UK politics live: Minister stumbles over Keir Starmer freebies row as PM won’t face clothing gifts probe

Tories have demanded probe into peer’s gifts of clothes for PM’s wife

Labour MP defends Starmer over donor row: 'He's an Arsenal fan'

A Labour minister has been grilled over Sir Keir Starmer’s decision to accept tens of thousands of pounds in gifts and hospitality, amid a row over his late declaration of a donation by a Labour peer to pay for dresses for his wife Victoria.

Sir Keir was facing questions over the £5,000 donation from ex-Asos chair Lord Waheed Alli which he initially failed to put on his register of interests. The PM has insisted his team had reached out for advice on what declaration should be made and that rules are being followed.

While the commissioner has decided not to investigate, Home Office minister Dame Angela Eagle was repeatedly pressed by reporters on Tuesday about Sir Keir’s acceptance of gifts – totalling more than £65,000 in the nine months to May ahead of cutting the winter fuel allowance for millions of pensioners.

Dame Angela told Times Radio she had no opinion on Sir Keir accepting gifts and accused the host of “ranting”. However she conceded to Sky News that she was not sure whether it was “possible to have an explanation” for accepting Coldplay tickets.

Key Points

• Keir Starmer ‘will not face probe’ into late declaration of donor gifts
• ‘You’ve had your rant’: Minister stumbles over defence of Starmer
• Diane Abbott says Starmer treated her as a ‘non-person’ during race row
• Legal right to work from home ‘will boost productivity’
• UK has shown ‘great interest’ in Italy-Albania deal, Italy’s Giorgia Meloni says
• Starmer praises Italy’s migrant policies

[17 September 2024 20:00 · Andy Gregory]

Ed Davey says he would like to see Kamala Harris defeat Trump

Sir Ed Davey said he would like to see Kamala Harris defeat Donald Trump at the US election in November.

People who are “decent, kind, united” are “the true patriots in our country”, the Liberal Democrat leader told delegates and activists at the Lib Dem conference Brighton.

Sir Ed added: “Conference, we will never stop applauding our patriots in our country. Conference, these are the values our politics needs now, more than ever to resist the rise of the extremists - not just at home but around the world too.

“With Vladimir Putin waging his brutal war in Ukraine, with the terrible humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, Hamas’s terrorist atrocities on October 7, hostages still held captive, the continuing illegal occupations, and the threat of regional escalation, with the looming spectre of a second Trump presidency.

“How I hope and pray to see Kamala Harris defeat him this November. At a time of such instability and uncertainty, it is our values that must prevail: decency, compassion, community, respect for the rule of law.”

[17 September 2024 19:20 · Andy Gregory]

Ed Miliband says he is ‘still in politics’ because of climate fight

Speaking to the Energy UK conference, the government’s energy security and net-zero minister Ed Miliband said: “It’s an absolutely enormous privilege to be working with business and indeed civil society on the most important challenges facing our country and our world.

“I confess I am at one and the same time energised by the task and also conscious of the deep responsibility it carries. We know the stakes of action versus inaction.

“We know we can only deliver energy security, lower bills and good jobs for today’s generations if we become a clean energy superpower.

“And we can only deliver climate security for future generations, including Emma’s daughter, by showing global climate leadership, built on the power of our example. That is the summary of what this government is setting about doing.

And when the prime minister talks about mission-driven government, this is what he means. The people in this room are what he means. Working together with government for energy independence, lower bills, good jobs, and a healthy environment we can pass on to future generations.

“I have absolute faith that together we can do great things for our country and our world. I am still in politics because of how much I care about this fight.”

(PA Wire)

[17 September 2024 18:42 · Andy Gregory]

Politics Explained | Can the Lib Dems continue on their winning streak now the election is over?

True to recent election stunt form, Ed Davey turned up to the Liberal Democrat conference on a jetski, presumably because Elon Musk couldn’t lend him a rocket for the occasion.

Energetic and attention-grabbing as the leader’s speedy entrance was, the last few days of earnest debate haven’t seen the party raise its profile very much.

Indeed, even with its stunning tactical success in the general election, which yielded 72 parliamentary seats – a gain of 61 on the 2019 result – the party hasn’t made much progress since. Some wonder where the Liberal Democrats go from here ...

Our associate editor Sean O’Grady has more analysis here:

[17 September 2024 18:01 · Andy Gregory]

New Labour general secretary appointed

Hollie Ridley has been appointed as Labour’s new general secretary by the party’s National Executive Committee.

Ms Ridley, who joined Labour as a trainee organiser in 2011, said: “The Labour Party is the greatest vehicle for social progress in British history. But we can only do that when we win.

“Keir has shown that the Labour Party is at its best when it is outward facing and focussed on the needs of the British people. I look forward to working with him to deliver that in the years ahead.”

Sir Keir Starmer said: “I want to congratulate Hollie on her appointment as general secretary. Hollie is an outstanding leader who played a critical role in the general election campaign. She brings experience, expertise and a clear vision about what is needed for continued electoral success.”

She takes over the post from David Evans, who became general secretary in 2020.

[17 September 2024 17:10 · Andy Gregory]

How has Italy reduced small boat arrivals by more than 60% in a year?

Having visited Rome this week, Sir Keir Starmer claimed that Britain can learn lessons from Italy on how to reduce migration, after far-right prime minister Giorgia Meloni’s administration saw small boat arrivals fall by more than 60 per cent this year.

Italy has long struck a hard line against migration, with deputy prime minister Matteo Salvini having tightened asylum seekers’ access to support and public services. He could now face six years in jail for preventing a boat carrying more than 100 people from docking in Italy in 2019.

But the country’s hardline policies and rhetoric had failed to prevent cross-Mediterranean migration to Italy from continuing to rise dramatically until the fall seen this year, which has been widely attributed to controversial deals struck with the north African nations from which most boats depart.

You can read more details here on the approach Britain’s PM has praised:

[17 September 2024 16:52 · Andy Gregory]

Lib Dem leader compares Tory leadership race to ‘new reality TV show'

The Conservative leadership contest has been compared to a “new TV reality show” called “Strictly Come Pandering” by Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey.

Referring to the race, which is due to continue at Conservative Party Conference, Sir Ed said: “Look at the quartet heading to Birmingham in a fortnight to audition for the job of Conservative leader.

“They really are scraping the bottom of the barrel with these new TV reality shows, aren’t they?

“I hear they’re planning to call it Strictly Come Pandering.

“Or maybe The Great British Blame Off.

“Or maybe just Pointless.”

[17 September 2024 16:25 · Andy Gregory]

Labour minister defends Starmer over donor row: ‘He’s an Arsenal fan’

Labour minister Dame Angela Eagle defended the prime minister after he accepted more than £65,000 in gifts in the nine months to May, including football away games and concert tickets.

The Home Office minister was quizzed about the donations by Sky News presenter Kay Burley on Tuesday’s breakfast show

Burley said: “The freebies include the Royal Box at Wimbledon, hospitality at a Coldplay concert, Arsenal away games. How does that align with the son of a toolmaker, man of the people image?”

Dame Angela replied: “I think he’s an Arsenal fan, it takes all things I suppose.”

[17 September 2024 15:56 · Andy Gregory]

Opinion | Sorry, Sadiq, but pedestrianising Oxford Street will have unintended consequences

With Sadiq Khan’s reannouncement that he will pedestrianise “the nation’s high street”, The Independent’s deputy voices editor Paul Clements writes: “I hope he has as much luck as he’ll have making that stick as a slogan”, in a piece stating:

Under the mayor of London’s plans, which were first outlined in 2016 and are now to be pushed through in spite of objections from Westminster’s Labour-run council, motorised vehicles are to be re-routed onto surrounding streets, never mind the gridlock (thoughts and prayers, Fitzrovia and Marylebone).

The ultimate vision is for Oxford Street to regain its shopping chops and, as a “traffic-free pedestrianised avenue”, become a “leading retail destination in the world”, one that can compete with the Champs-Elysees and Times Square.

Pedestrianisation looks good on paper and is wildly popular with Londoners sick of their roads being clogged with traffic – but it will not be the panacea for cleaner air and “active travel” that Khan thinks. There will be unintended consequences, creating new conflict for those on foot. For pedestrians, Oxford Street will become a sniper’s alley.

[17 September 2024 15:37 · Andy Gregory]

Government urged to make ‘this year the last NHS winter crisis'

Turning to the NHS, Sir Ed Davey told the Lib Dem annual conference: “We know the terrible state of the public finances thanks to the Conservatives’ shocking mismanagement. There can be no doubt about the scale of the challenge ahead.

“Yet that makes it even more important to make the investment we’ve proposed in frontline NHS services – not less. Because if you invest wisely, if you make sure people can get the care they need, when and where they need it, if you bring down waiting lists and get people back to work, if you help people to stay healthy for longer, not only will you dramatically improve people’s lives, but you will actually save taxpayers’ money in the future and give the economy the boost it needs.

“The problem is, the Treasury simply isn’t wired to think this way. Instead, we have the short-term negative thinking that leads governments to postpone hospital repairs and cancel new buildings - short-term thinking to save a bit of money now, even though you know it will only cost a lot more in the future.”

The Lib Dem leader added: “What if, instead of stumbling from crisis to crisis, instead of throwing more and more money at just plugging the gaps, what if we invested now to make the NHS winterproof?

“The government could and should make this year the last winter crisis in our NHS.”

[17 September 2024 15:20 · Andy Gregory]

Ed Davey reveals rejected election stunt ideas

Wing walking on a biplane was among the stunt ideas “rejected” during the Lib Dem election campaign, Sir Ed Davey has suggested.

He told conference delegates that he is “not supposed to tell you what stunt ideas were rejected - not least because they’re still trying to persuade me to do them for the next election”.

He added: “But I’ll let you into a little secret. It was only health and safety rules that stopped me putting my hand up a cow’s behind or wing walking on a biplane.”