UK politics live: Two new members of Kemi Badenoch’s shadow cabinet named after rallying cry to Tory staff
New Tory leader makes first appointments as Starmer unveils new funding for Border Security Command
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Your support makes all the difference.The first members of new Tory leader Kemi Badenoch’s shadow cabinet have been named as Laura Trott and Neil O’Brien, who will both focus on education.
In a speech to CCHQ staff on Monday, Ms Badenoch is reported to have insisted that her party can turn their fortunes around in one political term, but must initially focus on principles such as free speech and personal responsibility before setting out policy.
In her first media appearance as Tory leader, Ms Badenoch drew anger among people whose loved ones died during the Covid pandemic, as she claimed to the BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg that the Partygate row was “overblown”.
Lobby Akinnola, a spokesperson for the Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice who lost his father during the pandemic, described Ms Badenoch’s remarks as “cruel” and showing “just how detached politicians can be from the people they represent”.
Meanwhile, Sir Keir Starmer is setting his sights on small boat crossings, announcing a move to double the funding for his new Border Security Command at an Interpol conference in Glasgow, taking its total funding to £150m over two years.
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Badenoch makes first major frontbench appointment
Our political correspondent Millie Cooke has more information about the first Tory shadow cabinet appointments:
Kemi Badenoch has made two appointments to the Shadow Department for Education, ahead of Education Questions in the House of Commons this afternoon.
Laura Trott – who served as the the chief secretary to the Treasury in Rishi Sunak's government – has been appointed shadow education secretary, Ms Badenoch's first major appointment to the shadow frontbench. She was a prominent Badenoch-backer during the leadership contest.
Meanwhile, Neil O’Brien has been appointed as shadow minister for education. While he previously backed Ms Badenoch in 2022, he lent his support to rival Robert Jenrick during this year's contest.
No 10 refuses to be drawn on targets for small boat crossings
Downing Street insisted the government wants to see small boat crossing numbers falling, but would not reveal if ministers have a target.
Sir Keir Starmer’s official spokesperson insisted the government is “going to make progress as rapidly as is possible” on migrant crossings, pointing to its record of 9,400 returns recorded since Labour took power.
But he would not be drawn into revealing if the government has a target for when crossings will start to reduce, telling reporters: “I am not going to set out new targets here today. You have got the manifesto commitment, you have got the prime minister’s words.
“Clearly the government’s ambition is to reduce small boats crossings and that is why we are putting significant resource focus into this crisis.”
Asked if the government would be satisfied were numbers making the crossing to remain the same next year, he replied: “No, the government wants to do everything it can to reduce small boats crossings.
“It inherited a situation where small boats crossings before the election were up 18 per cent on the same period from the year before. That is not an acceptable position and that is a reflection of the system in chaos, and that is why the government is focused on putting in place the practical steps that will bring small boats crossings down.”
Kemi Badenoch announces first shadow cabinet appointments
The first members of Kemi Badenoch’s new shadow cabinet have been named.
Laura Trott has been appointed shadow education secretary and Neil O’Brien has been appointed shadow education minister in Kemi Badenoch‘s opposition team, it is understood.
Both will be on the opposition front bench for education oral questions in the Commons on Monday afternoon.
Badenoch tells CCHQ staff that Tories can turn their fortunes around at next election
New Tory leader Kemi Badenoch is understood to have told Conservative Party staff that they can turn their fortunes around in one political term, but must initially focus on principles over policy.
Ms Badenoch has been at the party's headquarters in Westminster on Monday morning as she is in the process of deciding who will be in her top team.
In an address to CCHQ staff, it is thought Ms Badenoch said the first challenge for the party will be winning back council seats at local elections.
She is also understood to have said the party can turn their situation around in one term and that policy will come soon, but the party needs to start with principles such as freedom of speech and personal responsibility.
Watch: Starmer hits out at Tory Rwanda plan as he 'resets plan' to tackle people smuggling
‘Nothing progressive about turning a blind eye to small boat crossings’, PM says
There is “nothing progressive” about turning a blind eye to people making dangerous channel crossings to reach the UK, Sir Keir Starmer told Interpol’s general assembly.
In total, 31,904 people have made the journey so far this year, up 16.5 per cent on the same point in 2023.
“Security doesn't stop at our borders”, the prime minister said, adding that illegal migration is a “massive driver of global insecurity”.
“There is nothing progressive about turning a blind eye as men women and children die in the channel. And you don't advance the cause of global justice or compassion for those individuals to pretend that there is”, he said.
Starmer announces funding boost for Interpol in ‘clear message’ to criminals
The UK will increase its funding for Interpol projects, investing £6m this year, Sir Keir Starmer said.
Speaking at the organisation's general assembly in Glasgow, the prime minister said the money will support improved data sharing and faster communications capabilities, as well as a global fraud threat assessment network.
“We want to send a clear message to the world's most hardened criminals that there is no safe haven. There is no place you can hide from justice”, he said.
“Together, we've got the whole world covered, and together we will defeat you.”
Analysis: Yvette Cooper makes the case for international law against isolationists
While the home secretary was really just the warm up act in Glasgow at the Interpol conference for the prime minister, she made a very important point at a tipping point in world history.
With the Tories still considering withdrawing from the European Convention of Human Rights (EDHR) as they try to ape Nigel Farage, and Americans considering voting for an isolationist president in Donald Trump, Yvette Cooper made the case for international law.
She told the audience: “International security and domestic security are one and the same thing.”
At a time when political parties want to start to unpick the network of international agreements, Ms Cooper’s statement carries special significance.
UK to draw up new agreements with other nations to tackle smuggling gangs
The UK is drawing up new agreements with other countries to tackle people smuggling gangs and tackle the small boats crisis, Yvette Cooper has said.
Announcing a £150m package of measures to tackle the small boat crisis, the home secretary said the new agreements will “strengthen law enforcement, disrupt supply chains, break the business models of the gangs and to bring offenders to justice”.
“We know that the best way to strengthen UK Border Security, is to work in partnership with other countries”, she said.
Ms Cooper called for an “integrated global response” to tackle people smuggling gangs, saying they are “profiting from human misery, putting lives at risk, undermining border security and destabilising communities.”
She said: “Here in the UK, our new Border Security Command is leading the fight against the criminal gangs who, every week, are crowding vulnerable people into flimsy dinghies on the coast of France, leaving dozens this year to drown or be crushed to death as they attempt to cross the channel.
“But we know those gangs operate not just on our shores, but all across Europe and beyond - a network of exploitation stretching around the globe.”
Yvette Cooper calls for greater cooperation on tackling people smuggling gangs
Home secretary Yvette Cooper has said she wants stronger international cooperation to tackle violence against women and girls, and child sexual abuse, the “scale of which should continue to shame us all”.
She told delegates at the Interpol conference in Glasgow: “We must also have a much stronger and more integrated global response to the organised immigration crime, which is growing around the world and profiting from human misery – putting human lives at risk, undermining border security and destabilising communities.”
Ms Cooper added: “We know these gangs operate not just on our shores but all across Europe and beyond, a network of exploitation stretching around the globe.”
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