Scottish Labour chief Anas Sarwar launches withering assault on John Swinney, favorite to be subsequent first minister
The Scottish Tories could also be withdrawing their no confidence movement in Humza Yousaf, however Scottish Labour is just not withdrawing its no confidence movement within the Scottish authorities as a complete, its chief, Anas Sarwar, has advised LBC. That is from LBC’s Alan Zyncinksi.
NEW: The @ScottishLabour chief @AnasSarwar tells me they gained’t be withdrawing their movement of no confidence within the Scottish Authorities. Additionally requested him what he makes of subsequent potential @theSNP leaders John Swinney and Kate Forbes… “None of those folks symbolize change”
Sarwar additionally mentioned that he didn’t assume both Kate Forbes or John Swinney, who’re seen as the 2 favourites to switch Yousaf, would be capable to ship change.
Beneath Forbes, there could be “extra chaos’, as a result of some SNP colleagues wouldn’t assist her, Sarwar mentioned.
And, turning to Swinney, who’s seen because the frontrunner, Sarwar mentioned:
You could have a person who’s been on the coronary heart of the SNP authorities for the final 17 years, on the coronary heart of SNP management for the final 14 years, he was the architect of the Bute Home settlement, and we’ve seen the chaos that’s come from it, he was the worst training secretary within the historical past of the Scottish parliament, and he was the finance secretary that has damaged native authorities finance, and you may see the results we’ve had from local people organisations and native communities basically proper throughout the nation.
Key occasions
Tories ‘loopy’ to permit members to elect chief when get together is in authorities, says 1922 Committee chair Graham Brady
The Conservative MP who’s in command of management contests within the get together has mentioned that it’s “loopy” to permit members to decide on who wins when the get together is in authorities.
Because the Day by day Telegraph reveals, Sir Graham Brady, chair of the backbench 1922 Committee, made the remark in a speech at Durham College final week.
Brady defined that, underneath the system arrange by William Hague when he was get together chief in 1988, MPs vote till they’ve whittled down the checklist of management candidates to the ultimate two, after which get together members elect on of these two candidates as chief. Beforehand the chief was simply elected by MPS.
Brady went on:
I’m the primary chairman of the ‘22 who has needed to function it whereas we’ve been in authorities … And so my view is that that was a mistake to introduce that rule.
I feel it’s wonderful to have the get together members voting on the chief while you’re in opposition. However in a parliamentary system the place primarily you possibly can solely stay prime minister for those who loved the boldness of your get together in parliament, it appears to me loopy that we now have totally different mechanisms … The Conservative members of parliament can do away with the chief by voting no confidence, however then the chief is provided by the get together members.
Brady mentioned that he wish to change the foundations in order that, when the Tories are in authorities, simply MPs select the chief. However he mentioned this may “by no means occur” as a result of the rule change must be permitted by a two-thirds majority, and get together members would by no means again it.
The Telegraph has posted a recording of Brady making this argument on X.
Scottish Labour chief Anas Sarwar launches withering assault on John Swinney, favorite to be subsequent first minister
The Scottish Tories could also be withdrawing their no confidence movement in Humza Yousaf, however Scottish Labour is just not withdrawing its no confidence movement within the Scottish authorities as a complete, its chief, Anas Sarwar, has advised LBC. That is from LBC’s Alan Zyncinksi.
NEW: The @ScottishLabour chief @AnasSarwar tells me they gained’t be withdrawing their movement of no confidence within the Scottish Authorities. Additionally requested him what he makes of subsequent potential @theSNP leaders John Swinney and Kate Forbes… “None of those folks symbolize change”
Sarwar additionally mentioned that he didn’t assume both Kate Forbes or John Swinney, who’re seen as the 2 favourites to switch Yousaf, would be capable to ship change.
Beneath Forbes, there could be “extra chaos’, as a result of some SNP colleagues wouldn’t assist her, Sarwar mentioned.
And, turning to Swinney, who’s seen because the frontrunner, Sarwar mentioned:
You could have a person who’s been on the coronary heart of the SNP authorities for the final 17 years, on the coronary heart of SNP management for the final 14 years, he was the architect of the Bute Home settlement, and we’ve seen the chaos that’s come from it, he was the worst training secretary within the historical past of the Scottish parliament, and he was the finance secretary that has damaged native authorities finance, and you may see the results we’ve had from local people organisations and native communities basically proper throughout the nation.
International care employee visa functions down 25%
The variety of overseas care employees making use of for a visa to come back to the UK fell by 1 / 4 in six months, PA Media experiences. PA says:
Well being and care visa functions protecting 153,500 folks had been constructed from October 2023 to March 2024, comprising 40,800 principal candidates and 112,700 dependants, provisional House Workplace information exhibits.
That is down 25% from 205,800 folks within the six months from April to September 2023, comprising 88,800 principal candidates and 117,000 dependants, in keeping with PA information company evaluation of the figures.
The info, revealed on Tuesday, additionally present the variety of folks per 30 days included in well being and care visa functions seems to have peaked in August 2023, at 41,600 (18,300 principal candidates and 23,300 dependants).
Since then, the whole has been on a broad downwards pattern and has fallen each month in a row since November 2023.
The figures cowl the interval previous to a raft of restrictions being launched by the federal government in a bid to chop the variety of folks legally arriving in Britain.
Extra adjustments to immigration guidelines had been regularly launched from final month, with a ban on overseas care employees bringing their households with them to the UK, and a requirement for care suppliers to register with the Care High quality Fee if they’re sponsoring migrants coming into power on March 11.
The House Workplace has additionally introduced that the variety of dependants accompanying folks with scholar visas was down 80% in January to March 2024 in comparison with the identical interval in 2023. This displays the truth that the federal government has now banned most worldwide college students from getting visas permitting them convey their dependants with them.
Scottish Tories withdraw no confidence movement into Humza Yousaf, saying his resignation means ‘it is job accomplished’
The Scottish Conservatives are withdrawing the movement of no confidence in Humza Yousaf that they tabled final week. They are saying there isn’t a have to put it a vote as a result of Yousaf is standing down as first minister.
Douglas Ross, the Scottish Conservatives’ chief, mentioned:
I’m delighted that the Scottish Conservative movement of no confidence in Humza Yousaf achieved its objective by forcing him to resign.
Whereas, on a private degree, I want him properly for the longer term, he was a catastrophe as first Minister and it’s in Scotland’s pursuits that he goes.
The subsequent aim for my get together is to see off this feuding, failing SNP authorities and swap the main target away from their independence obsession and on to the general public’s actual priorities – resembling rising the economic system and bettering Scotland’s ailing public companies.
Because it’s job accomplished when it comes to Humza Yousaf, there’s not any want for us to press forward with a debate on our no-confidence movement.
Starmer defends Rayner and urges broadcasters to ask Sunak to reveal his recommendation about his spouse’s non-dom tax financial savings
In his interview with ITV’s Good Morning Britain, Keir Starmer additionally defended Angela Rayner – and challenged broadcasters asking about her tax recommendation to query Rishi Sunak about his spouse’s non-dom arrangments.
Starmer has repeatedly defended Rayner, the deputy Labour chief, who has been accused of dodging capital positive factors tax (CGT) she ought to have paid when, earlier than she grew to become an MP, she offered the council house she had beforehand introduced. Rayner has mentioned that she has had tax or authorized recommendation saying she didn’t owe CGT. Starmer mentioned mentioned his employees have seen this, however he has not personally.
When Richard Madeley, the presenter, mentioned he couldn’t perceive why Starmer had not requested to see the recommendation himself, Starmer replied:
In the long run the query we’re addressing right here is the place Angela Rayner was residing 10 or 15 years in the past and Angela has answered that query I don’t know what number of instances. The query on the finish is kind of an easy query, which is do you imagine Angela Rayner about the place she says she was residing?
The reply to that query, for me, is sure. I don’t want the authorized recommendation to inform me whether or not I imagine Angela Rayner when she tells me the place she was residing.
Requested once more if he was curious to learn the authorized recommendation, Starmer mentioned he had given authorized recommendation many instances through the years, and authorized recommendation was confidential.
When it was put to him that he didn’t wish to assessment it in case it contained one thing problematic, he replied: “Under no circumstances.” He went on:
If a member of my shadow cupboard tells me that they’re must have an operation. I don’t ask to see the medical recommendation. I don’t ask for his or her medical notes.
When Madeley put it to Starmer that Rayner was underneath a police investigation, Starmer repeated his level about how he didn’t have to see authorized recommendation to inform him to imagine Rayner. Then he turned to the topic of Sunak’s funds.
I’d additionally simply gently say this. Rishi Sunak’s spouse was a non-dom for a few years. She has given it up now. I’d be intrigued and curious to see the tax recommendation that Rishi Sunak and his household have had, as a result of they’ve prevented I don’t know what number of a whole lot of hundreds of kilos of tax … I’d gently invite you, when Rishi Sunak is subsequent on, to see whether or not you will get him to indicate you his tax recommendation.
When it was put to him that the Sunak’s weren’t underneath legal investigation, Starmer didn’t problem that, however he mentioned that they had prevented “an enormous quantity of tax”.
(Starmer was really fallacious about Sunak’s spouse, Akshata Murty. After the revelation that she was a non-dom triggered an enormous row in April 2022, Murty mentioned in future she would pay UK tax on all her earnings. However, technically, she didn’t surrender her non-dom standing.)
