Starmer Swings From Defiance to Deal-Making to Save Welfare Bill
Keir Starmer has pivoted to deal-making mode in a bid to stave off a damaging defeat on welfare cuts that are key to his chancellor's efforts to balance the UK books.
When the prime minister first learned that over one hundred of his own Members of Parliament supported a plan to kill his government's bill implementing the changes to disability benefits, he was defiant, according to people familiar with the matter, who spoke anonymously about discussions that took place behind close doors.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Associated Press
28 minutes ago
- Associated Press
A hard-liner follows a fellow right-winger as head of Greece's migration and asylum ministry
Athens, Greece (AP) — A hard-right lawmaker has replaced a fellow right-winger and political heavyweight accused of fraud as migration and asylum minister in Greece's government, a government spokesman announced Saturday. Thanos Plevris, 48, is succeeding Makis Voridis, 60, who resigned Friday to defend himself against allegations that he was possibly involved in an organized fraud scheme to provide farm subsidies to undeserving recipients. The European Public Prosecutor's Office, which has investigated the case, passed on a hefty file to the Greek Parliament that includes allegations of possible involvement of government ministers. Members of Parliament enjoy immunity from prosecution in Greece that can only be lifted by parliamentary vote. In his resignation letter, Voridis denied acting illegally and said he is resigning to clear his name. He noted that during his tenure as agricultural development and foods minister from July 2019 and January 2021, he capped individual subsidies and launched a record number of investigations. His detractors say those very actions are proof that he was aware of the corrupt subsidies system and did nothing to reform it. On Friday, four other lawmakers, three of whom had formerly served as deputy ministers in the Agricultural Policy Ministry, as well as a current deputy minister, also resigned. Their replacements were also announced Saturday by government spokesman Pavlos Marinakis, who added they will be sworn in Monday. No changes are expected to be seen in Greece's tough migration policy under Plevris who, like Voridis and current health minister Adonis Georgiadis, joined the conservative New Democracy in 2012, leaving the right-populist Popular Orthodox Rally, or LAOS. Before LAOS, Voridis had been the leader of the youth wing of the far-right National Political Union, appointed to the post by jailed former dictator George Papadopoulos. He had replaced Nikos Michaloliakos, who went on to found the neo-Nazi Golden Dawn party and who is currently serving a prison term for leading what courts termed a 'criminal gang.' Voridis founded his own far-right party, Hellenic Front, and took part in several municipal and national elections between 1994 and 2004. In 2000, he allied himself with Plevris' father Konstantinos, a lawyer, far-right activist and self-styled 'proud fascist.' Voridis joined LAOS in 2006 and has been a lawmaker since 2007. Voridis is considered a political heavyweight and, if not for his far-right and sometimes violent past, he would have been considered a possible conservative leader, politicians and pundits agree. He now describes himself as an economic liberal and a 'non-extreme' nationalist.
Washington Post
29 minutes ago
- Washington Post
A hard-liner follows a fellow right-winger as head of Greece's migration and asylum ministry
Athens, Greece — A hard-right lawmaker has replaced a fellow right-winger and political heavyweight accused of fraud as migration and asylum minister in Greece's government, a government spokesman announced Saturday. Thanos Plevris, 48, is succeeding Makis Voridis, 60, who resigned Friday to defend himself against allegations that he was possibly involved in an organized fraud scheme to provide farm subsidies to undeserving recipients.
Yahoo
36 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Wales rugby great Ken Owens just did something he said would make his grandparents prouder than playing for his nation
Former Welsh rugby star Ken Owens has said speaking at the Welsh Labour conference would have made his grandparents prouder than his playing days. The retired star, who had been rumoured to be standing as a Senedd candidate for Labour, is not going to stand for election to the Senedd in 2026. He introduced the First Minister, Eluned Morgan as a supporter as she went on stage to speak to party members at the Welsh Labour conference in Llandudno. Advertisement Owens, who comes from a longstanding Welsh Labour-supporting family, said he first met Eluned Morgan when he was out leafleting for her bid to the European Parliament when he was seven. For our free daily briefing on the biggest issues facing the nation, sign up to the Wales Matters newsletter here . READ MORE: Tonight's rugby news as ex-Wales coach lands top Welsh club job and WRU pause women's game revamp READ MORE: Lions boss Andy Farrell issues Tomos Williams update after Wales star's injury "I've achieved a hell of a lot in my rugby career but for my grandparents, I think this would be a 'pinch-me' moment, they'd be even prouder I get to speak at Labour party conference," he said. Advertisement "Most of you know me from the rugby field, a few scrums, a few scars, and more than a few hard-fought wins, and for Labour going to be going through a few battles over the next couple of years, and we're in it together. "Being captain is so much more than leading the team. It's about carrying a nation, I was lucky enough to do that a few times on the rugby field. "A nation that sings together, that backs its own and believes in community, in graft and will never give up. that's not just rugby, that's Wales, that's Labour. "That's why I'm here. I was raised in a Labour household, with my grandparents where I first met Eluned. She wouldn't want me to say this but leafleting as a seven-year-old for her campaign to the European election. Advertisement "I grew up hearing about fairness, standing up for your community because that's the right thing to do. "That what Eluned Morgan gets. She's grounded, passionate, driven, she doesn't just talk about Wales but fights for it. "I've played for great coaches, the best leaders know it's about them, it's about building belief in the team, and that's Eluned, that's what she's doing in Welsh Labour, delivering for people on the things that matter most in their lives. "As a party we are proud of what we represent," he said. He said what got his rugby teams through tough times was "trust, teamwork, knowing who you're playing for, not yourself, the cap, the dragon, the people we represent. That's what we have to represent now," he said. Advertisement "Let's be honest, the opposition is fighting from the sidelines, but let's be honest, none of them are fit to lead this team," he said. In return, the First Minister - who arrived on stage to Don't Stop Me Now, by Queen, said she remembered meeting his mum and that his grandad was 'a Labour legend in Carmarthen'. "I will never forget though – the time when I was canvassing with a lovely woman in Carmarthen and I was telling her with real pride how I couldn't stay for more than an hour's campaigning because my son, who was 12, was going to be playing rugby in the Cardiff Arms Park for his school. '"Oh,' she asked, 'is he any good at rugby?' 'Well, he's alright,' I said. 'Oh, my son plays rugby too,' 'Oh, is he any good?' I asked...'Well, he's out playing with the Lions at the moment!!' That was Ken's lovely mum."
