Inside Politics: Ministers ignored terror warnings and Sunak mulls VAT cut on household energy bills

Advice of official commission on rise of extremism cast aside and chancellor considering slashing tax to help families through winter, writes Matt Mathers

(PA)

Political divides are put aside today as the House comes together to remember Sir David Amess, the Conservative MP who was stabbed to death during a constituency surgery in his Essex seat. The murder is being treated as terror-related and several of today’s papers look into the suspect’s motives. Elsewhere, Rishi Sunak is reportedly considering a cut to VAT on energy bills and scientists have come together to urge the PM to end new gas and oil projects ahead of the upcoming Cop26 climate summit in Glasgow.

Inside the bubble

MPs return to parliament this week following recess, although most official business has been rescheduled following the murder of Sir David. The Commons sits from 2.30pm with Home Office questions followed by a second reading of the Judicial Review and Courts Bill. At around 3pm, PM Boris Johnson will move a motion for adjournment before leading MPs’ tributes to Sir David. A remembrance service has been organised in St Margaret’s Church at 6pm.

Coming up:

– Deputy PM Dominic Raab on BBC Radio 4 Today at 8.10am

– Jo Cox’s widower Brendan Cox on BBC Breakfast at 8.30am

Daily Briefing

ADVICE IGNORED: Ministers have failed to act on any of the recommendations of an official commission for tackling the rise of extremism in Britain, it has emerged just days after the murder of Sir David. Over three years, the Commission for Countering Extremism – set up by Theresa May in the wake of the Manchester Arena attack – has repeatedly warned more had to be done to tackle the evolving threats facing the UK, including closing legal loopholes that allowed those who inspired terrorists to go free. But ministers have not formally responded to any of the reports released by the body since 2019, and none of the suggested measures have been put in place, despite warnings that security threats would worsen until the government stepped up its response.

ANONYMITY CRACKDOWN: Much of the discussion following the murder of Sir David has focused on the safety of MPs in public and Priti Patel, the home secretary, yesterday hinted at removing online anonymity on social media and other platforms to tackle radicalisation online. Police questioning Ali Harbi Ali on suspicion of terrorism offences are understood to be investigating the possibility that the 25-year-old UK national of Somali background was radicalised by material found on the internet and social media networks during lockdown. Diane Abbott, who receives more online abuse than any other MP, gave her backing to legislation forcing tech giants to reveal the identity of those who peddle hate on their platforms. “Persons inciting violence and racial hatred online should know that they will no longer have this cover,” she told The Independent.

MOTIVE PROBE: Several of this morning’s papers continue to look into the potential motives behind the killing of Sir David, who was chairman of the all-party parliamentary group on Qatar. According to the Times, detectives – while stressing that all avenues are being explored – are examining the Conservative MP’s links with the Gulf state. The man being questioned over the fatal stabbing, Ali Harbi Ali, 25, is the son of a former prime ministerial adviser in Somalia, whose new president is backed by Qatar. According to The Sun, Mr Ali was radicalised online. Friends of his told the paper, which splashes on the first of the suspect, that he watched online videos of hate preacher Anjem Choudary. Meanwhile, the Mail reports that Mr Ali had previously attended the Prevent, an official deradicalisation programme.

VAT’LL DO: Chancellor Rishi Sunak is considering a cut to the 5 per cent rate of value added tax on household energy bills, in a move which would allow Johnson’s to deliver a supposed “Brexit dividend” and help families through a tough winter, the Financial Times reports.

COP WOES: Away from the murder of Sir David, scores of the most respected climate scientists in the world have called on the PM to bring an end to new oil and gas development in the UK ahead of the Cop26 climate summit. An influential report from the world’s energy watchdog released in May said there can be no further fossil fuel expansion anywhere if global climate targets are to be met. Elsewhere, companies that stumped up millions of pounds to sponsor the talks have condemned it as “mismanaged” and “very last minute” in a volley of complaints, The Guardian reports.

On the record

“I want us to look at everything and there is work taking place already. I spend too much time with communities who have been under attack, who’ve had all sorts of postings put online and it’s a struggle to get those postings taken down. We want to make some big changes on that.”

Home secretary Priti Patel hints at removing right to anonymity on social media to stop ‘relentless’ abuse of MPs.

From the Twitterati

“Bills will jump - but by a little less. Still trying to get my head around my own enormous energy bills now I’ve realised my smart meters were broken, despite thousands on insulation, energy saving design, solar, etc. When I think about average income households it’s scary.”

Krishnan Guru-Murthy of Channel 4 News on reports Sunak is considering cutting VAT on energy bills.

Essential reading

• Diane Abbott, The Independent: MPs feel under threat and we need action – but not a police guard
• Andrew Grice, The Independent: I’ve covered Westminster for 40 years – abuse of MPs is getting worse
• Hamish McRae, The Independent: The biggest long-term lessons we can learn from the supply chain crisis
• John Harris, The Guardian: The gap between reckless Brexit promises and reality will soon be too big to ignore

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