Farage reveals true extent of Reform UK's Badenoch bounce

Keir Starmer blasted for 'handing control' to Brussels by renegotiating migrant deal: 'We must protect our borders!'

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has been blasted for "handing control to Brussels" as the Labour leader seeks to renegotiate a pre-Brexit migrant deal with the EU.

Speaking at the Interpol General Assembly in Glasgow, Starmer claimed that the government deal secured previously was not a "particularly good one", and the UK can "do better" in their agreements with Europe.

Speaking to GB News, former Deputy Leader Ben Habib fumed at Labour's decision, claiming that the UK suddenly stepping into Europe to "sort out the people smuggling gangs" is "for the birds".

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Downing Street declines to commit to Sir Alan Bates’s redress payment deadline

The Prime Minister has responded to Sir Alan Bates’s requests for help with settling redress claims for those affected by the Horizon scandal, but Downing Street declined to commit to the campaigner’s suggested payment deadline.

Bates told MPs that Sir Keir Starmer had not yet responded to his letter urging the PM to ask the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) to set a deadline of March next year for payments, but Downing Street confirmed hours later that a response had been sent.

The lead campaigner and former subpostmaster told the Business and Trade Committee’s short inquiry into securing “fast and fair redress” on Tuesday that he wrote to Starmer around a month ago asking for help.

Bates was representing claimants from the 555 subpostmasters who took the Post Office to the High Court between 2017 and 2019 – also known as the GLO scheme.

He told MPs 70 of the GLO scheme claimants have died while compensation is being sorted out, with others now “well into their 80s… that are still suffering”.

The campaigner said he wrote to the PM again a few days ago “to remind him that I’d never received a response” to his initial letter.

Downing Street said “it was obviously right that we took the time to consider the issues raised in the letter”, adding: “What we don’t want to do is set an arbitrary cut-off date which could result in some claimants missing the deadline.”

Kemi Badenoch's new senior front bench appointments announced

Kemi Badenoch's new senior shadow front bench appointments have now been confirmed.

Gagan Mohindra - Shadow Deputy Chief Whip

Mark Francois - Shadow Minister of State for Defence

Kieran Mullan - Shadow Minister of State for Justice

Kemi Badenoch holds first shadow cabinet meeting

In a post on social media, she said: “Delighted to hold my first meeting of the new Shadow Cabinet this morning.

“My team draws on talents from across our party, based on meritocracy and with a breadth of experience and perspective, just as I promised during the campaign.

“We will now get to work holding Labour to account and rebuilding our party based on Conservative principles and values.”

Shadow housing secretary plans on 'making it much easier to get on the housing ladder'

Starmer wishes Queen 'speedy recovery' after chest infection

Sir Keir Starmer has wished Queen Camilla a "speedy recovery" after the 77-year-old's chest infection announcement.

In a short social media post, the Prime Minister said: "On behalf of the whole country, I wish Her Majesty The Queen a speedy recovery."

Labour slam Badenoch over Shadow Cabinet - 'They've learnt nothing!' 

The Labour Party has slammed Kemi Badenoch over her "reckless" Shadow Cabinet appointments.

Ellie Reeves, who serves as chair of the Labour Party, said: “Instead of turning the page on 14 years of Tory government, Kemi Badenoch’s Shadow Cabinet shows that the Conservatives have learnt nothing.

“How can the new Conservative leader claim to be changing the Tory Party when most of her team were ministers for Liz Truss as they crashed Britain’s economy, or claim to want to uphold standards when most went AWOL for the vote on Boris Johnson’s antics at Partygate?

“Badenoch’s appointments guarantee that chaos, division, and recklessness will continue unabated at the heart of the Tories. Meanwhile, Labour is getting on with fixing the foundations of the British economy and delivering for working people.”

Kemi Badenoch makes surprise pick for Shadow Home Sec as ex-rival snubbed from top role

Kemi Badenoch has made a surprise pick for Shadow Home Secretary after appointing members to her top Tory team earlier today.

The new Tory leader appointed ex-Policing Minister Chris Philp as Shadow Home Secretary, with former leadership contenders Mel Stride and Priti Patel ending up as Shadow Chancellor and Shadow Foreign Secretary.

Robert Jenrick, who faced off against Badenoch in the members' ballot, was also appointed as Shadow Justice Secretary.

James Cleverly had ruled himself out of a top role, instead opting to relocate to the backbenches.

