UK politics live: Kemi Badenoch’s shadow cabinet revealed as former rival Tom Tugendhat ‘snubs role’
Top roles for Priti Patel, Mel Stride, Chris Philp and Robert Jenrick as new shadow cabinet revealed
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Your support makes all the difference.New Tory leader Kemi Badenoch has unveiled her shadow cabinet, with senior roles for Priti Patel, Chris Philp and leadership rival Robert Jenrick.
After a combative leadership contest, Mr Jenrick – a staunch advocate of leaving the European Convention on Human Rights – was handed the justice brief, while Mr Philp was appointed shadow home secretary, Ms Patel given foreign affairs, and Mel Stride made shadow chancellor.
While ex-security minister Tom Tugendhat was among senior Tories notably absent from the new shadow cabinet, sources insisted he had turned down a role, rather than been snubbed.
As Ms Badenoch demanded a “team effort” to end her divided party’s strife, one anonymous senior Tory contacted the BBC to say that her appointment of Dame Priti had effectively “destroyed within 48 hours any chance she had of having a respectable foreign policy”.
Meanwhile, Sir Keir Starmer was also facing a backlash over plans to raise university tuition fees for the first time in eight years, a decision which one union labelled “economically and morally wrong”.
Government has dropped plans to ban smoking in pub gardens, Wes Streeting confirms
The government has dropped plans to ban smoking in outdoor areas such as beer gardens and outside stadiums as part of an extended smoking ban after those plans were leaked to the media, Wes Streeting has confirmed.
The health secretary told GB News: “We’ve got to balance the upside benefits on public health with any potential negative ... either on people’s liberties or on people’s livelihoods.
“And it’s no secret that the hospitality sector has been ... through the mill in recent years. The impact of the pandemic, the challenges in the wider economy, the amount of money we’ve got spare in our pockets.
“And there aren’t many advantages to leaks of government discussions, but one of the advantages of this leak was that it’s meant we’ve been able to have a discussion with the hospitality sector.
“And based on the evidence on the upside risks and the arguments on the downside risks, we’ve chosen not to proceed with the outdoor hospitality proposal at this time.”
The Tobacco and Vapes Bill – which will be introduced to the Commons on Tuesday – still aims to stop smoking and vaping outside schools and children’s playgrounds, he said.
‘Immense talent’ in Tory party for Badenoch to utilise, co-chair insists
Tory co-chair Nigel Huddleston has said he expects Kemi Badenoch could double up on positions and appoint “new talent” to make sure the opposition can shadow the government with a drastically reduced number of MPs.
Asked how the party would be able to cover and shadow with its 121 Conservative MPs when there are 124 positions in the government, he told Sky News: “Well, we will cover it because we’ve got immense talent in the Conservative Party.
“It’s not uncommon. For example, when I was in government, a couple of times, I was both a whip and a minister, and that happens as well.
“So actually, you don’t need quite the number that you might imagine in terms of coverage, and we’ve got some very competent people who can often do two jobs. But the key thing is, we’ve also got some new talent as well in the party.
“We’ve got 28 new MPs, some of whom you’ve seen deliver the most amazing maiden speeches and bringing great experience. And I suspect that some of those will be in the government as well.”
Politics Explained | Can Keir Starmer succeed in reducing immigration?
Keir Starmer has announced that the government is to make further progress on its manifesto pledge to “smash the criminal gangs” and reduce the flow of irregular migration in small boats across the English Channel.
At the Interpol General Assembly in Glasgow – complete with pipe band and more than 1,000 police officers from 196 nations – the prime minister reiterated his motivation and determination: “There is nothing progressive about turning a blind eye as men, women and children die in the Channel.”
His idea is to raise the importance of the issue: “People-smuggling should be viewed as a global security threat similar to terrorism.”
In this Politics Explained piece, The Independent’s associate editor Sean O’Grady looks at whether the prime minister can actually make a difference without a major deterrent to illegal crossings:
Can Keir Starmer succeed in reducing immigration?
Sean O’Grady looks at whether the prime minister can actually make a difference without a major deterrent to illegal crossings
Wes Streeting responds to Sir Chris Hoy’s call to lower prostate cancer screening age
Health secretary Wes Streeting has responded after Sir Chris Hoy suggested that “potentially millions of lives” can be saved if the screening age for prostate cancer is lowered.
The six-time Olympic cycling champion revealed last month that his cancer is terminal after he first made public in February that he was undergoing treatment, including chemotherapy. A tumour was found in Hoy’s shoulder and a second scan found primary cancer in his prostate, which has metastasised to his bones.
Asked about the call on BBC Radio 4’s Today progamme, Mr Streeting said: “I think he makes a very compelling case. I’ve asked the NHS to look at whether we are currently in the right place when it comes to screening.
