Tories and Reform solely supply ‘straightforward solutions and snake oil’ on UK-EU relationship, says Thomas-Symonds
The Tories and Reform UK solely supply “straightforward solutions and snake oil” relating to the UK’s relationship with the European Union, Nick Thomas-Symonds has stated.
In a speech hosted by the Spectator journal, the EU relations minister stated:
Some will hysterically cry even treason. Some will say we’re surrendering sovereignty or freedoms, however that’s nonsense.
He added:
Now, we all know we’re going to have a political struggle on this, particularly after we legislate for it in parliament. However the prime minister was very direct in his directions to me on taking workplace – nationwide pursuits first, construct on what’s finest about Britain.
We’re decided to plug the gaps, to rebuild Britain, defend our borders, convey down payments in each a part of the nation and safe good jobs, a brand new relationship of mutual profit, one which brings freedom again to our companies and workouts our sovereignty.
And it wants pragmatism. Whenever you’re powerful, decisive and collaborative. That can’t relaxation on straightforward solutions and snake oil. The Tories [are] fully 2D, caught with a ghost of Brexit previous. After which Nigel Farage, who has pledged to reverse our progress.
Thomas-Symonds additionally accused Farage of “dividing communities and stoking anger”. He additionally dismissed Reform UK’s proposal to barter returns agreements with states corresponding to Iran and renegotiate the Good Friday settlement, saying Farage was struggling to manage his personal parliamentary celebration.
The Cupboard Workplace minister instructed an occasion in Westminster hosted by the Spectator journal:
I believe {that a} cautious, thought-about strategy in Northern Eire is totally crucial. I believe the Good Friday settlement is among the nice achievements of any peacetime UK authorities since 1945 and a remark like that simply merely reveals that Nigel Farage produces outlandish, unrealistic guarantees for fixing issues and that, I’m afraid, is one other one among them.
He was speaking as properly, so far as I could make out, of negotiating with hostile regimes world wide. He’s struggling for the time being to barter the politics of a parliamentary celebration that matches at the back of a taxi. I don’t put an excessive amount of confidence in them.
Key occasions
Nils Pratley
Wes Streeting will get prime marks for combating speak in his battle with the pharmaceutical companies over the worth of prescription medicines. After the well being secretary walked away from talks with the Affiliation of the British Pharmaceutical Trade (ABPI) on Friday, he caught the boot in. The “shortsighted” pharma trade had rejected “a severe and beneficiant” supply, he said. It needs to be extra “collaborative” as a substitute of creating “unaffordable” calls for. The federal government couldn’t permit British sufferers and taxpayers to be ripped off.
But Streeting absolutely additionally is aware of this standoff can’t be allowed to final indefinitely. Portraying the pharma firms as grasping could also be good political theatre – and, since we’re speaking about among the world’s largest and richest companies, the sentiment is hardly controversial. However on the finish of this course of the federal government nonetheless wants a deal. If not, its boasts about making the UK a life sciences “superpower” will ring hole. And the chilly actuality, sadly, is that Streeting is negotiating with world firms that even have causes to play exhausting.
Farage says deporting ladies and youngsters not a part of Reform’s plans ‘for subsequent 5 years’
Nigel Farage stated deporting ladies and youngsters was not a part of Reform UK’s plans “for the following 5 years”, a day after he introduced proposals to remove up to 600,000 people from the UK.
He instructed a press convention in Scotland on Wednesday:
I used to be very, very clear yesterday in what I stated, that deportation of unlawful immigrants – we aren’t even discussing ladies and youngsters at this stage – there are such a lot of unlawful males in Britain, and the information reviews that stated that after my convention yesterday had been flawed. Fallacious, flawed, flawed.
Requested whether or not ladies and youngsters can be “exempt” from deportation, the Reform UK chief added:
I didn’t say exempt without end, however at this stage it’s not a part of our plan for the following 5 years.
On Tuesday, senior Reform determine Zia Yusuf stated “section one” of the celebration’s plans would deal with adults, with unaccompanied youngsters being eliminated “in direction of the latter half of that 5 years”.
Sally Weale
Ministers have permitted plans to assist an extra 30 college students depart Gaza to take up locations at UK universities subsequent month however their evacuation stays unsure and depending on Israel’s approval.
