PMQs – snap verdict
That’s the first PMQs that Kemi Badenoch can clearly be mentioned to have “received”. She has held her personal with Keir Starmer very often, however in any dialogue on home coverage she is at a colossal drawback, as a result of the file of the earlier Tory authorities is so poor. Even a first-rate parliamentarian would wrestle with the deck of playing cards she has been dealt, and she or he shouldn’t be in that league.
However immediately Badenoch had a simple goal, and she or he clobbered it successfully. As Tony Blair found (twice – there have been two resignations), defending Peter Mandelson is typically simply not possible. Each of these incidents concerned Mandelson’s dealings with the rich, however by the requirements of immediately’s scandals they had been comparatively innocuous. Jeffrey Epstein’s ethical depravity was on a completely completely different scale. No surprise Starmer was wriggling.
Badenoch began by asking Starmer what he knew in regards to the Mandelson/Epstein friendship when he appointed him ambassador to the US. Starmer brushed this off with a routine reply about due course of, and Badenoch then adopted that up with a reference to a sophisticated story in today’s Telegraph about Epstein being consulted by Mandelson over the sale of a enterprise half owned by the UK authorities, when Mandelson was coping with it in his capability as enterprise secretary and after Epstein had been convicted of kid intercourse offences. She mentioned:
The Every day Telegraph reviews immediately, that whereas Lord Mandelson was enterprise secretary, he brokered a take care of Jeffrey Epstein, whereas he was enterprise secretary. And that this occurred after Epstein had been convicted of kid intercourse offences. Given this new info, does the prime minister actually assume it’s tenable for our ambassador to stay in publish?
Starmer continued to depend on the “due course of” defence, but it surely was probably not working and finally he resorted to accusing Badenoch of messing up her questions final week, when she didn’t interrogate him a lot on Angela Rayner. Starmer’s greatest second got here in his closing reply.
Our deputy chief contest began this week and ends on October 25. Their management contest has been occurring for months.
However by then the harm had been accomplished.
Does this matter a lot? It’s arduous to say at this level. Mandelson isn’t ambassador to the Vatican. He was appointed to ascertain a superb relationship with Donald Trump, who isn’t an Epstein-type paedophile intercourse trafficker however who isn’t an ethical paragon both, and by all accounts Mandelson is doing that a part of the job remarkably effectively.
However the Epstein affiliation is completely corrosive. (Even Trump, who’s shameless in most issues, can recognise this, which presumably is why he has been prepared to defy his Maga base over the Epstein recordsdata.) Starmer didn’t sound overly-supportive of Mandelson, and so it’s attainable a slew of additional revelations may minimize brief his Washington profession. If that had been to occur, Badenoch would declare the scalp.
Key occasions
Tradition secretary Lisa Nandy accuses GB Information of presenting ‘political polemic’ as information
Michael Savage
Michael Savage is the Guardian’s media editor.
Lisa Nandy has accused GB Information of presenting “political polemic” as information by permitting politicians like Nigel Farage to entrance its exhibits, as she warned a “polarised and fragmented” information media was threatening democracy.
The tradition secretary mentioned ministers “intend to behave” over what she described as a blurring of stories and political assault. It comes with media regulator Ofcom already seeking to tighten the principles round politicians presenting present affairs programmes.
Chatting with the Commons tradition committee, Nandy mentioned that whereas there had been latest criticisms of the BBC, there have been “completely different requirements being noticed in different places”. She mentioned issues had been raised together with her over Farage’s GB News outings.
She went on:
To take a really clear instance, and one thing that this authorities and I really feel very strongly about, there’s a actual significance for the general public after they have a look at the information to have the ability to perceive whether or not what they’re seeing is political polemic or information. In the mean time, that state of affairs is at present fully unsatisfactory.
I’ve had explicit issues raised with me by parliamentarians in regards to the look of Nigel Farage presenting information programmes on GB Information. I feel that may be a truthful criticism from members of parliament of all political events, as a result of the general public have a proper to know if what they’re seeing is information and is neutral, or shouldn’t be.
She mentioned it was fuelling the breakdown in belief in information usually, with the consumption of stories now “polarised and fragmented”.
She mentioned it had develop into “a really harmful place for a rustic to be in, and it’s one thing that we intend to robustly defend”.
TUC unanimously backs name for presidency to repeal ban on Palestine Motion
Haroon Siddique
Haroon Siddique is the Guardian’s authorized affairs correspondent.
The Trades Union Congress (TUC) annual Congress has unanimously handed a movement calling on the federal government to repeal the ban on Palestine Motion.
