Dominc Raab attacks Liz Truss’s record at Treasury
Appearing on the Sophy Ridge program on Sky News this morning, Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab, who supports Rishi Sunak as prime minister, attacked Liz Truss and her record as chief secretary of the treasury. To see also : Remarks by President Biden and Prime Minister Yair Lapid of the State of Israel.
Defending Sunak’s record as Chancellor and addressing Truss’s claim that there had been low growth for decades, Raab said:
He can answer for his policies and for you when he was chief secretary of the treasury. People can see if spending and staffing in the civil service have increased or decreased. There is not only Rishi who will be responsible for what he has done in the face of a massive pandemic. I mean, did he cut taxes at the time? Did your spending increase or decrease during your cycle is it CST? I think, without criticizing her personally, that it is only fair that all members of their record be scrutinized.
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Let’s go back to Penny Mordaunt’s BBC interview for a moment. Another embarrassing exchange with Sophie Raworth was when Mordaunt was asked about her claim in 2016 that the UK did not have a veto on Turkey’s membership of the European Union.
Mordaunt said of his now heavily analyzed interview: “This is a classic example of the campaign [Leave] we found ourselves against.”
He argues that since David Cameron had promised Turkey that the UK would back its membership offer, the veto was in fact out of the question.
This morning he told Raworth: “Just because there is a provision in a treaty doesn’t mean the UK could ever use it. Resuming the commitments made to Turkey, a fundamental NATO ally, would have been absurd. We did not have a veto because we could not use the provision of the treaty ”.
The European Commission’s website has this to say about Turkey’s admission process to the European Union:
Turkey was declared a candidate country in December 1999. Negotiations started on 3 October 2005 and Chapter 27 was opened for negotiations on 21 December 2009. Technical discussions are ongoing in areas such as water, waste, nature protection or horizontal legislation.
Amid all the noise of competition for conservative leadership, there is still real government to be done and the Department of Transportation has today issued an “Aviation Passenger Card”.
Robert Courts, Minister of Aviation and the Sea, tweets: “Air travel is back, but the scenes we recently saw at airports are unacceptable. That’s why today we are launching a new charter that will inform UK passengers of their rights. , giving peace of mind as they return to travel without restrictions ”.
Air travel is back, but the scenes we’ve seen at airports recently are unacceptable. That’s why today we are launching a new charter that will inform UK passengers of their rights, giving peace of mind as they return to travel without restrictions 👇https: //t.co/F9aS0dQdF0
Sunak pledges to review 2,400 transferred EU laws before next election
Rishi Sunak is touting on social media a piece he wrote for the Sunday Telegraph, promising “If I am elected, by the next election, I will have demolished or reformed all the EU law, bureaucracy and bureaucracy that is still in our statute. This may interest you : Women in Business: Amy Wenger. and the slowdown in economic growth “.
The document describes Sunak, who backed Stay in 2016, as “brandishing his Brexiteer credentials.” Edward Malnick writes:
The former chancellor has promised that by the next election he will have “abolished or reformed all the EU law, bureaucracy and red tape that are still in our statute and that it will slow economic growth” if he succeeds Boris Johnson as prime minister.
Sunak said he will task a Brexit minister and a new Brexit delivery department to review all 2,400 EU laws transferred to the UK statute following the UK’s exit from the bloc. It would ask for the first set of recommendations on whether to abolish or reform each law “within my first 100 days of work”.
Specific commitments included revising maintained EU regulations “to trigger a Big Bang 2.0” for the City, with his team saying it would set a goal “to make London once again the world’s leading financial center by 2027”.
It also said it will replace EU-derived GDPR data laws with “the most dynamic data protection regime in the world” and cut red tape that slows down clinical trials.
Opportunities have been missed to prepare the UK for future pandemics, the former vaccine czar said.
Dame Kate Bingham, managing partner of SV Health Investors venture capital firm in the life sciences sector, has played a crucial role in the UK’s efforts to vaccinate the population against Covid. As head of the UK’s vaccine task force between May and December 2020, he led a team that convinced the government to support a large portfolio of potential jabs, securing millions of doses.
Speaking to the Guardian on the anniversary of the lifting of Covid-related legal restrictions, Bingham praised the government’s quick decision-making during his time at the helm of the task force, as well as Boris Johnson’s willingness to invest upfront money in vaccines.
