UK politics live: Furious Chagos Islands row erupts as Tories accused of risking losing key air base in courts
Chagossians lament UK-Mauritius deal for not including them in negotiations
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A furious row has erupted between Labour and the Conservatives over a deal to hand over the Chagos Islands to Mauritius.
Sir Keir Starmer’s government has announced that Britain will return the territory but will still have sovereignty over the Diego Garcia military base in the Pacific Ocean.
But the Conservatives have condemned the decision, with Tory leadership contender Robert Jenrick accusing Sir Keir Starmer of “surrendering” Britain’s strategic interests.
Former foreign secretary James Cleverly has also joined the backlash, branding Sir Keir Starmer “weak, weak, weak” despite being behind the first negotiations over the agreement when he was in cabinet.
A Labour source hit back accusing Rishi Sunak’s administration of putting the key UK-US base on Diego Garcia at risk during their negotiations.
They branded the territorial dispute a “legal car crash” left by the previous government which was “damaging the UK and the US’ national security”.
It comes as Boris Johnson revealed how he dismissed warnings over Dominic Cummings and the Barnard Castle row as “lefty journalists angry over Brexit”.
In his new book ‘Unleashed’, the former prime minister explained why he refused to sack his then-political adviser despite his infamous trip at the peak of the pandemic.
Andy Burnham tip-toes over Starmer’s gifts row
The Greater Manchester mayor has refused to say whether Sir Keir Starmer overstepped the bounds of rules around hospitality.
He was pressed on whether the prime minister repaying £6,000 in tickets and clothes meant he had accepted too many gifts.
Mr Burnham told Sky News: “I think everyone’s got to use their own judgement, haven’t they?”
He added: “I think he’s absolutely right to say, clearer rules are needed for everybody, so everyone knows exactly what’s expected.
“So, I think we’ve got to the right place here. And I think it will help all members of parliament.”
When asked if he would have taken freebies he said: “I’m not going to say that I’m holier than thou.”
ICYMI: BBC cancel Johnson interview after sending him briefing notes
The BBC has cancelled an interview with Boris Johnson after presenter Laura Kuenssberg accidentally sent the former prime minister her briefing notes.
Ms Kuenssberg, presenter of the BBC’s flagship Sunday political interview show, said she sent Mr Johnson the notes “in a message meant for my team”.
The BBC’s political editor between 2015 and 2022 said it was “embarrassing and disappointing”, adding the error meant it was “not right for the interview to go ahead”.
You can read the full story below:
BBC forced to cancel Boris Johnson interview after ‘embarrassing’ mistake
Presenter says ‘embarrassing and disappointing’ error scuppered interview with former PM
Tony Blair tells Keir Starmer to ‘rise above’ donations row
And now Sir Tony Blair himself has commented on the row.
The former prime minister has urged Sir Keir Starmer to “rise above” the backlash and “get used to” the attacks.
He told a Politico podcast: “Dealing with politics at this level when you come under attack, which is, you know, it’s just the way it is. You’re going to have to get used to it.
“It’s going to be like that. But the single most important thing is always to have a driving purpose as a government.
“That is constantly rising above that because it will be, it is just part of modern politics today… It doesn’t worry me in, in terms of whether it can displace the overall [mission] of the government. But I agree you’ve got to deal with it and they’re trying to deal with it so, let them deal with it.”
Tony Blair’s strategist says donations row damages public perception
A former political secretary to Tony Blair was also on the morning media round discussing Sir Keir Starmer’s freebies row.
John McTernan said the problem was not rules being broken but the public perception.
The political strategist told the BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “Politicians have to not only act by the rules, they have to act by community standards.
“There’s no doubt in my mind that voters are angry, the community’s angry, about what they see as double standards.
“The absolute fundamental rule of politics is the voters are never wrong. Rule one of politics is the votes are never wrong. Rule two, if you’re angry because you think the votes are wrong, please refer to rule number one.”
And voters’ anger has been noticeable in recent polls, with Sir Keir’s personal ratings dropping 45 points since July to -26, according to Opinium.
