Tag: United Kingdom

It’s the last day of term here in Westminster, with MPs set to head off for Easter recess this afternoon. The House will return on 22 April with campaigning ahead of the local elections in full swing.

Having chaired cabinet this morning, Keir Starmer is due for the usual pre-recess Q&A at the liaison committee — the supergroup of senior parliamentarians who take turns grilling the prime minister on their specialist subject. Each MP, themselves a chair of a select committee, will stick to three broad themes: growth, international affairs and defence, and welfare reforms and health.

This is Starmer’s second time taking part in the end-of-term ritual. His first liaison committee showing, towards the end of last year, saw him mostly fail to commit news. No 10 will be hoping for a similarly successful session today.

There is only one Conservative MP down to question the prime minister (Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, chair of the public accounts committee), and two Liberal Democrats (Layla Moran, health; and Jamie Stone, petitions). Reform UK and the Greens’ slight profiles mean they are mostly shut out of parliament’s committee rooms.

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Expect Starmer to receive the hardest time from Sarah Champion, who chairs the international development select committee. She is a staunch opponent of the government’s foreign aid cut, and earlier this year accused the prime minister of personally setting a “dangerous course” for the UK.

Dame Meg Hillier, chair of the liaison committee, will open the session with some general questions. As the lead MP on the Treasury select committee, it would seem reasonable to expect a line of inquiry focused on tariffs. (The relevant commons press release also previews the question she will put to the “prime minister from members of the UK youth parliament”).

In the chamber today for Treasury questions, Hillier described the imposition of tariffs as “an event that is as significant as the financial crisis of 2008, or indeed, perhaps as Covid”.

She added: “In those instances, the state unleashed everything it could to try and resolve those issues”

Hillier went on to ask the chancellor, on duty at the despatch box, if she is “considering changing any of her rules in order to make sure that everything the state can throw at this problem is being done”.

It is a reasonably significant intervention. Hillier, as chair of the liaison and Treasury committees, is the definition of a “senior” MP. Before taking up her current posts, Hillier led the public accounts committee from 2015-2024. A minister during Gordon Brown’s tenure as PM, she also served in the shadow cabinet for a period under Ed Miliband.

But Reeves rejected Hillier’s bid to redraw the government line. Deploying familiar rhetoric, she commented: “I think it is incredibly important to retain cool heads at this moment.

“Tariffs have been imposed, and we are working closely with our friends and counterparts in the United States to reduce the impact of those.”

The chancellor added: “The fiscal rules are very important for giving the country the stability it needs. We saw when a previous government lost control of the public finances — it resulted in interest rates going through the roof, meaning higher costs for businesses and for working families.”

If in doubt: evoke Liz Truss.

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It was also significant, I thought, that Reeves appeared to reject the Liberal Democrats’ call for the government to advocate a “Buy British” campaign in response to Trump’s tariffs.

Questioned by Lib Dem deputy leader Daisy Cooper, Reeves was urged to begin such an initiative “as part of a broader national effort to encourage people to buy British here at home and elsewhere”.

The chancellor responded: “In terms of buying British, I think everyone will make their own decisions.

“What we don’t want to see is a trade war with Britain becoming inward-looking, because if every country in the world decided that they only wanted to buy things produced in their country, that’s not a good way forward.

“Our country has benefited hugely from access to global markets and we will continue to want to be able to do that because that is in our national interest for working people and for businesses in this country.”

The Lib Dems and Cooper have since hit back.

Responding via press release, the Lib Dem deputy leader commented: “The chancellor’s comments are an insult to businesses being pushed to the brink by Donald Trump’s trade war. This is completely out of touch with the British people who are rallying behind local businesses in their time of need.

“Instead of talking down our high-streets, the government needs to send a clear message to the White House that they stand squarely behind British businesses and against Trump’s damaging tariffs.

“We Liberal Democrats have been clear that we want to see the government going further and faster on working with our European and Commonwealth allies at the same time as launching this Buy British campaign as part of a national effort to boost British businesses at home and abroad.

“Buying British is a powerful way that people can get behind local businesses and show that as a country we won’t give in to Donald Trump’s bullying.”

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Lunchtime briefing

‘No state should be beyond criticism’: Labour MPs defiant after being denied entry to Israel

Lunchtime soundbite

‘We’ve got your back.’

—  Chancellor Rachel Reeves delivers a statement to MPs before the start of commons business, updating the House on the government response to US tariffs.

The response to “global change” must be to “act decisively” and “take the right decisions that are in our national interest, protecting working people”, Reeves says.

Now try this…

‘Labour MP mood hardens on Israel’
Via PoliticsHome.