The movement calls on the UK authorities to “repeal the authoritarian proscription of Palestine Motion underneath counter-terrorism legal guidelines”. The ban, the primary of a direct motion protest group, came into force on 5 July, putting Palestine Motion alongside organisations like Islamic State and Nationwide Motion.
The federal government’s determination has been criticised as draconian by UN specialists, Amnesty Worldwide, Liberty and hundreds of lawyers, together with a former director of public prosecutions.
Talking within the debate on the congress in Brighton, Martin Cavanagh, the president of PCS union, which represents tons of of hundreds of civil servants, mentioned:
The UK authorities’s proscription of Palestine Motion underneath the Terrorism Act 2000 isn’t just a authorized manoeuvre comrades, it’s a political assault with implications for our rights, our members and our democracy.
We consider this proscription represents a major abuse of counter-terrorist powers and a direct assault on our proper to protest towards the genocidal Israeli regime. Let’s be clear: protest shouldn’t be and might by no means be classed as terrorism. Solidarity shouldn’t be against the law, and silence within the face of injustice shouldn’t be an choice.
The movement, proposed by the Nationwide Schooling Union (NEU), additionally referred to as on the UK authorities to take significant motion to safe a direct ceasefire, instantly recognise the state of Palestine and finish arms commerce with Israel in addition to all commerce which assists violations of worldwide regulation.
A spokesperson for Defend Our Juries, which has been organising protests at which tons of of individuals have been arrested for declaring help for Palestine Motion, mentioned:
The federal government ought to hearken to commerce unions and 5.5 million staff they signify, in addition to the numerous vicars, protests, conflict veterans, retired medical doctors, nurses and lecturers and Holocaust survivors and their descendants being rounded up by police. That is Labour’s ballot tax second. A regulation this unjust and dealing with such widespread public opposition can’t maintain and can inevitably need to be lifted.
John Healey, the defence secretary, has mentioned Nato allies will “stand agency” towards Russian aggression.
Talking after a gathering with counterparts from Poland, Italy, France and Germany (who, with the UK, comprise the E5), he mentioned:
Collectively, we the E5 completely condemn these assaults.
Russia’s actions are reckless, they’re harmful, they’re unprecedented.
We see what Putin is doing. But once more he’s testing us. But once more we are going to stand agency.
{Photograph}: Kin Cheung/AP
MPs condemn Israeli assault on Hamas in Qatar, and Starmer’s determination to satisfy Herzog in No 10
Kiran Stacey
Kiran Stacey is the Guardian’s coverage editor.
MPs from all sides condemned the Israeli assault on Hamas in Qatar throughout an pressing query within the Commons, with a number of criticising the prime minister for urgent forward along with his plans to satisfy Isaac Herzog, the Israeli president.
Abtisam Mohamed, the Labour backbencher, requested:
Why are we assembly Israel’s President Herzog immediately when his personal phrases, and people of Prime Minister Netanyahu present an entire disregard for worldwide humanitarian regulation?”
Kim Johnson, one other Labour MP, referred to feedback by Herzog in October 2023, when the Israeli president claimed “your entire [Palestinian] nation on the market” was accountable for the 7 October assaults.
How does the minister justify the genocidal feedback of President Herzog?
These people have to be held accountable. This isn’t diplomacy, it’s shameful complicity … As we speak’s assembly with Herzog ought to by no means have taken place.
Even MPs loyal to Starmer urged the prime minister to make use of his assembly with Herzog to sentence the Israeli authorities and its motion in Qatar.
Emily Thornberry, the chair of the overseas affairs choose committee, who can be working for the deputy management of the Labour get together, mentioned:
There may be an emboldened far-right Israeli govt who consider they’ll do no matter they like and there received’t be any penalties … In what approach will the prime minister be capable to convey such a message to President Herzog this afternoon?”
Liz Saville Roberts, the Plaid Cymru chief at Westminster, mentioned:
As we speak of all days, after an unlawful assault on peace brokers Qatar, it’s surprising to see the UK put out the purple carpet for President Herzog, who dehumanised Palestinian struggling and incited violence towards civilians.
Hamish Falconer, the Center East minister, defended the go to, saying Starmer would use it to speak about sensible issues comparable to evacuating civilians from Gaza and getting support into the area.
President Herzog is the top of state. He isn’t a useful a part of the federal government, he is a crucial conduit to boost these issues.
