Key occasions
Murder price in England and Wales all the way down to lowest price for not less than 20 years, ONS says
The variety of homicides recorded by police in England and Wales has dropped to its lowest degree since present strategies of reporting started in 2003, PA Media studies. PA says:
Some 518 homicides had been recorded within the yr to June, together with 444 offences of homicide and 68 of manslaughter, in line with a report from the Workplace for Nationwide Statistics.
It is a drop of 6% from 552 within the earlier yr and 27% beneath the pre-pandemic whole of 710 in 2019/20.
The present methodology of recording homicides dates from 2002/03, when the determine stood at 1,047 – though this consists of the 173 victims of serial killer physician Harold Shipman.
The murder price within the yr to June stood at 8.4 offences per million individuals – the bottom degree for the reason that Seventies, the House Workplace mentioned.
New crime figures for England and Wales revealed this morning additionally present there have been 51,527 knife offences recorded by forces within the 12 months to June, down yr on yr by 5%.
Different sorts of police-recorded offences elevated, with shoplifting up 13% yr on yr to 529,994 – slightly below the current all-time excessive – and theft from the individual at 145,860, up 5%.
Reform’s solely Black department chair quits over ‘dangerous’ migration debate
The one Black department chair of Reform UK has left the rightwing populist celebration, saying the tone of Britain’s migration debate is “doing extra hurt than good”, Chris Osuh studies.
Cleverly wrongly claims Tory deportation coverage wouldn’t retrospectively influence individuals with indefinite go away to stay
Peter Walker
Peter Walker is the Guardian’s senior political correspondent.
The Conservatives’ coverage of retrospectively eradicating the suitable to reside within the UK from massive numbers of households seems to be inflicting confusion even amongst shadow ministers, with James Cleverly arguing this morning that the plan wouldn’t have an effect on life for individuals who have already got indefinite go away to stay.
Quizzed concerning the proposals, as set out in an interview over the weekend by Katie Lam, a junior House Workplace frontbencher for the Tories, Cleverly, the shadow housing secretary, denied that folks already with ILR could possibly be eliminated beneath a future Conservative authorities.
He instructed Occasions Radio:
That’s not the complete element of the coverage. That’s not fairly the suitable interpretation of the coverage. What we’re saying is indefinite go away to stay must be tighter.
Pressed on whether or not the modifications can be retrospective, he mentioned:
Retrospective modifications are usually not what we’re speaking about as our coverage.
That is curious, on condition that the Conservative plans on ILR, as set out in a draft bill offered by the shadow dwelling secretary, Chris Philp, explicitly units out that folks with ILR can have this eliminated in the event that they commit against the law, declare any sort of advantages, or earn lower than £38,700 for six months or longer. The part is even titled “Revocation of Indefinite Depart to Stay in sure circumstances”.
Assuming that is nonetheless the coverage – and Kemi Badenoch’s spokesperson said it was on Wednesday, and even explicitly defended the retrospective aspect – it’s uncommon for somebody like Cleverly, who was each dwelling secretary and shadow dwelling secretary, to not be throughout the main points.
In equity to him, whereas Philp’s invoice was tabled in Could, few individuals paid a lot consideration earlier than Lam’s feedback. The main points of how the deportations would work, together with whether or not it would contain splitting up households, are additionally nonetheless unclear.
Claire Coutinho claims Tony Blair’s thinktank ‘catching up’ with Tories after it says 2030 ‘clear energy’ goal ought to be dropped
The Tories have welcomed a report from the Tony Blair Institute (TBI), the previous Labour’s PMs thinktank, saying the federal government ought to drop its plan to decarbonise electrical energy manufacturing within the UK by 2030.
Claire Coutinho, the shadow power secretary, claimed that the TBI was “catching up” with the Conservative celebration – though the thinktank tank shouldn’t be supporting the Tory name for the 2050 internet zero goal to be deserted.
In a report, the TBI mentioned that, whereas the 2030 clear energy mission was laudable when it was launched as considered one of Keir Starmer’s 5 missions in 2023, the federal government ought to now be focusing extra on value of dwelling points. The TBI report mentioned:
Launched in the course of the gasoline disaster and in a low-interest setting, [the clean power misison] was proper for its time, however circumstances have modified. The UK now wants greater than a decarbonisation plan. It wants a full-spectrum power technique constructed on progress, resilience and ample clear electrical energy. This implies prioritising value, flexibility and long-term stability – the actual constructing blocks of electrification – not simply short-term emissions cuts …
To focus minds throughout authorities, the clear energy 2030 mission ought to due to this fact be reframed as cheaper energy 2030, internet zero 2050.