‘Tories lose one of their biggest donors in major blow to Kemi Badenoch’
The Guardian reports.

‘Should the Tories distance themselves further from Trump?’
ConservativeHome’s Tali Fraser writes.

On this day in 2024:

Gordon Brown accuses Sunak of undermining the ‘whole system of international law’

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Source: Politics

Five years ago, in my final speech in the European parliament as leader of the Liberal Democrat group of MEPs, I described Brexit as a “backward step” and a “vanity project that has no basis in reality”.

That’s a view that’s become more common in recent years. In fact, last month, my fellow MPs and I debated an e-petition calling for the UK to rejoin the European Union after it received well over 100,000 signatures.

Leaving the EU was a significant moment. We left a union of nations that was established to promote peace on our continent, that had seen the dismantling of barriers between nations, and that enabled trade and cultural ties to flourish.

Nobody wants to revisit the division and toxicity of the Brexit debate, and I understand the hesitation of the government to even go there. But we must not forget that the referendum debate was fuelled by misinformation and outright lies about what leaving the EU would mean for our country.

Five years on, though, no one is in any doubt. Just last month, when I visited the European parliament with many colleagues, I heard the minister for the Cabinet Office refer to research by Aston University finding that exports to the EU have fallen by 27% since Brexit.

That figure, unfortunately, will be of no surprise to businesses in my constituency of South Devon. One shellfish exporter recently told me that they must have 17 pieces of paper signed by a vet for every consignment of mussels they export to the EU, making it impossible to trade efficiently with their biggest customer.

Similarly, a small household product retailer has had to end all trade with the EU because of new product safety regulations; a delicatessen is finding it increasingly difficult to import small quantities of wines; and a precision engineering company has found its exports tangled in red tape.

On and on it goes. In every sector, you hear the same story.

But Brexit’s impact is not limited to trade. It’s a tragedy that our children and grandchildren will not have the chances we had to go to Europe, to develop skills, and bring all that experience back to the UK.

It is high time the government agreed a youth mobility scheme with the EU. Last month, I welcomed the EU-UK parliamentary partnership assembly’s agreement that said the government understood the need to establish a youth opportunity schemes, including apprenticeships.

We all understand the need; let us hope that the government will go further than that and address it.

I can’t deny, though, I have my doubts. Labour say they want a reset in relations with the EU, but no one I spoke to on the EU side in Brussels last month was clear what that really means.

Fixing our broken relationship with Europe is the most obvious way to boost our economy and provide much-needed funding to fix our public services. And in the wake of US tariffs, it is more important than ever that we shore up trade with our nearest neighbours.

The single biggest thing we can do to turbocharge our economy in the medium and long term is form a customs union with the EU, tearing down the trade barriers and shredding the red tape that is holding so many businesses back.

The Liberal Democrats have always believed we are stronger as part of Europe. It is a long road back, and, thanks to the Conservatives, it will take a long time to rebuild trust, but we owe it to future generations to make it happen.

Sadly, it is probably too early to campaign to rejoin the EU right now — it is not even an option on the table — but we must take concrete steps towards rectifying the damage wreaked by the Conservatives’ botched Brexit deal.

The time for repeating meaningless warm words is over; it’s time to put the work in to rebuild our shattered relationship with Europe.

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Source: Politics

The production and supply of medicines could be impacted by the tariffs placed on the UK, the health secretary has warned.

Wes Streeting said Britain “already had issues with medicines production and supply internationally” but warned that this could be made worse by the 10 per cent tariffs imposed by the US.

Speaking to Sky News on Tuesday morning, he said: “We are constantly watching and acting on this situation to try and get medicines into the country to make sure we’ve got availability, to show some flexibility in terms of how medicines are dispensed to deal with shortages.

“But whether it’s medicines, whether it’s parts for manufacturing, whether it’s the ability of businesses in this country to turn a profit — this is an extremely turbulent situation. It’s unprecedented in terms of global trade and the steps that the United States has taken.”

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Streeting said a “number of factors” are in play in ensuring people can access medicines.

He added: “There have been challenges in terms of manufacturing, challenges in terms of distribution and if we start to see tariffs kicking in, that’s another layer of challenge. But we watch this situation extremely closely.

“We work on a daily basis to make sure that we have the medicines supply this country needs.

“Where we do see disruptions to supply, we also take steps at the dispensing end to show the flexibility needed to make sure people can access the prescriptions they need.

“But, as I say, whether it’s medicines, whether it’s parts for manufacturing, whether it’s global trade, more generally, this is an extremely volatile and turbulent backdrop for the country, and that’s why the prime minister, the trade secretary, the entire cabinet are focused on this and making sure that we’re taking the steps needed here at home to protect British industries and Britain’s public services”.

The prime minister has insisted that he will only sign a trade deal with the US that is in the UK’s “national interest”, as he seeks to combat Donald Trump’s tariff regime which has prompted economic turbulence across the world.

Speaking during a visit to a Jaguar Land Rover factory in Solihull on Monday, Keir Starmer sought to reassure the public there would not be a trade deal at any price.

“I will only strike a deal if it’s in the national interest”, he commented. “That’s my priority — strength abroad, security and renewal at home.”

The PM said: “This is a moment for cool heads; nobody wins from a trade war, you know that.

“But it’s also a moment for urgency, because we’ve got to rise together as a nation to the great challenge of our age – and it is the great challenge – which is to renew Britain so we’re secure in this era of global instability.”

Trump has showed no sign of changing course, urging people to “be strong, courageous and patient”, promising that “greatness will be the result”.

The president has imposed a 10 per cent tariff on US imports of British goods, along with the 25 per cent tariff on cars and separate import taxes for steel and aluminium.

Josh Self is Editor of Politics.co.uk, follow him on Bluesky here.

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Source: Politics

Where freedoms so fundamental as belief are under attack, we often find other basic human rights compromised.

Across the world, many people are suffering obscene and difficult things simply because of their religion or faith.

Freedom of belief is an issue that is close to my heart. In Parliament, I have the privilege of being an officer of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for International Freedom of Religion or Belief – but the privilege is often heavy and profound.

In 2023, I represented our all-party group at the International Religious Freedom Summit in Taiwan. The IRF Summit is the biggest annual religious freedom gathering in the world, and we heard harrowing reports of persecution, torture and killings.

I pay tribute, then and now, to the unwavering strength of those who have suffered loss, baseless eviction from their homes, rejection from employment opportunities and imprisonment solely for their faith.

Amidst the wave of persecution, hate crimes and prejudice, a number of organisations are working tirelessly to expose and combat these injustices.

The reports that reach MPs like me comprise hours upon hours of research on difficult topics like religious extremism, political oppression and government overreach.

By gathering – and sharing – this information, these organisations expose violations of the International Declaration of Human Rights and amplify the voices of those who are otherwise silenced.

Their work is instrumental. Without their vigilance, so many cases of abuse would remain unknown, and the people they support would continue to suffer.

Despite the very real threat of persecution, hundreds of millions of Christians remain steadfast in their faith at great personal cost and peril, willingly risking their livelihoods, their lives, and the wellbeing of their loved ones.

This strength should not go unnoticed, and they must not make these sacrifices in vain. We must advocate on their behalf, fighting so they can receive the fundamental freedoms so many of us in democratic societies have taken for granted.

To ignore their plight is to turn our backs on the very principles of justice and dignity at the heart of what it means to be human.

Christianity, the largest religion by population, is also the most persecuted minority faith in parts of the world. This comes from a number of angles, including Islamist extremism, Marxist regimes, and dictatorial governments. In some countries, public celebrations of Christmas are not just discouraged but life-threatening.

Open Doors, an organisation monitoring this persecution, reported alarming figures last year. Last year, almost 5,000 believers worldwide were killed for their faith. Most were from Nigeria.

Other countries in sub-Saharan Africa have seen rising numbers of Christian deaths, too. Last year, in Burkina Faso, 201 believers lost their lives – that is more than a fivefold increase from 2023.

Last year, almost 210,000 Christians were forced to leave their homes, go into hiding, or exile, because of their faith. Almost half of these were from Nigeria.

Since its inaugural publication in 1983, North Korea has topped the World Watch List a shocking 23 times. As in Burkina Faso, the persecution of North Korean Christians intensified in 2024, coinciding with a spate of stricter regulations announced by the authorities at the start of the year.

Across the world, more and more Christians are needing to worship undercover. In Afghanistan, for example, it is effectively impossible for a Christian to publicly express their faith.

In Algeria, all Protestant churches have been forced to close, and the number of Christians awaiting trial is at an all-time high.

In China, an era of relative tolerance is over. Unregistered churches are illegal. Church teaching is informed by ideological pressure and official indoctrination. Religious education for children is banned.

The small Christian community in Libya has had to be extremely careful to avoid a repeat of the 2023 crackdown that saw a wave of arrests. Believers are having to be increasingly creative and courageous in how they gather – if at all.

Mexico – a country where around 90 per cent of its 130 million-strong population is Christian – is the only country in Latin America to climb the latest World Watch List rankings.

