UK politics live: Kemi Badenoch claims she went from middle class to working class after taking McDonald’s job
The Tory leadership contender has drawn criticism for her comments
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Kemi Badenoch has claimed she grew up in a middle-class family but “became working class” after getting a job at McDonald’s.
The Tory leadership contender made the comments during an appearance on Chopper’s Political Podcast with Christopher Hope.
“I grew up in a middle-class family, but I became working class when I was 16 working in McDonald’s,” Ms Badenoch said.
Her claim soon went viral on social media, and has drawn criticism, including from Labour MP Chris Bryant.
“I’m not sure that’s how it works,” he wrote, responding to the clip.
Meanwhile, Cabinet minister Pat McFadden has defended Sir Keir Starmer as a man of “enormous integrity”, amid questions over the numerous gifts the PM has accepted.
The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster came to Sir Keir’s defence after claims of cronyism and failing to declare donations of clothing to his wife.
In an interview with the Guardian, Mr McFadden said: “This is not somebody who thinks that somehow the rules don’t apply to them, or there’s one rule for him and another one for others, like predecessors that have occupied his post.
“He is a person of enormous integrity, and that will be reflected in the way that he operates.”
Will Labour raise tuition fees to save struggling universities?
Why can’t Keir pay for his own clothes and Arsenal and Coldplay tickets?
Work from home battle raging again but it’s employees who are left torn and confused
Lammy to talk security ties and Russian threats in trip to Norway
Tory Rwanda plan was worse than transporting convicts to Australia, says John Major
Teachers will be allowed to work from home in Labour plan to boost recruitment
Teachers will be allowed to work from home in Labour plan to boost recruitment
Education secretary Bridget Phillipson hopes increased flexibility will stop women leaving teaching profession, it has been reported
Nick Read to step down as chief executive of Post Office next year
The Post Office chief executive is set to resign from his role amid a year dominated by the fallout from the Horizon scandal.
Nick Read, who is preparing to give evidence to the inquiry next month, will step down in March next year, the Post Office said on Wednesday.
For context, Horizon IT system is accounting software, designed by Japanese company Fujitsu, which saw accounts automated after subpostmasters entered their sales figures via a touchscreen.
Due to faulty software, subpostmasters started experiencing unexplained shortfalls in their accounts and were liable for losses under their contract with the Post Office, with subpostmasters being ordered to pay back the money that was lost.
Read the full explainer on the Horizon scandal here.
Badenoch says return to McDonald’s after 24 years was a ‘surreal experience’ in resurfaced social media post
Watch: Ed Davey belts out 'Sweet Caroline' to finish Lib Dem conference
Government to hold talks on ending ‘exploitative’ zero-hours contracts
Angela Rayner is set to hold another round of talks with trade unions and business leaders as the Government continues its drive to end “exploitative” zero-hours contracts.
The Deputy Prime Minister and the Business Secretary, Jonathan Reynolds, will meet general secretaries from Britain’s major trade unions along with figures from the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) and Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) on Wednesday afternoon as part of the Government’s ongoing efforts to expand workers’ rights.
The meeting is the latest in a series of discussions with unions and businesses on employment rights, with further such meetings expected over the coming weeks.
However, it is not expected that today’s meeting will come with a major announcement from the government.
There are around one million people across the UK on zero-hour contracts, according to the Office of National Statistics.
You can read more on the government’s “new deal for workers” here.
Buffer zones will soon be introduced outside abortion clinics to stop women seeking abortions from being harassed by protesters.
The government announced on Wednesday that buffer zones will be enacted around abortion clinics from 31 October and it will be against the law to influence, harass or provoke those using or delivering pregnancy termination services.
Safeguarding Minister Jess Phillips said: “The right to access abortion services is a fundamental right for women in this country, and no one should feel unsafe when they seek to access this.”
You can read the full report from The Independent’s Women’s Correspondent Maya Oppenheim here.
Full report: Keir Starmer’s wife went to two Taylor Swift concerts for free in Labour donation controversy
My colleague Archie Mitchell reports:
Keir Starmer’s wife went to two Taylor Swift concerts for free
Lady Starmer attended a second Wembley concert after watching the star with the prime minister in June
Lammy to talk security ties and Russian threats in trip to Norway
The foreign secretary will discuss deepening defence, security ties with Norway and tackling threats from Russia when he meets his Norwegian counterpart on Wednesday.
David Lammy called Norway “our eyes and ears in the High North” and “a key ally in the defence of Nato’s northern flank” ahead of a trip to the country.
He will visit Norwegian Joint Headquarters, the country’s military command centre, with Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide.
The UK and Norway will agree to further intelligence sharing and cooperation to counter Russian disinformation networks in Europe and beyond, the Foreign Office said.
Watch: Badenoch says she 'went from middle class to working class' after working at McDonald's
Tory leadership contender Tugendhat calls for review of Huw Edwards sentence
Conservative leadership contender Tom Tugendhat has written a letter to the Attorney General calling for a review of Huw Edward’s sentence.
Disgraced former BBC presenter Mr Edwards was spared jail after admitting accessing indecent images of children as young as seven.
“As the Shadow Security Minister, it is my duty to ensure that justice is served in a manner that reflects the severity of the crimes committed, particularly those involving the possession of indecent images of children,” he wrote in the letter.
My colleague Tara Cobham looked at some of the reasons why Mr Edwards was spared jail, including his mental health, low risk of reoffending and no previous convictions.
You can read the full article here.
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