It takes the whole to 39, after a authorities dedication final week to work to safe the evacuation from Gaza of nine Chevening scholars with locations at among the UK’s main universities.
Chevening scholarships are largely authorities funded and are supplied to “distinctive people” to review for a one-year grasp’s diploma at a UK college. All 40 college students recognized by the federal government have totally funded scholarships.
A Dwelling Workplace supply stated it was “a posh and difficult job”. Names must be submitted to the Israeli authorities for approval, after which the scholars would journey to a 3rd nation, more likely to be Jordan, for visa biometric checks, which aren’t at present accessible in Gaza.
Campaigners for the scholars welcomed the information, however expressed concern that the most recent group had acquired no direct contact from the federal government or been given particulars of what would possibly occur subsequent, whereas others with full funding appeared to not have been included.
Dr Norah Parr, a researcher on the College of Birmingham who has been coordinating efforts to assist the scholars, stated:
We’re relieved that the federal government has agreed to help a bigger group of scholars and guarantee their arrival to the UK for the beginning of their autumn time period, however we stay involved a couple of lack of transparency or clear pointers.
At our final depend, at the very least 53 college students had full funding and assist from UK universities. There could also be extra we aren’t conscious of. Because it stands, the information is inflicting additional concern and anxiousness. Who might be included and by what parameters will inclusion be decided?
Authorities data for the 12 months ending June 2025 confirmed that 110,000 individuals acquired a choice on their asylum declare, with about half granted depart to stay.
Charities increase alarm after Dwelling Workplace reverses a part of asylum lodging coverage
Diane Taylor
Refugee charities warn that hundreds of individuals within the UK may discover themselves homeless on the streets this winter after the Dwelling Workplace quietly reverse its asylum lodging coverage.
The Guardian has discovered that ministers are planning to halve the interval asylum seekers are given to seek out new lodging after getting a choice on their case, from 56 to twenty-eight days. Refugee organisations say this isn’t sufficient time to seek out work and a house to lease and can result in many individuals pitching tents within the streets.
The British Crimson Cross is amongst these elevating considerations about a rise in tough sleeping amongst refugees and, together with different refugee NGOs, is looking on the federal government to rethink.
Alex Fraser, the British Crimson Cross director of refugee companies, stated:
Decreasing the ‘move-on’ interval will improve ranges of homelessness and destitution for individuals granted safety and put extra strain on native authorities.
The numbers don’t add up. It takes round 35 days to obtain common credit score. Native authorities want 56 days to work with households susceptible to homelessness. Giving individuals solely 28 days to seek out work, housing or assist isn’t sufficient time.
Making individuals destitute finally ends up costing the taxpayer extra money and inflicting misery and hardship. We urge the federal government to assessment this resolution.
The federal government is grappling with a disaster over the use of hotels for asylum seekers, with dozens of protests staged by anti-migrant teams and people in latest weeks.
Ministers are underneath strain to expedite lodge closures and have dedicated to rushing up asylum decision-making, a choice welcomed by refugee organisations and by asylum seekers. But when there’s not ample time for refugees to seek out work and lodging, this might improve avenue homelessness.
Whereas Graham Simpson might be Reform UK’s sole MSP at Holyrood, he’s not the celebration’s first MSP. Michelle Ballantyne sat as a Reform member on the Scottish parliament from January to Could 2021, having left the Conservatives the earlier 12 months and sitting for a brief spell as an impartial. She misplaced her seat on the Could 2021 election.
Political events in Northern Eire condemn Farage’s proposal to renegotiate the Good Friday settlement
Rory Carroll
Political events in Northern Ireland have condemned Nigel Farage’s proposal to renegotiate the Good Friday settlement, calling it reckless and irresponsible.
The Alliance celebration and the Social Democratic and Labour celebration (SDLP) echoed Hilary Benn, the Northern Eire secretary, in saying that any try and unpick the 1998 peace settlement may destabilise the area.
Claire Hanna, the SDLP chief, on Wednesday that Farage’s plan to withdraw the UK from the European conference on human rights would take away a pillar of the Good Friday settlement. Hanna stated:
The settlement belongs to the individuals of this island. It isn’t Nigel Farage’s to tear up, nor some other British politician’s. Farage has by no means had any curiosity in Northern Eire and when issues get tough, he’ll drop Northern Eire in a heartbeat relatively than spend years painstakingly negotiating with Dublin.