In areas where organised crime is rampant, churches and Christians who seek to counter it make themselves targets, and there has been an increase in the number of believers abducted and killed.

From violent attacks to house arrest and forced marriage, Christian women and girls are being shamed and persecuted twice: for their faith and their gender.

All United Nations member states have signed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which covers freedom to adopt, change or retain one’s beliefs, and freedom from coercion.

Despite this, there is a lack of accountability for those who fail to uphold these principles, leaving religious minorities around the world vulnerable to lifelong persecution.

The UK has demonstrated great leadership in promoting freedom of religion and belief in recent years and, as long as there are people being denied these rights, must continue to do so.

In the words of Martin Luther King Jr, injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. And what could be more fundamental than the freedom to believe?

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Source: Politics

Keir Starmer has declared that “nobody wins from a trade war” in an apparent warning to US president Donald Trump. 

The prime minister’s comments came after the government announced it will relax rules around electric vehicles, with carmakers affected by Trump’s tariffs.

Starmer said there is “no doubt” the challenge that tariffs put forward by the United States bring, but he added: “This is a moment for cool heads.”

The PM commented: “Nobody wins from a trade war — you know that, but it’s also a moment for urgency. 

“Because we’ve got to rise together as a nation to the great challenge of our age — and it is the great challenge of our age — which is to renew Britain so we are stable in this era of global instability.”

Read the prime minister’s full speech below.

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Can I just say a big thank you to the entire workforce here. Some of you are here with us this afternoon. I just want to say thank you for showing us what you do. We have been able to see some of the skill and experience that you put into this incredible product, years and years in the making and the technology.

But thank you also for making us proud to be British, because as each car rolls off here, that is rolling off your production line. That is your commitment, your toil, your work your professionalism. But it is then a product which you should be rightly proud of, and we are really proud of as a country.

I know how much you put into that, and I want you to know just how much we appreciate what you do.

Thank you for everyone for joining us this afternoon.

Jaguar Land Rover, our leading exporter of goods, employing thousands of people across the West Midlands and beyond.

That proud symbol of British engineering brilliance. And brilliance is the right word. It is our industrial heritage, but also in my strongly held view, it is our industrial future, not just our heritage.
My message to you is simple: these are challenging times, but we have chosen to come here because we are going to back you to the hilt.
I think it’s really significant that after the announcement on Wednesday, we had Adrian with us in Downing Street at 7 o’clock the next morning, and here we are on Monday, so read into that a statement of intent because it is a statement of intent about how important this is for you, for us and for the country.

As Rachel has said, there is no doubt about the challenge, but this is a moment for cool heads.

No one wins from a trade war.

But it is also a moment for urgency.

Because we have to rise, together as nation to the great challenge of our age, and it is the great challenge to renew Britain so that we are secure in this era of global instability.

Nobody is pretending that tariffs are good news. You know that better than anyone.

25% tariffs on automative exports. 10% on other goods.

That is a huge challenge to our future. The global economic consequences could be profound. But this moment has also made something very clear.

That this is not a passing phase. And just as we’ve seen with our national security and defence, particularly in relation to the war in Ukraine, now with our commerce and trade,

This is a changing and completely new world.

An era where old assumptions, long taken for granted simply no longer apply.

Before the election – I called it an age of insecurity. And that is the right phrase. Insecurity. Because that’s how this is felt in the lives of working people. Insecurity and worry for builders, for carers, for nursers, for factory workers like people here in Coventry, working harder and harder for the pound in their pocket, yet watching this rising tide of insecurity threaten to sweep away the things we cherish in our communities.

Trust me – I know people will be feeling that right now.

But to those people, I say, we have your back.

This government will not just sit back and hope.

That is how politics has failed you in recent years.

Attempting to manage crises without fundamental change just leads to managed decline.

So no – we’re going to seize the possibilities.

Fight for the future. On defence spending, on AI, on clean British energy and on manufacturing, including car building.

Make those forces work for Britain. Rewire our economy and our state so that once again they serve the interests of working people.

This is why we are rewiring the state completely.

Ripping up the regulation that stops it being a force for good.

Building new homes, new towns, new infrastructure.

Accelerating the investment that will finally unlock the potential of every community.

And let me be really clear as well. Our future is in our hands.

And so of course – we will keep calm and fight for the best deal with the US and we have been discussing that intensely in the last few days.

But we’re also going to work with our key partners to reduce barriers to trade across the globe.

Accelerate trade deals with the rest of the world and champion the cause of free and open trade – right across the globe. And just like car building, that has always been our heritage – and we won’t turn our backs on it now.

