Politics

Read about the latest political news, views and analysis

Friday

David Shipley

Why does Lord Hermer think two-tier justice claims are disgusting?

Lord Hermer, the Attorney General who personally authorised the prosecution of Lucy Connolly for a tweet, has broken his silence on the claims that we have a two-tier justice system, and he’s angry. Hemer is also very wrong, as an investigation into Palestine Action demonstrates. Hermer, like much of the British regime, prefers convenient pretence over honesty The Attorney General was interviewed for Starmer’s Stormy Year, a new Radio 4 programme assessing how the government’s first year has gone. When the discussion turned to last August’s riots, Hermer became audibly angry, describing the two-tier claim as ‘frankly disgusting’. He seemed rather confused about where the impression of double standards has

Peter Frankopan

Peter Frankopan, Tim Shipman, Francis Pike, Hermione Eyre and George Young

42 min listen

On this week’s Spectator Out Loud: Peter Frankopan argues that Israel’s attack on Iran has been planned for years (2:00); just how bad are things for Kemi Badenoch, asks Tim Shipman (13:34); Francis Pike says there are plenty of reasons to believe in ghosts (21:49); Hermione Eyre, wife of Alex Burghart MP, reviews Sarah Vine’s book How Not To Be a Political Wife: A Memoir, which deals with Vine’s marriage to ex-husband Michael Gove (28:46); and, George Young reports on the French sculptors building the new Statue of Liberty (34:45).  Produced and presented by Patrick Gibbons.

Michael Simmons

Revealed: the dodgy data undermining Universal Credit

As Sir Keir Starmer offers concessions to 126 rebels to water down his welfare reform bill, a scandal that undermines the entire Universal Credit system goes ignored. The Spectator has seen figures revealing that the HMRC data feed which powers Universal Credit payments to low-paid workers may be so error-strewn that as many as one in four claimants has been underpaid, overpaid or not paid at all. When Universal Credit was introduced 11 years ago to modernise benefits, it required a robust data system to drive it. HMRC’s answer was the ‘Real Time Information’ (RTI) system – hailed at the time as the most significant overhaul of the tax system since

Steerpike

Four lowlights from Starmer's Observer interview

Next Friday marks a year since Labour came to power. To celebrate the occasion, Sir Keir Starmer has done a bizarre sit down interview with the Observer in which our hapless premier admits that, er, he basically has got all of it wrong. Quelle Surprise. Across 3,700 words the Hon. Member struggles, manfully, to walk the balance between contrition and resolution. For those who cannot face another Starmer long-read, never fear, here is Mr S to bring you the lowlights…. Renouncing ‘island of strangers’ speech: The top line from the piece is Starmer regretting a speech he made less than six weeks ago. He tells Tom Baldwin ‘That particular phrase,

Oscar Edmondson

Welfare U-turn: is Keir in control?

15 min listen

Keir Starmer has performed a screeching about-turn on his flagship welfare reforms, all in the hope of quelling the rebellion from more than 120 MPs who have been promised ‘massive concessions’ over concerns about disability benefits. These include moderating the bill to make it easier for people with multiple impairments to claim disability benefits, and offering to protect Personal Independence Payments (PIP) for all existing claimants for ever – to ensure there would be no detriment from the reforms for existing claimants, a key concern of the welfare rebels. But new claimants will be affected, as ministers desperately try to stop ever-spiralling disability and sickness welfare spending climbing to £100

James Heale

The knives are out after Labour’s welfare debacle

If the Labour party were a cinema, then it would currently be showing a double billing: Groundhog Day and Knives Out. For older heads, the Welfare Bill has echoes of the 2015 vote on Universal Credit; newbies MPs are now experiencing what it is like to be in a full-on government briefing war. Plenty of fall-guys are cited in today’s newspapers: from Alan Campbell and the whips’ office to Morgan McSweeney and the political operation in No. 10. The most immediate loser from the welfare U-turn is Rachel Reeves. Both politically and fiscally, the Chancellor is now in a tight spot The most immediate loser from the welfare U-turn is

