Lib Dems say Labour ‘tone deaf’ after No 10 guidelines out winter gasoline funds U-turn – UK politics reside | Politics
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Lib Dems accuses Labour of ‘tone deaf response to elections’ after No 10 guidelines out winter gasoline funds U-turn
The Liberal Democrats and the Conservatives have each issued press releases this afternoon in regards to the authorities’s winter gasoline funds coverage. However they don’t appear to agree what the coverage really is.
The Lib Dems put out this assertion from Daisy Cooper, their deputy chief and Treasury spokesperson, after this morning’s foyer briefing. (See 12.54pm.)
This can be a fully tone deaf response to the native elections.
The general public are rightly livid on the authorities’s resolution to tear very important help from thousands and thousands of essentially the most weak but ministers merely will not be listening.
From winter gasoline funds to the household farm tax, this authorities has turned a blind eye to thousands and thousands of people that can really feel the harm that these half-baked polices are doing. It’s time to change course.
And that is from Helen Whately, the shadow work and pensions secretary, who both was not following what the PM’s spokesperson was saying at foyer – or who selected to not consider it. She mentioned:
This Labour authorities is in a tailspin. After months of defending their winter gasoline fee lower, they’re lastly now realising they could have been improper.
Sadly, this variation of coronary heart is much too late for the thousands and thousands of pensioners who misplaced their fee this winter. 1000’s of the essentially the most weak missed out and hospital admissions soared. The very first thing they need to be doing is apologising.
Key occasions
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Plaid Cymru dismisses Eluned Morgan’s ‘pink Welsh manner’ speech as simply ‘cynical branding train’
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John Swinney says Scottish goverment will ship 100,000 extra GP appointments and scrap peak-time rail fares
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Badenoch claims she is ‘assured’ she is going to nonetheless be chief at time of subsequent election
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Eluned Morgan says she is ‘dropping persistence’ with Starmer’s insurance policies
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Farage confirms he doesn’t need Reform UK councils flying Ukrainian flag on their buildings
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Lib Dems accuses Labour of ‘tone deaf response to elections’ after No 10 guidelines out winter gasoline funds U-turn
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UK and India agree commerce deal after three years of negotiations
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Richard Tice says it is ‘foolish’ to counsel Reform UK would put asylum seekers in tents in Calais-type camp
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No 10 says Starmer ‘will not be blown off beam’ by election defeats, arguing Labour mayoral wins present ‘supply’ rewarded
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No 10 declines to hit again after Trump proposes 100% tariff on non-US movies
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No 10 guidelines out reversing cuts to winter gasoline funds
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Planning invoice reforms will enhance economic system by as much as £7.5bn, authorities affect evaluation says
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Progressive events will lose if they’re simply ‘managers of established order’ and it isn’t working for voters, says Tony Blair
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Tory MPs ‘deluded’ in the event that they assume one other management contest a good suggestion, says Iain Duncan Smith
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Incapacity profit cuts might hit Wales six instances as laborious in some areas as England, first minister Eluned Morgan says
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Ex-Runcorn MP Mike Amesbury urges Labour backbenchers to oppose welfare cuts
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Leftwingers say Labour wants to totally reverse winter gasoline fee cuts, not simply soften them, to win again voters
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Reform accused of hypocrisy after promoting residence working jobs
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£102m GP surgical procedure refurbishment programme in England will permit 8m extra appointments per 12 months, Streeting says
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Streeting urges resident medical doctors to carry off on strike poll, saying they are going to get ‘good pay provide’
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Streeting says Labour ministers know, if they do not ship change, they are going to be voted out
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Wes Streeting declines to rule out winter gasoline funds rethink after Labour losses in native elections
Plaid Cymru dismisses Eluned Morgan’s ‘pink Welsh manner’ speech as simply ‘cynical branding train’
Plaid Cymru has described Eluned Morgan’s ‘pink Welsh manner’ speech (see 11.21am and three.36pm) as only a PR train. Rhun ap Iorwerth, the Plaid chief, mentioned:
That is nothing greater than a cynical branding train, extra jargon and empty rhetoric from a primary minister and a Labour get together unable and unwilling to face up for Wales’ pursuits.