And look, when it comes to the US, I will only strike a deal if it is in the national interest. If it is the right thing to do for our security. If it protects the pound in the pocket that working people, across our country, work so hard to earn for their family.

That is my priority. That is always my priority. Strength abroad – security and renewal at home.

And on that journey of renewal we take another step today with our car industry.

You know, there are people in this country who love to talk down our manufacturing. They say – we don’t make anything important anymore. ‘That’s not Britain’. Well – I would invite anyone who thinks like that to come here and see what you do in this factory.

Anyone who is talking down manufacturing. Come here to Jaguar Land Rover and see what you are doing and they wouldn’t say that again.

Because just as I’ve said, when we were going around earlier, what I saw made me proud.

And I hope that if I feel proud of what you are doing, you are entitled to feel proud of what you are doing.

This is British brilliance in the flesh.

You’re making cars here – but you’re also representing our country with each car as it departs. That’s the pride that always goes with making things.

And I’ve said it many times before, but I will say it again: my dad worked in a factory. He was an engineer. He made things with his hands. And he taught me as I was growing up, you should value the things that we make.

And that’s what brilliant about manufacturing. And manufacturing shapes the identity of a place. This place, and of a community and a country. And that’s how it gets in your blood.

Which is why electric vehicles are so important. Yes – of course it’s about the climate and you won’t hear me undermining the urgency of that cause.

But it’s also about taking the pride, the heritage, the identity of places like this and securing it for the future.

That’s what the previous government never understood. The link between manufacturing and who we are as a country.

But those days are over. They are finished. This is a government of industrial renewal.

Because my choice, in this volatile world is to back British brilliance.

I believe that British car companies should be at the forefront of the electric revolution. This is a race we belong in.

And so I think EV targets are a good thing.

They are good for the climate. Good for business certainty and investment. Good for British manufacturing.

But I accept – those targets have to work for British manufacturers.

And I don’t want British firms, like this one put in a position where you have to pay a hefty fine or buy credits from foreign EV companies.

So today – we’re going to introduce much more flexibility into EV mandates.

We’re going to help car companies based in Britain reach the targets in a way that supports growth.

We’re going to cut any fines – which I do not want or expect to see – by 20% and any money that is raised – would be invested directly back into support for the British car industry.

We’re also going to take action on hybrids because these cars make a massive difference to reducing emissions.

I mean, if you drive a Toyota Prius around town. Or, perhaps if you work here, a Range Rover you probably spend a lot of the time in electric mode. So I think for these vehicles a 2030 ban is too soon. So we’ll push that back to 2035 – for all hybrids. That’s a new step we are taking and a new announcement today.

And because we’re not ideological about how we cut carbon emissions we’ll also make sure that cleaner, efficient, petrol cars sold before 2030 count towards your EV mandate. That will be good for British car manufacturers like this one.

As Rachel has said, we are also putting £2.3 billion pounds into the British car industry giving people tax breaks worth hundreds of millions of pounds a year to help them switch to electric.

Improving charging infrastructure. That is a massive factor when people are thinking about switching and our approach means we are seeing a new public charging point popping up – every half an hour.

Because this is the moment when we back British business and charge up the electric revolution.

British electric cars running off clean British power, made by British workers.

British cars for British workers!

And as you know by the way switching to electric can also save you up to £1100 a year so if we get this right it can help the cost of living as well.

But look – it’s not just our car industry we need to back.

In the coming days and weeks, we are going to use industrial policy to shelter British business from the storm.

Take our life sciences sector, another shining example of British brilliance. An absolutely pivotal part of our export economy. We’re going to back them, as well.

We’re going to rip up the red tape. Cut the stifling bureaucracy that slows down clinical trials. Now Britain used to be better at this but we’ve taken our foot off the pedal.

The latest data says it takes over 250 days to set up a clinical trial. I’m going to slash that to 150.

And on top of that, I can also announce – a new investment up to £600 million in a new Health Data Research Service. A welcome partnership with the Wellcome Trust strengthening the genome cluster in Cambridge.

Making sure that patient data in our NHS is unlocked for the public good. An opportunity for growth – but more importantly to save lives with cutting edge medicine and Britain is so good at this.

We saw that in the pandemic. And we now need to pick up the pace again. This country has never waited around for history to shape us. We have shaped history – and we will do so again now.

Take our future into our hands. Do everything necessary to defend our national interest.

Strengthen our alliances, increase our defence power, support our businesses, jobs and workers.

Rebuild, in defiance of a volatile world our industrial strength.

That is the purpose of this Government. Security and renewal. The world may be changing but we are driving forward securing our future with a clear Plan for Change.

Thank you.

