Rachel Reeves announces first Labour budget date as she scraps key Sunak pledge

Nigel Farage slams 'woke' RAF for scrapping 'Crusaders' name that is 'offensive to Muslims'

Nigel Farage has slated the RAF as "woke" after it it canned a squadron nickname over a complaint it was "offensive to Muslims".

The RAF's 14 Squadron had first gained the nickname "Crusaders" in the First World War, when it flew sorties over Gaza and Palestine - but after a complaint, air crews have been told to remove all references to the name over its historical connotations.

Reacting to the news, Reform UK leader Nigel Farage said: "So 14 Squadron - the RAF - involved in two World Wars, and busy today with intelligence and reconnaissance.

"Their nickname is 'The Crusaders', but a senior boss in the RAF has decided that name now has to be dropped because it might cause offence to Muslims.

"I wonder whether in Saudi Arabia, they're bending to our culture, and our way of life?

"I wonder even more deeply why we are literally 'giving in' on virtually everything. Tell me I'm wrong!"

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Suella Braverman would be 'welcome to join' Reform UK and would 'bring half the membership with her', Lee Anderson says

Reform UK's Lee Anderson has said former Home Secretary Suella Braverman would be "quite welcome" to join his party.

Speaking to the Telegraph, Anderson said Braverman would "probably take half the [Tory] membership with her" if she linked up with Nigel Farage's new boys in Westminster.

In the aftermath of her withdrawal from the Conservative leadership race on Sunday, Anderson said: "Suella knows where the true Conservatives sit in the chamber, and she is quite welcome to join us."

Anderson, a Conservative defector to Reform himself, is the party's Chief Whip - and would doubtless relish the arrival of the Tory heavyweight, who would raise Reform's Commons turnout to six MPs.

Jeremy Hunt was 'FURIOUS' that Rachel Reeves 'TORE UP Rishi Sunak's legacy'

Jeremy Hunt was visibly furious that Rachel Reeves "tore up" both "his and Rishi Sunak's legacy," GB News reporter Adam Cherry has claimed.

In the House of Commons this afternoon, Reeves slammed the Tories for instigating a "cover-up" as she pledged to take action to fill a £20billion "hole" in Government expenditure.

The Chancellor accused the previous Government under the Conservative Party of "covering up the true state of the public finances" in the Commons as part of a wide-ranging attack on her predecessors in the Treasury.

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Labour confirms exact date private schools to be charged 20% VAT

Private schools are set to have their tax-exempt status rescinded in just five months, Chancellor Rachel Reeves has said.

As part of the move, as Reeves announced today in Parliament, a 20 per cent VAT charge will be added to fees by January 1, 2025.

If the roughly 2,500 private schools in the UK choose to pass on the tax rise to parents, it will mean that fees will rise in the middle of the school year.

READ THE FULL STORY HERE

Pensioners to lose up to £300 in energy bill support under Reeves' plan for economy

Energy bill support will be withdrawn from millions of pensioners by the Labour Party in a blow to older households.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves has announced that Winter Fuel Payments will no longer be universal and will only be available to pensioners on means-tested benefit support, such as Pension Credit.

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Reeves reveals cuts after £20bn budget 'black hole' and accuses Tories of 'cover-up'

Rachel Reeves has slammed the Tories for instigating a "cover-up" as she pledged to take action to fill a £20billion "hole" in Government expenditure.

The Chancellor accused the previous Government under the Conservative Party of "covering up the true state of the public finances" in the Commons as part of a wide-ranging attack on her predecessors in the Treasury.

READ THE FULL STORY HERE

Chancellor unveils budget date, scraps key Sunak pledge in scathing address to Commons

Rachel Reeves has confirmed the first budget of the Labour government will fall on October 30.

In a highly critical address to the House of Commons, the Chancellor made the date confirmation as she lamented the financial "black hole" left over by the prior Conservative government.

And in another swipe at Labour's predecessors in power, Reeves has vowed to scrap a key Rishi Sunak-era pledge.

The Chancellor told MPs Labour is scrapping the Advanced British Standard qualification, as introduced by the former PM.

She said the cost of the proposal "rises to billions" in future years - and if the government cannot afford it, they will not pay for it.

