Dominic Raab news – live: Sunak to hire independent investigator to probe bullying claims

Downing Street says PM still has confidence in his deputy amid mounting bullying claims

Full exchange: Angela Rayner grills Dominic Raab over bullying complaints at PMQs

Rishi Sunak will appoint an “independent investigator” to examine complaints made by staff who worked for Dominic Raab, but is unable to say when the probe will start.

Work is underway to find a person with “requisite experience” – in the absence of a permanent ethics adviser, after Boris Johnson failed to fill the role, No 10 said.

But a spokeswoman could not say the investigation will start by Christmas, saying: “I’m not going to put a date on it”.

Earlier, Mr Raab accused Labour’s deputy leader Angela Rayner of “bluster and mudslinging” as she challenged him on the bullying allegations at Prime Minister’s Questions.

Just hours before the session the justice secretary and deputy PM confirmed that he was at the centre of two formal complaints.

One of the complaints relates to the cabinet minister’s time as foreign secretary, a role he held from 2019 to 2021, while the other relates to his first spell as justice secretary from 2021 to 2022.

Key points

• Sunak to hire independent investigator to probe bullying claims
• Raab accuses Rayner of ‘bluster and mudslinging'
• Raab hit with formal complaints ahead of PMQs
• Economic situation at home ‘number one priority’, Sunak says
• UK inflation jumps to new 40-year high of 11.1 per cent
• Lifting of cap on bankers’ bonuses expected in chancellor’s autumn budget

[16 November 2022 07:46 · Katy Clifton]

No talks on UK-US trade deal in Bali

Rishi Sunak and Joe Biden did not discuss a UK-US trade deal in their bilateral meeting at the G20, Downing Street has said.

The prime minister’s press secretary told reporters in Bali: “There wasn’t specific talk about a trade deal, but our relationship is not just about trade and they are our closest trading partner even without a trade deal.

“But you know, it goes beyond that, whether that’s security, whether it’s dealing with the economic challenges that we face.”

Asked if that meant a trade deal was not a priority for the PM, she said: “Obviously our close relationship and as one of our biggest trading partners that is a very important part of our relationship.”

She also declined to comment on the timing of a potential agreement.

[16 November 2022 07:45 · Namita Singh]

‘Important to remain calm’, says Sunak

Rishi Sunak said it was important to remain calm and to establish the facts after a missile hit Poland close to the border with Ukraine.

Speaking at the start of a session on digital transformation at the G20 summit in Bali, the prime minister said it was “critical” to protect the international order.

British prime minister Rishi Sunak speaks with US president Joe Biden during a bilateral meeting at the G20 summit on 16 November 2022 in Nusa Dua, Indonesia (Getty Images,)

“It is important that we remain calm and focus on establishing the facts,” he said.

“I spoke to President Duda this morning to express my sympathy and pledge our support.

“As I said yesterday, it is critical we protect the international order and the fundamental principles of the UN Charter.”

[16 November 2022 07:35 · Namita Singh]

Downing Street declines to comment on details surrounding missile hitting Poland

Downing Street has declined to comment on reports that the missile that hit Poland was fired by Ukrainian forces at an incoming Russian missile, saying that the facts needed to be established first.

The prime minister’s official spokesperson said: “Certainly the incident was looked at and discussed at the G7, I think, on all sides there’s agreement there needs further investigation before any conclusions are drawn.

US president Joe Biden and British prime minister Rishi Sunak attend a meeting of leaders at the G20 summit after a missile landed in Poland near the Ukrainian border, on 16 November 2022 in Nusa Dua, Indonesia (Getty Images,)

“It’s important to look at the facts and establish the facts in the first instance before coming to any conclusions.

“None of that changes what we know has happened which is a substantial missile attack into Ukraine from Russia targeting civilians and civilian infrastructure.

“It’s a barbaric attack, particularly coming at a time when world leaders are meeting shows the continued contempt Putin shows towards international order.”