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Source: Politics

From the totemic to the trivial, no news cycle is immune to that most inevitable of developments: an intervention from Kemi Badenoch.

Since securing the Conservative leadership in November, Badenoch has questioned the veracity of Reform UK’s membership ticker; suggested the Partygate scandal was “overblown”; scolded the humble sandwich as “not real food”; claimed (erroneously) that Netflix series Adolescence “fundamentally changed” the events it is based on; and ridden to the defence of US vice president JD Vance after he suggested (falsely) that the UK and France have not fought a war in 40 years.

The consequence of each of these interventions has been a series of unwelcome headlines for the Conservative Party — as it seeks to carve some space in a crowded, hostile political landscape.

Badenoch, for what it is worth, would protest she is merely doing her job: securing headlines for her party at an immensely perilous moment. With the Faragist tide rising and potential irrelevance looming, she is securing a future for the Conservatives one write-up at a time. Moreover, she is doing so while saying what she thinks and thus building a reputation for plain-speaking.

Badenoch has no time for the question-dodging sophists in the Labour Party. Note her response to sandwichgate: “I got asked what I like to eat and I answered the question which is something Keir Starmer doesn’t do.”

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Badenoch is also living up to the platform she set out during the Conservative leadership contest. “I am sad to be in opposition”, she told the Tory grassroots last October, “but there’s a part of me that’s excited.”

“Opposition is an opportunity — an opportunity to make Angie uncomfortable, to make Rachel wriggle, and make Starmer sweat. We are going to have fun.”

She added: “Some people say I like a fight — I can’t imagine where they got that idea. But it’s not true. I do not like to fight.

“But I’m not afraid to fight. I don’t fight for the sake of fighting, but I do fight for you.”

Perhaps it is in this vein that we should consider the Conservative leader’s latest controversy.

Taking to the broadcast studios yesterday, Badenoch defended Israel’s decisionto deny two MPs entry into the country and deport them. She told the BBC that Israel had a right to “control its borders”, insisting it is “shocking” that there are Labour MPs — in this instance Abtisam Mohamed and Yuan Yang — whom other countries will not admit.

In a joint statement released Sunday morning, some time before Badenoch’s comments, Yang and Mohamed said they were on a trip to visit the occupied West Bank to “witness, first-hand, the situation” and were “astounded” after being stopped at the airport.

The Conservative leader was subsequently slammed for siding with the Israeli authorities over her parliamentary colleagues.

David Lammy, the foreign secretary, wrote on X: “It’s disgraceful you are cheerleading another country for detaining and deporting two British MPs. Do you say the same about Tory MPs banned from China?

“This government will continue to stand up for the rights of our MPs to speak their mind, whatever their party.”

Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey accused Badenoch of “unbelievably poor judgment” and “another complete shocker”.

Intriguingly, Richard Fuller, the shadow chief secretary to the Treasury, also took a very different stance from his leader. Speaking to Times Radio on Sunday, he commented: “Any member of parliament who goes on an official trip should be, I would think, welcomed in any country.

“They’re going there to be better informed about the situation and then report back to their parliamentary colleagues about what they have found.”

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But Badenoch doubled down in a social media post of her own. Responding to Lammy, she declared: “Unlike China, Israel is our ally and a democracy. A good foreign sec [sic] would be able to make that distinction.

“Perhaps Labour MPs could put UK national interest first and do their jobs instead of campaigning for airports in Kashmir or promoting Hamas propaganda in parliament.”

For those who have followed Badenoch’s career since her initial rise to prominence in 2022, this row follows a familiar pattern.

There’s the immediate context: an unexpected development that requires some comment from a senior politician. Then arrives Badenoch’s reflexive, at times logic-defying, response. The ensuing commentary considers what audience the Conservative leader could possibly have in mind. The rebukes roll in — first from the opposition party best-placed to benefit, and then on a cross-party basis. Finally, Badenoch decides to double down with an excessively forceful response to her critics.

This pattern presents some pretty obvious political problems for the Conservative Party.

Firstly, Badenoch’s comments often reframe a news cycle in a fashion that reflects poorly on the Tories. Badenoch’s baseless criticism of Reform UK’s membership ticker, issued via a lengthy social media post in the quiet of Christmas recess, found a prominent place in the news bulletins. Farage was invited to respond, and so he did — again and again at the Conservative Party’s expense.

Secondly, as Tory leader, Badenoch’s statements become — immediately and inevitably — the “line” for her party to take. Conservative MPs and frontbench spokespeople suddenly find themselves asked to repeat their leader’s latest intervention. Anything other than a fulsome endorsement of Badenoch’s position is considered a slight on her authority.

