Labour conference live: Rachel Reeves stands by winter fuel allowance cut as nurses reject 5.5% pay rise
Nurses pay deal rejection raises fears of further strikes across NHS
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Nurses across the country have rejected Rachel Reeves’ offer of a 5.5 per cent pay rise – just as the chancellor was delivering her keynote conference speech.
The announcement by the Royal College of Nursing came as Ms Reeves addressed Labour activists in Liverpool.
Sir Keir Starmer’s government has faced heavy criticism over its winter fuel allowance cut and gifts accepted by ministers.
The chancellor’s message is that there will be “no return” to austerity at her first budget on 30 October in a move to “rebuild Britain”.
She also defended her decision to scrap the winter fuel allowance, blaming the unpopular cut on the economic inheritance left by the last Conservative government. Earlier, boos were heard in the hall as a debate on the cut was pushed back from today to Wednesday, the final morning of the conference.
Minutes into the speech, a protester shouted out and was removed from the hall.
The Independent’s political team will be reporting live throughout the Labour Party conference in Liverpool.
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Welsh first minister: ‘Time to give hope to voters across Britain'
Welsh First Minister Eluned Morgan has declared it is time to “give hope” to voters across Britain.
She told the conference: “With Welsh Labour governments in Cardiff and Westminster, we have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to build a fairer, greener and more prosperous future for everyone.
“Let’s seize this moment, let’s work tirelessly to deliver the change that people deserve. Let’s give hope not just to Wales but for Britain, to all who believe in the power of progressive politics to transform lives.”
Exclusive: Cabinet ministers tell Starmer he must remove top civil servant to regain authority
Sir Keir Starmer is being urged by several cabinet ministers to sack the top civil servant in Whitehall immediately and stamp his authority on the new Labour government.
Knives are out for cabinet secretary Simon Case, who has been accused of undermining the prime minister and being responsible for briefings against his chief of staff Sue Gray. One exasperated cabinet minister said: “He [Case] has got to go now.”
Mr Case has denied any inappropriate behaviour and has been put in charge of investigating how damaging leaks at No 10 occurred, including the news that Ms Gray’s salary eclipses the PM’s.
Our political editor David Maddox has the full story:
Cabinet ministers tell Starmer he must remove top civil servant to regain authority
Exclusive: Ministers have lost patience with the UK’s top civil servant Simon Case and one accused him of “poisoning the well of government” with off-record briefings
No 10 suggests single-person council tax discount will not be axed
Downing Street has suggested that the Treasury will not scrap the single-person council tax.
It comes after it emerged the government was considering axing the discount in a move to fill the £22bn fiscal black hole.
During PMQs earlier this month, Keir Starmer refused to rule out the discount being axed.
Asked whether the report was correct, a Downing Street spokesperson said: “I would not steer you away from those reports.”
Union boss questions public contracts for Amazon amid ‘union-busting’ concerns
Amazon should be at risk of losing taxpayer-funded contracts if it fails to “treat workers with respect”, according to a union boss.
GMB general secretary Gary Smith accused the online giant of using “despicable” tactics to stop workers at its Coventry site of unionising and questioned how it could be right for the company to receive more than £1 billion in public contracts in the last year.
In July, the GMB announced that Amazon workers in Coventry had voted by 49.5% in favour of union recognition – falling just short of the required majority.
Amazon responded by saying it places “enormous value on engaging directly with our employees” and said it has “always worked hard to listen to them, act on their feedback, and invest heavily in great pay, benefits and skills development”.
Mr Smith said the ambition for the new Labour government has to be “higher than just cleaning up the Tory mess”, adding its “huge procurement powers will be critical”.
He told Labour Party conference in Liverpool: “GMB members have been fighting to get union recognition at Amazon in Coventry.
“The tactics used by this company to try and union-bust have been despicable and our members will keep up the fight, but government has to step up too.
“In the last year, Amazon received over £1 billion in public contracts and how can that be right when they do everything possible to stop their workers unionising?
“Our Labour Government needs to be clear with Amazon: if you want to keep trousering hundreds of millions of pounds of taxpayers’ cash, they need to treat workers with respect.”
Pictured: Lord of the Rings and Star Wars actor Andy Serkis at Labour conference
Pensioners stage protest against winter fuel cuts at Labour conference
Pensioners staged a protest outside Labour’s annual conference on Monday to criticise the government’s controversial plans to cut winter fuel allowance.
Retired members of the Unite union held up banners reading: “Freeze profits not people”, and “Defend the winter fuel payment”.
Unite has criticised a decision to switch a debate on the winter fuel allowance from today to the final day of the conference on Wednesday.
Unite will call for the decision to be reversed and expects strong support from other unions.
Unite member and branch secretary for Manchester Retired Members Bill Moores, said: “I’m worried about the pensioners who desperately need the Winter Fuel Allowance but will only just be missing out. They will have to make the decision between heating their home or eating.”
Unite member John McPherson from Manchester “There are too many people who need the Winter Fuel Allowance – you can’t just take it off them like that. When Keir Starmer said we need to make tough choices, they should tax his freebies instead.
“These politicians are living in luxury, and we aren’t. The government needs to remember that there are 13 million pensioners, and we have a vote – and we will use it.”
Pictured: Shabana Mahmood arrives at Labour party conference
Teaching unions welcome Rachel Reeves’ breakfast club plans
Patrick Roach, general secretary of teaching union NASUWT said Rachel Reeves’ breakfast club announcement was “an important step forward in tackling childhood hunger”.
He said: “Pledging this money for the start of a rollout of breakfast clubs in primary schools is welcome and will start to make a real difference for all children
“It is undeniable that schools are working hard to pick up the pieces of rising levels of child poverty, caused by the worst cost-of-living crisis in half a century.
“We know that when children are not hungry they have improved attendance, behaviour, and an increased capacity to learn.
“This announcement is an important step forward in tackling childhood hunger which is blighting education.
“We want to see a future where no child is hungry, where all children are ready to learn and where schools are supported fully to deliver the very best education for children.”
Rayner: ‘Rachel Reeves speech shows Labour optimistic and serious about the task ahead'
Angela Rayner said Rachel Reeves’s speech had shown the government was both “optimistic and serious about the task ahead”.
The Deputy Prime Minister said the Labour administration was “under no illusion about the task ahead of us” but confident it could “fix the foundations.”
Speaking at Labour’s largest ever business day at its annual conference in Liverpool, she said speeches by Ms Reeves and Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds had been “optimistic and I think serious about the task ahead, but also what this woman wants to do to enable Britain to thrive and grow the economy so we can pay for our public services.”
“When business thrives the whole economy does,” Ms Rayner said.
Starmer accused of ‘silencing pensioners’ after blocking winter fuel payments conference vote
Sir Keir Starmer has been accused of silencing the voices of pensioners by blocking a vote on the government’s decision to scrap winter fuel payments for millions of pensioners.
The prime minister is facing a furious backlash from unions after kicking a key vote on the plans to Wednesday - the last day of conference known as the graveyard slot. Unite, Labour’s biggest union backer, said the party was blocking debate on the cuts and descending into “austerity mark 2”.
“When this becomes widely known there will be real anger among everyday people. Real Anger,” general secretary Sharon Graham added.
Our political correspondent Archie Mitchell has the full story:
Starmer accused of ‘silencing pensioners’ over cuts to winter fuel payments
The prime minister is facing a furious backlash from unions after kicking a key vote on the plans to Wednesday - the last day of conference known as the graveyard slot
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