[16 November 2022 07:30 · Namita Singh]

72% of single mothers worried about running out of money in retirement, finds report

Four in 10 (40 per cent) single mothers say they are not a member of a pension, compared with three in 10 (29 per cent) women generally, according to a report.

Nearly three-quarters (72 per cent) of single mothers are concerned about running out of money in retirement, as are 61 per cent of women generally and 52 per cent of men, Scottish Widows said.

Lone parent households with dependent children have £29,000 of assets on average, covering all wealth, including pensions, it said.

This compares with over £275,000 for the average couple with dependent children.

Read the details here:

[16 November 2022 07:20 · Namita Singh]

Sunak’s meeting with Xi Jinping called off, says Downing Street

Rishi Sunak’s meeting with China’s president Xi Jinping at the G20 summit has been called off, Downing Street has said.

The bilateral talks were scheduled in the afternoon, but were scrapped due to timings changing after an emergency morning meeting of G7 and Nato leaders over missiles crossing into Poland, according to the prime minister’s official spokesperson.

British prime minister Rishi Sunak and prime minister Justin Trudeau of Canada hold a press conference at the G20 summit on 16 November 2022 in Nusa Dua, Indonesia (Getty Images,)

[16 November 2022 07:18 · Katy Clifton]

Hunt wants tough decisions needed as inflation soars

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt blamed the impact of the pandemic and war in Ukraine for the spike in prices as he warned that “tough” decisions on tax and spending would be needed in Thursday’s autumn statement.

“The aftershock of Covid and Putin’s invasion of Ukraine is driving up inflation in the UK and around the world,” he said.

“This insidious tax is eating into pay cheques, household budgets and savings, while thwarting any chance of long-term economic growth.

“It is our duty to help the Bank of England in their mission to return inflation to target by acting responsibly with the nation’s finances. That requires some tough but necessary decisions on tax and spending to help balance the books.

“We cannot have long-term, sustainable growth with high inflation. Tomorrow I will set out a plan to get debt falling, deliver stability, and drive down inflation while protecting the most vulnerable.”

[16 November 2022 07:18 · Katy Clifton]

UK inflation jumps to new 40-year high

Inflation has reached a new 40-year-high of 11.1 per cent amid soaring energy bills and food prices.

The rate of Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation hit the peak in October from 10.1 per cent in September, the latest data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) revealed.

Liam James is reporting on this breaking story below:

[16 November 2022 07:15 · Namita Singh]

Health secretary pledges NHS changes to tackle ‘future storms’

The NHS needs to be put on a better footing to deal with future storms, the health secretary is expected to say.

Steve Barclay will tell the NHS providers conference in Liverpool the health service is about to experience a tough winter.

He will say: “We face the twin threats of Covid and flu, external pressures around energy and cost of living, and we enter the colder months without the breathing space that we might have usually had due to Covid pressures over the summer.”

Read the details here:

[16 November 2022 07:00 · Namita Singh]

UK could have slashed gas use with higher rates of heat pumps, analysis finds

If the UK had deployed heat pumps at the same rate as some other European countries, our dependence on gas would be significantly lower this year, analysis suggests.

An assessment from the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU) found that if the UK had already installed the same amount of heat pumps per 100,000 people as Estonia has, domestic gas use would be 34 per cent less than in 2021.

Gas imports in 2021 could have been cut by a fifth, the analysis found.

Report:

[16 November 2022 06:58 · Namita Singh]

‘Councils would need to hike council tax by 20% to plug funding gap’

Councils in England would need to increase council tax by a fifth over the next two years to plug a gap in government funding, analysis suggests.The shortfall in funding is too big to be tackled by rising council tax alone, warns the Local Government Association (LGA).

LGA analysis suggests councils will face a £3.4bn funding gap in 2023-24 rising to £4.5bn in 2024-25.

More in this report: