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Kemi Badenoch dismisses Reform-Tory toppling plot after swiping at 'showman' Nigel Farage

Kemi Badenoch has dismissed the threat posed from a Tory-Reform "Unite the Right" toppling plot after taking a swipe at Nigel Farage.

The Leader of the Opposition, who yesterday delivered her biggest policy commitment since Rishi Sunak in November, provided a stark account of her reaction to reports suggesting a Conservative cabal is already circling around her ahead of the 2025 Local Elections.

Speaking to The Telegraph, Badenoch said: “I read it and I laughed. There is a phenomenon of wishful thinking where people want to do something and so they try and talk it into reality and make it a self-fulfilling prophecy.

“But look at Reform. Only five of them and they’ve already had a massive squabble and lost 20 per cent of their MPs. If they can’t unite with five people, how are they going to Unite the Right?”

Taking aim at Farage, the Leader of the Opposition added: “This isn’t I’m A Celebrity or Strictly Come Dancing. You don’t vote for the person that you’re enjoying watching and then switch off when the show’s over."

There has been no love lost between Badenoch and Farage since the pair first faced-off in the fight to lead Britain's centre-right.

Badenoch's North West Essex seat was identified as a major Reform target following last Boxing Day's bust-up over membership numbers.

Employers have 'got a lot of heavy lifting to do' following welfare cuts, MP says

Employers have “got a lot of heavy lifting to do” after the welfare cuts, a Labour MP has said.

Rachael Maskell, who has served in York Central since 2015, told the BBC: “It’s got to be a partnership between the disabled person, the state and employers, so employers have got a lot of heavy lifting to do in this.

“However, it can’t be at the expense of disabled people, pushing them into work when they just simply will not be able to sustain that work, or indeed could end up in a capability procedure, or bullied out of work.

“So we’ve got to make this work for disabled people, and we’ve got no detail as to the employer’s responsibility within this, we’re just hearing about the money.”

Reform UK reaches highest level of support in Scotland, poll shows

Nigel Farage’s party Reform UK has recorded its highest level of support in a Scottish poll, with the party on 14 seats if the results were replicated in next year’s Holyrood election.

This would mean they finish ahead of both the Greens and Lib Dems, with the SNP still the largest party, according to analysis of the Survation poll for Quantum Communications.

The poll put the SNP on 55 seats, Labour on 19, the Conservatives on 17, with the Lib Dems on 13, the Greens on 10 and Alba with one seat.

Survation polled 1,012 people in Scotland between March 6 and 13.

Professor Nicola McEwen of Glasgow University said: “The rise of Reform across the UK has been one of the key features of polling in the last year.

“Until now, Scotland had seemed to buck the trend, but this poll puts Reform UK at its highest share of the vote in Scotland to date.

“The poll suggests Reform UK could be a real contender for constituency seats in those regions where it has most support, especially Central Scotland, Mid Scotland and Fife, and the West of Scotland.

“The party is also polling strongly in party list preferences … in the three regions where it is strongest, Reform UK now has around the same vote share as Labour.”

People with anxiety could still claim Pip if wellbeing is 'severely impacted', minister says

People who have anxiety and similar conditions will still be able to claim personal independence payments (Pip) if their wellbeing is impacted severely enough, a minister has said.

The Government introduced a raft of welfare measures yesterday that it says will help bring more working age people back into jobs, and which will save the taxpayer billions of pounds.

Social security minister Sir Stephen Timms was asked whether the £5billion worth of cuts would mainly come from tightening eligibility for Pip, which would mean people with anxiety will not be able to claim it.

“No, it depends what the effect of the condition is on people’s wellbeing, and the indicators are all published and set out,” he told Times Radio.

“So if you have difficulties doing certain things, then you get points on the Pip assessment. And the number of points you get determine how much Pip you get.”

He said whilst the cost of Pip will still rise, it will be “nothing like as fast as if we didn’t act” and said the changes will make the cost “sustainable in the long-term”.

GCSE exams could be cut under Labour to reduce pupil stress and 'improve their wellbeing'

GCSE exams could be cut in order to reduce pupil’s stress, Labour’s curriculum review is expected to recommend.

In an interim report published yesterday, concerns were raised by ministers that too much emphasis is being placed on “intensive, high-stakes” exams and not enough on applied skills and other subjects.

Bridget Phillipson, the Education Secretary, claimed that the assessments were having an impact on the “wellbeing” of teenagers.

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Keir Starmer slams 'devastating' sickness and disability benefits bill 

Sir Keir Starmer has said the rising sickness and disability benefits bill is “devastating” public finances and has “wreaked a terrible human cost”, following the Labour Government's £5billion cut to welfare announced yesterday.

The Government revealed a raft of welfare measures it says will help bring more working age people back into jobs, and which will save the taxpayer billions of pounds.

Writing in The Times, the PM pointed to the 2.8 million working age people out of work due to long-term sickness, claiming this was a “damning indictment of the Conservative record” on welfare.

The Prime Minister added: “The result is devastating for the public finances. By 2030 we are projected to spend £70 billion a year on working-age incapacity and disability benefits alone.

“But more importantly it has wreaked a terrible human cost. Young people shut out of the labour market at a formative age. People with complex long-term conditions, written off by a single assessment.

“People who want to return to work, yet can’t access the support they need. All this is happening at scale and it is indefensible.”

​Tulip Siddiq says corruption claims against her are 'false and vexatious'

Tulip Siddiq has debunked the Bangladeshi authorities' corruption claims against her as "false and vexatious".

The MP for Hampstead and Highgate stepped down from her post as Treasury Economic Secretary in January, amid scrutiny of links to her aunt Sheikh Hasina - Bangladesh’s deposed prime minister.

She has now accused the South Asian country of running a “targeted and baseless” campaign against her, questioning why they had briefed the media but not put any allegations to her directly.

Writing to the Bangladesh Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), her lawyers have claimed that its methods were an “unacceptable attempt to interfere with UK politics”.

In a letter that marks her first significant response since her resignation two months ago, her lawyer, Stephenson Harwood, said “At no point have any allegations been put to her fairly, properly and transparently, or indeed at all, by the ACC or anyone else with proper authority on behalf of the Bangladeshi government.

"We require that you immediately stop manufacturing false and vexatious allegations against Ms Siddiq and further media briefings and public comments designed to harm her reputation.”

'It won't raise a single penny!' Reeves issued chilling warning over National Insurance raid

Chancellor Rachel Reeves has received a chilling warning from top Tories over her National Insurance raid.

Reeves announced the £25billion "Jobs Tax" raid in her maiden Budget, with the employers' levy being increased.

However, Shadow Chancellor Mel Stride claimed that there will be an estimated loss of £9.6billion due to economic damage and warned more than £5billion is needed to compensate public sector workers.

He said: “The Labour Chancellor promised £25billion from her Jobs Tax, but we’re likely to end up with less money for our public services because of Labour’s economic mismanagement.

“The OBR had already highlighted the economic damage Labour’s tax hike will cause, and now we see that higher borrowing costs and lower growth will rob the country of much of the remaining revenue.

“This tax is a burden on businesses and workers, and a ticking timebomb that will cripple the economy – with hardworking families hit the hardest.

“If Labour grips welfare, they can cancel their reckless ‘Jobs Tax’ before it bites.”