UK politics live: Cleverly knocked out in huge Tory leadership shock to set up Badenoch and Jenrick clash
Kemi Badenoch and Robert Jenrick locked in final battle to replace Rishi Sunak as new leader
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
In a shocking turn of events, James Cleverly has been eliminated of the Tory leadership race, leaving Robert Jenrick and Kemi Badenoch to face a vote of the party membership.
The ex-home secretary was in a leading position to make it through the latest stage after leapfrogging former frontrunner Mr Jenrick to first place on Tuesday.
But Tory MPs decided to knock him out after Tom Tugendhat, a former security minister and favourite of the One Nation caucus of Tory MPs, also lost the race on Tuesday.
Ms Badenoch emerged as the frontrunner in the final vote, securing 42 votes from MPs and positioning herself as strong contender to succeed Rishi Sunak.
Mr Jenrick closely trailed behind with 41 votes, while Mr Cleverly’s campaign took a dramatic downturn result with just 37 votes.
The final two MPs will now face an online ballot of Tory members from 10 to 31 October, with the winner of the contest announced on 2 November.
It comes as Sir Keir Starmer faced a grilling from Rishi Sunak in his first PMQs since reshuffling his Downing Street leadership team, after Sue Gray’s shock exit as his chief of staff.
Starmer has ruled out biggest benefit to UK from EU reset, think tank
Sir Keir Starmer has already squandered the biggest potential dividends of his post-Brexit reset with the EU by ruling out a return to the single market and customs union, a report has warned.
The prime minister has repeatedly talked up his push to rebuild ties with the bloc after years of acrimony under successive Tory governments, promising that doing so will boost economic growth and living standards.
Our politics correspondent Archie Mitchell has the full story below:
Starmer has already ruled out biggest benefit to UK from EU reset, think tank warns
PM has repeatedly talked up his push to rebuild ties with the bloc after years of acrimony under successive Tory governments
WATCH | Minister denies reports Labour ‘personally intervened’ to provide blue-light escort for Taylor Swift
Culture secretary denies Labour ‘personally intervened’ to provide Taylor Swift
The culture secretary has denied reports that Labour “personally intervened” to provide a blue-light escort for Taylor Swift during her Wembley tour dates. A report in The Sun newspaper claims that top Labour politicians have been accused of pressing the police to give the pop star the same blue-light escort given to senior members of the royal family. Appearing on Sky News Breakfast on Wednesday (9 October), culture secretary Lisa Nandy denied the reports. She said: “When you have a major event, the home secretary will be involved in a conversation where there is a security risk. “I also know she doesn’t have the power nor would she use it to insist that any individual got the top level of private security arrangements. That is an operational matter for the police, not the government.”
Robert Jenrick doubles down on Special Air Service claims
Conservative leadership contender Robert Jenrick has reiterated his belief that human rights regulations are constraining the Special Air Service (SAS) and compromising public safety.
Speaking to Sky News, Mr Jenrick claimed that the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) limits the decision-making abilities of military planners.
Defending his position, he said: “The ECHR and our human rights apparatus is limiting the discretion of military planners when they come to decide how to conduct operations overseas and in some cases, it is leading them to do things like a lethal drone strike rather than sending in men and women on the ground.
“And I think that’s wrong. I want to ensure that those in charge of operations have the greatest discretion possible.
“I was supporting our special forces, not suggesting that they would act outside of the law.”
He added: “We can’t allow human rights to get in the way of keeping the public safe.”
Jenrick warns Tory leadership decision to ‘seal party’s fate'
Robert Jenrick has warned Conservative MPs voting this afternoon that the party risks being “stuck in the political wilderness for years” if it mishandles the contest.
In a final appeal for support ahead of today’s crucial vote on Sky News, the former immigration minister urged members to choose the right candidate.
After finishing second in yesterday’s ballot, Mr Jenrick found himself in a precarious position, barely edging out Kemi Badenoch, while James Cleverly surged ahead in first place.
With Tory MPs poised to cast their decisive votes this afternoon, only two candidates will advance to the final round.
Speaking on the morning media round, he said: “The polling suggests that of the candidates I am the best placed to win back the millions of voters we lost to Reform and the voters we lost on our Left to the Lib Dems.
“If we don’t do that then there is no future for our party and we will be stuck in the political wilderness for years to come.