However, fellow former Tory leadership hopeful Tom Tugendhat appears to have been snubbed as he did not make the Shadow Cabinet list.

The Tonbridge MP served as Security Minister under Rishi Sunak and cultivated strong levels of support from Tory members before being eliminated in the fourth round of the 2024 contest.

Badenoch put together a 'Shallow Cabinet' not a Shadow Cabinet - ANALYSIS BY CHRISTOPHER HOPE

GB News Political Editor Christopher Hope

If you look at the 25 appointments made, by my reckoning, 20 of them supported Kemi Badenoch and just five didn't.
Three of them Rob Jenrick, Vicky Atkins and Ed Argar backed Robert Jenrick. Of course, Jenrick backed himself, plus Priti Patel and Mel Stride.
In terms of uniting the party by taking people from all wings to support all candidates, I'm not sure she's done that .
That is a worry. I think I would call this a 'Shallow Cabinet', not really a Shadow Cabinet just yet.
Look at the names who aren't in it. James Cleverly, Jeremy Hunt, Oliver Dowden, Steve Barclay and others. Rishi Sunak, of course, won't be in it. Big names, big beasts are not in it.

Badenoch hands out roles to just three Jenrick supporters

Kemi Badenoch has handed out roles to just three Robert Jenrick supporters.

The newly elected Tory leader gave her main rival Shadow Justice Secretary but stopped short of giving his 41 supporters anything more to shout about.

Shadow Health Secretary Ed Argar and Shadow Environment Secretary Victoria Atkins were the other Jenrick supporters to enter the Shadow Cabinet.

Labour MP mugged while returning to London flat

A Labour MP has been mugged while returning to his London flat last night.

Blackpool South MP Chris Webb spoke about the incident on social media.

He said: "Last night, as I was returning to my flat in London, I was attacked and mugged by a group of individuals.

"Luckily, I have no injuries and I am ok. Unfortunately, they just took my phone so I’m without one for the foreseeable future.

"I want to thank the Met Police for their swift response and support. The officers who assisted me went above and beyond. They are a remarkable credit to the force."

Liberal Democrat MP Tim Farron replied: "That's awful - I hope you are ok?"

Labour MP Chris Bryant added: "I hope you’re ok. Sending you best wishes."

Badenoch 'delighted' with Shadow Cabinet picks ahead of first meeting

Kemi Badenoch has expressed her delight after appointing the remaining members of her Shadow Cabinet this morning.

The new Tory leader said: “I am delighted to have appointed my Shadow Cabinet, which draws on the talents of people from across the Conservative Party, based on meritocracy and with a breadth of experience and perspective, just as I promised during the campaign.

“Our party’s problems will only be solved with a team effort, and I am confident my Shadow Cabinet ministers will deliver effective opposition as we seek to win back the trust of the public.

“We will now get to work holding Labour to account and rebuilding our party based on Conservative principles and values. The process of renewing our great party has now begun.”

Badenoch will hold her first Shadow Cabinet meeting this morning, with junior roles being handed out on a rolling basis.

'Recipe for chaos!' Lib Dems slam Badenoch's Shadow Cabinet as full of 'contradictions'

The Liberal Democrats have slammed Kemi Badenoch's Shadow Cabinet as being full of "contradictions" before warning it is a "recipe for yet more Conservative chaos".

Richmond MP Sarah Olney, who serves as the Liberal Democrats' Cabinet Office spokesperson, said: “This Cabinet of contradictions is a recipe for yet more Conservative chaos. How can they claim to be able to hold this new Government to account when they have just as many disagreements with each other?

“From a Shadow Justice Secretary who wants to leave the ECHR to a Shadow Foreign Secretary who had to resign for holding undisclosed meetings, this Shadow Cabinet has more than a ‘whiff of impropriety’.

“The Conservative Party voted for the economic vandalism caused by Liz Truss’s mini Budget and shattered the NHS. Every major challenge that this country faces the Conservative Party is responsible for.

“The Liberal Democrats are the only party that can provide the decent opposition that this country needs.”