‘Right’ that PM is updating gift rules in ministerial code, says minister
Minister Sarah Jones has insisted that the prime minister has not “broken any rules” despite paying back £6,000 worth of gifts and hospitality.
She told Sky News: “I think under the last government, the issue was always about transparency, people not declaring things, people not going by the rules.”
The industry minister added that Labour is considering the rules on freebies but they have been “incredibly busy”.
However, she added: “[The PM] is looking again at the principles around gifts and hospitality.
“That’s the right thing to do.”
Angela Rayner’s Ibiza DJ booth party revealed as £836 freebie
Angela Rayner’s trip to an Ibiza nightclub where she was spotted partying in a DJ booth over the summer was a freebie worth hundreds of pounds, it has emerged.
In the latest register of MPs’ financial interests revealed on Wednesday, the deputy prime minister declared she received £836 worth of hospitality for a “visit to (a) DJ booth” at nightclub Hi Ibiza.
It was paid for by Ayita LLC, which is the agent of DJ Fisher, who she was filmed dancing with in footage of the event on 29 August that was shared on social media.
You can read the full story below:
Angela Rayner’s Ibiza DJ booth party revealed as £836 freebie
Revelation comes as Sir Keir Starmer’s government continues to face criticism over ministerial donations
Minister: Lord Alli ‘confident’ he has done nothing wrong
Business minister Sarah Jones has defended Lord Alli, claiming the Labour peer is “confident” he had done nothing wrong.
The fashion mogul is under investigation by the Lords’ commissioner over “alleged non-registration of interests” which could lead to a breach of the members’ code of conduct.
During the morning media round, she said: “He will completely cooperate with that investigation, of course, and he’s confident he’s registered everything in the way that he should have done.
“And that’s that, really. We need to let that investigation run its course.”
Tories challenge Labour ministers to follow Starmer and repay donations
With Sir Keir Starmer facing questions over ethics and transparency for accepting generous gifts, the Tories have not lost time in calling for more ministers to repay freebies.
The Conservative party said in a statement: “Day after day more and more comes out about the scandal at the top of Keir Starmer’s government. This scandal has become a complete distraction from the job of governing.
“It appears Starmer will only be transparent when his backs against the wall. This announcement today poses more questions than it answers. Why did Starmer take these freebies in the first place? Why haven’t Angela Rayner and other senior party members not paid back donations?”
The Conservatives have a lot of experience of donation scandals. The party had previously faced scrutiny under Boris Johnson over Tory donors and their alleged links to corruption.
Bank of England governor warns ‘more aggressive’ rate cuts coming
Interest rate cuts could become “more aggressive” sparking falls in the value of the pound, the Bank of England boss has warned.
He said the Bank could move towards a “more activist” approach and reduce borrowing costs if inflation remains in check.
The warning comes as the pound fell by nearly 1% against the US dollar and the euro – to 1.317 US dollars and 1.193 euros respectively.
Mr Bailey recently said the Bank would only lower rates “gradually”, with the Bank reducing rates by 5% from 5.25% in August, marking the first reduction since March 2020, after inflation returned to the 2% target.
Inflation has since edged back up to 2.2% and experts have been forecasting just one more rate reduction before the year end, to 4.75%.
But the ongoing conflicts in the Middle East have inevitably shaken markets.
Steep rises in the cost of oil after Israel’s attempt to invade southern Lebanon have prompted Mr Bailey to monitor the situation “extremely closely”.
Mr Bailey told The Guardian: “Geopolitical concerns are very serious. It’s tragic what’s going on. There are obviously stresses and the real issue then is how they might interact with some still quite stretched markets in places.”
Labour minister claims freebies are ‘different when in government'
Industry secretary Sarah Jones has attempted to dismiss criticism towards ministers accepting thousands of pounds worth of gifts.
After admitting that she would investigate whether to repay a BBC’s Proms ticket, Ms Jones told Times Radio: “There is a difference between government and opposition when you’re building relationships in opposition.
“It’s different for when you’re a government minister with real levers of power. And we need to make that distinction.
She added: “There is this difference, I think, which is an important one between opposition and government.”
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