UK politics live: Starmer pays back £6,000 in gifts amid donations row as Lord Alli faces interest probe
Prime minister ‘covering cost of six Taylor Swift tickets, four races tickest and designer clothing deal’ for his wife
Your support helps us to tell the story
My recent work focusing on Latino voters in Arizona has shown me how crucial independent journalism is in giving voice to underrepresented communities.
Your support is what allows us to tell these stories, bringing attention to the issues that are often overlooked. Without your contributions, these voices might not be heard.
Every dollar you give helps us continue to shine a light on these critical issues in the run up to the election and beyond
Eric Garcia
Washington Bureau Chief
Sir Keir Starmer has paid back more than £6,000 worth of gifts and hospitality he received since the election, after the row over ministerial donations, it’s been revealed.
The prime minister is covering the cost of six Taylor Swift tickets, four tickets to the races and a clothing rental agreement with a high-end designer favoured by his wife, Lady Victoria Starmer.
A No 10 spokesperson said: “The prime minister has commissioned a new set of principles on gifts and hospitality to be published as part of the updated ministerial code. Ahead of the publication of the new code, the prime minister has paid for several entries on his own register. This will appear in the next register of members’ interests.”
Labour peer Lord Waheed Alli is under investigation over alleged non-registration of interests that could lead to a possible breach of the members’ code of conduct.
The fashion mogul, who has been at the centre of the row over donations accepted by Sir Keir Starmer, is being probed by the Lords’ commissioner.
Meanwhile, James Cleverly issued an apology to Tory members following the party’s brutal election defeat in July, urging the party to avoid complacency, warning against “wallowing in self-pity”.
James Cleverly apologises to Tory members following election defeat
James Cleverly has issued an apology to members of the Tory party following the party’s brutal election defeat in July.
He urged the party to avoid complacency, warning against “wallowing in self-pity” after Labour’s landslide victory.
Mr Cleverly said: “There is something we need to say: sorry. Sorry on behalf of the Conservative parliamentary party who let you down. And we have to be better, much better. And under my leadership, we will be.”
“The British people are never wrong”, he told members, saying voters told the party “go and sort ourselves out”.
“Let’s not make them tell us again”, Mr Cleverly added.
“If we wallow in self-pity and blame other parties, if we look backwards instead of forwards, if we focus on what we are against rather than what we are for, if we’re complacent and just wait for the political pendulum to swing back to us, we might as well go home now.”
Tugendhat has had enough...so has the audience
The applause for Tugendhat has been gradually getting more muted and polite as he went through his speech, David Maddox writes from the conference.
So there were chuckles when near the end he said” I know you’ve had enough and so have I.”
Fortunately, he wound up quickly afterwards with a pleasingly loud applause and cheer.
‘I’m here to lead, not to manage’
Tory leadership hopeful has told party members that he is a leader not a manager.
Tom Tugendhat said: “I get it, you’ve had enough. And so have I. But in this leadership election you have a choice. And it’s a choice about change.
“My opponents claim that they’ve got more management experience around the Cabinet table. Sure, that’s true. But I’m not here to manage, I’m here to lead.
“The only way to build trust back is to show real change. And that’s the new conservative revolution that I promise. That’s the change only I can deliver. That’s the change only I will bring.”
Ending his speech, he said: “Our mission is the prosperity and happiness of the British people - and we start today.”
Tugendhat: Socialism delivers decline
Tom Tugendhat has used his final speech to attack Labour and socialism as a whole.
In his final speech, he said: “We are building on the strong foundations of the past and I’m standing because I believe in Britain.
“I have fought for Britain and I have had enough of those who want to manage decline. That’s what socialism delivers.
“It’s not who I am, it’s not who you are and nothing is more fatal to a mission than losing faith in the future. Nothing is more fatal to success than setting our ambition so low that we don’t even try. And nothing is more fatal to a nation than giving up on our belief in it.
“That’s why we must win. Not in 10 years, not in 15, but in five. We can’t afford Labour, the country can’t afford socialism, we can’t afford to wait. And I will not wait. It’s time to seize the moment and turn this around.”
Pictured: Tory leadership contender Robert Jenrick arrives
Tugendhat to set 100,000 migration cap
Now, moving on migration, Tom Tugendhat has suggested that he will set a 1000,00 migration cap if he becomes the new face of the opposition.
He said: “We must solve as well as stop, which is why I’ll set a legal cap on migration of 100,000, not a target, not an ambition, but a cap.
“This is about visas, not about foreign courts. Let me tell you something my opponents probably won’t.
“This isn’t simple. We issued the visas because businesses need the staff for our care homes and our hospitals, to look after our families.”
Tom Tugendhat blames bureaucrats for NHS failings warning it is 'not the envy of the world'
Tom Tugendhat has blamed bureaucrats for failings in the NHS, warning the health service is “not the envy of the world”.
Saying Britain needs to be honest about the state of the NHS, he told the Tory party conference that health services in Australia and Europe have “better cancer outcomes and access to doctors”.
“For our families to stay fit... we need the best healthcare”, the former security minister said.
He added: “Let’s be honest, our health service is not the envy of the world. Our doctors and our nurses are fantastic but the bureaucrats in charge slowed down their ability to deliver.
“We need to strip away excess regulations and barriers and put the patient at the centre of care.”
Tugendhat calls for Thatcher-style revolution
During his final conference speech, Tom Tugendhat said: “Real growth, not the illusion of growth that has been boosted by migration, has barely shifted in the past 30 years. Now that’s left us poorer and more vulnerable. We need to free the economy.
“We need a new conservative revolution. That’s what Margaret Thatcher did, that’s what we need to do again and we can do it.”
The shadow security secretary has hailed the work of current and former Tory metro mayors Lord Houchen and Andy Street.
He added: “They focused on delivery not ideology, they understand that Britain needs leaders who just get it done because Conservative leadership changes lives.”
Labour is ‘taking us back to the 1970s’, Tugendhat says
Labour is taking Britain back to the 1970s, Tom Tugendhat has claimed, arguing the government is “trashing hopes and dreams”, Millie Cooke reports from the conference.
Referencing the freebies row which has engulfed the Labour Party in recent weeks, the Tory leadership contender said: “When Keir Starmer thinks of service he thinks of free tickets to Taylor Swift. Now friends, that tells you everything you need to know.”
“Labour have told us who they are. They’re rudderless, selfish and greedy, they’re taking us back to the 1970s and the politics of division - socialism, higher taxes, more regulation, more control.
“The lowest common denominator, trashing hopes and dreams. Conference, we have to fight to rescue our country”, he said.
Tugendhat’s mission: To win next election
Tom Tugendhat has said that his mission as the new party leader would be to “win the next election”.
He added: “As your leader I will rebuild CCHQ from the ground up, putting you at the heart of our party, and I will turn us back to being the campaign-winning machine we can be.
“My mission is to win the next general election and I have never failed a mission yet.”
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments