Chancellor Rishi Sunak denies rift with PM
Rishi Sunak appears to have put to bed rumours that he and the prime minister are not getting along, describing their relationship as “very good, very good indeed”.
It follows reports that Boris Johnson threatened to demote the current chancellor to the role of health secretary following a leaked letter he sent urging the PM to end complicated coronavirus travel curbs.
Probed by an ITV reporter if the allegations were true, Mr Sunak did not outright deny this had happened but swiftly moved on to say: “Like every Cabinet minister, I work for the prime minister and he and I work really well together – as people have seen over the past 18 months.”
Meanwhile, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) has warned that the UK’s budget for this year directs just 0.01 per cent of GDP towards fighting the climate crisis – far behind the government’s own Climate Change Committee’s recommendation of 1 per cent.
According to the leading conservation group, Britain’s March spending plan “doesn’t add up” when it comes to delivering on headline-grabbing climate change promises.
Reminder: PM ‘threatened to demote Sunak’ over leaked letter
In case you missed this at the start of the week, here’s David Hughes on the rumours Rishi Sunak has now been forced to depreciate.
Sam Hancock12 August 2021 09:56
‘We’re in lockstep’: Sunak denies rift with PM
Rishi Sunak has rubbished rumours that there is a rift between himself and the prime minister, calling their relationship “very good, very good indeed”.
Probed by ITV’s Joel Hills if Boris Johnson did indeed threaten to demote him – as reports this weeks have suggested – the chancellor did not outright deny if this has happened but swiftly moved on to say: “Like every cabinet minister, I work for the prime minister and he and I work really well together – as people have seen over the past 18 months.”
You can watch the full clip of the interview here:
Sam Hancock12 August 2021 09:40
We must not overreact to Berlin ‘spy’ arrest, says security adviser
The UK should not overreact by calling for reviews into embassy security after yesterday’s Berlin arrest, former national security adviser Lord Ricketts has said.
The peer, who was security adviser to David Cameron, told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that the breach – in which a British embassy security guard has been accused of spying for Russia – is unlikely to have included “highly classified information being passed to the Russians”.
Asked why, Lord Ricketts said simply that security guards “would not have access” to that information.
Defending the “many hundreds of security guards [who] keep our embassies safe around the world, 24/7” he told the radio show: “The great majority have given very loyal service over many years, so I don’t think we should jump to the conclusion that the system is wrong because this one individual appears to have fallen for an old Russian trap of paying money for information.”
He also said the allegations should be a “reminder” that “old-fashioned” methods of spying were still being carried out, stating: “We all think now about the Russians stealing secrets by hacking and providing disinformation by social media and so on – it is a reminder that the Russians haven’t given up also on the old-fashioned ways of suborning individuals through money.”
Asked whether there were echoes of the Cold War in the situation in Germany, he added: “Yes, and I think the Russian intelligence threat to all our countries has grown again.”
Sam Hancock12 August 2021 09:27
Inside Politics: More Andrew drama and Starmer wants Williamson out
Stay up to date with the latest political news by reading our daily Inside Politics briefing, which can be delivered to your inbox every morning.
Today, Matt Mathers unpicks everything from Prince Andrew’s unwillingness to cooperate with US authorities and the strain it is having on diplomatic relations, through to the latest GDP figures released in the UK which show a near 5 per cent jump due to the economy reopening after lockdown.
Sam Hancock12 August 2021 09:00
Minister admits he does not know who is dealing with Gurkha protestors
Nick Gibb, the schools minister, has admitted he does not know who from the UK government has spoken to the Gurkhas currently on hunger strike outside Downing Street.
The group is campaigning for equal pensions for Gurkhas who retired before 1997 and are not eligible for a full UK armed forces pension.
“We do take very seriously the issue of pensions for Gurkhas,” Mr Gibb told Sky News this morning. “And ministers are of course in touch with and will be in touch with those people who are concerned about pensions for Gurkhas – they are a very important part of the British Army and we’ve always taken very seriously the welfare and the pension of Gurkhas who have served in our armed forces.”
However when asked to confirm that government officials had been in touch with the protesting group, the junior minister responded: “I’m not entirely sure who has met who but I do know that we are always keen to speak to people who are concerned about the welfare of our Gurkha regiment and the pensions arrangements for those soldiers.”
