UK politics live: Huge boost to Cleverly’s Tory leadership bid after shock vote win as Tugendhat eliminated
Tom Tugendhat out of the Tory leadership race as James Cleverly leads contest
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Tom Tugendhat has been eliminated from the Conservative leadership contest, paving the way for James Cleverly, who has received a significant boost in support.
The former security minister, who was previously viewed as a strong contender, failed to win over enough backing from parliamentary colleagues to make it to the final three, garnering only 20 votes.
James Cleverly topped the third ballot with a notable rise in support, securing 39 votes from Tory MPs. Thisshift in momentum placed him as a frontrunner as the race intensifies.
Meanwhile, Robert Jenrick remains a key player in the contest with 31 of the votes. Kemi Badenoch closely trails with 30 votes, reflecting a tight race among the remaining candidates.
With the final two candidates set to be announced in another ballot on Wednesday, Tory members will have the chance to vote in an online ballot from 10 to 31 October.
It comes as the Conservatives narrowed Labour’s lead to just one point, raising alarms for Sir Keir Starmer’s party months after its sweeping election victory.
The latest More in Common poll revealed the party now sits at 29 per cent, down one percentage point, while the Tories have gained two points, reaching 28 per cent.
This represents the smallest lead Labour has seen since the pollster began tracking voting intentions last year.
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HS2 rail line will run into London Euston, transport secretary Louise Haigh hints
The transport secretary has indicated that HS2 will run into central London, saying it “would never have made sense” for that not to happen, following months of speculation over the rail line.
The government will make a final announcement around the time of the budget, Louise Haigh suggested.
Our political correspondent Millie Cooke has the full story below:
Transport secretary gives verdict on whether HS2 will end at Euston
The government is expected to make an announcement around the time of the budget
London Underground workers to vote on strikes
London Underground staff are set to vote on potential strikes in response to ongoing disputes regarding pay, terms, and conditions.
The Transport Salaried Staffs Association (TSSA) is surveying its members, including those in customer service roles, about their willingness to take industrial action, with the ballot closing on 18 October.
It comes after the union refused the latest offer fro London Underground, which it argues amounts to a pay rise below inflation for most employees and a freeze on many pay ranges.
TSSA general secretary Maryam Eslamdoust said members are “highly likely to vote overwhelmingly in favour of strike action and action short of a strike”.
She added: “Our intention is to send a strong and clear message to London Underground that significant industrial action is on the cards across the network unless they are prepared to meet our aspirations on pay, as well as dealing positively with all other aspects of our dispute.”
UK population sees record surge as migration outpaces natural growth
The UK has recorded its most significant annual population increase since 1971, according to latest data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
in the year leading up to June 2023, the population grew by one per cent, marking the largest annual rise since record-keeping began.
This growth, estimated at 68,265,200 residents, has been primarily driven by net international migration, which reached around 677,300 for the same period.
This influx has overshadowed a concerning trend; for the first time in nearly five decades, deaths outnumbered births outside the Covid-19 pandemic, with an estimated 16,300 more deaths than births reported.
Professor Sarah Harper, director of the Oxford Institute of Population Ageing, said the negative natural change is “not unexpected”.
She said: “Given the low childbearing rate currently in the UK, and the large post-war birth cohorts who have benefited from longer lives now entering old age, the number of deaths we expect will increase each year over time as this generation of older adults ages and dies.”
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ICYMI: Labour poll lead over Tories slashed to one point
Labour’s polling lead has fallen to just one point after a rocky start to Sir Keir Starmer’s time in government.
The latest polling comes despite the prime minister attempting to draw a line under the disorder by accepting the resignation of his chief of staff Sue Gray.
The survey, conducted by More in Common for Politico, put Labour on 29 per cent and the Conservative Party on 28 per cent.
Our political correspondent Millie Cooke has the full story below:
Labour poll lead over Tories slashed to one point
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Poll: Cleverly rises in Tory leadership race after strong conference performance
James Cleverly has surged ahead of Robert Jenrick, according to a post-conference survey by Conservative Home.
The poll indicates that the former home secretary has gained traction in both first preferences among party members and in a potential final face-off.
Analysis revealed that Mr Cleverly was the standout candidate at the recent Birmingham conference, with over half of respondents expressing a greater likelihood of supporting him, while only 14 per cent reported the opposite.
In contrast, other contenders, including Mr Jenrick and Tom Tugendhat, saw a notable decline in support.
Kemi Badenoch managed to maintain a stable position, with about a third of Tory members remaining neutral regarding their support for her.
Despite losing media attention due to a controversy over her comments on maternity pay, she faced only minor repercussions.
‘Prisons on the brink’: Lord Timpson blames Tories for crisis
Lord James Timpson, minister of state for prisons has issued a stark warning about the state of the prison system.
He blamed the turmoil to the previous government’smismanagement. Speaking at the prison Governor’s association conference in Nottingham, Mr Timpson described the system as “teetering disaster” due to years of overcrowding and inadequate resources.
“It has not been easy to rehabilitate offenders in a system teetering on disaster,” he added.
He revealed that emergency measures had to be implemented to prevent a complete breakdown of law and order.
Highlighting recent public disorder as evidence of the system’s fragility, he claimed: “We came dangerously close to running out of prisons entirely.
“The last government allowed prisons to run so hot for so long, it was nothing short of a disgrace. We had no choice but to introduce emergency measures. To attempt to delay any further would have allowed our justice system to collapse.”
WATCH: Boris Johnson says his Downing Street apartment resembled a ‘crack den’
Boris Johnson says his Downing Street apartment resembled a ‘crack den’
Boris Johnson claimed the inside of his Downing Street apartment resembled a "crack den" before its refurbishment. The former prime minister defended his reported £200,000 refurb during an interview with LBC on Tuesday (8 October), insisting it “wasn’t as much as that”. Mr Johnson said: “Frankly, once I pulled the carpets out of the flat in number 11, which is where we lived, because Dylan was then in the stages of being — the whole thing was looking a bit like a crack den to be totally honest, and it needed to be refurbished.”
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