But he said there have been missed opportunities since then, including not bringing scientific and commercial expertise to the government and not pursuing the creation of bulk antibody production capacity in the UK.
Read more about science correspondent Nicola Davis’ report here: The UK has missed opportunities to prepare for future pandemics, says former vaccine czar
Observer columnist Kenan Malik writes for us today that he would rather see a pale prime minister with big policies than a “different” one who reinforces inequality:
The possibility of Britain having a non-white prime minister by the autumn and the breadth of diversity among Conservative leadership candidates has sparked much discussion.
Much of the Tory change is based on a concerted effort by David Cameron to alter the party’s image. In 2005, it launched its “A list,” a program that encouraged conservative associations to choose from a list of preferred candidates, half of whom were women and a significant percentage of ethnic minorities.
What is striking about the Tory change is that it has turned the normal pyramid of diversity upside down. In most organizations, minorities concentrate at the bottom and become increasingly rare as you move up the organizational ladder, until diversity is almost non-existent at the top.
Not so with the Tories. The top of the party, the cabinet, contains a much higher percentage of minorities than the lower tiers. Conservative voters are disproportionately white: only 20% of minorities voted Conservative in 2019 and 97% of its members are white, as are 94% of its MPs. Yet, up until the recent mass resignations, seven out of 32 cabinet posts were held by ethnic minorities.
Read more here: Kenan Malik – Give me a pale male PM with great policies about a “different” that reinforces inequality
Mick Whelan, general secretary of the Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen (Aslef) also appeared in the media this morning. With strikes on the horizon, he was asked on Sky News how much of a pay rise his members would be satisfied with. He told viewers “We didn’t put an exact figure on it”.
He went on to explain that “most people don’t understand that no one in the rail industry has had a pay raise for three years.”
“The cost of living crisis is hitting all workers,” he said. Of wanting a pay rise that reflected the current inflation rate, he said “standing still isn’t greed. Standing still is standing still. And of course we wouldn’t be standing still either, because we’re not looking back at the wage increases we didn’t get. in the previous years”.
He wanted to remind the public that train drivers are not in the public sector, saying, “We don’t work for the transportation department and we don’t work for the treasury. We work for all these private companies. And they all made a profit during the pandemic. And now they are making profits. And it seems counterintuitive to us that they are paying their shareholders and taking money from the UK to fund state railways elsewhere. Even if we can’t get a salary increase internally. “
Challenged by people’s perception that train drivers are already very well paid compared to public sector workers, Whelan said: “I look at other workers and I think they should have what we have.
“Every time I ask the question ‘if we don’t get it, will you give 22% to the nurses? Will you give it to the firefighters to raise them? ‘… It gets very, very quiet.
“So let’s not get into this politics of envy. For us, it is everyone is entitled to a pay raise. Everyone should be up to the standard we have. “
Attorney General Suella Braverman is backing Liz Truss for conservative leadership now that her own campaign is over. Braverman was on the radio today admitting that there will be “a little more loans” based on the tax cut plans that Truss has promised.
PA Media quotes her telling Times Radio: “Liz worked at the Treasury in a senior position and when she says she wants to cut taxes, I completely agree with her. Not necessarily based entirely on more loans, I think there will be a little more loans, but we will be able to get out of the question to afford tax cuts. We know that when we reduce taxes, there are more investments by the private sector, there are more jobs, there is more return to the Exchequer. “
Braverman also took a spin on transgender rights, saying that Truss “knows what a woman is,” which, he said, “is becoming worryingly rare in political debate these days.”
My colleague Helena Horton has an exclusive this morning on Penny Mordaunt’s green policy proposals:
Penny Mordaunt told conservative net zero critics that “environmentalism and conservatism go hand in hand” while vowing to create “millions of green jobs” if he is elected leader.
The Portsmouth North MP is the only Conservative leadership candidate so far to properly formulate views on climate change and the environment. Alok Sharma, the COP26 president, told the Observer that he could step down if the next leader is lukewarm about the environment. On Monday, Sharma will test the five remaining candidates on green issues, giving each 15 minutes to talk about what they would do for the environment if they were elected leader.
It is feared that a new leader will abandon the controversial replacement of EU agricultural subsidies, with the agricultural lobby complaining of not wanting to be paid to preserve nature rather than produce food.