The UK’s dedication to internet zero stays agency. Britain led the world in enshrining the Local weather Change Act, and that authorized responsibility stands. Whereas some have prompt strolling again the nation’s dedication to the Local weather Change Act or to attaining internet zero by 2050, that alternative would quantity to rolling again progress. The query is not whether or not to decarbonise, however how – the way to ship clear energy affordably, securely and with public assist.
This passage doesn’t point out the truth that Blair himself was at one level a type of suggesting “walking back” on net zero 2050. Blair has subsequently clarified his pondering, and his thinktank backs the Local weather Change Act – not like the Conserative celebration, that desires to repeal it.
However this didn’t cease Coutinho this morning claiming that Blair is on her facet. She mentioned:
I’m glad Tony Blair’s thinktank has been copy-and-pasting my speeches. Power is prosperity and the precedence for any power coverage must be coping with the truth that we have now obtained the costliest electrical energy on this planet.
The Conservative celebration are the one celebration with a plan to chop payments. We’ll axe the carbon tax to chop payments for each household immediately. It’s good that the TBI is catching up – and now it’s time for Ed Miliband to undertake our low-cost energy plan to chop electrical energy payments by 20% tomorrow.
Commenting on the TBI report, a spokesperson for Miliband’s power division mentioned:
This report rightly recognises that clear energy is the suitable alternative for this nation. This authorities’s clear energy mission is precisely how we’ll ship cheaper energy and produce down payments for good.
As Kiran Stacey and Helena Horton report, the TBI could also be on to one thing; ministers imagine they could have to simply accept that they received’t be capable of obtain the clear energy 2030 goal as a result of they should hold power payments down.
Renewable power funding ought to come from defence budgets, say retired army leaders
Funding in renewable power ought to be counted beneath defence expenditure, says a bunch of retired senior army personnel, as a result of the local weather disaster represents a menace to nationwide safety, Fiona Harvey studies.
Rachel Reeves has introduced a £500m investment package for brand new properties and stronger transport hyperlinks between Oxford and Cambridge as a part of a bid to create “Europe’s Silicon Valley” in southern England, PA Media studies. PA says:
The Cowley Department railway line in Oxford will reopen with new stations in Littlemore and Cowley, which the Treasury mentioned would assist as much as 10,000 new jobs.
The funding may even go in the direction of the event of reasonably priced properties in Cambridge, with plans to launch a session on forming a brand new centrally led growth company to assist the expansion of town.
The Cambridge Progress Firm, which was established by the federal government and brings collectively native leaders, communities and trade, will start recruiting for a brand new chief government.
Its intention is to develop proposals for housing, transport, water and different infrastructure within the Larger Cambridge area.
Tom Tugendhat, the Tory former safety minister, requested why one of many witness statements supplied by the deputy nationwide safety adviser, Matthew Collins, included feedback from the Labour manifesto about Labour’s China coverage. He requested what that was the case when the case was meant to narrate to the coverage in place when the alleged offences had been dedicated, when the Conservatives had been in workplace.
Reeves mentioned an important witness assertion was the one which was submitted when the Tories had been in workplace.
Robert Jenrick, the shadow justice secretary, tabled the pressing query on the China spy case. Responding to Reeves, he mentioned the lawyer normal reportedly heard the CPS had been about to drop the case just a few days earlier than that was introduced. He requested what steps the lawyer normal, Lord Hermer, took to make sure the CPS obtained the additional proof it wanted to make sure the prosecution might go forward.
Reeves didn’t handle this level in her reply. As an alternative she accused the Tories of “baseless smears”, and mentioned that the lawyer normal shall be giving proof to the joint committee on the nationwide safety technique subsequent week.
Solicitor normal Ellie Reeves says disinformation’ from Tories on China spy case is distracting from anti-espionage work
Within the Commons Ellie Reeves, the solicitor normal, is responding to a Tory pressing query concerning the China spy case, and the function of the lawyer normal within the case.
Reeves says on this nation the Crown Prosecution Service is impartial.
It’s a bedrock constitutional precept that prosecutions on this nation are free from political affect. Which means that prosecutors, not politicians who determine which instances to prosecute. It’s prosecutors, not politicians, who determine what proof shall be used at felony trials, and it’s prosecutors, not politicians, who determine when instances ought to be dropped.
Reeves says though particular person CPS selections are shielded from political interference, it’s “superintended” by the lawyer normal. Particulars of how this works are set out in a framework settlement signed by the lawyer normal beneath the final govenrment.
Reeves says, in some instances, together with Official Secrets and techniques Act instances, the lawyer normal has to approve prosection selections. She goes on:
In doing so, the regulation officer acts in a quasi-judicial capability independently of presidency and applies the identical two-stage check [as the CPS applies].
Reeves says the lawyer normal accredited the prosecution on this case on 3 April 2024. She goes on:
Following that date, no regulation officer intervened within the case at any stage. It could have been wholly inappropriate for the regulation officers to take action.
