UK politics live: Starmer says two-state solution is only viable route through Middle East conflict
Sir Keir Starmer faces MPs in parliament following Sue Gray’s resignation and Chagos Islands row
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Sir Keir Starmer has warned that a two-state solution is “the only viable long-term route through” the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, as he said Britain’s thoughts are with the Jewish people on the anniversary of the 7 October attacks.
In a speech to the House of Commons, the prime minister called for an end to the “living nightmare” Palestinians are enduring, and vowed to use the “power of diplomacy” to try and minimise suffering on the ground, as he urged Israel to renew efforts for a ceasefire and called for more relief for civilians.
His speech comes a day after Sue Gray quit as his chief of staff, expressing fears that she was “becoming a distraction” ahead of Rachel Reeves’s budget.
Downing Street rejected suggestions that Sir Keir has a “woman problem” after he replaced Ms Gray with Morgan McSweeney – an accusation made by Rosie Duffield after she sensationally quit the Labour Party over his “greed”.
Quizzed over the claims, a No 10 spokesperson said: “I wouldn’t accept that characterisation at all.”
Sir Keir Starmer shuffles Number 10 team after Sue Gray quits as chief of staff
Who is Sue Gray? ‘Partygate’ civil servant takes up new Labour government role
Who is Morgan McSweeney? The Labour election guru replacing Sue Gray as chief of staff
Why Starmer’s reshuffle of his inner circle will help put No 10 back on track
Robert Jenrick calls for Cabinet Office ethics investigation into Sue Gray
We now have some reaction from the Conservatives, who have not fallen short in criticising Labour over the party’s former chief of staff.
Tory leadership contender Robert Jenrick has demanded Sue Gray to be banned from taking up a new role until an investigation can be carried out by the Cabinet Office ethics team.
He was responding to recent reports of aides accusing Ms Gray of alienating some of her political colleagues, who slammed her for “control freakery”, and accused her of creating a bottleneck that delayed policy decisions.
Following her resignation as Sir Keir Starmer’s chief of staff on Saturday, she accepted a new role as envoy to the regions and nations.
But Mr Jenrick called the former partygate investigator to be blocked from the job “until the Propriety and Ethics team at the Cabinet Office, a unit she once ran, have carried out a full investigation”.
The former minister added: “Sue Gray’s tenure in Downing Street was one of the unhappiest in the long history of that building. It’s clear that she has left dozens of junior staff hurt and upset.
“But there were serious allegations made that warrant full investigation.”
He added: “It’s the least transparency we should expect from this government which has moved from one crisis to another in its first few months.”
Minister denies Labour made mistake with Budget timing
John Healey rejected a suggestion by Blair-era spin doctor Alastair Campbell that the government has made a mistake in its timing of the Budget, allowing other stories to fill the vacuum.
It was put to the Defence Secretary that Mr Campbell has suggested it was a serious mistake to allow narratives to develop without enough sense of how the government will deliver change.
“We saw with Liz Truss and Kwasi Kwarteng what happens when you try and rush a Budget,” he told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.
“So this needs to be done properly.”
Campbell says delaying Budget was ‘miscalculation'
Continuing with his criticism of the new Labour government, Alastair Campbell has claimed Sir Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves made a mistake by failing to announce their Budget after wining election.
The Budget is set to be delivered on 30 October, but the Labour spin doctor said the delay had created confusion among voters.
He told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme: “It seems to me that the most important thing is to understand that in the modern age when it comes to strategy and strategic communications you have to develop, execute and narrate the strategy all at once.
“I think the point about the Budget is really important. When Margaret Thatcher won in 1979 Geoffrey Howe delivered the Budget five weeks after the election. Gordon Brown in 1997, he delivered the Budget eight weeks after the election.
“David Cameron and George Osborne in 2010, six weeks. We are having to wait almost 16 weeks since the election and I think that is what creates this sense of people not being quite sure what the government is about.”
Blair-era aide warns Starmer: ‘You can’t afford too many missteps’
Alistair Campbell has warned Sir Keir Starmer against taking “too many missteps” as his first 100 days in government come to a close.
The former Tony Blair’s director of communications suggested voters could lose patience with the new administration following weeks of damaging headlines over tensions within Downing Street.
Before the ousting of Sue Gray, the prime minister was forced to respond to the ‘freebies-gate’ row and deal internal clashes over the controversial winter fuel payment cuts.
