Shadow Home Secretary, Chris Philp says new PM could have stopped the boats with one move
“Only 506 small boat migrants were deported between July and September, down 20% on the previous quarter, Mr Philp has said. The Channel migrant crisis would have “ended by now” had Labour kept the Rwanda deportation scheme, Chris Philp has declared. The Shadow Home Secretary says Labour is also “failing to return people who cross”. “If Rwanda had started, the crossings would have been ended by now – as Australia found when they introduced a deterrent. “Keir Starmer and Yvette Cooper should hang their heads in shame.” – Daily Express
- Knock out blow: Kemi Badenoch skewers Keir Starmer over past support for foreign rapists and Shamima Begum in fiery PMQs – The Sun
TODAY on ConHome:
The immigration slow motion car crash that is coming – and how to stop it Sam Bidwell
Kemi Badenoch reveals more about her philosophy and plans for the party, and being leader now
“Badenoch may be keeping busy, but that doesn’t mean voters – or her MPs – should expect detailed policy announcements any time soon. ‘People keep saying “Where are your policies?”. I feel like I am going to be opening a restaurant in four years’ time and people are demanding to see the menu right now,’ she says. ‘Trying to get people to be patient, I think, is one of the big challenges. People want instant gratification.’ If her leadership were a restaurant, does she at least have an inkling of the type of food it would serve? ‘There’ll be lots of red meat,’ she says. ‘This will be a Conservative restaurant” – Spectator
COMMENT
What can Kemi Badenoch learn from Margaret Thatcher? – CapX
Press watchdog rules you cannot tell the whole truth if it might hurt someone’s feelings – Rod Liddle The Sun
TODAY on ConHome
Our survey. Members overwhelmingly back Badenoch’s pledge to reverse Labour’s inheritance tax changes.
Kemi Badenoch ‘denigrated’ my country, says Nigerian vice-president
“Nigeria’s vice-president has accused Kemi Badenoch of denigrating his country in past comments. The Conservative Party leader, who is of Yoruban heritage and spent part of her childhood in Lagos, has previously said that it was a city where “fear was everywhere”…. Asked about the comments, Mrs Badenoch’s spokesman said on Wednesday that the Tory leader “stands by what she says” and that she is “not the PR for Nigeria”. He added: “She tells the truth. She tells it like it is. She is not going to couch her words.” Speaking during a trip to the US last week, Mrs Badenoch said: “I’m a child of the 80s. I was born in London, but I grew up in Lagos, Nigeria – a place where almost everything seemed broken.” – Daily Telegraph
Removal of hereditary peers branded a ‘nasty little bill’ by former Tory Lord’s leader
“Ministers have been accused of launching a “nakedly partisan” attack on hereditary peers, as legislation to remove their right to sit in the House of Lords was debated in the second chamber for the first time. Lord Strathclyde, the former Conservative leader of the Lords, described the plans as a “thoroughly nasty little bill” which had been “rushed through the House of Commons” to “throw some red meat to extreme Labour”. He was backed by the Tory peer and the author of the House of Cards trilogy, Lord Dobbs, who said hereditary peers should be given the “respect they deserve” and be allowed to serve until the end of this parliament at least” – The Times
Ministers consider England smacking ban in the aftermath of Sara Sharif murder
“Ministers are looking at following Scotland and Wales by introducing a ban on smacking children in the wake of the murder of the 10-year-old Sara Sharif. Officials told The i Paper that the Department for Education is “looking carefully” at the two devolved administrations after the father, Urfan Sharif, told a 999 call handler he had “legally punished” his daughter when she died. Sharif, 42, and stepmother Beinash Batool, 30, were found guilty of her murder at the Old Bailey” – The i
- ‘Sham marriage’: Sara Sharif’s evil dad exploited EU rules to stay in Britain before he murdered daughter – The Sun
- Court was told Sara Sharif’s father abused her siblings – but gave him joint custody anyway – Daily Telegraph
- The violence, coercion and lies that led to Sara Sharif’s death – The Times
- Sara Sharif’s terrifying childhood laid bare: Placed under a protection order on the day she was born… but given back to killer father – Daily Mail