Matthew Lynn

The welfare state has become absurdly dysfunctional

Britain’s 12.9 million pensioners are better off financially than they have ever been, and certainly compared with the rest of the country. Their winter fuel allowance has been restored. The triple lock looks completely secure. And with the stock market close to record highs, any savings they have will be in a healthy state as well. There is just one snag. More of them are paying tax than ever before – and that is emblematic of a bloated welfare system that has become completely dysfunctional.  Another 420,000 people over the state pension age will have to pay some income tax in 2025-26, bringing the total to 8.7 million, according to

Steerpike

Half of Labour members want Reeves sacked

It never rains but it pours. Rachel Reeves really isn’t having a good time at the Treasury. First, there was the £1bn winter fuel U-turn. Then, came the £1.5bn welfare concessions. And now, some new polling has dropped which makes for grim reading for the Chancellor. LabourList has this morning published the latest findings from its most recent poll of Labour members. Reeves is the runaway favourite to be sacked in the next reshuffle, with 46 per cent of the 1,304 respondents supporting her removal. Next up in the sack race stakes is Liz Kendall on 42 per cent, following the outcry over her proposed changes to disability benefits. Bronze

Gavin Mortimer

Starmer's 'one in, one out' migrant plan will fail

Britain and France believe they have found a solution to the small boats crisis. According to reports, Keir Starmer and President Emmanuel Macron have agreed to implement a ‘one-in, one-out’ system whereby Britain will return to France illegal migrants who have crossed the Channel in small boats. Britain, for its part, will accept migrants who have a legitimate case for joining family already resident in the UK. A government source told the Times: ‘It’ll start as a pilot but it’s to prove the point that if you pay for your passage on a boat, then you could quite quickly find yourself back in France.’ Under the scheme, Britain and France would

Druin Burch

The flaw in Wes Streeting's AI NHS app

Speaking at Blackpool Football Club earlier this week, Wes Streeting announced his latest bid to modernise the NHS: bold new additions to the NHS app. Artificial intelligence would be used to empower people, turning them into experts on their own conditions, while another feature would ‘show patients everything from their nearest pharmacy to the best hospital for heart surgery across the country, with patients able to choose based on their preference’. These features will reportedly be introduced within the next three years, with an extra £10 billion allocated by Rachel Reeves in her spending review to fund NHS technology. How exactly will NHS providers be ‘inspired’ by patients being offered choice?

Jawad Iqbal

India’s war on English makes no sense

India’s Hindu nationalist rulers are waging war on the English language. They like to claim it is the language of colonial subjugation. Amit Shah, the home minister and a powerful ally of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has predicted that the day is coming when Indians who speak English will feel ‘ashamed’ to do so. In his eyes, the English language is a legacy of colonial rule and should be stamped out. It is hard to think of anything more stupid and counterproductive than this shameless campaign. Rahul Gandhi, the leader of the opposition Congress party, was withering in his condemnation: ‘English is not shameful; it is empowering. English is not a chain;

Samuel Ramani

How Qatar helped Trump broker peace in Iran

Qatar is basking in its latest diplomatic success. On Monday evening, Qatari diplomats brokered a ceasefire between Israel and Iran. This truce remains intact despite Iran’s parliamentary vote to suspend cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) nuclear watchdog and brinkmanship over alleged breaches of the ceasefire.  Qatar’s success was the product of years of tenacious diplomacy and capitalisation on time-tested partnerships with the key warring parties. During the summer of 2022, Qatar hosted indirect nuclear negotiations between US and Iranian officials. While these talks did not produce immediate results, Qatar continued its efforts. In August 2023, Qatar facilitated a US-Iran hostage deal that led to the unfreezing of $6 billion (£4.4

Thursday

James Heale

Keir Starmer climbs down on welfare cuts

At last, Keir Starmer has bowed to the inevitable. Having first adopted a posture of defiance, then conciliation, the Prime Minister has tonight admitted capitulation on the great welfare revolt. The Guardian reports that the ringleaders of the 126 rebels who signed a wrecking amendment to the Welfare Bill are now claiming ‘massive concessions.’ It follows a tense afternoon of talks between Starmer and his MPs. It means another big U-turn for Starmer – and another hole in the Treasury’s finances The rebels say that they have been promised significant changes to planned cuts. These include moderating the Bill to make it easier for people with multiple impairments to claim disability benefits. Starmer also

Madeline Grant

Keir Starmer is seriously stupid

Sir Keir has returned from his worldwide statesmanship tour. Barely the edge of a photograph went ungurned in, not a bottom went unkissed, no platitude went ungarbled. Now – lucky us! – he was back in the House of Commons for a good long crow about his achievements. As always, there was an obsequious toad ready on the Labour backbenches The PM began with the usual Starmerite guff production. The man is a veritable Chinese Power Station of pompous pollution. This, however, was more smug than smog. It began with a round-up of how crucial he’d been in every negotiation and discussion. ‘We’re following in the footsteps of Attlee and

Jawad Iqbal

Iran's supreme leader looks more deluded than defiant

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader, has made his first public comments since the ceasefire with Israel took hold. Khamenei, who has ultimate authority over all major decisions in the country, has not been seen or heard from in more than a week. His pre-recorded speech, aired on state television, is meant to put an end to rising speculation about his fate after he went into hiding at the start of the conflict. In the televised address, the Iranian leader hailed his country’s ‘victory’ over Israel and vowed never to surrender to the United States. The Iranian leader was eager to tell anyone who would listen that the US bombing of

Steerpike

Watch: Tory MP attacks Kemi in parliament

Oh dear. While Labour rips itself apart on welfare, it seems that one Tory MP is determined to get the focus back on his party. Mark Pritchard, the Hon. Member for the Wrekin, stood up during Keir Starmer’s statement on Nato today to offer some much-needed cover for our under-fire PM. Pritchard took aim at his leader Kemi Badenoch, after she criticised Starmer for taking the UK from being a ‘strategic player on the global stage’ to ‘the sidelines’. He told the House: As far as possible in this place, it would be better to keep partisan politics out of national security issues. And who knows, I may get the

Tim Shipman

Why has a leak inquiry been launched into Hermer's legal advice?

I have now been told by four people in government that a leak inquiry is being conducted into the revelations in last week’s magazine that Lord Hermer, the attorney general, had written legal advice on the American bombing of Iran which made it difficult for Keir Starmer to support attacks to degrade Iran’s nuclear weapons programmes. I quoted a source who had seen the advice as saying: ‘The AG has concerns about the UK playing any role in this except for defending our allies.’ Others who followed up my piece suggested that if the Americans asked the government for permission to use the Diego Garcia base in the Indian Ocean

Michael Gove

Who’s having a worse week: Keir or Kemi?

20 min listen

It’s bad news all round for Labour and the Tories. An MRP poll out today forecasts that if an election were held tomorrow, Labour would not only lose its majority, but fall behind Reform to become the second-largest party. The Conservatives would be reduced to a mere 46 seats, placing them fourth behind the Lib Dems. But that’s just the beginning of their collective woes. On the Labour side – despite Keir Starmer’s charm offensive and ongoing talks with Labour MPs about potential changes to welfare policy – the number of rebels appears to be growing. The feeling increasingly is that someone might have to go, and calls for ‘regime

James Heale

Can Keir Starmer save his Welfare Bill?

The Prime Minister has never been a huge fan of the press. But there is an apt Fleet Street phrase to describe his screeching shift in tone on the great Labour welfare rebellion: reverse ferret! Just yesterday, he was all bullish talk, claiming that the more than 100 Labour MPs who want to vote down his Welfare Bill were little more than ‘noises off’. But this morning in parliament, he has adopted a much more emollient approach. It comes after six more MPs backed a rebel amendment overnight, bringing the total to 126 – around half of those Labour MPs who do not hold a government role. The marked change

Helen Whately

Our benefits system isn’t helping people with mental health problems

There are moments in politics when you have to say something people won’t want to hear. This is one of them. Our welfare system is in crisis. By 2030, one in every four pounds raised through income tax will be spent on health and disability benefits – more than the entire UK defence budget. In increasingly dangerous and uncertain times, no one could claim that this is sustainable. Drastic action is needed, and after a year in office Labour have finally cobbled together a set of welfare cuts. Sadly, their ham-fisted plan solves nothing. There is growing evidence that what we’re doing isn’t helping people with their mental health For