As soon as consent is given, then the regulation officer performs no on-going function.
If the prosecutor contemplates dropping the case due to evidential causes, then the requirement is that the prosecutor informs the lawyer normal of the choice as quickly because it has been taken. That’s what occurred on this case.
She ends by saying “ongoing disinformation across the collapse of this case” is distracting the federal government because it makes an attempt to take care of Chinese language espion are actually distracting from an important situation we should always all be centered on how the federal government can dea with Chinese language espionage.
Lindsay Hoyle suggests authorities, not parliamentary guidelines, guilty for MPs not getting likelihood to debate Prince Andrew
Lindsay Hoyle, the Commons Speaker, has insisted that parliamentary guidelines don’t stop MPs debating the conduct of members of the royal household.
There are guidelines that restrict the flexibility of MPs to debate the royals typically debates. However, in a press release to MPs in the beginning of parliamentary enterprise at present, Hoyle insisted that these don’t ban any reference to the king or his family members.
The problem has come to the fore as a result of some MPs need to debate Prince Andrew, both legislating to take away his titles, or to think about his lease preparations at Royal Lodge.
Hoyle mentioned:
I do know there was some commentary on what members of this home might or might not focus on within the chamber in relation to Prince Andrew, a few of which is inaccurate.
There’s understandably nice curiosity from members and from the general public on this matter. For the advantage of the home, I want to be clear that there are methods for the home to correctly contemplate this matter.
Any discussions concerning the conduct or reflections on members of the royal household might be correctly mentioned on the substantive motions. And I do know some members have already tabled such a movement. I’m not capable of allocate time for a debate on such a movement, however others are ready to take action, if wishing to do this.
However on questions, the long-standing observe of the home, as set out in Erskine Could, is that criticism of members of the royal household can’t be made as a part of questions. I hope that is useful clarification, as there’s a lot of on-line hypothesis.
Hoyle was, in impact, attempting to make sure that the federal government, not parliament, will get the blame for MPs not debating Andrew. When Hoyle mentioned “others” are capable of allocate time for debate on a sustantive movement, he was referring to the federal government, which controls most of what will get debated within the Commons.
Whereas ministers haven’t dominated out permitting MPs to debate laws referring to Andrew, they’ve mentioned they are going to be guided by the wishes of the king, they usually have prompt that MPs have extra vital points to deal with.
Some 220 migrants arrived within the UK on Wednesday after crossing the Channel, bringing the cumulative quantity thus far in 2025 to 36,954 – greater than the 36,816 arrivals in the entire of 2024, PA Media studies. PA says:
It’s too early to inform whether or not this yr will see a file variety of migrants arriving within the UK after crossing the Channel.
The cumulative whole for 2025 thus far, 36,954, is 30% larger than at this level in 2024 and 41% larger than in 2023, however 2% decrease than at this stage in 2022.
The file for probably the most arrivals in a calendar yr is 45,774 in 2022.
Bridget Phillipson and Lucy Powell make their ultimate arguments forward of poll closing in Labour’s deputy management contest
Jessica Elgot
Jessica Elgot is the Guardian’s deputy political editor.
At midday at present voting will shut within the Labour’s deputy management election. It has been a decent race between schooling secretary Bridget Phillipson and Lucy Powell, the not too long ago ousted cupboard minister.
Powell has been calling for Labour to vary course and to champion extra loudly progressive values, in order to tackle each Nigel Farage and leftwing events.
And Phillipson has instructed supporters that she wants a “mandate to smash little one poverty” in order that in cupboard she will be able to get agreeement to finish the two-child profit cap.
Powell has led comfortably in polls of Labour members, however Phillipson has endorsements of three of the most important unions whose members haven’t been polled and who additionally get a vote in the event that they pay into the celebration.
Powell wrote to supporters final night time:
The politics of division and hate are on the rise, and it’s as much as us, the Labour celebration, to face agency towards it, and present that progressive, mainstream politics could make the change individuals have voted for repeatedly.
I need to assist Keir and our authorities to succeed. However everyone knows that we should change how we’re doing issues to show issues round.
Phillipson has mentioned she doesn’t imagine modifications comes from criticism of Keir Starmer’s management. “Everyone knows Reform are a transparent and current hazard which we will’t ignore – so are the Greens peddling their false hope,” she mentioned in a ultimate assertion final night time.
However we’re not going to beat them by having spats in public. We’re not going to beat them by throwing rocks on the management simply as we’re not going to beat them by straying from our values. We’re going to beat them by coming collectively.
Powell has routinely been dubbed because the divisive candidate by her rival, in a contest that has left each camps feeling bruised, although there’s specific anger from allies of Powell.
In her letter, Powell mentioned:
[It is] not divisive to be sincere about the place we’re, it’s the one approach we will collectively withstand it and alter course. Blindly following alongside shouldn’t be unity, it’s a dereliction of our responsibility to defeat the politics of hate and division.