Nevertheless, Sammy Wilson, a Democratic Unionist celebration (DUP) MP, endorsed Farage’s proposal as a approach to stem immigration and stated Reform, with a large enough majority after the following election, may renegotiate the Good Friday settlement with out a lot issue.
Graham Simpson stated he determined to hitch Reform UK to “create one thing new, thrilling and lasting”.
Talking with celebration chief Nigel Farage by his facet, the previous Scottish Tory MSP stated:
I’ve joined Reform as a result of we have now the possibility to create one thing new, thrilling and lasting that places the wants of individuals over the system, that asks what goes flawed how we will repair it.
He added he thought Reform may “assist” to take away the SNP from workplace after 19 years in energy.
In line with the PA information company, Simpson additionally stated he wouldn’t step down from the central Scotland regional checklist at Holyrood after his defection. Simpson stated he nonetheless has work to do as an MSP, together with a members’ invoice which might create a mechanism for sacking MSPs.
Simpson additionally stated he would search to “develop a coverage suite” which fits past Reform’s two key points in Scotland of web zero and immigration.
Addressing the choice to depart the celebration he joined on the age of 15, Simpson stated it was a “wrench”. Talking on the press convention in Broxburn, West Lothian, he stated:
It’s truthful to say that a few of you received’t be stunned to see me right here, on condition that the Scottish Tories have been touting my title as a possible defector for months now.
So right now, I’m giving them what they need, however maybe not for the explanations that they assume. Leaving the celebration that I first joined after I was 15 is a gigantic wrench, and I’ve been via loads of soul looking previously few weeks.
Nevertheless, Simpson stated he had determined earlier this 12 months to not stand once more for the Scottish Tories, but it surely was not till the previous few weeks he had chosen to maneuver to Reform:
I watched Reform with curiosity and I see the chance to assist create one thing recent right here in Scotland, and it’s clear that the voters agree in rising numbers. However simply because a celebration is turning into standard isn’t a cause to hitch it, retaining your job in parliament isn’t a ok cause both.
Too many individuals really feel let down and ignored, they really feel the system is towards them, that the normal events don’t even care about them. Save for some nice particular person MSPs throughout events, the political class isn’t serving the individuals properly. Failure is accepted and alter takes far too lengthy.
In an open name to his former Tory colleagues, Simpson stated his door might be open to these with “nice concepts for Scotland”. He stated:
I’ve little question that, initially, my announcement right now will spark anger, disappointment and doubtless some sheer nastiness.
I don’t like that facet of politics and I’m not wanting ahead to it, however there are a lot of ex-colleagues who may even perceive.
I say to those that have nice concepts for Scotland and who could have felt ignored: speak to me, you can find my door – wherever I’m put in parliament subsequent week – open and receptive to the sort of recent pondering that we’d like in politics.
Authorities borrowing value nears 27-year excessive, piling strain on Rachel Reeves
Phillip Inman
The price of UK authorities borrowing has jumped to close a 27-year excessive, piling strain on Rachel Reeves to disclose how she is going to sort out the deficit within the public funds earlier than the autumn price range.
The yield, or rate of interest, on the UK’s 30-year bond rose by eight foundation factors (0.08 of a share level) on Tuesday to five.62%.
That pushed the UK’s long-term borrowing prices near a spike in April of 5.66%, when 30-year bond yields reached their highest since 1998.
UK borrowing prices have risen sharply in latest months, rising the price of financing UK authorities debt to greater than £100bn a 12 months – virtually 10% of the annual price range.
Economists have stated the UK faces a novel pressure on its monetary place at a time when larger welfare and healthcare prices and fast ageing are driving up the extent of borrowing throughout most industrialised nations.
Reeves is predicted to be confronted with a deficit of between £20bn and £40bn when she delivers the autumn price range.
To keep up her fiscal guidelines and keep the £10bn buffer in place underneath present plans, the chancellor might want to discover between £30bn and £50bn in both additional taxes, decreased spending or larger borrowing.