While by no means complacent, I’m assured that Plaid Cymru’s constructive imaginative and prescient for our nation and our can do perspective is proving increasingly widespread with Welsh voters.
Help for Labour is on the wane, the most recent sloppy slogan “the pink Welsh manner” will solely result in a useless finish.
Progressive voters can safe constructive change by electing a Plaid Cymru authorities. It truly is now a battle between Plaid and Reform.
John Swinney says Scottish goverment will ship 100,000 extra GP appointments and scrap peak-time rail fares
John Swinney promised Scots will profit from 100,000 extra GP appointments as he introduced his “programme for a greater Scotland” – which can even see peak-time rail fares scrapped “for good”, PA Media experiences. PA says:
The Scottish first minister set out his Programme for Authorities, detailing the work ministers will do over the approaching 12 months.
However with the subsequent Holyrood elections being held in a 12 months’s time on 7 Could 2026, two of his keynote bulletins – on GP appointments and ending peak-time rail fares – echo commitments already made by Scottish Labour.
Claiming the SNP had “nicked” the insurance policies, Scottish Labour chief Anas Sarwar mentioned: “It’s not precisely the borrowing powers I believed the SNP had in thoughts.”
Sarwar’s feedback got here after the primary minister insisted he was placing a “renewed and stronger NHS” on the coronary heart of his plans for the subsequent 12 months.
Swinney accepted the issue many face in getting GP appointments could cause “deep frustration” in what he mentioned was “described because the 8am lottery”.
To sort out that he promised “an additional 100,000 appointments in GP surgical procedures”, with the SNP chief occurring so as to add these could be “targeted on key threat components similar to hypertension, excessive ldl cholesterol, weight problems and smoking”.
In the meantime, he mentioned the transfer to scrap peak-time rail fares for good from September 2025 was a part of a “bundle of cost-of-living help” provided by the Scottish authorities.
These embrace insurance policies Scots already profit from similar to free college tuition, free prescriptions and council tax and water payments which might be, on common, decrease than these paid by residents south of the border.
A pilot venture had already seen peak-time rail fares in Scotland scrapped, leaving travellers paying the cheaper, off-peak costs no matter once they travelled.
Nevertheless, Swinney mentioned “extreme finances pressures” meant this coverage couldn’t be continued, and it was ended lower than a 12 months in the past in September 2024.
However Swinney mentioned: “Given the work now we have completed to get Scotland’s funds in a stronger place, and listening to additionally the calls from commuters, from local weather activists and from the enterprise neighborhood, I can verify that, from September 1 this 12 months, peak rail fares in Scotland can be scrapped for good.”
Badenoch claims she is ‘assured’ she is going to nonetheless be chief at time of subsequent election
Kemi Badenoch has mentioned she is “assured” she is going to nonetheless be Conservative chief on the subsequent normal election.
Requested about experiences that some Tory MPs wish to exchange her (see 11.53am), she instructed reporters whereas on a go to to a college in Putney:
There are at all times talks of management challenges, however we have to give attention to the message that the general public gave, and that’s that they aren’t but able to belief the Conservatives.”
We do want to alter as rapidly as attainable, now we have a while however we don’t have a lot time.
Requested whether or not she was assured that she would nonetheless be chief on the subsequent election, she mentioned:
Sure, I’m assured, however what I actually wish to do is be sure that I’m delivering for the folks of this nation.
There’s a lot that’s going improper. All through that marketing campaign, in all places I went folks had been speaking about winter gasoline funds, about the way it had actually, actually made life troublesome. Enterprise house owners and even staff had been speaking in regards to the jobs tax, NI rises, all the things getting costlier and no answer in sight.
That is a kind of inquiries to which a celebration chief has to answer “sure”, and so Badenoch’s reply shouldn’t be actually fascinating in any respect. What is critical, although, is the truth that a reporter felt it acceptable to ask the query within the first place.
Eluned Morgan says she is ‘dropping persistence’ with Starmer’s insurance policies
Eluned Morgan, the Welsh first minister, has instructed the Guardian that she is “dropping persistence” with UK Labour. She has additionally made it clear she is “tacking to the left” as she tries to counter a rising risk from Reform UK and Plaid Cymru. Steven Morris has the story.
Farage confirms he doesn’t need Reform UK councils flying Ukrainian flag on their buildings
Rowena Mason
Rowena Mason is the Guardian’s Whitehall editor.
Nigel Farage confirmed he didn’t need the Ukrainian flag on Reform-led council buildings, saying right this moment: “I believe they need to be flying the British flag.”
His get together has mentioned it desires native authorities solely to fly St George’s, union and regional flags on English council buildings, resulting in outrage that Ukrainian flags must be taken down.
As he launched Sarah Pochin, his new MP in Runcorn, to parliament, Farage denied that will fall out together with her as he has completed with former Reform MP Rupert Lowe.
He mentioned that the opposite events had been “afraid of us” and nobody knew what prime minister Keir Starmer meant when he claimed he would “go additional and quicker” in reforming the UK in response to the elections.
Pochin mentioned her priorities had been public providers in Runcorn in Cheshire, and insisted that she would by no means defect again to the Tories, even when former chief Boris Johnson returned.
Lib Dems accuses Labour of ‘tone deaf response to elections’ after No 10 guidelines out winter gasoline funds U-turn
The Liberal Democrats and the Conservatives have each issued press releases this afternoon in regards to the authorities’s winter gasoline funds coverage. However they don’t appear to agree what the coverage really is.
The Lib Dems put out this assertion from Daisy Cooper, their deputy chief and Treasury spokesperson, after this morning’s foyer briefing. (See 12.54pm.)
This can be a fully tone deaf response to the native elections.
The general public are rightly livid on the authorities’s resolution to tear very important help from thousands and thousands of essentially the most weak but ministers merely will not be listening.
From winter gasoline funds to the household farm tax, this authorities has turned a blind eye to thousands and thousands of people that can really feel the harm that these half-baked polices are doing. It’s time to change course.
And that is from Helen Whately, the shadow work and pensions secretary, who both was not following what the PM’s spokesperson was saying at foyer – or who selected to not consider it. She mentioned:
This Labour authorities is in a tailspin. After months of defending their winter gasoline fee lower, they’re lastly now realising they could have been improper.
Sadly, this variation of coronary heart is much too late for the thousands and thousands of pensioners who misplaced their fee this winter. 1000’s of the essentially the most weak missed out and hospital admissions soared. The very first thing they need to be doing is apologising.
UK and India agree commerce deal after three years of negotiations
Britain and India have agreed a long-desired commerce deal that ministers mentioned would add £4.8bn a 12 months to the UK economic system by 2040, Eleni Courea experiences.
Richard Tice says it is ‘foolish’ to counsel Reform UK would put asylum seekers in tents in Calais-type camp
Andrea Jenkyns, the brand new Reform UK mayor for Better Lincolnshire, mentioned in her victory speech on Friday that asylum seekers must be housed in tents. In an interview on the World at One, Richard Tice, the get together’s deputy chief, and MP for Boston and Skegness in Lincolnshire, was requested if he could be in favour of housing asylum seekers in tents. He mentioned it was a minimum of price having a debate about.
[Jenkyns] was elevating the purpose that individuals are livid at the price of the lodges, taking over housing that must be used for British residents, and asking the query, if tents are adequate for British troopers once they’re serving in locations like Afghanistan, the query is, why aren’t they adequate for individuals who’ve crossed illegally into the UK?