Thirdly, Badenoch would be wrong to assume that provoking headlines is tantamount to relevance. The Conservative leader toured the broadcast studios yesterday, presumably, to get ahead of the government’s announcements this week on Trump’s trade war. But any such stance was lost in the furore she triggered.

Opposition, especially when it comes to press strategy, is characterised by opportunity costs. The media spotlight is finite; and so Badenoch’s eye-grabbing “interventions” will always secure the story. More substantive contributions will be forgotten.

And yet, the biggest problem with Badenoch’s instinctive interventions is that they frequently conjure attack-lines for her opponents from thin air.

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Take the Conservative leader’s comments Sunday. The inability of Badenoch and frontbencher Richard Fuller to adopt the same position was weaponised by Labour’s press team. Foreign Office minister Hamish Falconer, set for a ministerial statement today on this matter, duly commented: “A good leader of the opposition can usually command the confidence of their front bench.

“Mr Fuller’s position, like the foreign secretary’s, is the one that I hope the whole house can agree with; on both sides of the aisle.”

Another pertinent example concerns Badenoch’s recent characterisation of the Liberal Democrats as a party that is “not on Twitter” but rather in “local communities”.

The throwaway line, delivered on Canadian psychologist Jordan Peterson’s podcast, framed Ed Davey’s keynote speech at his party’s spring conference last month. (Expect Badenoch’s remark to appear on many a Lib Dem leaflet ahead of the local elections on 1 May).

And then there’s Badenoch’s comments relating to the triple lock, issued in January, which have inspired several planted questions at PMQs — not least of all Labour MP John Grady’s offering last week.

Grady told the House: “This week, the full state pension will rise by £472 a year, putting money in the pockets of pensioners in Glasgow and across the United Kingdom.

“Does the prime minister agree that this rise is possible only because of Labour’s plan for change and our commitment to the triple lock?”

Starmer agreed (of course) before turning his fire on Badenoch: “The Leader of the Opposition wants to means-test the state pension so that she can cut it.”

In the round, Badenoch’s recurrent rows form a pretty comprehensive picture of her political understanding — specifically, her perception of public opinion, her party’s vulnerabilities, and the media landscape.

Badenoch’s sandwich commentary, and revealed preference for a lunchtime steak, has had an intriguingly long afterlife. (Rachel Reeves raised it at the spring statement). This can be explained by the following facts: (1), the British public, generally, likes sandwiches; (2), the Conservative Party, historically, is exposed to suggestions it is “out of touch”; and, (3), the media enjoys the ridiculousness of the remark.

Consider also Badenoch’s comments on Partygate, JD Vance, maternity payand the minimum wage in these terms. After all, can the apparent “authenticity” of Badenoch’s positions really compete with the manifest political downsides?

Above all else however, Badenoch’s rows point to a lack of understanding or research about a given topic. Her position on Adolescence, while unlikely to dictate the outcome of the next election, was baseless — and apparently borne of a social media conspiracy theory. Her (mis)understanding of public opinion could well be linked back to an evidenced over-reliance on social media.

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My points here will not come as a surprise to many within the Conservative Party. Sir John Hayes, a onetime supporter of Robert Jenrick, suggested in October that Badenoch would make an “irascible” leader. Jenrick himself suggested she could turn the party into a “Twitter account”. And then there is the common refrain that Badenoch can start a fight in an empty room.

The Conservative leader’s combative predisposition is a feature, not a bug, of her approach. That much is plain. Badenoch cannot be coached, by experience or external influence, away from this fundamental facet of her politics. It is simply something the Conservative Party will have to endure as long as Badenoch is leader.

From 2020-2024, Keir Starmer tried his utmost to alienate as few voters as politically possible, while still going through the motions of opposition. That ensured he was well-positioned to benefit from the tide of anti-incumbency sentiment. This phenomenon, once so fruitful for the prime minister, is now working against him.

Despite a dearth of policy, Badenoch is not copying Starmer’s “small target” strategy. And so I pose the following question: will Badenoch’s maladroit interventions alienate a critical mass of voters before the anti-incumbency tide sweeps her into Downing Street (or at least over the finish line with the help of Reform)?

In other words, will Badenoch’s missteps prove so consequential that they overwhelm the prevailing geopolitical and economic conditions, which should benefit her as the default anti-incumbent option?

Of course, if the historically regicidal Conservative Party dislikes the answer to these questions, they could always revert to type.

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Andrew Ranger: ‘Change takes time — but Labour will deliver’

Lunchtime soundbite

‘I still think that this big tariff threat globally … It’ll look different in three months time.