The overseas secretary sought this morning amongst different issues to make sure higher help from the Israeli authorities as a way to get kids with accidents, as a way to get college students out. These are troublesome, sensible issues on which we’re centered.
Tories declare Starmer has ‘put get together above nationwide safety’ by maintaining Mandelson in publish
A Conservative get together spokesperson issued this assertion after PMQs.
Keir Starmer was in full disarray at PMQs.
There are clearly questions he refuses to reply, as a result of it seems he knew that Peter Mandelson had an intimate relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, and nonetheless selected to nominate him to one in every of our nation’s most necessary diplomatic and financial roles.
The prime minister has put his get together, and his pal Mandelson above our nationwide safety. Solely full transparency will now suffice. Starmer should instantly publish all paperwork associated to Lord Mandelson’s appointment.
The declare that having Mandelson stay as ambassador to the US may compromise nationwide safety echoes what Ed Davey advised at PMQs when he requested if the White Home had additional “compromising materials” on Mandelson that might, Davey implied, by utilized by Donald Trump as leverage. (See 12.23pm.)
John Healey, the defence secretary, is holding a press convention after a gathering along with his counterparts from France, Germany, Italy and Poland. There’s a dwell feed right here.
No 10 says Mandelson topic to ‘intensive’ vetting earlier than appointment as ambassador to US
On the post-PMQs foyer briefing the PM’s spokesperson wouldn’t focus on intimately what Keir Starmer knew about Peter Mandelson’s relationship with Jeffrey Epstein earlier than he appointed him ambassador to Washington. However he harassed that the pre-appointment vetting was “intensive” – implying No 10 did know quite a bit about this.
The spokesperson mentioned:
We now have been very clear that the victims of Jeffrey Epstein are on the forefront of our minds, he was a despicable felony who dedicated essentially the most heinous crimes and destroyed the lives of so many ladies and ladies.
On the appointment course of, any candidates for ambassador positions are topic to intensive vetting and background checks by the International Workplace and Cupboard Workplace as a matter after all.
Requested if Starmer was stunned by the most recent revelations, the spokesperson mentioned that Mandelson’s relationship with Epstein “has been a matter of public file for a while and the ambassador himself has repeatedly addressed questions on it”.
I’ve beefed up the sooner posts with the exchanges between Keir Starmer and Kemi Badenoch at PMQs with a lot fuller, direct quotes. To get the updates to indicate, you could have to refresh the web page.
PMQs – snap verdict
That’s the first PMQs that Kemi Badenoch can clearly be mentioned to have “received”. She has held her personal with Keir Starmer very often, however in any dialogue on home coverage she is at a colossal drawback, as a result of the file of the earlier Tory authorities is so poor. Even a first-rate parliamentarian would wrestle with the deck of playing cards she has been dealt, and she or he shouldn’t be in that league.
However immediately Badenoch had a simple goal, and she or he clobbered it successfully. As Tony Blair found (twice – there have been two resignations), defending Peter Mandelson is typically simply not possible. Each of these incidents concerned Mandelson’s dealings with the rich, however by the requirements of immediately’s scandals they had been comparatively innocuous. Jeffrey Epstein’s ethical depravity was on a completely completely different scale. No surprise Starmer was wriggling.
Badenoch began by asking Starmer what he knew in regards to the Mandelson/Epstein friendship when he appointed him ambassador to the US. Starmer brushed this off with a routine reply about due course of, and Badenoch then adopted that up with a reference to a sophisticated story in today’s Telegraph about Epstein being consulted by Mandelson over the sale of a enterprise half owned by the UK authorities, when Mandelson was coping with it in his capability as enterprise secretary and after Epstein had been convicted of kid intercourse offences. She mentioned:
The Every day Telegraph reviews immediately, that whereas Lord Mandelson was enterprise secretary, he brokered a take care of Jeffrey Epstein, whereas he was enterprise secretary. And that this occurred after Epstein had been convicted of kid intercourse offences. Given this new info, does the prime minister actually assume it’s tenable for our ambassador to stay in publish?
Starmer continued to depend on the “due course of” defence, but it surely was probably not working and finally he resorted to accusing Badenoch of messing up her questions final week, when she didn’t interrogate him a lot on Angela Rayner. Starmer’s greatest second got here in his closing reply.
Our deputy chief contest began this week and ends on October 25. Their management contest has been occurring for months.
However by then the harm had been accomplished.
Does this matter a lot? It’s arduous to say at this level. Mandelson isn’t ambassador to the Vatican. He was appointed to ascertain a superb relationship with Donald Trump, who isn’t an Epstein-type paedophile intercourse trafficker however who isn’t an ethical paragon both, and by all accounts Mandelson is doing that a part of the job remarkably effectively.