Starmer backs authorities proposal to cease trans girls being handled in female-only wards
Keir Starmer mentioned his views on gender points “begin with biology” as he backed blocking trans girls from female-only hospital wards and prisons in an interview with ITV’s Good Morning Britain, PA Media experiences. PA says:
The Labour chief was talking as the federal government proposed adjustments to England’s NHS structure to offer sufferers the precise to request to be handled on single-sex wards, with transgender folks positioned in rooms on their very own.
Starmer advised the programme: “There’s a distinction between intercourse and gender. The Labour Get together has championed girls’s rights for a really very long time.”
He has beforehand mentioned that “99.9% of ladies” do not need a penis and in 2021 he mentioned it was “not proper” for Labour MP Rosie Duffield to state that “solely girls have a cervix”.
However requested about his response to Duffield’s argument, Starmer mentioned: “Biologically, she in fact is true about that.”
Requested if he would apologise to the Canterbury MP, Labour chief Starmer mentioned: “I don’t need this to return into this poisonous place the place all people is split.”
However he mentioned: “Rosie Duffield and I get on very properly, we focus on plenty of points. She’s a much-respected member of the parliamentary Labour get together and I wish to have a dialogue along with her and anyone else about how we go ahead in a optimistic means.”
Requested how Labour would reply to transgender girls who didn’t wish to go on to male hospital wards, Starmer mentioned: “Now we have to accommodate that scenario because it arises, however deal with all people with respect and dignity … I don’t settle for this is a matter that can’t be resolved with respect and dignity.
“The place we have to make lodging, we are able to make lodging … As a rustic, we’re a reasonably cheap, tolerant bunch and most of the people know that there are a small variety of people who don’t determine with the gender that they had been born into.
“A lot of them undergo nice misery and trauma. And personally, I’m completely completely happy to say I’d deal with them, as I’d deal with anyone, with respect.”
Right here is a few touch upon the YouGov polling from Tees Valley and the West Midlands. (see 9.30am) from pollsters and commentators.
From Damian Lyons Lowe from Survation, a polling firm
In keeping with (Conservative) MPs, the destiny of Ben Houchen! and Andy Road on Could 2 are key on the locals.
It’s value noting that Houchen’s 72.8% share of the vote in 2021 was the identical % because the second most secure Westminster Tory seat within the nation – Rayleigh and Wickford.
I don’t assume anybody is projecting 1 Conservative seat on the subsequent GE. Any narrative that declares Tees Valley staying blue as a locals victory is just not severe.
Moreover, Houchen’s pores and skin is simply more likely to be saved due the absence of a Reform candidate standing, Reform are standing in Rayleigh on the subsequent election.
These are from the Past Topline psephology account on X
YouGov ballot of Tees Valley suggests 65% of 2019 Tory voters sticking with Houchen – that features don’t is aware of.
That might imply Houchen is maintaining onboard 2x as many 2019 Tory voters because the Conservatives are nationally (the place 33-35% are sticking with Cons with YouGov)
Oh and by the way in which, regardless of that, this ballot *nonetheless* implies a 20 pt swing from Tory to Labour (a 7 pt profitable margin, down from 46).
That’s additionally larger than the nationwide swing since Could 2021 (about 15 pts in polls), per the proportional swing we’ve been seeing.
That mentioned, Houchen’s baseline was fairly extraordinary within the first place. His profitable margin in 2021 was far past what you’d count on for the realm and mirrored his private reputation.
Yeah, to make use of mayoral contests as yardsticks for the events, it’s essential to isolate the get together model from people, such that the candidates are primarily unknown ‘generic Labour’ vs ‘generic Tory’.
East Midlands and North Yorkshire are the one Mayorals that cross this check.
From James Kanagasooriam, the Tory pollster credited with arising with the idea of the “crimson wall”
V.attention-grabbing numbers from @YouGov. Implying that Andy Road’s private premium above the get together has balloned from 6% in 2021 to 18% immediately. Houchen’s polling 51% in Teeside implies an identical private vote vs 2021 of round c.30% above the get together nationally
From Alastair Campbell, the podcaster and former Labour communications chief
One thing nearly candy in regards to the Tories attempting to faux these are the important thing votes on Thursday. Try Kenneth Baker Westminster Wandsworth technique again within the 90s. These spin operations solely work if the media allow them to. Ps if Houchen holds on retains the Teesworks corruption in lights for the final and drags all of them into it cos making such a giant deal of it. They’re simply not superb at politics
From Luke Akehurst, a Labour activist and member of the get together’s nationwide govt committee
Suspect Houchen or Road profitable could be as double edged for Tories as Ossie O’Brien profitable the Darlington byelection was for Labour in 1983 – it consolidated Foot’s management and meant an unpopular chief carried on to lose the GE by a landslide relatively than being ousted.