Mordaunt committed himself to the ecological agricultural plan, telling the Guardian: “I am committed to reforming EU land subsidies and instead I will reward those farmers here at home who stand up for nature and sustainable countryside management.
“We have already seen so many farmers take these steps, but I want to encourage and support those who actively take steps to leave a cleaner and greener environment for the next generation. Long-term sustainable agriculture is an absolutely crucial part of how, together, we can protect our natural world. “
The former defense secretary is trying to convince colleagues that there is a positive case for net zero, because of the green jobs it would create.
Read more about the Helena Horton exclusive here: Penny Mordaunt pledges to create “millions of green jobs” if elected leader of the Tories
Presenting her case for Kemi Badenoch on Sky News this morning, her campaign manager Lee Rowley said people were looking for change and defended the perception that she lacks experience. He cited Tony Blair and David Cameron as people who became prime ministers with no ministerial experience. He told viewers:
[You have] a lot of ministerial experience, more ministerial experience than some of the people who by mutual agreement have been very important figures in our political system for the past 20 years.
And I think the public is looking for something different.
So if you’re looking for something different, what Kemi offers is both the ability to change, and the ability to say that we’ve actually done some things, many things well over the past 12 years, but we need to do something different now.
Rowley, who was elected in 2017 and served as Undersecretary of State for Business and Industry between 2021 and 2022, went on to say:
I’ve seen too much “government for press release” when I was both minister and when I was a deputy.
And the difference between Kemi and what happened before – under all parts – is that Kemi is actually saying let’s go to the root cause of a problem, let’s try to figure out what the problem is.
Badenoch campaign continues attacks on Mordaunt over transgender record in government
Kemi Badenoch’s campaign escalated attacks on Penny Mordaunt for her stance and record on transgender rights and self-identification. This may interest you : UN says billions face levels of food insecurity: ‘world going backwards’.
Appearing on Sky News this morning, North East Derbyshire MP Lee Rowley, who is in charge of Badenoch’s campaign, said:
I just think it’s a very, very difficult problem with some very, very ingrained views on both sides, and it needs to be handled sensitively.
Penny has a number of questions to answer. I don’t think he answered these questions particularly well in Friday’s debate. We’ll see if he does it tonight.
Because o Penny agreed with self-identification and is now saying she wasn’t. Question: why?
Or Penny disagreed with self-identification. But it seems that the civil service and the government, the department, have decided to do it anyway. Question: How did he let that happen?
The Times reported yesterday that it obtained leaked documents that appeared to show that, if unsupported, at least it had not contested the proposed changes to self-identification. Reports:
Penny Mordaunt’s claims that she never advocated gender self-identification have come under new scrutiny after leaked government documents suggested she backtracked to water down the legal process for transition.
Documents drawn up by public officials seem to show that he was in favor of removing at least one medical requirement necessary for transgender people when he was minister of equal opportunities.
Another from February 2020 confirms that government support for self-identification ended after she was replaced as minister in charge of the portfolio.
When the government finally made a decision, in September 2020, it was under Liz Truss’ watch and plans to allow people to officially change sex without a medical diagnosis were dropped in favor of lowering the cost of applying for a certificate. of gender recognition.
Mordaunt defended herself this morning during her appearance on Sophie Raworth’s show, saying the discussion about her role was “libel”. PA Media quotes it saying:
This has been disproved many times. We all know what’s going on. This is the kind of toxic politics that people want to escape from.
We did a consultation. We asked health professionals what they thought of the situation. This is the section I edited. I handled that consultation. We didn’t actually produce a policy on my shift.
There are a number of defamations in the newspapers. My colleagues are very angry and upset that this is how the competition for leadership is dragged down.
I was struck by this comment about the focus on transgender rights in the Tory leadership campaign, as noted by LBC producer Shivani Sharma.
Trans caller tells @LBC she would like Westminster to “stop haunting people like me”
“I have bills to pay. I am facing a cost of living crisis. Why can’t people leave me alone? ‘
British conservative newspapers had a decisive moment in the election of the next prime minister. The political analysis they project – the titles they choose – could effectively anoint the next resident of No. 10. But as these Tory titles continue to squabble over the merits of rival candidates, the impact on voters in the Tory party is uncertain.