However the Epstein affiliation is completely corrosive. (Even Trump, who’s shameless in most issues, can recognise this, which presumably is why he has been prepared to defy his Maga base over the Epstein recordsdata.) Starmer didn’t sound overly-supportive of Mandelson, and so it’s attainable a slew of additional revelations may minimize brief his Washington profession. If that had been to occur, Badenoch would declare the scalp.
Liz Twist (Lab) says it’s suicide prevention day. How is the federal government tackling this concern?
Starmer begins by thanking Twist for her work as his parliamentary personal secretary. (That means she has been changed within the reshuffle, however the authorities has not made an announcement about PPSs. Chris Ward, who was Starmer’s different PPS, was made a Cupboard Workplace minister on the weekend.)
On suicide, he says the federal government will work with all MPs
Sarah Bool (Con) says it’s ‘Again British farming’ day. She asks the federal government to reverse the inheritance tax for farm.
Starmer says the federal government has struck a take care of the EU of nice profit for farmers.
Starmer says Reform UK adviser who has linked vaccines to most cancers exhibits why get together ‘can’t be trusted with NHS’
Starmer condemns Reform UK from taking recommendation from an expert who has made “surprising and baseless claims that vaccines are linked to most cancers”. He goes on:
These harmful conspiracies price lives, but it surely exhibits that Reform can’t be trusted with our NHS.
Carla Denyer (Inexperienced) says the federal government ought to ban “Israeli arms sellers from parading their Gaza-tested weapons on UK soil”.
Starmer says there are clear guidelines in relation to arms gross sales.
Starmer defends partaking with Israel, saying refusing to take action could be scholar politics
Stephen Flynn (SNP) requested why the Israeli president was being invited to Downing Avenue. He mentioned Isaac Herzog was somebody who “referred to as for the collective punishment of the Palestinian individuals and who signed the artillery shells that destroyed their houses, their households and their mates”.
Starmer replied:
We now have suspended arms that might be utilized in Gaza. We now have sanctioned extremists. We suspended commerce talks.
However the level he raised is a really severe one. All of us need an consequence that ensures peace, that the hostages get out, that support will get in underneath a two-state consequence. It’s the solely approach we are going to get peace in a area that has suffered battle for a really, very very long time. I cannot surrender on diplomacy – that’s the politics of scholars.
Davey asks Starmer if White Home has extra ‘compromising materials’ on Mandelson that US may use to affect him
Ed Davey, the Lib Dem chief, urges Starmer to cut back the forms confronted by household carers when they’re searching for assist from the federal government.
Starmer agrees this ought to be simplified.
Davey asks about Mandelson, and asks if Starmer has requested him if there may be another compromising info that might be used towards him.
Starmer says due course of was adopted with the appointment.
UPDATE: Davey mentioned:
Lord Mandelson has admitted to persevering with his relationship lengthy after Epstein was convicted, and there are extra embarrassing particulars we don’t but know.
Folks will probably be stunned by the prime minister giving ambassador Mandelson such sturdy help immediately.
Has the prime minister requested the ambassador what different compromising materials the Trump administration might need on him, as he leads Britain’s negotiations with the White Home?
And Starmer replied:
A full due course of was gone via when the appointment was made.
Badenoch says Starmer has an ambasador “mired in scandal”. And she or he says the federal government ought to be utilizing Tory minimal service laws to cut back the influence of the strikes. She says all of the Labour deputy management contests have been attempting to please the unions.
Starmer says the Tory management contest has been occurring for months.
UPDATE: Badenoch mentioned:
A load of waffle and whataboutery. All they’re [in] proper now could be their pointless deputy management election whereas the nation is on the market affected by an financial disaster.
The prime minister has an envoy mired in scandal, not specializing in Nato. He misplaced his deputy prime minister [Angela Rayner] simply final week for evading taxes. He’s acquired a brand new residence secretary [Shabana Mahmood], a brand new overseas secretary [Yvette Cooper] simply studying the ropes, not capable of assist with this concern.
We now have strikes crippling our capital metropolis and damaging our financial system …
Isn’t the hyperlink between all of this his unhealthy selections his unhealthy judgment and his complete weak spot?
And Starmer replied:
Our deputy chief contest began this week and ends on October 25. Their management contest has been occurring for months …
All this noise from the arsonist while we’re placing out the fires that that they left behind.
