Starmer confirms willingness to make concessions on welfare invoice, saying reforms have to be truthful – UK politics dwell | Politics
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Starmer confirms willingness to make concessions on welfare invoice, saying reforms should adjust to ‘Labour values of equity’
Keir Starmer begins his assertion by speaking about welfare reform – which isn’t the topic of the assertion, however he says the primary assertion covers “safety”, and he says he needs to start out speaking about social safety.
He goes on:
On social safety, I recognise there’s a consensus throughout the home on the pressing want for reform of our welfare system, as a result of the British individuals deserve safety and dignity when they’re unable to work, and help into work once they can.
For the time being, they’re failed each single day by the damaged system created by the Conservatives, which achieves neither.
I do know colleagues throughout the home are keen to start out fixing that, and so am I, and that each one colleagues need to get this proper, and so do I.
We need to see reform carried out with Labour values of equity.
That dialog will proceed within the coming days, so we will start making change collectively on Tuesday.
Key occasions
11% annual rise in variety of youngsters and younger individuals with EHCPs for particular wants, figures present
Richard Adams
Richard Adams is the Guardian’s training editor.
The variety of youngsters and younger individuals with particular wants requiring help via an training, well being and care plan (EHCP) continues to extend quickly, in accordance with the newest figures launched by the federal government in England.
Almost 100,000 new EHCPs – statutory paperwork that element help agreed by councils, faculties and households – have been issued final yr. That took the whole lively EHCPs as much as the age of 25 to 638,700 by the beginning of 2025, a year-on-year rise of 11% and 3 times the quantity lively in 2017.
For EHCPs citing speech and language difficulties particularly, the year-on-year enhance was 18%.
The will increase will stoke fears that native authority budgets will come below better strains regardless of the federal government’s announcement final week that councils will be capable of hold the estimated £5bn money owed off their stability sheets for an additional two years because it tries to discover a resolution.
Georgina Smerald, coverage and analysis supervisor at Sense, the charity representing disabled individuals with advanced wants, stated:
Our failing specialist training system signifies that, each single day, disabled youngsters are being denied their fundamental proper to entry training and get the very best begin in life.
Jane Harris, chief government of Speech and Language UK, stated:
The dramatic 18% rise in youngsters needing EHCPs for speech and language challenges exhibits the system is at breaking level. Colleges are doing the suitable factor by asking for extra help as a result of speech, language and communication abilities are the bedrock of a kid’s skill to thrive and succeed. However academics aren’t being given the instruments to help these youngsters.
The figures present that greater than 400 younger individuals every day approached their council for particular wants help final yr.
Tim Oliver, chair of the County Councils Community, stated:
Right this moment’s new figures as soon as once more reveal a system in determined want of reform. It doesn’t work for anybody: households are going through growing waits for help, faculties shouldn’t have the capability and assets while councils are increase unmanageable deficits, having spent colossal sums on help during the last decade.
Starmer says Badenoch will ‘by no means’ grow to be PM
I’ve beefed up the put up at 11.48am with extra quotes from Kemi Badenoch’s diatribe in opposition to Keir Starmer at the beginning of this session.
The assertion continues to be happening, and Starmer has now repeatedly criticised her for what she stated, significantly the suggestion that he was utilizing the G7 and Nato summits to duck PMQs.
(Badenoch was not significantly suggesting that Starmer ought to have missed each summits, however in utilizing the language she did – “evaded PMQs for 2 weeks” – she was disaparaging the conferences, and implying they didn’t matter a lot.)
In response to a query from Bradley Thomas (Con), Starmer stated that Badenoch was “sliding into irrelevance”. When Labour’s Frank McNally stated it was clear Badenoch ought to by no means symbolize the nation overseas, Starmer replied:
You shouldn’t fear an excessive amount of in regards to the chief of the opposition representing our nation. She by no means will. If she did, the chair on the Nato summit would have just a little sticky notice on it, ‘I’m busy at PMQs’.
Tory MP Mark Pritchard criticises Badenoch for tone of her response to Starmer’s G7/Nato assertion
The Conservative MP Mark Pritchard began his query to Keir Starmer by criticsing his get together chief, Kemi Badenoch, for the tone of her response to his assertion. (See 11.48am.)
Pritchard stated:
So far as potential on this place, it might be higher to maintain partisan politics out of nationwide safety points. And who is aware of, I’ll get the whip withdrawn for saying that. However so be it. There are issues that transcend get together politics. So can I thank the prime minister for all his exhausting work within the nationwide safety pursuits of this nation.
Starmer defends US resolution to bomb Iran, saying it was ‘about time’ somebody acted to cease Iran getting nuclear weapons
The impartial MP Ayoub Khan stated that the victory of Zohran Mamdani within the Democratic major to be mayor of New York confirmed that individuals will not help hypocritical and disingenuous politicians.