Now, folks would possibly discover that uncomfortable, they could discover that troublesome, however a minimum of let’s have a debate, as a result of if we hold making a magnet of snug lodges with all the things supplied, don’t be stunned if final 12 months’s 35,000 [small boat arrivals] turns into this 12 months’s 50,000.
When the presenter, Sarah Montague, mentioned placing asylum seekers in tents might result in folks dwelling in place just like the Jungle in Calais, or the makeshift camps on the sting of Paris, Tice accused her of being “foolish” – regardless that Jenkyns particularly referenced the scenario in France when she made the proposal in her speech. Jenkyns mentioned: “Tents are adequate for France. They need to be adequate right here in Britain.”
Tice mentioned he was not dedicated to the tent proposal. “I haven’t mentioned I’m in favour of tents,” he mentioned. He instructed Montague:
Look, when you’re going to have a unique type of lodging, in fact you’ll have it in a structured, organised, protected and safe manner – which is totally completely different out of your foolish suggestion [the reference to Calais, which is what Jenkyns herself seemed to be alluding to in her speech last week].
Apparently, on the Downing Road foyer briefing, the PM’s spokesperson didn’t 100% rule out placing asylum seekers in tents. When first requested in regards to the proposal, the spokesperson at first simply gave a generalised reply about how the federal government retains its coverage on this space underneath assessment. However, when pressed, he mentioned he was not conscious of any plans to place asylum seekers in tents.
The Commons begins sitting right this moment at 2.30pm (not 11.30am, because the agenda mentioned earlier), as a result of it was not sitting yesterday. After well being questions, there can be three ministerial statements after 3.30pm: Dan Jarvis, the safety minister, on the counter-terrorism arrests; Douglas Alexander, the commerce minister, on commerce; and Hamish Falconer, the International Workplace minister, on Israel and Gaza.
No 10 says Starmer ‘will not be blown off beam’ by election defeats, arguing Labour mayoral wins present ‘supply’ rewarded
Downing Road has mentioned that the victory of Labour candidates in three mayoral elections final week exhibits “the significance of supply” and that, when leaders ship change, that restores voters’ religion in politics.
On the No 10 foyer briefing, the PM’s press secretary delivered the evaluation as he briefed journalists on Keir Starmer’s evaluation of the teachings from final week’s elections.
Principally foyer briefings are carried out by the PM’s spokesperson, a civil servant who doesn’t discuss on get together political issues. However Starmer chaired a political cupboard this morning, and the press secretary was current to provide a political viewpoint.
He mentioned dropping the Runcorn and Helsby byelection was “disappointing”. And he mentioned that, whereas the general outcomes “can’t blind us to the general public’s impatience to alter”, the Labour victories in three mayoral elections – in North Tyneside, Doncaster and the West of England – confirmed that politicians could be rewarded for implementing change.
He mentioned:
There are a whole lot of alternatives right here. Take a look at the place we received final week – West of England, Doncaster, North Tyneside, it exhibits the significance of supply, and that when folks see … authorities is delivering, it restores their religion and politics as a drive for good.
The press secretary mentioned the federal government wouldn’t be “blown off beam”.
We had been elected as a secure and critical get together after 14 years of chaos and decline …
We received’t be blown off beam and it’s that mindset and focus that has allowed us to make the progress now we have.
He mentioned folks voted for change in July final 12 months and he talked about a collection of presidency insurance policies introduced just lately that he mentioned had been delivering this, together with: rolling out the the NHS app; freezing prescription costs; stopping intercourse offenders from claiming asylum; rushing up most cancers analysis within the NHS; refurbishing GPs’ surgical procedures; and giving victims extra rights.
The press secretarty mentioned that there have been “encouraging indicators” that the federal government’s Plan for Change is working. He mentioned rates of interest have been lower 3 times because the election, wages are rising and ready lists are down.
And he mentioned additional “main bulletins” are coming within the subsequent few weeks, together with the spending assessment, the strategic defence assessment, infrastructure, industrial and housing methods, and the authorized migration white paper.
