Has Reform's newest MP already gone off message?
Pochin, elected as MP for Runcorn and Helsby in May's by-election caused by the nocturnal activities of Mike Amesbury, asked her first question of Keir Starmer today – and it took a turn which few, least of all her leader, seemed to anticipate.
Has Sarah Pochin, Reform's newest MP, gone off-piste already? It certainly seemed so from a first-ever appearance at Prime Minister's Questions which was unlikely to have been signed off by Nigel Farage's office.
'Given the prime minister's desire to strengthen strategic alignment with our European neighbours, will he, in the interests of public safety, follow the lead of France, Denmark, Belgium and others and ban the burqa?'.
Farage's face, which was staring towards the chamber's ornate ceiling, was not caught by cameras. For, for all his many, many faults, overt Islamophobia is one rabbit hole he has studiously avoided getting sucked down – less, perhaps, for ideological reasons than for seeing how an obsession with it once he stepped down as UKIP leader damaged that party's standing (when, in 2017, the party's general election manifesto included a ban on face coverings, leader Paul Nuttall endured the best part of week fielding questions as to whether it would apply to beekeepers' outfits).
Pochin already looked a slightly troublesome choice, being a former councillor with the dubious distinction of having been kicked out of both the Conservative and independent groupings on Cheshire East council since being first elected in 2015.
Keir Starmer, for his part, had some fun with Parliament's newest MP, asking whether she would tell her new leader that 'his latest plan to bet £80 billion of unfunded tax cuts with no idea of how he is going to pay for it is Liz Truss all over again – although considering I think she was a Conservative member when Liz Truss was leader, she probably won't'.
But might Pochin be a bet Farage is already having gambler's remorse about?
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
North Wales Chronicle
25 minutes ago
- North Wales Chronicle
Industrial firms to face £685m property tax hit after energy support pledge
Just a week after the Government's industrial strategy revealed electricity costs for about 7,000 energy-intensive businesses would be cut by scrapping green levies, estimates suggest many of the larger firms are set to see their business rates bill soar. Around 4,300 large-scale industrial properties in England – across manufacturing sectors such as automotive, aerospace and chemicals – will face a new business rates levy costing them around £685 million a year, according to tax and software firm Ryan. The levy, which comes into effect in April, is part of next year's business rates revaluation and is being used to fund tax breaks for high street retail, leisure and hospitality sectors, Ryan said. Alex Probyn, a practice leader of property tax at Ryan, said that while the industrial strategy move to reduce energy bills was welcome, 'it's perverse to then ask those very same businesses to foot the bill for high street tax cuts through higher business rates from 2026, a year before the energy support will come into effect'. He added: 'If the goal is to boost UK competitiveness, we need a coherent strategy that tackles the total burden of fixed costs — not one that gives with one hand and then takes with the other.' It follows Sir Keir Starmer's 10-year industrial strategy, which includes a measure to cut bills by up to 25% to help firms compete with foreign rivals. Under the new plans, a new British Industrial Competitiveness Scheme from 2027 will cut costs by up to £40 per megawatt hour for over 7,000 manufacturing firms by exempting them from levies on bills including the renewables obligation, feed-in tariffs and the capacity market. Around 500 of the most energy-intensive firms, including the steel industry, chemicals and glass-making, will also see their network charges cut. They currently get a 60% discount through the British Industry Supercharger scheme, which will increase to 90% from 2026. But Ryan is calling for more coherence in strategy from the Government, cautioning that any benefit from lower energy bills risks being undermined by increased property taxation. UK firms already face the highest property taxes in the developed world and more than double the European Union average, according to the firm. Mr Probyn said: 'We're seeing two opposing policies rolled out simultaneously. One aims to support industry by reducing energy costs. 'The other increases a key fixed operational cost — property tax — on the very same businesses to subsidise other sectors. 'There is no coherent strategy; it's a contradiction.' A government spokesperson said: 'We are making it easier and quicker for businesses to invest and grow by cutting British industrial electricity costs with unprecedented new support which will cut electricity costs by around 20-25% for thousands of businesses. 'Our reform to the business rates system will also create a fairer business rates system that protects the high street, supports investment and levels the playing field. 'A new, permanently lower business rates in 2026 will benefit over 280,000 retail, hospitality and leisure business properties and will be sustainably funded by a new, higher rate on the 1% of most valuable business properties.'