He stated that though all MPs agreed Iran shouldn’t have nuclear weapons, the assault on Iran by Israel and the US didn’t interact the Caroline precept, the check below worldwide legislation permitting a pre-emptive army assault. He requested if Starmer agreed, and if he would say he supported the assault.
Starmer replied:
If all of us agree that Iran shouldn’t have nuclear weapons, it’s about time we did one thing about it. And what occurred on Saturday night time was an enormous step in direction of assuaging that menace, and that’s actually necessary.
I feel we now want to finish on that, and the way in which to compete on that’s with the talks which are wanted to get Iran again to the desk to ensure it’s irreversible and that it may be verified.
Again within the Commons Julian Lewis (Con) requested if Starmer thought that President Trump’s “love affair with Vladimir Putin is starting to chill”.
Starmer didn’t instantly reply, however he stated it was necessary that Nato was united final night time.
Inexperienced co-leader Carla Denyer says welfare invoice ‘fatally flawed’, and it must be changed with new invoice in autumn
The Inexperienced get together says the UC and Pip invoice is “fatally flawed”. It says the federal government ought to cancel subsequent week’s debate and produce again a brand new invoice within the autumn.
In an announcement Carla Denyer, the get together’s co-leader, stated:
Labour’s welfare reform Invoice is fatally flawed. No quantity of backroom deal-making over the weekend will change that. Keir Starmer ought to pull it, seek the advice of with disabled individuals over the summer time and are available again with one thing workable and supportable within the autumn
Starmer doesn’t rule out Labour MP’s name for wealth tax, however restates dedication to not elevate taxes for ‘working individuals’
The Labour MP Clive Efford requested Starmer if it was cheap to count on the federal government to enhance public companies “inside the present tax envelope”. He went on:
Has it the time come for us to overview how we tax wealth, versus work, to be sure that these individuals who can bear the heaviest load?
In response, Starmer stated the federal government had defined how it might fund the plan to boost defence spending to 2.5% of GDP. He added:
[Efford] will know that we made a dedication in our manifesto in relation to not elevating tax on working individuals, and we’ll hold to that dedication.
Technically, that’s not a no to a wealth tax, though Starmer didn’t sound as if he have been embracing the thought.
Starmer rejects Tory declare Mauritius would get advance discover of assault launched from Diego Garcia below Chagos deal
In her response to Starmer, Badenoch instructed that, if the US have been to make use of its based mostly on Diego Garcia to launch an assault on a rustic like Iran, the UK must notify Mauritius first below the phrases of the federal government’s Chagos Islands deal.
In response, Starmer stated this was not true. He stated:
In relation to Diego Garcia, let me disabuse her. We shouldn’t have to provide Mauritius advance discover below the treaty.
Liberal Democrats name for vote on welfare invoice to be postponed to permit time for rethink
Not like Badenoch, Davey additionally responds to Keir Starmer’s opening remark about welfare. (See 11.38am.) He says:
I’m glad the prime minister signalled retreat on his welfare plans and hope that he’ll now take heed to everybody, and never simply his again benches.
Earlier this morning the Liberal Democrats issued an announcement calling for the vote on the welfare invoice to be postponed. It included this assertion from Davey saying:
The federal government wants to tug this invoice and return to the drafting board. Even the prime minister’s personal backbenchers can see the injury these cuts will do by leaving among the most weak with out help and placing hundreds of unpaid carers in not possible conditions.
The Conservatives made an entire mess of our welfare system, however the way in which to convey the advantages invoice down will not be via reducing help for disabled individuals and those that take care of them. It’s by tackling the disaster in our NHS and social care, to get thousands and thousands of individuals off ready lists and again to work.
Household carers do large work in typically essentially the most difficult of circumstances, taking large pressures off our well being companies and serving to family members. Taking help away from our nation’s carers is the worst form of false financial system.
Ed Davey says it’s ‘astonishing’ Tories now appear to be saying PM shouldn’t attend G7 or Nato summits
Ed Davey, the Lib Dem chief, begins his response by saying he finds it’s “astonishing” that it now appears to be Conservative coverage for the PM to not attend G7 and Nato summits.
Starmer says Badenoch’s response to his assertion exhibits how ‘irrelevant’ and ‘unserious’ Tories are
Starmer is responding to Badenoch.
He says the UK resides in a extra unstable time than earlier than, with conflicts evolving in a harmful approach. He goes on:
There’s by no means been a extra necessary time to work with our ally and to be completely severe in our response. That response was unserious.
To recommend, at a time like this, that the prime minister attending the G7 Summit and the Nato Summit is avoiding PMQs is unserious.
He says what occurred on the Nato summit was historic. He says he’s happy with having the ability to play a component in that consequence. It has made the world safer, he says.