Citing the recent rows, Mr Campbell told the BBC: “You can’t afford too many missteps. You can’t afford too many things which allow the public and allow the media - we still have a very bias right wing press in this country - to say they are all the same as each other.
“Labour are very different to the Tories in many, many ways, in policy, in values and I think actually we now have the most working class cabinet that we have ever had frankly.
“But if you are not constantly developing, executing and narrating a very clear strategy then a sense of a vacuum can develop and then that will be filled with stuff like this.”
What’s happening in Westminster today?
We will be covering the House of Commons and House of Lords throughout the day. Here’s what’s on the agenda today:
House of Commons:
- Work and pensions questions 2.30pm
- Urgent questions/statements (if any) 3.30pm
- A general debate on Lord Darzi’s independent investigation into NHS performance
- An adjournment debate on the first anniversary of the 7 October attacks by Hamas
House of Lords:
- Oral questions 2.30pm
- Passenger Railway Services (Public Ownership) Bill – second reading 3.20pm
Harriet Harman says missteps to be expected by new Labour government after Sue Gray turmoil
Baroness Harriet Harman has said the turmoil that culminated in the resignation of Sue Gray has been “uncomfortable” for Sir Keir Starmer, but missteps should be expected by a new government in its early weeks.
The prime minister was forced to accept the resignation of his chief of staff after weeks of reported tensions in Number 10.
Since Labour won the election in July there have been a series of briefings against Ms Gray, including the leaking of information about her salary to the BBC last month.
Our political correspondent Millie Cooke has the full story below:
Harman says missteps to be expected by new government after Sue Gray turmoil
Labour grandee says rows that led to resignation of PM’s top aide ‘uncomfortable’
Andy Street backs Tom Tugendhat
While Labour grapples with the resignation of Sue Gray, the Tories continue to run in the leadership race.
We’ve just learnt that Andy Street, the Tory former mayor of the West Midlands, has endorsed Tom Tugendhat.
Posting on X, he hailed the candidate as a “modest, inclusive brand of Conservatism”.
Sue Gray accused of ‘control freaky’ and blamed for No 10 chaos
Sue Gray has been accused of causing friction among top team aides and chaos inside Downing Street.
Staff warned Sir Keir Starmer that he had to “get a grip” on his administration after weeks of rows and internal tensions during the party conference.
Aides reportedly told the prime minister that the chief of staff was at the heart of the problem, accusing Ms Gray of being a divisive figure inside No 10.
Ministers including John Healey this morning have stood by her praising her work in government. But others have accused Ms Gray of alienating some of her colleagues, who slammed her for “control freakery”, and accused her of creating a bottleneck that delayed policy decisions.
She prompted further anger after a leak revealed she was paid £170,000, more than Sir Keir, while other special advisers had their pay cut delayed.
Starmer’s government ‘completely lost grip’, says former Tony Blair adviser
Sir Keir Starmer’s government has “completely lost grip”, a former senior adviser to Tony Blair said.
John McTernan said the Labour government was “delivering drift” rather than change after losing Sue Gray as No 10 chief of staff.
Asked what had gone wrong, he said: “The government has completely lost grip, I think, a grip on their operations, a grip on the media grid and they don’t dominate communications and that has been because they have lacked a political narrative and the political drive and the momentum that drove them through the election to a great victory.”
But Sir Tony’s former political secretary said the campaign strategy that led the party to government has now been exhausted.
Mr McTernan added: “That seemed to run out after the sitting weeks ended in July and we got into the recess of August. It just went from the country demanding change to a government delivering drift.”
Minister rejects claims Labour in crisis with Sue Gray row
John Healey has rejected suggestions the government is already at “crisis point” after Sue Gray stepped down as chief of staff within three months of Labour winning the election.
The defence secretary praised Ms Gray as having a “great talent” for “bringing people together” and described her as a “natural team player” who “raises the standards of those around her”.
Asked how he would characterise the Labour administration and whether it was at “crisis point”, Mr Healey told LBC: “No, I’d characterise this as a new government getting on with the job.”
He refused to be drawn on whether Ms Gray’s new role as envoy to the regions and nations was salaried or whether she would be elevated to the House of Lords, saying: “None of those are decisions for me.”
Asked whether her new position was paid, Mr Healey said: “She has this great talent, Sue Gray, to bring people together, she’s a natural team player and she raises the standards of those around her.”
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