation without evidence.”

Asked if he was denying it, he said: “I’ve never described the Rwanda policy using that word.”

08:55 AM BST

Damian Hinds: ‘Fair enough’ for Starmer to punish Labour rebels

Sir Keir Starmer’s decision to strip seven Labour MPs of the party whip over a child benefit rebellion was “fair enough”, according to a senior Tory.

Damian Hinds, the shadow education secretary, said the Labour rebels who backed an SNP amendment calling for the two-child benefit cap to be abolished should have expected to be punished.

He told Sky News: “That is fair enough. If you are in a political party and you vote against your party, in this case they voted for an SNP motion , you have got to expect to lose the whip.”

08:42 AM BST

Senior Tory rules out leadership bid

Damian Hinds has ruled out a bid for the Tory leadership.

The shadow education secretary told Sky News there will be “multiple candidates” in the race to replace Rishi Sunak but “I will not be one of them”.

08:38 AM BST

‘This isn’t a game,’ says MP stripped of Labour whip over child benefit rebellion

Zarah Sultana said she was not interested in playing up to a “macho virility test” after Sir Keir Starmer suspended her and six other Labour MPs for rebelling over the two-child benefit cap (see the post below at 07.36).

Asked what she thought of the Prime Minister after he stripped her of the party whip, Ms Sultana told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “I’m not interested in playing up to this macho virility test that seems to be what people are talking about. It’s about the material conditions of 330,000 children living in poverty.”

She added: “This isn’t a game. This is about people’s lives. This is about the fact that there are hundreds of thousands of children living in unnecessary poverty, and the fact that we can make political decisions today that changes this reality across the country, and we’re choosing not to do that.”

Pressed on whether she thought her suspension was a game, she said: “I’m saying that people might see Parliament and processes as things that they don’t agree with, and in fact, I am responding to something that is what I should do as a constituency MP.”

08:28 AM BST

Cleverly rules out merger with Reform if he becomes Tory leader

James Cleverly ruled out any merger between the Conservative Party and Reform UK if he becomes the next Tory leader.

Asked about the possibility of the two parties joining forces, Mr Cleverly told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme: “The Conservative Party doesn’t do mergers. The simple truth is that we have got a series of principles.

“We believe in civil liberty. We believe in free enterprise. We believe in efficient but modest size of the state, lower taxes… those are our principles, that is our agenda.

“What we need to do is expand our base of support.”

A recent YouGov poll suggested the Tory membership was split down the middle on the question. Some 47 per cent said they would back a merger while 48 per cent of the Conservative grassroots opposed it.

08:18 AM BST

Initial focus must be on uniting Conservative Party, says Cleverly

James Cleverly suggested that uniting the Conservative Party should be the first job of the next Tory leader and policy discussions should come after that.

The shadow home secretary, who is the only candidate so far to have declared their candidacy for the top job, told the BBC: “Doing the heavy lifting on policy if we don’t then speak with one voice as a united, disciplined party is putting the cart before the horse.

“We tried that at the 2024 election and people didn’t listen to what we were saying because we had lost their confidence.”

08:14 AM BST

Tories have ‘spent too much time rowing amongst ourselves’, says Cleverly

James Cleverly said the Tories must get out of the habit of “rowing amongst ourselves” if they are to win back support from voters.

The Conservative Party leadership contender said that Tory successes in government were “overshadowed by a number of negatives” during the general election campaign and they “didn’t get the cut through for our successes”.

Mr Cleverly said the Tories needed to rediscover the “self-discipline” to have their discussions and disagreements “civilly”.

He told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme: “We spent too much time rowing amongst ourselves which gave the impression, the wrong impression, but gave the impression that we were more focused on ourselves than serving the British people.

“We have to get out of that habit.”

08:01 AM BST

James Cleverly won’t say if he would vote for Donald Trump

James Cleverly would not say if he would vote for Donald Trump after Suella Braverman said she would yesterday.

Asked the question during an interview on  BBC Radio 4’s Today programme this morning, Mr Cleverly said: “I am not an American citizen so it is a moot point.”

Pushed again, the Tory leadership contender said it was a “nonsense question”.

He added: “It is not a test of candidates in a British political system to ask them what they would do in a parallel universe…”

07:48 AM BST

James Heappey: Cleverly is ‘exactly the leader we need’

James Heappey, the former defence minister who stood down as a Tory MP at the general election, has backed James Cleverly to be the next leader of the Conservative Party.

Mr Heappey said Mr Cleverly, who declared his candidacy in a piece for The Telegraph, is “exactly the leader we need”.

07:43 AM BST

Labour has ‘moral imperative’ to scrap two-child benefit cap, says rebel MP

Zarah Sultana, one of seven Labour MPs who lost the party whip last night after backing an SNP motion to scrap the two-child benefit cap (see the post below at 07.36), said she believed there is a “moral imperative” on the Government to act on the issue.

She also said that she had slept well despite being stripped of the whip and she was “glad I did it”. Ms Sultana will now have to sit in the House of Commons as an independent MP.

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

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

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

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

07:36 AM BST

ICYMI: Starmer suspends seven Labour MPs over child benefit rebellion

Seven Labour MPs have had the whip removed for rebelling against Sir Keir Starmer over the two-child benefit cap.

The rebels, including John McDonnell, the former shadow chancellor, have had the whip suspended for at least six months, The Telegraph understands.

They had voted for an amendment to the King’s Speech tabled by the Scottish National Party calling on the Government to “immediately abolish” the cap.

The cap was introduced in 2017 and prevents parents from claiming child tax credit or universal credit for their third and any subsequent children.

Sir Keir said on multiple occasions during the election campaign that his Government would not scrap the cap because of the economic implications.

You can read the full story here. 

07:33 AM BST

Conservative MP: ‘I will nominate Priti Patel to be Tory leader’

Sir Alec Shelbrooke has declared he will nominate Dame Priti Patel to be the next Tory leader.

The Tory backbencher said he believed the former home secretary is “respected on all wings of the party” and could rebuild the Conservatives.

He told GB News: “I will be nominating Priti Patel because I think Priti has not just the pragmatic approach to all the issues but she was also there, brought into CCHQ, by Cecil Parkinson in 1997 about how to rebuild the Conservative Party after that defeat.

“You get this pattern in government, that after a long period of time in government, the structure starts to fall down. You think it would do the opposite, but it doesn’t. You’re so busy on governing that the structure falls down. That is task number one.

“Priti has had senior roles and she’s respected on all wings of the party, and I think that’s an important point. And it comes back to we’ve got to have a conservative leader representing the Conservative Party and get away from these different gangs that have formed and have been fighting with each other.”

Nominations in the contest will open tonight at 7pm and will close at 2.30pm on July 29. Candidates will need the support of 10 Tory MPs in order to make it onto the ballot paper, with a winner due to be announced on November 2.