For the chief of the opposition to belittle it simply exhibits how irrelevant she and the get together reverse [have become]. They used to as soon as be severe about these points. They was once able to cross-party consensus, and all of that’s slipping away.
Badenoch accuses Starmer of ‘weak’ management, and claims ‘nobody cares what he thinks’
Kemi Badenoch is responding to Starmer’s assertion. She opened with a damning dismissal of him.
[Starmer] has evaded prime minister’s questions for 2 weeks, solely to come back again right here to inform us what we already heard on the information. It is a weak assertion from a weak prime minister, which could be characterised in two phrases – noises off.
In his assertion, the prime minister stated, we urged Iran and Israel to honour the ceasefire. He stated,we’re utilizing each diplomatic lever to help this effort. What diplomatic levers are they? The identical levers he’s utilizing together with his backbench rebels? Is he simply asking them to please play good?
Let’s be sincere, no one cares what this prime minister thinks, and why ought to they when he doesn’t even know what he thinks, and clearly, nobody cares what he thinks, as a result of he was not concerned. We was once a strategic participant on the worldwide stage, advancing Britain’s pursuits with confidence, and now we’re on the sidelines.
UPDATE: And Badenoch ended by saying:
The prime minister might have lastly returned to this home after a fortnight away, however in fact he’s all at sea. Irrelevant on the world stage, impotent within the face of rising unlawful immigration, and now with 126 of his personal MPs all brazenly undermining his authority, his authorities is incapable of constructing even the smallest adjustments to convey down the price of our ever-expanding welfare invoice.
There is no such thing as a approach we’re going to have the ability to pay for our defence. It is a authorities that’s paralysed by its personal authorized recommendation, paralysed by its rebellious backbenchers, and paralysed by the worry of being came upon for having no actual imaginative and prescient for this nation.
Starmer is now speaking in regards to the G7 and Nato summits (which didn’t cowl welfare reform).
Firstly of the assertion Lindsay Hoyle, the Speaker, stated that as a result of Starmer was speaking about two summits, he would permit extra leeway than standard to MPs asking questions.
Usually, in an announcement like this on international coverage, MPs wouldn’t be allowed to ask about welfare.
However Starmer’s resolution to make an announcement about welfare on the opening might open the door to MPs who do need to ask him in regards to the UC and Pip invoice.
That is what Starmer stated on the opening of his assertion explaining why he was shoehorning Pip into his assertion. He stated:
This Labour authorities is concentrated on delivering safety for the British individuals, nationwide safety, financial safety and social safety.
Starmer confirms willingness to make concessions on welfare invoice, saying reforms should adjust to ‘Labour values of equity’
Keir Starmer begins his assertion by speaking about welfare reform – which isn’t the topic of the assertion, however he says the primary assertion covers “safety”, and he says he needs to start out speaking about social safety.
He goes on:
On social safety, I recognise there’s a consensus throughout the home on the pressing want for reform of our welfare system, as a result of the British individuals deserve safety and dignity when they’re unable to work, and help into work once they can.
For the time being, they’re failed each single day by the damaged system created by the Conservatives, which achieves neither.
I do know colleagues throughout the home are keen to start out fixing that, and so am I, and that each one colleagues need to get this proper, and so do I.
We need to see reform carried out with Labour values of equity.
That dialog will proceed within the coming days, so we will start making change collectively on Tuesday.
Powell tells MPs authorities needs welfare invoice to clear all its Commons phases inside subsequent two weeks
That is what Lucy Powell, the chief of the Commons, informed MPs when she confirmed that the second studying of the UC and Pip invoice will go forward on Tuesday. (See 10.41am.)
In addition to confirming that the federal government is open to concessions on the invoice (payments are “typically amended at committee”), she stated that the federal government needs the invoice to clear the Commons by mid July (‘“remaining phases … the next week”).
That’s unusually fast for a significant invoice. However the authorities has stated the invoice must grow to be legislation by November for the profit adjustments to be carried out in time for the 2026-27 monetary yr.
Powell stated:
The common credit score and private impartial fee invoice second studying will happen subsequent Tuesday, and the committee and remaining phases of that invoice can be on the ground of the home the next week.
I need to reassure colleagues that we take parliamentary scrutiny and technique of payments extraordinarily significantly, and that’s what our parliamentary democracy is all about. Payments are launched, rules are thought-about at second studying, the main points obtain strong debate and dialogue, and are sometimes amended at committee stage earlier than we contemplate third studying.
As the home would count on, the federal government actively engages with parliamentary opinion all through a invoice’s passage, as we’re doing intensively with the common credit score and private impartial fee invoice.
I’m positive the entire home, although, can agree that our welfare system wants reform, too many individuals are consigned to advantages for all times with out help to work and to get on.
