Inside Politics: Strikes

Teachers among an estimated 500,000 workers walking out in disputes over pay and conditions, writes Matt Mathers

(PA)

Hello there, I’m Matt Mathers and welcome to The Independent’s Inside Politics newsletter.

You probably read a lot about Brexit’s third anniversary yesterday.

Boris Johnson entered the fray last night with a celebration video in which he made a dubious claim about the UK’s Covid vaccine roll out.

Perhaps more evidence, as if we ever needed it, that you can’t teach a Big Dog new tricks.

Inside the bubble

Our political commentator Andrew Grice on what to look out for today:

The most workers will be on strike on a single day since 2011, as teachers in England and Wales join train drivers, civil servants and university lecturers in walking out. The TUC will stage a “protect the right to strike” day of action in protest at legislation to force unions to provide a minimum service level in some areas in some future strikes.

At prime minister’s questions, Rishi Sunak might be happier to talk about strikes, and try to put the spotlight on to Labour’s trade union links, than the sleaze allegations overshadowing his government. Keir Starmer might prefer to focus on sleaze and Sunak’s record as he completes 100 days as prime minister tomorrow.

Later there will be a Commons debate on government plans to raise the state pension age.

The European scrutiny select committee will hold a session about the UK-EU negotiations on the Northern Ireland protocol.

Daily briefing

School is out

We may not have reached half-term yet but school is certainly out today for pupils across England and Wales as teachers strike in a row over pay and conditions. Britain’s industrial strife has been somewhat bubbling away on the back burner in recent weeks, knocked off the top of the political agenda by other events.

But the size of today’s industrial action – more than 100,000 teachers at 23,000 schools could walkout – means that strikes are very much front and centre of the news this morning as Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer prepare for another ding-dong at Prime Minister’s Questions later. Pushing strikes up the agenda is the fact that teachers will be joined by civil servants, university lecturers, bus drivers, security guards and Border Force staff, with an estimated 500,000 workers across different sectors walking out in what has been described as the biggest strike day the country has seen for more than a decade.

The government has said today’s strikes will be “very difficult” and continues to insist they are sticking to the recommendations of the independent pay review bodies and that higher pay rises across the public sector will stoke already sky-high inflation. Gillian Keegan, the education secretary, out on the broadcast round earlier, said that she was “disappointed” that the strikes are going ahead, telling Times Radio the industrial action is “not a last resort”. “We are still in discussions. Obviously, there is a lot of strike action today but this strike did not need to go ahead,” she said. Labour, meanwhile, has accused ministers of not getting around the negotiating table and of deliberately stoking the conflict for political gain.

Today’s strikes come less than 24 hours after the government’s Minimum Service Levels Bill passed its third reading in the Commons unamended, with MPs voting in favour of the legislation by 315 to 246. While the prime minister’s “union paymasters” attack has not been that effective, you would still expect him to go after Starmer on the legislation after it was opposed by Labour.

It will be interesting to see whether Sunak tries out some new lines today at PMQs, following last week’s cabinet away day at Chequers, part of which was used to strategise for the next general election. For Starmer, there are still some questions surrounding the Nadhim Zahawi affair, with Angela Rayner, deputy leader and Anneliese Dodds, party chairwoman, writing to Sunak demanding answers. Three Civil Service permanent secretaries have now given evidence to the bullying investigation in deputy PM Dominic Raab. Don’t be surprised if this crops up during the session.

(PA)

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Protocol latest

Could the seemingly never-ending quagmire over Brexit’s Northern Ireland protocol finally be coming to an end?

The mood music in negotiations has certainly changed since Sunak entered No 10 Downing Street in October last year.

And while there have been plenty of false dawns over the past few years, it feels like the two sides have been making genuine progress in recent weeks.

That progress is backed up by a further report this morning saying that the UK and the EU have reached an agreement on customs.

Brussels is said to have accepted a British plan that would avoid routine checks on goods moving from Great Britain into Northern Ireland in what would be a major breakthrough in the ongoing row.

Many unionists in Northern Ireland are vehemently opposed to arrangements they claim have weakened the region’s place within the union.

While there is hope a deal can seven tests for the ending of protocol checks laid down by the DUP, there are fears there is no compromise the unionist party and hardline Brexiteers in the Tory party will accept.

Today’s cartoon

See all of The Independent’s daily cartoons here

(Dave Brown)

On the record

Sir Edward Leigh, Tory MP for Gainsborough, wants tax cuts now.

“My view is you can’t wait until the general election. (Tory MPs) are depressed. You’ve got to give them hope. You’ve got to say: ‘We made the right decisions in September, therefore that’s given me room in this budget to cut taxes, whether it’s corporation, personal or fuel’ . That was my point anyway. But, obviously, he is not going to comment now... but he got the message.”

From the Twitterati

Sunder Katwala, director of British Future on identity and integration, concisely summarises what he thinks Starmer’s strategy on Brexit it – a topic that has been perplexing some commentators since he became leader.

“Starmer’s strategy is

-accept Brexit

-take temperature out of Brexit

-seek closer links, esp in the most boring and technocratic way

And, maybe (tbc) to develop further that broader “accept and soften” agenda over 3-5 years.

Politically, much space to do that if he chooses.”

Essential reading

• Sean O’Grady, The Independent: Why the government’s new anti-strike law won’t be in force any time soon
• John Rentoul, The Independent: People are thinking it, but no one is saying it: Was Liz Truss right?
• Andrew Marr, The New Statesman: Conservatives are losing confidence in Rishi Sunak
• David Patrikarakos, UnHerd: The Chechens fighting for Ukraine

Inside Politics first appeared in our daily morning email. You can sign up via this link.