From my colleague Jessica Elgot
If Houchen wins, it is going to be a shiny spot for Rishi Sunak however frankly final time he gained by 73% of the vote so any loss there could be extraordinary. However it would possibly inform us one thing attention-grabbing about whether or not Tory vote in north east is a bit stickier than elsewhere of the 2019 wave.
From Dylan Difford, a supporter of the Make Votes Matter marketing campaign
The possible end result of the locals is that Labour’s PNS rating is the place it needs to be for his or her ballot lead, Tories lose plenty of councillors and a by-election, excessive ranges of Lab-LD tactical voting. However as a result of Houchen narrowly holds a 46pt majority, it’ll be a ‘blended image’.
House Workplace has misplaced contact with hundreds of potential Rwanda deportees, information exhibits
Victoria Atkins, the well being secretary, has mentioned the House Workplace is “used to” dropping contact with asylum seekers, after official figures recommended hundreds of individuals it hoped to deport to Rwanda had stopped reporting. Jessica Elgot has the story right here.
Enhance for Rishi Sunak earlier than native elections as ballot suggests Tories might win two key mayoral contests
Good morning. With simply two days left earlier than the native elections in England, which might see the Consevatives lose half their seats, in keeping with finally one projection, Keir Starmer and Rishi Sunak have each had bits of excellent information to have fun within the final 24 hours.
For Starmer, the continuing SNP meltdown is a giant bonus. There aren’t any elections in Scotland this week, however one of many massive obstacles to Labour’s restoration at Westminster has been the SNP’s dominance in Scottish politics over the past decade, and that’s withering. The SNP is now searching for a candidate to switch Humza Yousaf as first minister and the previous deputy first miniser John Swinney appears to be favorite.
I’ll report any developments on that immediately.
However there was excellent news for Sunak final night time too. Native election outcomes have a direct affect domestically (it may well matter lots who’s working your council), however when it comes to nationwide politics what issues extra is the presentional affect. It’s nearly inconceivable to think about native election outcomes that may appear to be a triumph for the Tories. However there is a vital distinction between an unmitigated catastrophe, and a nasty night time with a few “silver lining” comfort outcomes, and a YouGov ballot final night time suggests Sunak would possibly clinch two of those.
It suggests Ben Houchen, the Conservative Tees Valley mayor, is seven factors forward of Labour, and heading in the right direction to win.
A ballot two weeks in the past by one other agency had Houchen neck and neck along with his Labour rival, Chris McEwan.
And the brand new YouGov polling means that Andy Road, the Tory West Midlands mayor, is simply two factors forward of Labour, which statistically means it’s too near name.
Earlier polls have had Labour’s Richard Parker forward within the West Midlands (by 14 factors, one recommended).
This issues as a result of, if Sunak had been to lose each the West Midlands and Tees Valley on Thursday, it’s onerous to see how that may not set off utter turmoil within the parliamentary get together, and a possible management problem. But when the Tories can maintain one and even each, Sunak will be capable to argue that electoral defeat is just not inevitable, and {that a} Tory chief with a file of supply can win. Margaret Thatcher pulled off an identical trick in 1990, when Conservative HQ handle to spin largely dire ends in the native election as a win as a result of the Tories held Wandsworth and Westminster.
In fact, holding the West Midlands and Tees Valley wouldn’t for a second alter the truth that nationwide polling implies the Tories are heading in the right direction to lose the final election very badly. However it would possibly avert a spring management disaster.
The Conservatives are additionally having some success at dictating the marketing campaign agenda. Stamer was on ITV’s Good Morning Britain this morning. Labour is campaigning on the price of residing. However Starmer spent a lot of the primary 10 minutes of the interview being requested about trans points (he backed the federal government announcement immediately saying trans girls shouldn’t be handled in female-only wards in England), after which spent the remainder of the interview fielding questions on Angela Rayner. He was being defensive, and clearly wished to speak about one thing else. I’ll submit extra on what he mentioned quickly.
Starmer has an additional marketing campaign announcement coming later immediately.
Right here is the agenda for the day.
9.30am: Rishi Sunak chairs cupboard.
9.30am: The Division for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities publishes homelessness figures for England.
11.30am: Downing Road holds a foyer briefing.
2pm: Sir Alex Youthful, the previous head of MI6, provides proof to the Commons overseas affairs committee about counter-terrorism coverage.
Afternoon: Starmer speaks at an Usdaw convention in Blackpool.
3pm: David Cameron, the overseas secretary, provides proof to the Lords worldwide relations and defence committee.
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