Greater borrowing payments and U-turns on proposed welfare cuts have heightened the expectation of will increase in taxes later this 12 months.
Traders additionally worry the UK is affected by excessive inflation that can persist for a number of years, devaluing their UK funds.
Catherine Mann, a member of the Financial institution of England’s curiosity rate-setting committee, stated UK policymakers had been underestimating “inflation persistence”. She stated:
There may be an rising rigidity between inflation persistence and weak development, the trade-off that we at present face in the UK.
She stated the Financial institution wanted to keep up excessive rates of interest to convey down inflation after which lower aggressively to revive the economic system.
Farage broadcasts Tory defection of MSP Graham Simpson to Reform UK
Libby Brooks
Nigel Farage is chatting with reporters at a lodge close to Edinburgh the day after he was accused of “ugly” and “harmful” rhetoric after his announcement of plans to deport a whole lot of hundreds of asylum seekers from the UK.
He has simply introduced the defection of Scottish Conservative MSP for central Scotland Graham Simpson to Reform. Simpson might be Reform’s sole MSP at Holyrood: Farage stated he would be capable of “present colleagues the ropes” at Holyrood at subsequent Could’s elections.
Beforehand, Michelle Ballantyne sat as a Reform member on the Scottish parliament from January to Could 2021, having left the Conservatives the earlier 12 months and sitting for a brief spell as an impartial. She misplaced her seat on the Could 2021 election.
Farage stated that his press convention yesterday had “sparked the start of a nationwide debate”, earlier than introducing Simpson who stated Reform represented “a chance to create one thing recent” for voters.
That is the third MSP to depart the Scottish Tories in latest months, the opposite two quitting for the Lib Dems and one other to take a seat as an impartial.
Publish-Brexit licences for exporting meals to EU value UK corporations as much as £65m final 12 months
Kiran Stacey
UK firms spent as much as £65m final 12 months on licences to export meals and agricultural merchandise to the EU – prices that the federal government is promising to get rid of as a part of a brand new deal to be agreed by 2027.
Authorities figures launched on Tuesday confirmed it issued 328,727 such licences final 12 months, at a price of between £113 and £200 every. That might put the whole value to enterprise at someplace between £37m and £65m.
Nick Thomas-Symonds, the Cupboard Workplace minister in command of European negotiations, will on Wednesday pledge to get rid of such prices as he guarantees a brand new settlement with the EU within the subsequent 18 months.
In an occasion on the Spectator workplaces in London to be hosted by the main Brexiter Michael Gove, Thomas-Symonds will make a vocally political argument for turning into nearer to the EU.
Ministers have determined in latest months their makes an attempt to realign with Brussels take pleasure in extra assist than the strategy of the Conservatives or Reform UK, which have promised to tear up Labour’s renegotiated deal.
Thomas-Symonds will take particular goal at Farage, arguing:
Nigel Farage’s manifesto on the subsequent election will say in writing he needs to take Britain backwards, reducing at the very least £9bn from the economic system, bringing with it a danger to jobs and a danger of meals costs going up.
A day after the Reform chief gave a speech warning that Britain was underneath risk from an “invasion” of asylum seekers, Thomas-Symonds will add:
Nigel Farage needs Britain to fail. His mannequin of politics feeds on it, providing the straightforward solutions, dividing communities and stoking anger.
Keir Starmer introduced a new agreement with the EU in Could, as a part of which ministers agreed to pursue a sequence of particular offers, together with one on meals and agricultural merchandise.
Tories and Reform solely supply ‘straightforward solutions and snake oil’ on UK-EU relationship, says Thomas-Symonds
The Tories and Reform UK solely supply “straightforward solutions and snake oil” relating to the UK’s relationship with the European Union, Nick Thomas-Symonds has stated.
In a speech hosted by the Spectator journal, the EU relations minister stated:
Some will hysterically cry even treason. Some will say we’re surrendering sovereignty or freedoms, however that’s nonsense.
He added:
Now, we all know we’re going to have a political struggle on this, particularly after we legislate for it in parliament. However the prime minister was very direct in his directions to me on taking workplace – nationwide pursuits first, construct on what’s finest about Britain.
We’re decided to plug the gaps, to rebuild Britain, defend our borders, convey down payments in each a part of the nation and safe good jobs, a brand new relationship of mutual profit, one which brings freedom again to our companies and workouts our sovereignty.
And it wants pragmatism. Whenever you’re powerful, decisive and collaborative. That can’t relaxation on straightforward solutions and snake oil. The Tories [are] fully 2D, caught with a ghost of Brexit previous. After which Nigel Farage, who has pledged to reverse our progress.
Thomas-Symonds additionally accused Farage of “dividing communities and stoking anger”. He additionally dismissed Reform UK’s proposal to barter returns agreements with states corresponding to Iran and renegotiate the Good Friday settlement, saying Farage was struggling to manage his personal parliamentary celebration.
The Cupboard Workplace minister instructed an occasion in Westminster hosted by the Spectator journal:
I believe {that a} cautious, thought-about strategy in Northern Eire is totally crucial. I believe the Good Friday settlement is among the nice achievements of any peacetime UK authorities since 1945 and a remark like that simply merely reveals that Nigel Farage produces outlandish, unrealistic guarantees for fixing issues and that, I’m afraid, is one other one among them.
He was speaking as properly, so far as I could make out, of negotiating with hostile regimes world wide. He’s struggling for the time being to barter the politics of a parliamentary celebration that matches at the back of a taxi. I don’t put an excessive amount of confidence in them.
Nigel Farage is about to carry a press convention in Scotland. You’ll be able to watch it stay right here for those who’d like:
Talks on foods and drinks cope with EU will begin in autumn, says Cupboard Workplace minister
Talks on a foods and drinks cope with the EU will start within the autumn, with MPs having the ultimate say on any settlement, the minister in command of negotiations with the bloc has stated.
Cupboard Workplace minister Nick Thomas-Symonds instructed an occasion hosted by the Spectator journal on Wednesday:
This autumn, we’ll begin the detailed negotiations on the SPS (sanitary and phytosanitary requirements) deal, in addition to different commitments from our summit final Could.
We are going to then convey the laws to parliament to implement the deal. We are going to get that finished by 2027, so companies and shoppers see the tangible impacts as quickly as attainable – cash saved on the borders, earnings freed as much as make investments, kilos stored within the pocket of working individuals.
Earlier, Thomas-Symonds had insisted that the federal government’s strategy would ship “sensible” advantages together with decrease costs, simpler meals exports for farmers and fewer time spent by truck drivers sitting in queues.
Thames Water has stated its fines wouldn’t be paid for out of buyer payments (see 10.21am BST).
In line with the PA information company, Thames Water stated:
The corporate continues to work intently with stakeholders to safe a market-led recapitalisation which delivers for purchasers and the setting as quickly as practicable.
Joanna Partridge
Thames Water has agreed a cost plan with the water regulator for fines it owes value £123m, because it races to safe funding to keep away from short-term nationalisation.
The water firm, which serves 16 million clients throughout London and the south-east, is making an attempt to tug collectively a deal to keep away from collapse.
Earlier this month, the federal government approved the appointment of insolvency advisers FTI Consulting to seek the advice of on plans for Thames Water to be positioned right into a particular administration regime.
The debt-laden utility firm was hit with a record £104m fine by Ofwat in Could over environmental breaches involving sewage spills, after failing to function and handle its therapy works and wastewater networks successfully.
On the identical time, an extra £18.2m nice was levied on Thames for breaking dividend guidelines, the primary penalty of its type within the water trade. Ofwat stated the corporate had paid out money to traders regardless of having fallen quick in its companies to clients and its environmental file.
The penalties had been initially because of be paid by 20 August however the regulator has given the corporate some respiration area to pay the fines.
Ofwat had beforehand instructed Thames that the penalties needed to be “paid by the corporate and its traders, and never by clients”.
The regulator has permitted Thames’s request for a cost plan, which can end in it paying £24.5m, or 20% of the penalties, by the tip of September, with the remaining to be paid later.
The corporate pays the rest on the earliest of three attainable dates, which might be both 30 days after the implementation of a restructuring plan, or if Thames enters an SAR the steadiness can be due 30 days after the tip of that course of. The ultimate deadline for cost of the nice might be 31 March 2030.