Alexander brushes off criticism of Morgan McSweeney over welfare invoice, saying he helped ship ‘historic’ election victory
Morgan McSweeney, the PM’s chief of employees, is being blamed by many Labour MPs for No 10 now being within the state of affairs the place, with lower than per week to go earlier than the vote on the welfare invoice, the federal government doesn’t but have the votes to get it via.
In a protracted learn on McSweeney’s position within the disaster, written by Jim Pickard, George Parker and Anna Gross, the Monetary Occasions quotes a “Labour veteran” saying:
Everyone seems to be promoting shares in Morgan. Persons are beginning to put their heads above the parapet and say perhaps he’s not the Messiah in any case.
The article says McSweeney is accused of ignoring the views of the parliamentary get together and being too obsessive about combating Labour’s left. It says:
One other MP stated McSweeney’s position within the authorities appeared to be to “defend” Starmer from uncomfortable truths, together with on his welfare reforms.
“Different individuals in Quantity 10 have been saying he didn’t have the numbers for this and he wouldn’t get it via parliament. The chief whip has been warning them about this for months. However that they had their fingers of their ears,” they stated. “It’s terribly conceited and complacent.”
Others see in Quantity 10’s determinedness to press forward with subsequent week’s Home of Commons vote on the welfare invoice an indication of McSweeney’s want to nonetheless confront Labour’s denuded leftwing. One MP from the 2024 election consumption stated it appeared as if McSweeney was “spoiling for a struggle” with the left of the get together over the welfare reforms, which was a “very silly factor to do”.
The Occasions’ splash story additionally quotes unnamed MPs criticising McSweeney. It says:
Different MPs in final yr’s consumption conceded most of the rebels have been united by their dislike of senior advisers in No 10. “What hyperlinks everybody on that listing is that they reject Morgan’s approach of doing politics,” one stated.
Ministers blamed McSweeney and [Rachel] Reeves for “shambolic” political administration. “Rachel’s chargeable for imposing an arbitrary cuts agenda on Liz’s welfare reform agenda,” one stated. “Morgan is chargeable for shambolic political administration. He was warned that this is able to occur and ignored it. He has fully did not do his job.”
Requested in regards to the criticism of McSweeney from unnamed Labour figures quoted within the press, Douglas Alexander, the commerce minister, informed broadcasters this morning that he was not serious about SW1 “gossip”. He stated it was for the prime minister to decide on his workforce in No 10. However he additionally stated that McSweeney was a part of a workforce that delivered Labour “an historic victory solely final July, in opposition to expectations”.
Commons chief Lucy Powell tells MPs authorities nonetheless planning for welfare invoice vote to occur on Tuesday
Lucy Powell, the chief of the Commons, has informed MPs that the federal government continues to be planning for the vote on the second studying of the UC and Pip invoice go to forward on Tuesday night time subsequent week.
Authorities will not be utilizing threats to win spherical rebels on welfare invoice, Alexander says
Douglas Alexander, the commerce minister, informed Occasions Radio this morning that the federal government wouldn’t be utilizing threats to get insurgent MPs to help it on the welfare payments.
There have been studies saying some backbenchers have been being informed that, if they didn’t vote for the invoice, they’d by no means be thought-about for promotion to minister. Final yr seven backbenchers confronted an ever extra extreme punishment, suspension from the parliamentary get together, for defying the whip in a parliamentary vote, though the dimensions of the possible revolt on the welfare invoice has not made this a believable technique this time for No 10.
Alexander stated:
I count on that there’ll be conversations with colleagues in the midst of the approaching day as to precisely the way to be sure that this laws progresses. …
I don’t assume anybody has ever in human historical past been insulted into settlement. The very fact is that our conversations that have to occur. I’m not approaching to your programme to threaten individuals or cajole individuals.
UK’s largest bioethanol plant says it might have to shut attributable to US-UK commerce deal eradicating tariffs on imports
The UK’s largest bioethanol plant says it’s going to cease manufacturing by mid-September except the federal government acts, following the current commerce cope with america, PA Media studies. PA says:
Hull-based Vivergo Fuels stated that, given “the strategic significance of a home ethanol provide”, the federal government has dedicated to formal negotiations to succeed in a “sustainable resolution”.
However the agency, which is owned by Related British Meals (ABF), stated at this time that it’s concurrently starting session with employees to wind down the plant, which employs greater than 160 individuals, as a result of unsure state of affairs.
The federal government described the corporate’s announcement as “disappointing”, coming because it had entered into negotiations with Vivergo about monetary help on Wednesday …
Final month, Vivergo wrote to the wheat farmers who provide it, telling them it should shut except there may be fast authorities intervention.
It stated the removing of a 19% tariff on US ethanol imports, which fashioned a part of the current UK-US commerce deal, was the “last blow”.
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