Boris Johnson is yet to comment on the protest but a spokesperson for the Ministry of Defence said yesterday: “We greatly value the huge contribution Gurkhas make to the British army and ensure they are supported with a generous pension and medical care during retirement in Nepal.
“We are committed to ensuring the Gurkha pension scheme is sustainable and fair alongside other UK public sector pensions.”
Gurkha hunger striker pleads with Boris Johnson to fix veteran pension inequality
Sam Hancock12 August 2021 08:44
Is Gavin Williamson sackable?
Now seems a good time to think back to our associate editor Sean O’Grady’s think-piece on the education secretary’s future from last night.
“So weak is Gavin Williamson’s grip on his post in the cabinet that Downing Street spin doctors are already briefing the name of his successor as education secretary – Kemi Badenoch, a treasury minister and minister for equalities (who doesn’t seem that bothered about equality),” O’Grady writes.
“Williamson is a former Conservative chief whip, former leadership campaign manager for both Theresa May and Boris Johnson, and has a reputation, at least, for being a master of the dark arts of politics. He famously has a pet tarantula by the name of Cronus, who he used to keep in a tank on his desk, occasionally letting him out for a walk when a recalcitrant backbencher popped by for a chat.”
Read the full piece here:
Is Gavin Williamson sackable?
The education secretary may appear to limp from blunder to blunder but, in Westminster circles at least, he has a reputation for being a master of the dark arts of politics. Sean O’Grady considers whether Williamson can cling on to his job
Sam Hancock12 August 2021 08:19
Starmer warns Tories over Covid lost learning amid GCSE results
The Labour leader is urging the government to do more to address lost learning during the pandemic, after his party estimated that more than half a million Year 11 students receiving their GCSE results on Thursday will leave secondary school without receiving catch-up support.
On a visit to a school in Swindon to meet students receiving their GCSE results today, Sir Keir is expected to say the current plans to catch up on lost learning “risk holding back a generation of kids”.
Labour estimates some 560,000 year 11 students are leaving secondary school this summer without catch-up support, and says that is set to rise to 1.9 million children by 2024.
The party is calling on the government to match Labour’s children’s recovery plan, which it says would provide a £15bn package, including small group tutoring, breakfast clubs, mental heath support, more professional development for teachers, and extra investment to support the pupils who struggled the most with lockdown learning.
“It’s time for the Conservatives to get behind Labour’s plan and match our ambition for children’s futures,” Sir Keir will say during his visit today.
Sam Hancock12 August 2021 08:15
Minister refuses to comment on British ‘spy’ arrest in Berlin
A government minister has declined to comment on the arrest of a British embassy employee in Germany, on suspicion of spying for Russia, saying it would “not be appropriate”.
Schools minister Nick Gibb told Sky News: “I don’t feel I am able to talk about this issue. This is now subject to a police investigation.”
Pressed on why a government representative could not say more, Mr Gibb said: “Because this is a matter for police investigation, it would not be appropriate for any minister to come on your programme and discuss this particular issue.”
Asked why the post of security minister had been left vacant for more than a month, he added: “This is a matter for the prime minister. He makes these appointments and I’m sure these things will happen in due course.”
It comes after Conor McGinn, the shadow security minister, questioned the government’s failure to appoint a new security minister after Tory MP James Brokenshire stepped down from the post weeks ago.
“It is beggars’ belief that the prime minister has failed to appoint a replacement for [Mr] Brokenshire. He’s either forgotten or doesn’t think it’s important,” Mr McGinn said yesterday. “This is just the latest security lapse from a prime minister and government that can’t be trusted with national security.”
Sam Hancock12 August 2021 08:01
My colleague Adam Forrest has also unpicked the UK’s 4.8 per cent growth – crediting lockdown restrictions lifting and Britons returning to shops, pubs and restaurants.
Crucially, though, the latest figures did fall short of the Bank of England’s forecast, as economists expected GDP to rise by 5 per cent over the period when most of the economy reopened.
Read his full piece here:
Sam Hancock12 August 2021 07:51
UK economy grows 4.8% as hospitality bounces back from lockdown
Sky’s Helen Smith reports the following about the latest post-lockdown figures:
Sam Hancock12 August 2021 07:47
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