"This was supposed to be Sunak's legacy - but it turns out he didn't put aside a single penny to pay for it," Reeves said.

1922 Committee chair: Tories 'attacking' each other will receive 'yellow cards'

Bob Blackman, the Tories' 1922 Committee chair, has said the party is "determined that this is going to be a good, clean contest" ahead of its impending leadership election.

Blackman said the six candidates, who will be campaigning nationwide for the next few months, could be handed a "yellow card" if they "indulge in attacking each other".

He continued: "The situation with the yellow card is very simple.

"The constant backbiting and attacking colleagues both in public and on the media in the last Parliament was one of the contributory reasons as to why the party did so badly in the general election.

"We are determined that we will not tolerate that happening.

"So if candidates indulge in it, then I will get involved, obviously, to warn them and, if necessary, issue a public statement to the fact that they have been involved in such activity.

"If MPs get involved in such backbiting then the chief whip will intervene, and if ex-MPs get involved then the party chairman will be involved in making sure that simple action is taken."

Tories reveal final six leadership candidates

The Tories' 1922 Committee chair, Bob Blackman, has unveiled the Conservatives' six leadership candidates ahead of the party's leadership election.

The six names who have submitted valid nomination papers are:

• Kemi Badenoch
• James Cleverly
• Mel Stride
• Tom Tugendhat
• Priti Patel
• Robert Jenrick

MPs will then vote on September 4 to reduce the number of candidates, with a second vote a week later to whittle down the number of candidates to four, if necessary.

Said four candidates will speak to Tory members at the party conference - before MPs reduce the number of candidates again, this time down to two, by October 10.

Conservative Party members will vote until 31 October - with Rishi Sunak's successor to be announced on 2 November.

UK may cease arms sales to Israel 'within days'

Local media reports that the Israeli government believes that within the next few days, the UK could announce an end to the sale of arms to Israel.

Foreign secretary David Lammy said last week that he had requested an assessment of the legal situation regarding weapons use in Gaza, and that he hoped to be able to communicate any decisions with "full accountability and transparency."

Israeli forces, which have now captured nearly the entire Gaza Strip in nearly 10 months of war, have spent the last several weeks launching major operations in areas where they had previously claimed to have uprooted Hamas fighters.

Junior doctors strike an improved pay deal with ministers

Junior doctors could see their earnings rise by about 20 per cent over two years after striking an improved pay deal with ministers, in a breakthrough.

The Times reports the British Medical Association’s (BMA) junior doctors committee has recommended an offer which would see a backdated pay rise of 4.05 per cent for 2023-24, on top of an existing increase of between 8.8 per cent and 10.3 per cent.

Rachel Reeves, the chancellor, will confirm the pay rises this afternoon when she appears before the Commons for a statement on the state of public finances. Downing Street did not confirm or deny these reports.

Asked about the report in The Times, the Prime Minister’s official spokesman told reporters: "As we’ve said before, we’re committed to working to find a solution, resolving this dispute, but I can’t get into detailed running commentary on negotiations.

"We’ve been honest with the public and the sector about the economic circumstances we face. But the Government is determined to do the hard work necessary to finally bring these strikes to an end.”

The official added the industrial action has been "hugely damaging both to patients and to the impact on the waiting lists and we’ve said we’re committed to finding a solution and resolving this dispute."

Boris Johnson calls on Tory contenders to 'finish the job' with net zero

The former Prime Minister said: “Protecting our environment has consistently been a priority for the British people.

"Whether it is investing in homegrown offshore wind and nuclear to create green jobs across the country, or incentivising our farmers to restore nature, successive Conservative governments have taken bold environmental action and built an impressive record.

"Unlike the left, we know that it is only through unleashing private enterprise and driving innovation that we will finish the job of reaching net zero. We must avoid a costly, hair-shirt approach to the environment that alienates the public and undermines support for going green."

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Kemi Badenoch launches Conservative leadership bid

Writing in The Times, the Shadow Housing and Communities Secretary said the party deserved to lose in the General Election because it was "unsure of who we were, what we were for and how we could build a new country".

