Thorny Red Roses: Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer during his speech and press conference in the Rose Garden at 10 Downing Street, London, where he promised his Government will do the “hard work” to “root out 14 years of rot” under the Tories. © PA Images / Alamy StockPhoto
The Prime Minister warned of a “painful” Autumn Budget during a speech in the Downing Street rose garden on Tuesday, stating that people would have to “accept short-term pain for long-term good.” Hinting at tax rises, Starmer stated that “those with the broadest shoulders should bear the heavier burden,” arguing that he had inherited “not just an economic black hole but a societal black hole” from the Conservatives. Chancellor Rachel Reeves is set to unveil the Government’s plans on 30 October.
The PM also met with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, to launch negotiations on a new bilateral treaty, expected to ‘boost business and trade, deepen defence and security cooperation, and increase joint action on illegal migration.’ The PM’s negotiating team will spend the next six months working on the new treaty, with both sides keen to get it agreed by early 2025.
Starmer followed up this visit with a quick trip to France on Thursday, where he met with British Paralympic athletes, coaches and staff as the Games kicked off. Of course, he also found time to meet with President Emmanual Macron at the Elysée Palace, where they discussed topics including strengthening relations between the two countries, the small boats crisis and a ceasefire in Gaza.
Smoking in pub gardens and other public outdoor spaces could be banned. The Government confirmed that it is looking at tougher rules on outdoor smoking to reduce the number of preventable deaths linked to tobacco use. The PM said that action was required to reduce the burden on the NHS, with further detail to be revealed in due course.
The Government announced plans for new environmental guidance for oil and gas firms, in light of the recent Supreme Court ruling that a UK council should have considered the climate impact of new oil wells, thereby setting a precedent for all regulators. The Government also revealed it will not fight against the legal challenges brought against Rosebank and Jackdaw oil fields (much to the chagrin of many Conservative MPs), however, this does not mean their licences have been withdrawn.
£10.5m was announced to support preparations for new EU checks at the border in the Autumn, helping the Port of Dover, Eurostar and Eurotunnel to install the necessary Entry/Exit System (EES) technology. The EES will mean that travellers from the UK and other non-EU countries will have to register at the border by having their fingerprints and photographs taken.
SDLP leader Colum Eastwood confirmed his resignation as party leader after nearly a decade in the role, saying he wants space and time to be a voice of change. It comes just eight weeks after retaining his Westminster seat in Foyle with a reduced majority of 4,166, with Claire Hanna tipped as his successor.
US Democratic nominee Kamala Harris undertook her first major TV interview, alongside running mate Tim Walz. In the CNN interview, which lasted a total of 27 minutes, Harris defended changing her mind on key issues, having been accused of moving from liberal to more moderate policy positions on fracking, the climate and immigration. She also said she would appoint a Republican in her Cabinet, to invite diversity of opinion, and vowed to “turn the page” on Trump’s divisive rhetoric… He was quick to take to social media, calling the interview “BORING!!!”
3 – Days until Parliament returns, from a 4-week Summer Recess, the shortest in decades.
13 – Days until Parliament stops sitting and enters Conference Recess.
6% – New interest rate on Plan 1 student loans, down from 6.25%. Interest rates for other plans are due to be confirmed over the next few days…
4.3% – RPI in March 2024 – the rate Plan 2 and Postgraduate Loans are based on. With up to 3% added to this, the interest rate is likely to fall from the cap of 8% to 7.3%.
£1bn – Total spent by councils in England on temporary accommodation for homeless families over the last year.
2 – Number of gold medals won by Team GB on the first day of competition at the Paralympics, with the Opening Ceremony held on Wednesday evening. The Games take place until 8 September.
Two-thirds of Britons believe that the UK’s economic problems are worse than the Conservatives admitted whilst in office, according to a new Ipsos poll. After Keir Starmer’s used his rose garden speech to criticise the previous Government for leaving the country with an economic black hole, 65% of Britons found it believable that the economic problems facing the country are worse than Conservative politicians admitted. Meanwhile, 51% found it believable that Labour could be exaggerating the economic problems facing the country as an excuse to raise taxes or cut spending.
As the Conservative Party looks to find its next leader, a YouGov poll found that a majority of Conservative members oppose the idea of merging with Reform UK to create a single right-wing party. It found that 51% oppose a merger, while 42% support it. Interestingly, 51% of members think that the next leader should move the party to the right and 50% believe they should target Reform UK voters. In comparison, 34% think they should move the party to the centre and 25% and 16% think they should target Labour and Liberal Democrat voters, respectively.
48% of Britons are supportive of collective action by GPs that does not include strikes, according to a new Ipsos poll. The poll found that support is highest among those aged 18-35, with 55% in support, followed by 35-54 year olds of whom 51% are supportive. When looking at support by party, 59% of Labour voters support collective action by GPs, followed by 49% of Liberal Democrats.
The IPPR published a new report arguing that a “fair taxation of wealth” could help regionally rebalance the economy and correct widening inequalities in wealth. The report highlights how tax reform could play a role in regionally rebalancing the country and found a regional disparity in who benefits the most from the tax system’s favourable treatment of wealth.
With the new school term starting on Monday, the last week of recess has once again been a quiet one, leaving us in the disappointing position of having very few contenders to playfully poke fun at in this section (come on guys – help us out here). So instead, we’ll leave you with a bonus picture – a close contender for Image of the Week – of Reform UK Leader Nigel Farage MP out campaigning against the rumoured smoking ban. © PA Images / Alamy Stock Photo
