No 10 confirms single particular person council tax low cost will not be minimize in price range
Final night time Genevieve Holl-Allen within the Telegraph mentioned the federal government wouldn’t be eliminating the council tax low cost for single individuals within the price range. Earlier this month, at PMQs and once more in a briefing with reporters, Keir Starmer refused to rule out the low cost being axed.
On the Downing Road foyer briefing this morning (it nonetheless takes place in No 10, even when nearly all political reporters are at occasion convention), the spokesperson in impact confirmed the Telegraph story. “I’d not steer you away from these experiences,” the spokesperson mentioned.
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Key occasions
2h in the past
Early night abstract
2h in the past
60% of Britons assume Labour will not be re-elected, polling suggests
3h in the past
Tory ministers, and Trump, have used language about migrants that emboldens racists, minister says
3h in the past
2024 Reynolds condemns ‘scaremongering’ over Labour’s employees’ rights overhaul
4h in the past
Welsh first minister Eluned Morgan says Wales forward of England ‘in lots of features’ of NHS reform
5h in the past
Boosting development by itself wouldn’t make a lot distinction to variety of individuals residing in relative poverty, says thinktank
5h in the past
Anas Sarwar says Scottish Labour must ‘end the job’ and do away with SNP authorities too
5h in the past
No 10 confirms single particular person council tax low cost will not be minimize in price range
6h in the past
Jeremy Hunt accuses Reeves of undermining enterprise confidence
6h in the past
Reeves says rollout of plan for all English main colleges to have breakfast golf equipment to begin from April
6h in the past
Local weather Resistance defends interrupting Reeves’ speech, saying Labour ought to put individuals earlier than revenue
7h in the past
RCN nurses vote to reject pay provide, as Reeves she’s happy with providing public sector employees ‘significant’ enhance
7h in the past
Reeves’ speech – snap verdict
8h in the past
Reeves guarantees extra constructing – ‘the sounds and sights of the long run arriving’
8h in the past
Reeves says she desires Treasury to be extra optimistic about advantages of funding
8h in the past
Reeves says she ‘will not flip blind eye to fraudsters’, as she confirms Covid corruption commissioner being appointed
8h in the past
Reeves says reducing winter gasoline funds was ‘proper determination in circumstances we inherited’
8h in the past
Protesters against arms gross sales to Israel disrupt Reeves’ speech
8h in the past
Reeves says she desires to place work of all girls ‘again into our financial story’
8h in the past
Unions fought tougher for British business than Tory ministers, says Jonathan Reynolds
8h in the past
Liz Truss defends mini-budget, as Reeves says it present development plan with out stability ‘solely results in spoil’
9h in the past
John Healey alerts Labour will set date for defence spending to rise to 2.5% of GDP
9h in the past
Delegates protest about determination to delay vote on winter gasoline funds minimize, calling it ‘outrage’
10h in the past
Labour’s Covid corruption commissioner not getting full assist they should do job, campaigner claims
10h in the past
Reeves says she will not fill black gap in spending plans by reducing funding
10h in the past
Reeves defends accepting clothes donations
11h in the past
Reeves defends Angela Rayner over criticism her division has in-house photographer
11h in the past
Reeves confirms delegates will vote on winter gasoline funds minimize – as debate reportedly postponed till Wednesday
12h in the past
Reeves defends MPs accepting free tickets, reminding Nick Robinson that she attended Proms with him as BBC visitor
12h in the past
Reeves refuses to rule out council tax revaluation, saying she will not announce price range now
12h in the past
Reeves claims there might be no return to austerity, however refuses to say all departments will keep away from real-terms cuts
12h in the past
Reeves interviewed on Right this moment programme
12h in the past
Reeves says she has ‘by no means been extra optimistic’ forward of convention speech meant to dispel gloom
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Early night abstract
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60% of Britons assume Labour will not be re-elected, polling suggests
Extra in Frequent, the marketing campaign group attempting to scale back division in politics, has printed some analysis Labour’s prospects of successful a second time period. It’s grim studying for activists, and it was unveiled at a fringe assembly on the convention this afternoon. Listed here are a number of the findings.
1) Labour’s electoral coalition is unwieldy, as a result of it depends on assist from the left and the correct, the report says.
2) A modest Tory restoration might result in them turning into the biggest occasion after the election.
3) Keir Starmer’s approval scores have collapsed.
4) 60% of Britons assume Labour gained’t be relected, polling suggests.
5) 17% of people that voted Labour on the election remorse doing so, polling suggests.
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Tory ministers, and Trump, have used language about migrants that emboldens racists, minister says
Rajeev Syal
Donald Trump and Conservative ministers have helped to create an area for “overt racism” which has spilled onto UK streets, a house workplace minister has informed Labour delegates.
Angela Eagle, the minister answerable for irregular migration, mentioned the Republican President candidate had helped to create “vitriol” in opposition to migrants via social media.
She mentioned unnamed rightwing Tories had used language which had given a “yellow flashing mild” to racists through the use of a “poisonous discourse” as they fought off the problem from the Reform occasion.
Talking at a fringe assembly on Monday, she mentioned it was troublesome for brand new immigrants to “rise above the fixed drumbeat of poisonous anti immigration, anti immigrant rhetoric that has change into emboldened, not solely in Britain, however throughout the western international locations”. She went on:
I imply, Trump does the identical. If you happen to take a look at a number of the memes that he’s utilizing with the wall stuff in the intervening time, it’s astonishing, fairly the extent of vitriol that it has created.
She informed the Refugee Council fringe assembly that the Tories’ obsession with the problem from the Reform Get together as a basic election approached this 12 months prompted the occasion’s ministers to make use of “poisonous” language in opposition to asylum seekers.
We had a discourse as the correct of the Conservative occasion bought increasingly more obsessive about what Reform was doing that was very poisonous certainly, othering asylum seekers, othering human beings generally, and creating an area, I feel, for overt racism on our streets.
As a result of let’s face it, speaking about asylum seekers in the way in which that some authorities ministers did gave, let me say, at the least, a yellow flashing mild to those that needed to bask in a discourse about individuals whose pores and skin wasn’t the color that they needed it to be.
Let’s simply put it that method. And I feel creating that type of poisonous discourse round asylum is an actual downside.
Requested which former ministers she was referring to, she informed the Guardian: “I gained’t title them however you may most likely guess.”
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Philip Aldrick from Bloomberg says Rachel Reeves is contemplating given herself extra leeway to borrow by transferring the Nationwide Wealth Fund and GB Vitality off the federal government stability sheet.
Reeves is transferring the Nationwide Wealth Fund and GB Vitality off the govt. stability sheet in a transfer that might release £15bn for extra funding. That might be on prime of the £16bn she would get by altering the debt rule to PSND [public sector net debt]
Treasury is grappling with the problem of creating fiscal credibility and delivering development. Another choice is switching the debt measure to PSNFL [public sector net financial liabilities], which equally successfully removes coverage banks from the books. That is how Germany, France and the IMF do it
It’s an choice. Not a choice. The £15bn estimate comes from a paper by former OBR official Andy King. After all, this implies Labour might borrow extra.
“The place lively authorities known as for, this authorities will act,” Reeves mentioned at . “And Convention, it’s time that the Treasury moved on from simply counting the prices of investments in our financial system, to recognising the advantages too.” Indirect, however doubtlessly essential.
That could be a reference to what Reeeves mentioned within the speech about funding. (See 12.33pm.)
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Right here is a few video from Rachel Reeves’ convention speech.
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2024 Reynolds condemns ‘scaremongering’ over Labour’s employees’ rights overhaul
Jonathan Reynolds, the enterprise secretary, has condemned scaremongering round Labour’s plans for an overhaul of employees’ rights subsequent month, saying the package deal will rework lives, together with for pregnant girls and bereaved mother and father. As Jessica Elgot experiences, in an interview with the Guardian Reynolds mentioned Labour would legislate subsequent month for much stronger safety for pregnant workers, and start session on plans for a extra beneficiant and modernised system for parental depart.
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My colleague Peter Walker, a public well being skilled, has posted these on X from a fringe assembly on well being coverage.
I’m at a Labour fringe occasion about preventative well being care the place public well being minister Andrew Gwynne defined how Chris Whitty informed him on his first day that 40% of NHS spending is on preventable diseases. Fifteen years on it’s forecast to be 60%, he mentioned.
Gwynne mentioned the second slide Whitty confirmed him was the well-known stats on the *large* gaps in life expectancy and wholesome life expectancy between the richest and poorest UK areas. Closing it is a ethical obstacle, he says.
I think about that Chris Whitty has patiently given the identical briefly to a succession of public well being ministers over time. Have issues bought higher? Not but. May they below Labour? It’s potential, however the inertia and obstacles are large.
As a vignette of these obstacles, we’re now listening to concerning the public well being impression of weight problems, from a thinktank skilled. Three individuals away from him on the panel is the chief advertising officer of Sainsbury’s. No disrespect to Sainsbury’s, however they’re not the answer to weight problems.
Mentioned thinktank skilled, Ravi Gurumurthy, has argued that supermarkets could possibly be obliged to tailored their promotions and layouts, and merchandise could possibly be reformulated, which might make an enormous distinction for public well being. Could be attention-grabbing if authorities took up such concepts.
Barely awkward second as, simply after the person from Sainsbury’s has mentioned his bit about their dedication to public well being, Simon Opher, a GP and new Labour MP, bluntly says that supermarkets want laws to pressure them to be more healthy as they by no means will voluntarily.
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There was a powerful Carpenters theme to Ed Miliband’s speech to the Labour convention. “We’ve solely simply began,” he mentioned, as he set out the federal government’s to sort out the local weather disaster.
That is how he summed up what he was already doing.
Simply take a look at what your Labour authorities has been in a position to do on power in just a few brief weeks.
The onshore wind ban in place for 9 years below the Tories, swept away in 72 hours below Labour.
Low-cost, clear solar energy, blocked for years below the Tories, unlocked within the first week of a Labour authorities.
Offshore wind trashed below the Tories, roaring again below Labour with probably the most profitable renewable public sale in historical past.
That’s the distinction a Labour authorities makes.
He additionally echoed what Rachel Reeves mentioned in her speech earlier, when she mentioned Labour’s industrial coverage would ship extra constructing. (See 12.36pm.) Miliband mentioned:
Below this Labour authorities, as Rachel Reeves so brilliantly mentioned this morning, industrial coverage is again.
We care about what we make, the place issues are made and who makes them. And I promise you this: I’ll use each lever we have now to win jobs and construct new industries for Britain.
Nice British Vitality, the Nationwide Wealth Fund, the British Jobs Bonus.
And let’s spell out what this future means: jobs constructing carbon seize and storage.
Jobs manufacturing electrolysers for hydrogen.
Jobs developing the following technology of nuclear energy stations.
Jobs manufacturing for floating wind.
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Lord Alli, the Labour donor, is on the convention. However Serena Barker-Singh from Sky Information says she didn’t have a lot luck attempting to speak to him about donations.
NEW: Lord Ali simply walked nonchalantly via convention passing Bridget Phillipson who didn’t acknowledge him. A buddy of his informed me he wouldn’t be bothered by the media storm however as I attempted to ask him concerning the donations he mentioned “please don’t – this isn’t very good”
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In her convention speech Rachel Reeves mentioned she needed to alter the way in which the Treasury views funding. (See 12.33pm.)
Ben Zaranko, an economist on the Institute for Fiscal Research thinktank, has posed this on X about what this may imply.
Appears to me two potential interpretations of this:
1) Extra focus/emphasis on provide aspect advantages of funding (in step with latest OBR paper on the subject)
2) A larger concentrate on broader measures of the general public sector stability sheet (moderately than debt) within the fiscal guidelines
That is what Reeves mentioned in her Mais lecture earlier this 12 months about wanting the OBR to focus extra on the long-term advantages of funding.
I may also ask the OBR to report on the long-term impression of capital spending selections. And as chancellor I’ll report on wider measures of public sector belongings and liabilities at fiscal occasions, exhibiting how the well being of the general public stability sheet is bolstered by good funding selections.
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Welsh first minister Eluned Morgan says Wales forward of England ‘in lots of features’ of NHS reform
Eluned Morgan, the brand new Welsh first minister, began her speech to the Labour convention saying she was not simply the primary girl to guide Wales. “I’m the primary Labour girl within the historical past of our occasion to guide a rustic, and isn’t it about time,” she mentioned.
Labour has been in energy in Wales since devolution and Morgan mentioned, even with the Conservatives in workplace at Westminster, the Welsh authorities had achieved loads.
We’ve made exceptional progress, in Wales in case you are over 60 and it’s essential catch a bus – its free, in the event you’re parking in a hospital – its free, in the event you want drugs – its free, and since I’ve change into first minister, I’m proud to say that in case you are a main college baby in Wales your lunch – is free.
We additionally give care leavers a common fundamental revenue, we have now the second-best recycling charges on the planet, we’ve launched a youth assure scheme and we’ve introduced in legal guidelines to eradicate revenue from kids’s care properties.
The Welsh authorities is usually criticised by the Tories for its file on the NHS. In Wales ready occasions are longer.
However Morgan mentioned that, “in lots of features”, Wales was forward of England when it comes to NHS reform.