Announcing her bid to replace Rishi Sunak, the MP for North West Essex wrote: "The country will not vote for us if we don’t know who we are or what we want to be. That is why I am seeking the leadership of the Conservative Party to renew our movement and, with the support of the British people, to get it to work for our country again."

Badenoch has become the sixth Tory to enter the contest, joining Dame Priti Patel, Mel Stride, Tom Tugendhat, James Cleverly and Robert Jenrick in the race to replace Sunak.

Rachel Reeves to outline immediate cuts to public spending

Chancellor Rachel Reeves is set to outline immediate cuts to public spending to fill a £20billion "black hole" in Government expenditure.

Reeves will break down the findings of a Treasury spending audit which will reportedly reveal billions of pounds were overspent on unfunded promises by the Tories.

Read the full story here.

Former Olympic sprinter becomes second Scottish Conservatives leadership candidate

MSP Brian Whittle has become the second candidate to declare in the race for the Scottish Tory leadership to replace Douglas Ross.

Writing in the Scotsman, the West of Scotland MSP leaned heavily on his sporting background, saying the leadership contest was “when we decide how we pick ourselves up and prepare for the next race”.

His announcement follows fellow MSP Russell Findlay throwing his hat into the ring last week. Ross announced in the middle of the General Election campaign he would quit after polling day, following backlash over his decision to stand in the stead of former MP David Duguid, who party bosses deemed too ill to run.

Announcing his intentions, Whittle said the party had "never been a serious contender" to take over in Scotland in the 25 years of the Scottish Parliament.

Labour says Rwanda scheme has cost hundreds of millions of pounds more than previously announced

Cabinet Office minister Pat McFadden MP told Sky News: "What we have discovered since taking office a few weeks ago is things were even worse than we thought and the previous government was certainly guilty of running away from the situation. Let me give you a couple of examples.

“We were told, for example, that the Rwanda scheme was going to cost £400 million. We have now found that it is £700 million, with billions more to be spent in future. The government were emptying the country’s reserves to pay for other parts of their asylum policy.

"In addition to that, the secretary of state for education had a pay offer for teachers on her desk that nobody told anyone about during the election."

Suella Braverman is OUT of the leadership race

Suella Braverman has confirmed she will not run to be the next leader of the Conservative Party claiming she got the backing she needed to run but has chosen not to.

The MP for Fareham and Waterlooville said: "Although I’m grateful to the 10 MPs who wanted to nominate me for the leadership, getting on to the ballot is not enough. There is, for good or for ill, no point in someone like me running to lead the Tory Party when most of the MPs disagree with my diagnosis and prescription."

She said the party’s disastrous election result was down to failures on migration, taxes and "transgender ideology".

The former Home Secretary added: "I’ve been branded mad, bad and dangerous enough to see that the Tory Party does not want to hear this. And so I will bow out here."

Read the full story here.

Science secretary warns Britain is 'desperately exposed' to cyber threats and another pandemic

Peter Kyle MP said that further work was needed to boost the UK’s readiness for a future pandemic and for cyber threats.

The MP for Hove and Portslade told The Guardian: "National resilience suffered terribly, catastrophically...The open warfare of the previous government prevented any kind of progress in these areas and left our country desperately exposed not just to a future pandemic but also to cybersecurity issues.

"When I became secretary of state, within a very short period of time, and I’m talking hours, not multiple days, I became very, very aware that there was a cybersecurity challenge that our country faced that I simply wasn’t aware of before becoming secretary of state."

Jenrick says there will be 'no deal' with Nigel Farage if he wins leadership race

The former home office minister told party members that he plans to win back Tory voters who defected to Farage’s Reform UK.

A number of sources claimed that former Tory MP turned Reform UK MP Lee Anderson said Jenrick "would provide the biggest problem."

Anderson denied this and told The Independent: "None of them worry us. Just look at their majorities."

Kemi Badenoch says public services will 'never fully recover'

She wrote: "We will renew by starting from first principles: we can't control immigration until we reconfirm our belief in the nation state and the sovereign duty it has, above all else, to serve its own citizens.

"Our public services will never fully recover from the pandemic until we remember that government should do some things well, not everything badly.

"At the foundation of our renewal, and indeed the reassembly of the Conservative family, is a confident set of principles about how our economy should work, and for whom it should work."