No 10 declines to hit again after Trump proposes 100% tariff on non-US movies
Downing Road has declined to touch upon Donald Trump’s plan to impose 100% tariffs on non-US movies – past saying that the introduction of latest tariffs typically has been “disappointing”.
Requested in regards to the proposed tariffs on movies, the PM’s spokesperson mentioned:
Talks are ongoing with the US on an financial deal, so we’re not going to get right into a operating commentary of the small print on that.
As now we have mentioned throughout the board, any introduction of tariffs can be disappointing however we are going to at all times take a peaceful and regular strategy to our discussions with the US to place British pursuits first.
The spokesperson went on to explain the British movie business as “a world-class business” and “a beacon of expertise” that “showcases the very best of our creativity and tradition”.
No 10 guidelines out reversing cuts to winter gasoline funds
Downing Road has dominated out reversing the cuts to winter gasoline funds.
After the Guardian reported final night time that ministers are contemplating a assessment of the coverage, which was ceaselessly cited by folks as a cause to not vote Labour in final week’s native elections, the federal government simply mentioned no “formal” assessment of the coverage was underway. And this morning, giving interviews on behalf of the federal government, Wes Streeting, the well being secretary, pointedly sidestepped questions on whether or not a rethink was attainable. (See 8.41am.)
However since then the federal government machine has firmed up its line as a result of on the Downing Road foyer briefing the PM’s spokesperson mentioned the coverage wouldn’t change.
Requested if the coverage was prone to change, the spokesperson mentioned:
The federal government has set out his place on means testing winter gasoline [payments]. It was was a troublesome resolution, but it surely was one which the federal government needed to take to restore our public funds and stabilise the economic system.
The federal government’s precedence is making certain that pensioners obtain the monetary help they deserve, with thousands and thousands set to see their state pension rise by over £1,900 kilos over the course of this parliament by means of our commitments to the triple lock.
And past that, we’ve really boosted the pension credit score marketing campaign. We’ve seen over 105,000 further functions on the earlier 12 months. We’ve prolonged the family help fund with over £400m to make sure native authorities can help weak folks and households, which itself ensures round 1.3 million households in England and Wales will proceed to obtain as much as £300 kilos during which gasoline funds.
And, past that, we’ve introduced earlier plans to increase the nice and cozy properties low cost.
Requested if this meant that the coverage won’t change, the spokesperson mentioned:
The coverage is ready out. There won’t be a change to the federal government’s coverage. We set out the troublesome resolution. It was one which we needed to take to result in financial stability, restore the general public funds following the £22bn black gap left by the earlier authorities.
Planning invoice reforms will enhance economic system by as much as £7.5bn, authorities affect evaluation says
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Native Authorities (MHCLG) has right this moment revealed the affect evaluation for its planning and infrastructure invoice. It says, over 10 years, the measures within the invoice might enhance the economic system by as much as £7.5bn – along with bringing different advantages that can’t be quantified in money phrases.
The doc runs to 500 pages, however, from the federal government’s viewpoint, right here is the important thing extract.
Over the ten 12 months appraisal interval, the general constructive affect estimated on society is equal to £3.2bn, with a possible excessive vary of as much as £7.5bn. We anticipate this to considerably understate the affect of the mixed measures on this invoice as there can be wider, un-monetised advantages such because the profit to society from the faster supply of housing and infrastructure, and the macroeconomic contribution of elevated growth supported by the invoice.
In its report revealed on the time of the finances, the Workplace for Funds Accountability additionally mentioned the planning reforms would enhance the economic system. It mentioned they increase GDP by 0.2% by 2029/30 – which might be price round £6.8bn.
In a information launch MHCLG mentioned the affect evaluation revealed right this moment didn’t take account of proposed adjustments to the invoice that will make it much more pro-growth. It mentioned:
The present evaluation additionally doesn’t account for current amendments to the invoice to overtake the pre-application stage for vital infrastructure, which authorities evaluation suggests will add one other £1 billion over this parliament.
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