North Wales Chronicle
25 minutes ago
- North Wales Chronicle
Disabled people ‘could face extra annual costs of £15,000 by end of the decade'
Disability equality charity Scope has warned that Government concessions on welfare cuts will simply lead to a 'two-tier system' where 'huge numbers' of people in need are still out of pocket. Its analysis has estimated average monthly costs – not taking into account welfare reforms – to cover extras such as higher energy bills or specialist mobility equipment, are likely to rise to £1,244 for disabled people in the UK, totalling almost £15,000 a year, by April 2029. The annual disability price tag report comes just a day before MPs are expected to debate and vote on the Government's welfare reform Bill. Ministers were forced into an eleventh-hour climbdown on Friday in the face of a major backbench rebellion, offering concessions on some aspects of Labour's proposed cuts plan. The Government's original package, first presented in March, included restrictions on eligibility for personal independence payments (Pip), the main disability payment in England, as well as cutting the health-related element of universal credit. But, in the face of pressure from more than 100 Labour MPs, the Government U-turned last week, saying existing claimants would be protected, with tightened eligibility only applying to new claimants. While Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has said his welfare reforms now strike 'the right balance', Scope argued the changes will still result in 'catastrophic cuts', with some disabled people protected and supported but others not. The charity's latest report is based on analysis of the Family Resources Survey (FRS) and makes calculations using Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) inflation forecasts to show the likely extra costs faced by disabled people in the coming years. It does not take into account the impact of the welfare reforms, with the charity warning that the figures highlight that those people who do not get Pip could end up in a 'precarious financial position and will still face high extra costs'. It estimated extra costs for disabled people are currently at £1,095 a month, up from last year's price tag, which stood at £1,010. Scope said benefits do not cover the entirety of these costs, with a current monthly shortfall of around £630, likely to rise to a £704 shortfall by the end of the decade. James Taylor, executive director of strategy at Scope, said: 'Life costs an enormous amount more when you're disabled. Whether it's higher electricity bills because of medical equipment to power, or higher heating bills because of health conditions affected by the cold. 'Our latest analysis finds the price tag of disability is now £1,095 a month. A figure only set to increase in the coming years unless action is taken. 'The concessions put forward by Government will just create a two-tier system, where huge numbers of disabled people face the disability price tag with little or no support from Pip. 'The Government must change course on these catastrophic cuts now, and properly co-produce with disabled people on how to reform our welfare system.' Responding to the 'two-tier' claims from other critics last week, Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall said: 'The changes that we are introducing will make sure existing claimants are unaffected, but we also all agree that there do need to be changes in the future to make sure that people who can work do, so we protect those who can't but we make the welfare state sustainable for the future.' While all of the Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill applies to England and Wales, only the UC changes apply to Scotland. The Government said there are equivalent provisions to legislate for Northern Ireland included in the Bill. A Government spokesperson said: 'We're delivering one of the biggest packages of welfare reforms in a generation – including scrapping the Work Capability Assessment, rebalancing Universal Credit, and investing in tailored employment support. 'Protecting people is a principle we will never compromise on, which is why we're delivering long-lasting and meaningful change that puts the welfare system on sustainable footing so the safety net will always be there for those who need it. 'We're restoring trust and fairness in the system, ensuring existing Pip claimants will be able to keep their award and putting the voice of sick or disabled people at the heart of our plans, whilst ramping up support to help them into work.'
South Wales Guardian
27 minutes ago
- South Wales Guardian
Disabled people ‘could face extra annual costs of £15,000 by end of the decade'
Disability equality charity Scope has warned that Government concessions on welfare cuts will simply lead to a 'two-tier system' where 'huge numbers' of people in need are still out of pocket. Its analysis has estimated average monthly costs – not taking into account welfare reforms – to cover extras such as higher energy bills or specialist mobility equipment, are likely to rise to £1,244 for disabled people in the UK, totalling almost £15,000 a year, by April 2029. The annual disability price tag report comes just a day before MPs are expected to debate and vote on the Government's welfare reform Bill. Ministers were forced into an eleventh-hour climbdown on Friday in the face of a major backbench rebellion, offering concessions on some aspects of Labour's proposed cuts plan. The Government's original package, first presented in March, included restrictions on eligibility for personal independence payments (Pip), the main disability payment in England, as well as cutting the health-related element of universal credit. But, in the face of pressure from more than 100 Labour MPs, the Government U-turned last week, saying existing claimants would be protected, with tightened eligibility only applying to new claimants. While Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has said his welfare reforms now strike 'the right balance', Scope argued the changes will still result in 'catastrophic cuts', with some disabled people protected and supported but others not. The charity's latest report is based on analysis of the Family Resources Survey (FRS) and makes calculations using Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) inflation forecasts to show the likely extra costs faced by disabled people in the coming years. It does not take into account the impact of the welfare reforms, with the charity warning that the figures highlight that those people who do not get Pip could end up in a 'precarious financial position and will still face high extra costs'. It estimated extra costs for disabled people are currently at £1,095 a month, up from last year's price tag, which stood at £1,010. Scope said benefits do not cover the entirety of these costs, with a current monthly shortfall of around £630, likely to rise to a £704 shortfall by the end of the decade. James Taylor, executive director of strategy at Scope, said: 'Life costs an enormous amount more when you're disabled. Whether it's higher electricity bills because of medical equipment to power, or higher heating bills because of health conditions affected by the cold. 'Our latest analysis finds the price tag of disability is now £1,095 a month. A figure only set to increase in the coming years unless action is taken. 'The concessions put forward by Government will just create a two-tier system, where huge numbers of disabled people face the disability price tag with little or no support from Pip. 'The Government must change course on these catastrophic cuts now, and properly co-produce with disabled people on how to reform our welfare system.' Responding to the 'two-tier' claims from other critics last week, Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall said: 'The changes that we are introducing will make sure existing claimants are unaffected, but we also all agree that there do need to be changes in the future to make sure that people who can work do, so we protect those who can't but we make the welfare state sustainable for the future.' While all of the Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill applies to England and Wales, only the UC changes apply to Scotland. The Government said there are equivalent provisions to legislate for Northern Ireland included in the Bill. A Government spokesperson said: 'We're delivering one of the biggest packages of welfare reforms in a generation – including scrapping the Work Capability Assessment, rebalancing Universal Credit, and investing in tailored employment support. 'Protecting people is a principle we will never compromise on, which is why we're delivering long-lasting and meaningful change that puts the welfare system on sustainable footing so the safety net will always be there for those who need it. 'We're restoring trust and fairness in the system, ensuring existing Pip claimants will be able to keep their award and putting the voice of sick or disabled people at the heart of our plans, whilst ramping up support to help them into work.'