According to Chris Blackhurst, former editor of the Independent, the limited electoral circle, estimated at just over 150,000 party members, is looking for guidance in a confusing battle. “This leadership election represents the highest point, in terms of power, for the barons of the right-wing press,” he said. “The entire electorate in this race is made up of its readers. Their ability to influence the outcome far exceeds any influence they might have in a general election. “
This weekend, the Telegraph gave Penny Mordaunt a halfway push, reporting her allegations of a “dark arts” campaign to undermine her position. She is being targeted by libel, she says in an extensive interview that appears alongside a plea by columnist Allison Pearson that the Tories not dismiss Mordaunt in a fit of “self-defeating madness.” Pearson also condemns Truss as a terrible communicator.
The Daily Mail, on the other hand, has clearly expressed its distaste for Mordaunt, publishing a series of articles over the past week attacking his views on gender, questioning his role in the navy, and even criticizing the man he is with. co-wrote a book with “like” a disobedient tweet. In the news empire overseen by Paul Dacre, Liz Truss is preferred, because she is seen as more involved in the party’s traditional interests.
Read more about Vanessa Thorpe’s piece here: Sunak’s Challengers Vying For Support In The Right Press
By the way, if you feel the conservative leadership contest is going at a breakneck pace and you could get an update on who stands, what they stand for and how likely they are to win, then Michael Savage has this Watcher’s guide today. .
He sees Liz Truss as the candidate Labor would like to face and a “competent and convincing” Rishi Sunak as their main concern.
Read Michael Savage’s Guide Here: Your Guide to Tory Leadership Candidates and Whether Opposition Politicians Will Shake
Tom Tugendhat also appeared on Sophie Raworth’s BBC One show this morning and reiterated his call for a “clean start” after the party had been in power for 12 years.
He told viewers it was clear that the prime minister’s account of the Partygate scandal was “rather more fictional than real”.
What we need to see is a clean start. This is the most essential question. In two years we will face Keir Starmer in the general election.
We need to make sure that all lines of attack that have been used against us over the past three years do not return to the general election.
We need to make absolutely sure that what we are able to offer is to support conservative policies and provide a conservative vision for the future.
Phillipson: Labour has ‘nothing to fear’ from any Tory leadership candidate
Labor shadow secretary for education Bridget Phillipson was asked on Sky News earlier which conservative leadership candidate was most concerned about fighting in the general election, and was dismissive of everyone, telling viewers:
I’m not worried about any of them. I don’t think we have anything to fear from any of the candidates. The reason for this is that all of them have supported Boris Johnson and the Conservative government for 12 years now.
And in these 12 years, what have we seen happening in our country? We have seen our vital public services, whether in schools or hospitals, get worse and worse. Britain is completely blocked. You cannot renew your passport. More and more people go to food banks, rising levels of child poverty, growth to a terrible level, a constant inability to grow our economy. And what are they all doing? An arms race around tax cuts, none of them ready to define what that means.
Penny Mordaunt has just been interviewed by Sophie Raworth on BBC One and has been through quite a torrid time.
In a quick round of questions, he just ruled out a referendum on Scottish independence, saying “it’s a settled issue”. She declined to discuss potential cabinet positions, says she pledged to hit net zero by 2050 on the condition that she doesn’t “bump people,” she said she would not withdraw the UK from the ECHR and that, although she didn’t. ruled out, said the privatization of Canale 4 would not be a priority for her because it “doesn’t help with the cost of living.”
That answer on Scotland, of course, didn’t go very well in all parts.
What an unedifying contest for Tory leadership this is. On the Sunday Show @TomTugendhat follows @BorisJohnson in refusing to accept democracy and Scotland’s right of choice and then a car accident with @PennyMordaunt about the economy and the lies of the Brexit campaign on Turkey.
That reference to Turkey is just one of the tangled messes Mordaunt has gotten into. The other was again questioned about her position on transgender rights and self-identification. As always, though, the performance perhaps only confirmed what you already believed.
On @sophieraworth this morning, @PennyMordaunt demonstrated very clearly why he should be our next Prime Minister.
It will unite our country and has a clear plan to address the cost of living crisis and deliver economic growth. # PM4PM
I think Penny Mordaunt may have lost Tory leadership after that pitiful performance. Simply awful. #Sunday morning
Incidentally, during his show, Raworth said he invited all five candidates to appear, but only Mordaunt and Tom Tugendhat agreed.