“So the party needs now somebody who is professional, who is competent and is focused on the most salient issues.”
MPs pile pressure on Labour to oppose Saudi bid to join UN’s Human Rights Council
Parliamentary pressure is building on the UK government to vote against Saudi Arabia’s bid for a seat on the United Nations Human Rights Council (HRC), in what has been described as a “litmus test” for the new Labour administration.
A letter to foreign secretary David Lammy – signed by MPs and peers from across parties – outlines concerns over the Kingdom’s human rights record, including the jailing of women’s rights advocates and a surge in executions.
Shared exclusively with The Independent, it warns that electing Saudi Arabia to the council would “undermine global confidence” in the UN’s ability to “protect human rights” and pleads with the foreign secretary “not to vote for such an unsuitable candidate”.
You can read the full story below:
MPs pile pressure on Labour to oppose Saudi bid to join UN’s Human Rights Council
Exclusive: Labour under pressure to take a stand against human rights abuses
Minister defends Labour’s actions over Taylor Swift police escort
Culture secretary Lisa Sandy has firmly denied any allegations of misconduct regarding the Labour government’s involvement in Taylorswift’s blue-light escort to her Wembley concert.
It comes after claims emerged that Labour Party members intervened in the decision-making process, Ms Nandy stated that any conversations about security risks would have involved Yvette Cooper.
But she insisted that she does not possess the authority to mandate such high-level police protection.
“It’s an operational matter for the police, not for the government,” she told Sky News.
The minister added that the home secretary will have made a “considered judgement about that and express a view”.
She added: “Don’t forget that when it comes to Taylor Swift, what had just happened was that a series of concerts have been cancelled in Vienna because of the very serious security threat.
“I really utterly reject that there’s been any kind of wrongdoing or undue influence in this case.”
Labour ‘pushed’ police for royal-style escort for Taylor Swift concert
Labour’s top politicians have reportedly pressured police to grant Taylor Swift a costly VVIP blue-light escort during her August shows at Wembley Stadium.
The request doe special treatment came after security concerns, following a thwarted suicide bomb plot in Austria the week before, The Sun reports.
However, Metropolitan Police chiefs initially resisted providing the high-level protection, which is typically reserved for senior royalty and political leaders.
The singer’s mother and manager are said to have threatened to cancel the shows.
Despite the opposition from senior police figures, including those in charge of the Special Escort Group (SEG), the intervention of senior Labour figures, including home secretary Yvette Cooper and London Mayor Sadiq Khan, reportedly led to the decision being overturned.
The revelation comes at a time when Labour continues to face criticism over its close relationship with freebies, with the prime minister and the mayor of London among those receiving complimentary tickets to Swift’s gigs.
A spokesperson for Sadiq Khan told Sky News: “We don’t comment on the Met’s security arrangements – they are operational decisions for them.”
ICYMI: Keir Starmer as unpopular with public as Nigel Farage
Sir Keir Starmer is now as unpopular as Reform UK leader Nigel Farage, the latest opinion polling has suggested.
Some 60% of people now hold an unfavourable opinion of the Labour Party, according to pollsters at YouGov, just three months after it swept to power with a landslide majority at the general election.
Sir Keir’s net favourability ratings have dropped to minus 36 with the British public, while Mr Farage is at minus 35.
Scottish Labour rebels over Keir Starmer’s winter fuel payment cuts
Two senior Scottish Labour MSPs have defied their party leadership in a significant vote at Holyrood, calling for the government to reverse controversial cuts to winter fuel payments.
The motion, brought by First Minister John Swinney, demands Westminster to scrap its decision to make benefit means-tested.
It passed overwhelmingly, with 99 votes to 14.
Former Scottish Labour leader Richard Leonard and Alex Rowley, who recently stepped down from the frontbencher, joined forces with the SNP and other parties to back the non-binding motion.
A Scottish Labour amendment, which sought to remove the demand for a U-turn and instead called on the Scottish government to reinstate the fuel insecurity fund, was defeated.
Party leader Anas Sarwar defended the prime minister’s stance, claiming that while the new criteria for winter fuel payments was “too restrictive”, the move was necessary.
The government’s decision has sparked controversy north of the border, where the Scottish government claims its hands are tied.
Mr Swinney warned that the cuts, combined with rising energy prices, were creating a “double whammy” for vulnerable pensioners.
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