There shall be two pressing questions within the Commons after 10.30am. First, Robert Jenrick, the shadow justice secretary, is asking for a press release concerning the function of the lawyer normal within the collapse of the China spy trial. After which the SNP’s Seamus Logan is asking for a press release on the fishing and coastal progress fund.
Badenoch criticised for utilizing grooming gangs inquiry for ‘level scoring’
Yesterday Jim Gamble, a former deputy chief constable and a former head the Little one Exploitation and On-line Safety Command centre, mentioned he was not fascinated by being chair of the grooming gangs inquiry. He was the one identified candidate left, as a result of the opposite candidate identified to have been shortlisted pulled out earlier within the week.
In an interview with Occasions Radio, Gamble mentioned that he was “disillusioned” with the with Kemi Badenoch has approached this situation. He mentioned:
She’s a forthright and direct particular person. However I used to be disillusioned on the method of the engagement as a result of truly it might be significantly better to say, look, I’ve been chatting with among the victims and survivors, you already know, let’s get collectively and focus on this as a result of not all victims and survivors need the identical factor.
At PMQs yesterday Badenoch devoted all her inquiries to the grooming gangs inquiry, utilizing the subject to assault Keir Starmer’s management.
In a separate interview with GB Information, Gamble mentioned the ambiance across the inquiry had turn out to be “poisonous”. He defined:
And my goodness, if politicians can’t come collectively cross-party on this, when are they ever going to return collectively?
I believe the poisonous setting; there must be a pause now. There must be a chilled. These individuals in positions of accountability want to consider the victims and survivors slightly than their very own political level scoring.
Jess Phillips has full confidence of PM, says minister, after grooming gang survivors say inquiry will fail if she stays
Good morning. Kemi Badenoch is entitled to take a little bit of the credit score for persuading Keir Starmer to vary his thoughts and conform to a nationwide grooming gangs inquiry. (GB Information and Elon Musk in all probability performed a rule too – though Starmer says the voice that mattered was Louise Casey’s.) When opposition events affect coverage, they at all times look a bit extra severe. However – deliberately or not – by getting the inquiry off the bottom, Badenoch has additionally plunged the federal government into course of turmoil that ensures countless unfavorable headlines and undesirable distraction.
The federal government is now on day 4 of the grooming gangs inquiry “disaster” and it’s not getting any higher. After the resignation of 4 survivors on the inquiry’s oversight panel, and the withdrawal of each lead candidates to be chair, Starmer is now beneath recent strain to sack Jess Phillips, the safeguarding minister, over claims that she falsely accused survivors of mendacity concerning the course of in an pressing query within the Commons on Tuesday.
Final night time the 4 survivors who’ve resigned from the oversight panel launched a joint statement saying Phillips’s remark took them “proper again to that feeling of not being believed yet again”.
The survivors mentioned that Phillips was unfit to supervise the inquiry course of and that they might not rejoin the inquiry panel until she went.
You will need to keep in mind that a lot of the survivors on the oversight panel haven’t give up, and that there are many victims who don’t agree with these criticisms. Nonetheless, it’s removed from best.
Within the Commons yesterday Starmer defended Phillips. Josh MacAlister, the youngsters’s minister, has been doing a media spherical this morning and he mentioned Phillips has the “full backing of the prime minister and the house secretary” and that he would “keep in publish”.
He went on:
I do know Jess, she’s been a lifelong advocate and champion for younger women who’ve been abused, and he or she has already proven that she’s correctly participating with the survivor group.
MacAlister mentioned the scope of the inquiry wouldn’t be broadened (one of many considerations of survivors).
He added:
The federal government’s intent on that is extremely strong. We need to get this proper. We’re taking motion and we’ll set the inquiry up.
I might simply urge different political events to show the amount down a bit bit, or flip the warmth down a bit bit on, on their assaults.
Right here is the agenda for the day.
9.30am: Darren Jones, the Cupboard Workplace minister, takes questions within the Commons.
9.30am: The ONS publishes crime figures for England and Wales for the yr ending June 2025.
9.30am: David Lammy, the deputy PM, offers a speech in London.
10.15am: The Lords committee contemplating the assisted dying invoice takes proof from medical and authorized specialists.
11.30am: Downing Avenue holds a foyer briefing.
Morning: John Healey, the defence secretary, and his German counterpart Boris Pistorious go to RAF Lossiemouth in north-east Scotland.
Midday: The poll for the deputy Labour management closes. The outcome shall be introduced on Saturday.
Afternoon: Kemi Badenoch is on a go to in north-west London.
And in Caerphilly voters are going to the polls for a Senedd byelection which will herald a elementary realignment in Welsh politics. Steven Morris has an excellent preview right here.
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