- Father and stepmother of 10-year-old Sara Sharif found guilty of her murder – Guardian
More than 10,000 UK civil service jobs to be cut
“More than 10,000 UK civil service jobs are set to be cut under ministers’ plans to find savings of 5 per cent to their departments in the spending review, according to government figures. Ministers are looking at rolling out voluntary redundancy programmes across a range of departments to achieve the savings that chancellor Rachel Reeves has demanded as part of her comprehensive review of expenditure. Headcount in the civil service topped 513,000 this year, a 34 per cent increase on 2016 levels and the eighth year in a row that the total has risen.” – FT
- Ministers planning to cut more than 10,000 civil service jobs – Guardian
- ‘The public sector is the illness’: Javier Milei on his first year in office – Spectator
TODAY on ConHome
For all the warm words about tackling the ‘tepid bath’, reforming Whitehall could see Starmer stutter – John Oxley
Voters more interested in switching to smaller parties, election analysis shows
“Sir Keir Starmer faces warnings that he could be voted out after just one term after a study found voters are more willing to switch parties than at any time in nearly a century. Political parties’ votes shifted around in July’s general election more than at any time since 1931, with the public more willing to shop around and vote for smaller parties than at any point in modern times, the Electoral Reform Society (ERS) research suggested. With both Labour and the Prime Minister’s personal poll ratings plummeting – from 39 per cent to 29 for the party and from -4 to -28 for Starmer, according to the latest BMG– pollsters predict a change in government after one term unless ministers deliver on their promises quickly.” – The i
New map shows 100 seats Labour will lose in next General Election – Daily Express
Could Reform and the Tories form an electoral pact? – Spectator
New Business Secretary urges banks to invest in defence firms and ignore activists
“Ministers will call on banks and investors to increase support for Britain’s defence sector, amid warnings that corporate virtue signalling is holding back the industry. Jonathan Reynolds, will tell a meeting of defence and financial executives that banks must not give into “small but vocal campaign groups” who call for boycotts of the defence firms. He will demand that financial institutions look at their environmental and social policies, rather than holding back support for a sector which is critical to the UK’s security and prosperity.” – The Times
Business leaders warn Reeves about the impact of her Budget tax rises – FT
Prisons ‘will run out of space’ despite 14,000 new places
“Prisons will run out of space within 18 months despite a commitment to spend £10 billion to provide 14,000 new places. The government has pledged to build four prisons as well as expand capacity in existing jails at it seeks to provide the extra places by 2031.When the prison building programme was announced by the Tories in 2021 it was calculated to cost £5.2 billion. It is now expected to cost about £10 billion, in part because of the impact of planning rules.The government is changing the rules on planning so local opposition can be overridden to push through new jails. However there will still be a significant shortfall in places as demand outstrips supply.” – The Times
Puberty blockers banned because of ‘unacceptable safety risk’
“Puberty blockers have been indefinitely banned in the UK as they pose an “unacceptable safety risk” for children wanting to change gender, the government has announced. Wes Streeting, the health secretary, said the decision was taken based on the advice of independent medical experts, adding that “we do not yet know the risks of stopping pubertal hormones at this critical life stage”. The move means private clinics will not be able to prescribe or supply the drugs in the UK, although a clinical trial of puberty blockers in children at NHS clinics will still go ahead next year.” – The Times
COMMENT
The device destroying children’s lives is hiding in your pocket – Miriam Cates Daily Telegraph
NEWS in BRIEF
Will Erdoğan crush the Syrian Kurds? Turkey has always feared their revolution – Unherd
Who killed the Women’s Equality Party? – The Critic
Labour now has the same talking points as the Tories, but fewer ideas – City AM
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