Sunak to ‘overturn onshore wind farm ban’ amid ‘Tory rebellion’…
“Rishi Sunak is set to overturn the ban on building new onshore wind farms to stave off a rebellion from Tory MPs, The Telegraph can reveal. Ministers are poised to unveil changes to planning rules that will free up councils to give the green light to proposed turbines where there is broad public support. The move comes as MPs prepare to vote on the Government’s contentious Energy Bill on Tuesday after returning from their summer break. A group of Tories is backing an amendment tabled by Sir Alok Sharma, the former Cop26 president, that would scrap the ban on new onshore wind. It has attracted signatories from all wings of the party including Liz Truss, the former prime minister. Rebels are “confident” it is destined to pass.” – The Daily Telegraph
- From schools to migrants, can Sunak prove he gets things done? – The Times
- He continues the tradition of meeting the King at Balmoral church – The Daily Telegraph
- Tories ‘believe Sunak is their secret weapon to beat Labour in next election’ – Daily Express
- Ignoring call to halt new airports would be ‘electoral carnage’, campaigners warn the Prime Minister – The Guardian
- Tories are unloved and it is easy to see why – Philip Collins, The Times
- Three big calls that Truss got right – Julian Jessop, The Daily Telegraph
>Today:
…as his pledge to ‘stop the boats’ is ‘rocked’ by record arrival of 872 Channel migrants in one day
“Rishi Sunak’s promise to stop the boats was rocked by a new daily record for arrivals this year. A total of 872 illegal migrants turned up in 15 dinghies on Saturday. It is the highest daily total since the PM made his vow in January. The warm weekend weather saw Channel crossings surpass the previous 756 high on August 10. It means 20,973 people have made the journey this year. Tory MPs yesterday said the influx showed why radical solutions were needed. The PM’s plan to deport some migrants to Rwanda has been put on ice pending an autumn Supreme Court battle. Ministers want to win it to pave the way for flights before the next election. Some Tories are demanding Mr Sunak be prepared to quit the European Court of Human Rights if needed to get planes off to Kigali.” – The Sun
- Government figures showed 872 people sailed in 15 small vessels, each containing an estimated 58 people – The Times
- Sunak’s four-word small boats pledge will ‘make or break’ Tories at next election, says Hayes – Daily Express
>Yesterday:
Hunt 1) Inflation may rise but we’ll still halve it, the Chancellor promises
“Jeremy Hunt has acknowledged that inflation will rise again this month but hit out at “declinist” views on the economy. The chancellor said there would be a “blip” in his efforts to bring down inflation because one-off payments for public sector workers were paid out last month. He nevertheless sought to strike a more upbeat tone on the economy, but acknowledged that taxes were “very high” and that families were experiencing “misery” as a result of high inflation. Senior Conservatives are still pushing for tax cuts, but have largely given up hope of seeing them in the autumn statement as Hunt prioritises inflation reduction… Inflation has fallen from 11 per cent to 6.8 per cent in July, but the Bank of England expects that to rise above 7 per cent again in August…” – The Times
- As parliamentary business resumes, the long-term structural weaknesses in the country’s economy and public services risk being ignored in political debate – Editorial, The Times
Hunt 2) He ‘dampens Tory hopes’ of tax cuts in Autumn Statement
“Jeremy Hunt has downplayed the chances of tax cuts in his Autumn Statement — saying the Government’s priority is to halve inflation. The Chancellor said that if the Government meets the Prime Minister’s pledge to halve inflation from its high of more than 10 per cent, it would be worth five times a 1p income tax cut. Interviewed on the BBC Laura Kuenssberg programme, he said he wanted to avoid “easy decisions” and instead take ones that are “right for the long term”. “If we are going to put money in people’s pockets quickly, the fastest thing I can do is deliver the Prime Minister’s pledge to halve inflation,” he said… Influential backbenchers such as Sir John Redwood have called for tax cuts to promote growth in the economy.” – The Daily Telegraph
>Today:
Hunt 3) He pledges to spend ‘what it takes’ to fix UK’s crumbling schools