“So that’s something that we’re actively looking at, and one of the many reasons why Chris Hoy’s openness about his own experience with cancer, his family’s experience with cancer, I think has been so impactful.”
Starmer accuses Tories of ‘still living in fantasy world'
Sir Keir Starmer has accused the Tories of “still living in fantasy world” and seeing “no reason to change whatsoever” as the party’s new leader appointed members of her shadow cabinet on Monday.
Speaking to Labour MPs at a meeting of the parliamentary party on Monday evening, the prime minister said: “While we’re getting on with the job, facing up to the real problems the country faces in our economy and public services, the Tories are still living in a fantasy world.
“While we’re having a national conversation about the future, they’re shouting into a void, sealed off from reality. While we changed our party, so we could change our country, they see no reason to change whatsoever.”
University tuition fee rises labelled ‘morally wrong'
Education unions have labelled the planned university tuition fee rises as “economically and morally wrong”, after it was announced that fees for domestic undergraduate students in England will rise to £9,535 per year after eight years of being frozen at a maximum of £9,250.
Branding the rise “economically and morally wrong”, Jo Grady, general secretary of the University and College Union (UCU), said: “Taking more money from debt-ridden students and handing it to overpaid underperforming vice-chancellors is ill conceived and won’t come close to addressing the sector’s core issues.”
The National Union of Students (NUS) said students were being asked to “foot the bill” to keep the lights and heating on in their universities and to prevent their courses from closing down amid the “crisis”.
Alex Stanley, vice president for higher education of the NUS, said: “This is, and can only ever be, a sticking plaster. Universities cannot continue to be funded by an ever-increasing burden of debt on students.”
But Vivienne Stern, chief executive of Universities UK (UUK), which represents 141 universities, said the Government’s decision was “the right thing to do”.
Ms Phillipson announced that maintenance loans would also rise in line with inflation in the 2025/26 academic year to help students facing cost pressures, by an increase of 3.1 per cent.
Welcoming the government’s move, Ms Stern said: “A decade-long freeze in England has seen inflation erode the real value of student fees and maintenance loans by around a third, which is completely unsustainable for both students and universities.”
Tory co-chair pressed on whether reports of Jenrick’s new role are ‘jumping the gun'
Asked if Kemi Badenoch was “infuriated” about media reports that she had appointed her leadership rival Robert Jenrick to the post of shadow justice secretary, after he warned that such reports “might be jumping the gun”, Tory party co-chair Nigel Huddleston told GB News: “It takes a lot to make Kemi furious.”
“She wants to make sure that this is a shadow cabinet and a shadow team that reflects the breadth of the party and embraces all the talents,” he said.
Political observers had questioned the wisdom of appointing Mr Jenrick to the role given his insistence on the policy of departing from the European Convention on Human Rights.
PM rejects calls for immigration powers to be devolved
Prime minister Sir Keir Starmer has rejected calls for immigration powers to be devolved to the Scottish government.
Speaking in Glasgow at the Interpol General Assembly, Sir Keir expressed a desire to “reset” the relationship between Holyrood and Westminster, after it has deteriorated under successive Tory governments.
But when asked by journalists whether this included devolving immigration powers, he said: “No, we’re not looking at that.”
Scottish deputy first minister Kate Forbes says UK immigration policies are “actively harming” Scotland’s economy. In June, she called for a “tailored migration system” to suit the specific needs of certain Scottish industries.
Kemi Badenoch’s new shadow cabinet to hold first meeting this morning
The first meeting of Kemi Badenoch’s shadow cabinet is planned to take place around 10am, the new Conservative Party co-chair has said.
Nigel Huddleston told GB News he expected most of the key roles to be officially announced ahead of the meeting.
But he said reports of the appointment of Robert Jenrick as shadow justice secretary “might be jumping the gun”.
Tobacco and vaping legislation to be introduced later today
The Tobacco and Vapes Bill is set to be introduced in the House of Commons on Tuesday, bidding to create the “first smoke-free generation” in the UK.
It will prevent anyone born after 1 January 2009 from legally smoking by raising the the age at which tobacco can be bought. The bill will also introduce restrictions on vape advertising and will restrict flavours.
Separate environmental legislation will see disposable vapes banned from June 2025.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting said: ”Unless we act to help people stay healthy, the rising tide of ill health in our society threatens to overwhelm and bankrupt our NHS. Prevention is better than cure.
“This Government is taking bold action to create the first smoke-free generation, clamp down on kids getting hooked on nicotine through vapes, and protect children and vulnerable people from the harms of secondhand smoke.
“This historic legislation will save thousands of lives and protect the NHS. By building a healthy society, we will also help to build a healthy economy, with fewer people off work sick.”
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