‘He’ll use it as a big negotiating tool. I think we’re better positioned to come out of this with a deal than almost any other country.’

—  Nigel Farage, the Reform UK leader, says that he thinks the Donald Trump tariffs are just “a big negotiating tool”.

Now try this…

‘UK ministers consider abolishing hundreds of quangos, sources say’
Via the Guardian.

‘My only priority is making British people better off’
Keir Starmer writes for the Times. (Paywall).

‘5 pro tips for Donald Trump from Liz Truss* amid market bloodbath’
Liz Truss (as imagined by Matt Honeycombe-Foster) writes for Politico.

On this day in 2022:

Minister denies chancellor’s wife is ‘sheltering’ from tax

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Source: Politics

The failure of privatisation is laid bare as we move into the new financial year with the reality of paying more, but for the same or — in some instances — worse service.

Energy, rail, water — all of these have been privatised in the last 40 years and we the consumers are paying the price. Our bills are rising, profits are rising and yet the quality of what we receive is poor due to decades of underinvestment in infrastructure. The Thatcher sale of council homes has left us with a deficit of council properties and long waiting lists. Housing cannot meet the demand. In my constituency of Wrexham, one area has 371 people on the housing waiting list and in the last 6 months, 7 vacancies have become available.

Many of us remember the beginnings of privatisation: British Gas in 1986 and electricity in 1990. The objectives of privatisation were to transfer the responsibility and ownership of many industries from the government to the private sector, to end the monopoly of utilities by increasing competition, and to increase the number of shareholders. But since 2021, we have been experiencing an energy crisis which was then worsened by Putin’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

And the solution? It’s not a simple or quick one. Change takes time.

The Labour government has started to get to work, but it will take time. And the associated costs have to be balanced with the burden placed on the taxpayer.

We have started on the legislation to begin to fix the huge legacy of issues we have inherited straight away after being elected, with our Passenger Railway Services (Public Ownership) Bill, Railways Bill, Great British Energy Bill and Water Special Measures Bill — all of these set the framework so that work can commence on fixing the mess left behind by the last Tory government. In terms of rail, four major operators — East Coast Mainline, TransPennine, Northern and South Eastern (LNER) — have been taken under public control and are being run by the government’s operator of last resort. Transport for Wales was brought under Welsh government control in 2021, and Scotrail was taken over by the Scottish Government the following year.

But ownership of companies cannot reverse decades of underinvestment and ageing rolling stock. Polls have shown that having transport under public ownership is popular with the public. In January, Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham launched the Bee Buses to take on vehicles and depots. This franchising system means private operators run routes on Transport for Greater Manchester’s (TfGM) behalf and this is already paying dividends in terms of improved punctuality. Burnham has plans to bring trains under the same system later this year. Transport is opportunity and for too long rail has failed the people of the UK, again whilst private companies take huge public subsidies and extract more and more wealth from the British people.

What about energy? There are examples out there. Here in Wales, the Anafon Hydro Project in Eryri started in 2010 and began generating in December 2015. It was funded by grants, community shares and a Charity Bank loan. The electricity grid was reorganised to ensure locally generated electricity is accessed by local domestic and business consumers, a truly community-based renewable energy project. The signs are there.

In our manifesto, we said we would deliver permanently cheaper energy bills by the end of the parliament, saving people hundreds of pounds per year. We will tackle the blatant failure of the water companies to invest in our infrastructure (there have been no new reservoirs built since privatisation). And water shortages are now a real possibility due to that — as well as the completely irresponsible polluting of our rivers and coastal waters. All the time whilst shareholders extract more and more from these companies and have increased water bills higher than inflation every year.

We have an ageing population in the UK, which means an exponentially increasing demand on health services in the longer term and more complex illnesses and diseases than in the past. Investment in public services is at its highest level in Wales thanks to the UK government settlement with Welsh government, following years of real term cuts that have left councils cutting social care and other services to the bone.

The world is increasingly uncertain. America’s priorities are changing, and Russia continues to flex its influence. This is being felt by our European neighbours and of course Ukraine. Our armed forces were decimated to low levels by the Conservatives, meaning we are in need of an investment boost, and this cannot be kicked into the long grass.

We need an economy that works for the benefit of all of us in the UK. Living standards have stagnated and were worse at the end of the Tory government than when they started in office. The Labour government is fixing the foundations with changes in employment rights, renters’ rights, more housing and improving public services. But it cannot be fixed overnight, it took the last government 14 years to break everything — we cannot expect, and nor should we, for it to be fixed overnight. We must be realistic and not simplistic.

And as is often the case in life, some things may get worse before they get better.

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Source: Politics