“The UK government will stump up “what it takes” to make sure that children can get to school safely, chancellor Jeremy Hunt promised on Sunday as Labour criticised his party’s “bare bones” response to a deepening crisis around the safety of the education estate. Hunt told the BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg that the government had “acted fast” in 2018 when it was first alerted to the threat to schools built with reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (Raac), initiating a review of 22,000 buildings where the material was known to have been used in the construction process. He added that new information had come to light over the summer that had made the government reassess the safety rating of dozens of buildings…” – The Financial Times
- Parents promised dangerous schools will be fixed ‘extremely quickly’ – The Sun
- Sunak only provided funding to repair ‘a fraction of schools’, claims ex-permanent secretary – The I
- Schools ‘face wait until December’ as ministers under pressure to ‘speed up surveys’ – The Daily Telegraph
- Crumbling concrete leaves schools still in dark over safety fears – The Times
- Give all children free school meals, say ‘majority of Tory voters’ – The Daily Telegraph
- Labour accused of ‘neglecting’ pupil safety in Wales – The Daily Mail
- Keegan’s ‘dance music’ video to address concrete crisis – The Daily Telegraph
- Labour claims Sunak ‘doesn’t think school buildings should be made safe’ – The Daily Mail
- Concrete debacle puts children last again – Editorial, The Daily Telegraph
- The UK doesn’t have spare billions to fix buildings and Labour wouldn’t change that – Editorial, The Sun
>Yesterday:
Hunt 4) He promises green policies will not hit voters’ pockets
“Green policies will not increase bills for ordinary families, Jeremy Hunt has promised as polling finds strong voter opposition to clean air policies that cost them more. The chancellor said that ministers wanted a “pragmatic and sensible” route to net zero, as ministers prepare to give ground to backbenchers sceptical about the costs of climate policies. Emissions would be reduced “in a way that recognises that ordinary families are feeling the pinch”, Hunt said. Rishi Sunak has been reviewing environmental policies since the Conservatives’ unexpected victory in the Uxbridge & South Ruislip by-election was attributed to London’s contentious Ulez emissions charge. Conservative backbenchers have been pressing him to relax net-zero targets…” – The Times
- Tory efforts to block solar farms could cost consumers £5 billion in higher energy bills, warns think-tank – The I
- The clamour for oil and gas will drown out cries for green policies – Liam Halligan, The Daily Telegraph
>Yesterday:
Nick Timothy: Brexit Britain has set its foreign policy direction: it is heading East
“To some in the United Kingdom, including some in the Foreign Office and the political establishment, [India, China, and Japan} are distant places we can do little to influence. But we have vital interests in the region. There are trading opportunities with them which could boost growth and jobs. There are risks to be mitigated that would otherwise harm our interests and those of our allies. War between India and Pakistan, for example, would not only be a disaster for the region but a huge asylum risk for Britain. A Chinese attack on Taiwan could endanger more than 60 per cent of the world’s semiconductors, and more than 90 per cent of the most advanced ones. Most seriously, it would also risk war between the United States and China.” – The Daily Telegraph
- Voters ‘warn Sunak’ to keep distance from China and Saudi Arabia – The Times
Gove warns over backlash to green policies and wealth inequality
“Michael Gove has warned that new environmental rules risked provoking a populist backlash and expressed his “worry” about the UK’s widening wealth inequalities. Speaking at Saturday’s FT Weekend Festival, the UK levelling-up secretary said the growing strength of Germany’s far right exposed the danger of angering voters over environmental initiatives. He also said that inequalities of wealth — ownership of assets — had widened more than inequalities of income in recent years and hinted he would favour a wealth tax. Gove, the minister responsible for local government and housing, was responding to questions at a live recording of the FT’s Political Fix podcast. He also participated in a separate discussion of London’s housing market problems.” – The Financial Times
Chalk ‘consider changing the law’ to force rapists to serve full sentences in prison as part of ‘crime crackdown’…
“Convicted rapists will be forced to serve their full sentence in prison, under plans being considered by ministers. Justice Secretary Alex Chalk has been asked to draw up proposals for a change in the law that would end the possibility of early release for those convicted of the most serious sexual offences. Rishi Sunak is considering whether to include the idea in this autumn’s King’s Speech, which is expected to include a heavy emphasis on tackling crime. Despite public concern, most prisoners are automatically released after serving just half their sentences. But shocking Ministry of Justice figures show that since 2016, 112 sex attackers have gone on to commit further serious offences while they were released early on licence.” – The Daily Mail
…as policing minister says arrest shoplifters even if they steal goods under £200…
“Police must investigate shoplifting even if the goods are worth less than £200, the policing minister has said. Chris Philp told The Telegraph that forces must investigate every single crime where there is CCTV evidence, including those of lower value. Police chiefs have been accused of effectively decriminalising thefts worth less than £200 since changes to the law meant they were handled with a fine by post. Figures show that the police fail to attend more than two thirds of serious retail crimes, even though shoplifting costs businesses almost £1 billion a year… Mr Philp added he would encourage security staff to intervene to prevent shoplifting where safe… He said that unless stringent action was taken, British cities could end up like San Francisco…” – The Daily Telegraph
…and as ministers plan ‘clamp-down’ on hidden charges and ‘fake reviews’
“A proposal to crack down on hidden charges for online consumers has been put forward by the Government as it says new research shows the practice is widespread. And Business and trade minister Kevin Hollinrake has also pledged to target fake website reviews which he warned be confusing for online shoppers. The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) said it will consult on plans to improve transparency around how prices are displayed in an effort to root out so-called drip pricing, where only part of a product’s price is originally advertised but with hidden obligatory fees pushing up the final cost. New Government research confirmed the practice is “widespread”, according to the DBT…” – Daily Express
Rayner ‘tipped for bigger role’ as Starmer reshuffles Labour front bench
“Sir Keir Starmer is expected to reshuffle his shadow cabinet on Monday. It is understood that the Labour leader is set to follow Rishi Sunak and conduct only a minor change. Most senior figures, such as Rachel Reeves, the shadow chancellor, and Yvette Cooper, the shadow home secretary, are believed to be safe. The same is true for other frontbenchers linked to Sir Keir’s five missions – Wes Streeting at health, Bridget Phillipson at education and Ed Miliband at net zero. Only the more junior positions in the shadow cabinet are expected to change. There is also speculation that Angela Rayner could receive a more prominent portfolio. Ms Rayner is deputy leader of the party, a position elected by party members.” – The Daily Telegraph
- He ‘prepares to demote’ his deputy amid demands he ‘sacks Ed Miliband’ – Daily Express
- Gray to start work as Labour chief of staff today – The Daily Mail
- Starmer’s Labour has ‘a lot to learn’ from Blair, Reeves says – The Financial Times
- The Labour leader vows not to ‘increase burden on working people’ by hiking income tax – The Daily Mail
- Corbyn campaigns against two-child benefit cap – The I
- The Labour Party’s clean-up operation still has much to do – Jawad Iqbal, The Times
- Starmer needs to sing a more confident song – John McTernan, The Financial Times
Yousaf ‘to unveil plans’ to trial four-day working week
“Humza Yousaf will unveil plans to pilot a four-day working week in proposals being derided as a ‘fantasy’. The First Minister is expected to outline the idea in his Programme for Government tomorrow, in a bid to move on from the U-turns that have defined his first six months in the job. But critics have warned that the plan, which was touted by his predecessor Nicola Sturgeon, would ‘blow a £2.5billion hole’ in his budget. Despite huge challenges facing the Scottish Government, Mr Yousaf is expected to tell MSPs there will be a 12-month trial within parts of government, with the aim of rolling it out across the public sector… Since succeeding Ms Sturgeon, Mr Yousaf has delayed or ditched swathes of policies, including the Deposit Return Scheme…” – The Daily Mail
- Glasgow’s strict ULEZ-style scheme under fire after air pollution rises 10 per cent – The Daily Telegraph
News in Brief:
- The terribleness of a progressive Bond – Niall Gooch, The Spectator
- Why is Britain so depressed? – Aris Roussinos, UnHerd
- Downfall of the Brexit doomers – Derrick Berthelsen, The Critic
- Reintroducing national service is a terrible idea – William Atkinson, CapX
- The manosphere is poisoning conservatism – Sebastian Millbank, The New Statesman
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