Here's the full list of Badenoch's Shadow Cabinet

Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer - Mel Stride

Shadow Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs - Dame Priti Patel

Shadow Home Secretary - Chris Philp

Shadow Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Shadow Secretary of State for Northern Ireland - Alex Burghart

Shadow Secretary of State for Defence - James Cartlidge

Shadow Secretary of State for Justice - Robert Jenrick

Shadow Secretary of State for Education - Laura Trott

Shadow Health and Social Care Secretary - Ed Argar

Shadow Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities - Kevin Hollinrake

Shadow Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs - Victoria Atkins

Shadow Secretary of State for Business and Trade - Andrew Griffith

Shadow Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero and Shadow Minister for Equalities: Claire Coutinho

Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions - Helen Whately

Shadow Secretary of State for Transport - Gareth Bacon

Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport - Stuart Andrew

Shadow Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology - Alan Mak

Shadow Secretary of State for Scotland and Shadow Minister of State for Energy and Net Zero - Andrew Bowie

Shadow Secretary of State for Wales and Shadow Minister for Wome - Mims Davies

Opposition Chief Whip (Commons) - Dame Rebecca Harris

Shadow Leader of the House of Commons - Jesse Norman

Shadow Leader of the House of Lords - Lord True

Co-Chairmen of the Party - Nigel Huddleston & Lord Johnson

Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury - Richard Fuller

Julia Lopez MP will also attend the Shadow Cabinet as Badenoch's parliamentary private secretary.

Starmer swerves calls to sack ‘race-baiting’ Labour MP after Badenoch ‘blackface’ post - 'She deleted it!'

Sir Keir Starmer has swerved calls to suspend Dawn Butler after the Labour MP shared a social media post linking new Tory leader Kemi Badenoch to “white supremacy”.

The Prime Minister, who was at Interpol’s summit in Glasgow yesterday, said: “She [Butler] shouldn’t have said what she did and she has deleted it, and quite right too.”

Following Badenoch’s victory in the 2024 Tory leadership race, Butler shared a post by Nigerian journalist Nels Abbey that offered “tips for surviving the immediate surge of Badenochism (ie white supremacy in blackface)”.

Butler, who served as Jeremy Corbyn’s Shadow Equalities Secretary, later deleted the post from her feed after sparking outrage on social media.

GB News host Nana Akua wrote an open letter to the Prime Minister yesterday to urge Starmer to “permanently withdraw” the whip from Butler.

Akua joined ex-Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng in putting pressure on Starmer to sack Butler.

Kwarteng, who was at the heart of another race row when Labour MP Rupa Huq described him as “superficially black”, told GB News: “On a personal level I’ve always got on with her, but her race-baiting is completely crazy.”

He added: “I genuinely think that given what she said, she should have the whip removed from her. There should be some discipline and some disciplinary measure against this kind of really hateful divisiveness.”

Badenoch's Tories 'up for fight' against Labour, new co-chair claims

The Conservative Party's new co-chair has claimed Kemi Badenoch's Tories are "up for the fight" with Sir Keir Starmer's Labour.

Speaking to GB News this morning, Nigel Huddleston said: “We do need to focus on those principles that unite us which is very different, I think you saw in the Budget last week in particular, we believe in low taxes, we believe in personal responsibility, we believe in efficient and where possible small Government.

“This is in stark contrast to the opposition and we are up for the fight now.

"We will unite around the new leader because the whole future of the country is at stake and therefore we take that responsibility to be an effective opposition very seriously indeed."

Who's in Kemi's Shadow Cabinet? Full update on Badenoch's top team ahead of first meeting

New Tory leader Kemi Badenoch has appointed a number of Tory bigwigs to her Shadow Cabinet.

Badenoch, who was announced as the winner in the race to replace Rishi Sunak on Saturday, made room for a number of her ex-leadership rivals.

Mel Stride was appointed as Shadow Chancellor, with Priti Patel also finding herself as Shadow Foreign Secretary.

Robert Jenrick, who only trailed Badenoch by 12,418 votes in the members' vote, is also planning to take Labour on as Shadow Justice Secretary.

Badenoch backer Laura Trott was the first Shadow Cabinet Minister appointed, opposing Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson in yesterday's tuition fees debate.

Labour blasted over 'open invitation' plan to 'fast track' migrants from Afghanistan, Iran and Syria - 'The traffickers are laughing!'

Labour has come under fire over its controversial plans to "fast track" migrants from countries including Afghanistan, Iran and Syria to Britain.

Speaking to GB News, Migration Watch UK chairman Alp Mehmet pointed to Labour's earlier claims that fast-tracking would "reduce the cost of accommodating migrants" - with tens of thousands being put up at Britons' expense to the tune of £4.2million every day.

But he said processing claims more quickly "does nothing of the sort" and simply "passes the burden onto local authorities and adds strength to the already-powerful magnet" pulling asylum seekers to the UK.

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