We all know we face huge challenges. The NHS in Wales like the remainder of the UK is below strain and wishes reform, however in lots of features, we’re additional forward with these reforms.
These challenges demand motion, and we’re tackling them head on. With a brand new GP contract to eradicate the 8am bottleneck, enamel cleansing applications in colleges and care properties, formidable group prescribing schemes, devoted psychological well being assist in colleges and through cellphone traces .
However you already know what? We’re not claiming a monopoly on good concepts. We’re able to study from our neighbours and we’re completely happy to share the place we have now already delivered.
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Boosting development by itself wouldn’t make a lot distinction to variety of individuals residing in relative poverty, says thinktank
Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves have made boosting financial development their prime precedence. However, even when they’re profitable, increased development alone won’t make a lot distinction to the variety of individuals residing in relative poverty, in keeping with a report printed right this moment by the Joseph Rowntree Basis. It says:
Our evaluation means that with out coverage modifications, poverty (relative poverty, after housing prices utilizing the same old 60% of median revenue poverty line) is more likely to stay largely unaffected by financial development. In a powerful financial system with working-age employment at 80%, poverty is more likely to drop by solely round 100,000 to 200,000 individuals by 2028 in comparison with the central situation, remaining at round 14.5 million in whole. With out the numerous employment fee enhance within the very excessive employment and development situation, a powerful financial system is much more unlikely to scale back poverty. There’s even a danger of a small rise as incomes within the center proceed to drag away from the incomes of individuals decrease down the revenue distribution, due to the upper contribution of earnings to their incomes …
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Anas Sarwar says Scottish Labour must ‘end the job’ and do away with SNP authorities too
Anas Sarwar, the Scottish Labour chief, informed the convention that his occasion now needed to “end the job” and defeat the SNP. He mentioned:
You see convention – for plenty of you, there was just one incompetent authorities to do away with.
However in Scotland we have been caught with two.
On the basic election, we removed one incompetent authorities.
And in 2026 we end the job and do away with the opposite one.
That’s the following stage of change for Scotland.
As a result of as we converse, practically one in six Scots are on an NHS ready checklist.
1000’s have been pushed into personal healthcare.
Medicine and alcohol deaths stay stubbornly excessive.
Tough sleeping persists and homelessness is at file ranges.
The training attainment hole stays.
And the financial flatlining has broken companies …
And as we glance in direction of the 2026 Scottish parliament election I need to be clear.
Others may need to discuss Scotland down, however I and all of Scottish Labour are relentlessly optimistic for the way forward for our nation.
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Up to date at 14.03 EDT
No 10 confirms single particular person council tax low cost will not be minimize in price range
Final night time Genevieve Holl-Allen within the Telegraph mentioned the federal government wouldn’t be eliminating the council tax low cost for single individuals within the price range. Earlier this month, at PMQs and once more in a briefing with reporters, Keir Starmer refused to rule out the low cost being axed.
On the Downing Road foyer briefing this morning (it nonetheless takes place in No 10, even when nearly all political reporters are at occasion convention), the spokesperson in impact confirmed the Telegraph story. “I’d not steer you away from these experiences,” the spokesperson mentioned.
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Fb used to have a motto about desirous to “transfer quick and break issues”. Louise Haigh informed convention in her speech that her strategy was not fairly the identical. She mentioned:
I do know I stand on the shoulders of some giants of our Labour motion in assuming this workplace.
Our first feminine transport secretary, the incomparable Barbara Fort. Who famously mentioned ‘in politics, guts is all’. And she or he got here below horrendous assault for it – even receiving demise threats for introducing these disgracefully woke anti-driver measures – the seatbelt and the breathalyser.
Barbara understood that transport wasn’t concerning the roads or the tracks, however concerning the individuals and the alternatives it might create or deny them. What was true then is true right this moment.
From the girl I met on the marketing campaign path who needed to transfer home as a result of her native bus route was minimize – she couldn’t get to work, to the physician, to see her mother and father.
To the younger one that is at all times late for work, as a result of they will’t afford the automobile insurance coverage and even ebook a driving check within the first place.
And the companies who need to make investments however select to go elsewhere. As a result of they will’t get their individuals of their produce to the place they need to be. Keir has set us on a mission. Our mission is to get Britain transferring. And that’s the reason we have now not wasted a single second in attending to work.
My ministerial workforce and I – Peter Hendy, Simon Lightwood, Lillian Greenwood, Mike Kane – we informed our division that our new motto is to maneuver quick and sort things, and that’s precisely what we’re doing.
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