Keir Starmer's first-year scorecard: Has the Prime Minister kept his promises?
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The Herald Scotland
39 minutes ago
- The Herald Scotland
Shona Robison urges Prime Minister to follow Scotland on taxation
Her comments come after Sir Keir Starmer's Government was forced into a last-minute climbdown in order for welfare legislation to pass its first parliamentary hurdle earlier this week. In a late concession on Tuesday evening, ministers shelved plans to restrict eligibility for the personal independence payment (Pip), with any changes now only coming after a review of the benefit. These changes are expected to put pressure on other parts of the Government's finances. Ms Robison said: 'People voted for a Labour government last year because they wanted change from the Tories – but after a year of attacks on the incomes of pensioners, the poor and the disabled, they are rightly wondering exactly what, if anything, is different. 'When Keir Starmer took office, he could have chosen to ask people on higher incomes to pay a little more in tax in order to protect public spending. 'Choosing instead to target the vulnerable is not leadership – frankly, it is political cowardice. 'If Keir Starmer had done in England what the SNP have done in Scotland with taxation, Labour would not be in the complete fiscal mess that they are in now. Sir Keir Starmer has been urged to rethink taxation (Lucy North/PA) 'After a year of mistakes, Labour needs a new direction – and they should look to Scotland. By asking people on higher incomes to pay a bit more in tax, we have ensured a majority of taxpayers pay less than they would elsewhere in the UK, and are able to unlock more spending for services like the NHS, as well as cut poverty by introducing a Scottish Child Payment, and ensure that everybody can benefit from important services like free tuition and free prescriptions.' She added: 'Labour used to tell Scotland that we didn't need independence and we just needed to get rid of the Tory government – but the last year has completely demolished that argument. 'No Westminster government will ever deliver the truly fair society which I believe the vast majority of people in Scotland want to live in – and that is why independence is the best future for Scotland.' Scottish Labour's economy, business and fair work spokesperson Daniel Johnson MSP said: 'SNP ministers have a brass neck to think they can lecture anyone after their atrocious financial mismanagement. 'The SNP use higher taxes on Scottish nurses and firefighters as a substitute for economic growth, waste billions on out-of-control prison and ferry projects, and have created multibillion-pound black holes in the public finances. 'Labour is delivering the largest funding settlement in the history of devolution, with £50 billion for Scotland's NHS, schools and public services this year alone. Despite that, the SNP are now gearing up to make cuts to fill their fiscal black hole. 'The SNP government has the money, they have the powers, but they are out of ideas, out of excuses and out of time. 'Next year, we have the chance to kick out this SNP Government that cannot be trusted with taxpayers' money.'
Times
44 minutes ago
- Times
Keir Starmer's Labour as chaotic as Tories, voters say
M inutes after Rishi Sunak stood in the pouring rain outside Downing Street in May last year and announced a general election, Sir Keir Starmer urged the public to vote Labour to 'stop the chaos'. Less than 14 months later, and a year after winning a landslide victory, the vast majority of the public (72 per cent) think his government is at least as chaotic as the previous Conservative one. This includes more than a third (37 per cent) who think it is more chaotic. The damning indictment for the administration, which was supposed to see 'no drama Starmer' put the grown-ups back in charge, caps off a terrible anniversary week for the prime minister. And things, according to an exclusive Sunday Times poll by the think tank More in Common, seem likely to get only worse.
Telegraph
an hour ago
- Telegraph
The benefits Bill debacle offered a valuable lesson for politicians
SIR – Following the shambolic passage of Labour's welfare Bill on Tuesday (report, July 2), perhaps politicians will now realise that, once the benefit tap is turned on, it becomes virtually impossible to turn it off. Terence Gabriel Herne Bay, Kent SIR – The inevitable consequence of Sir Keir Starmer's latest U-turn on benefits is that the 'working people' he is allegedly anxious to represent are going to have to pay for it. David Nunn West Malling, Kent SIR – According to figures from the Office for National Statistics, the Government borrows about £285,000 (and rising) every single minute, £200,000 of which (also rising) is immediately used to pay interest on the nation's debt. The remainder doesn't even account for the cost of disability benefit (about £105,000 a minute). Advice to those in financial trouble would be categorical: maxing out the credit card and borrowing to pay interest has no future, and has to stop. Set against this, the emotional – some might say hysterical – contributions from several MPs to Tuesday's welfare debate in the House of Commons could be viewed as reckless. If the Prime Minister, who claims he finds it easy to be ruthless, is incapable of convincing his MPs to show financial restraint, he is failing this great nation – and I fear we all face a very dark future as a consequence. Robert Jowitt Dulverton, Somerset SIR – We have been told countless times of the £22 billion 'black hole' inherited by the Labour Government after 14 years of Conservative rule. It is worth noting that, in that time, the Tories had to find funds to restore the economy after the last Labour government departed, as well as meet the costs arising from the Covid pandemic and the Ukraine war. Now you report (June 29) that the Government's many U-turns have added to a £40 billion 'black hole', which the Chancellor needs to fill at the next Budget . This was before the announcement of the latest amendments to the benefits Bill. So, in her first year, Rachel Reeves has managed to turn a 'black hole' of £22 billion into one of more than £40 billion. One wonders how soon this Labour Government, like its predecessor, will have to admit that there's no money left. In the meantime, how much more damage will be inflicted upon the British economy? Adam Massingham Ashford, Kent Connolly's conviction SIR – Apart from the severity of the sentence, which our judicial establishment is yet to justify, to my mind there are two problems with Lucy Connolly's 'incitement' conviction ('Beware calls to change British justice in the wake of the Lucy Connolly case', Letters, June 29). The first is that Mrs Connolly, upon reflection, deleted the offending tweet. This seems to confirm that there was no intention to incite. Unless the deletion was merely a tactic, I believe that most jurors would struggle to find the defendant guilty. Secondly, one might expect a minimal requirement for a conviction to be that the Crown Prosecution Service should provide evidence that someone was incited. Has anyone convicted of crime in the post-Southport chaos cited Mrs Connolly's contribution as a motivator? Without such evidence, Mrs Connolly seems to stand accused of a fantasy crime, and is now suffering the consequences of a judgment that is at odds with most people's understanding of British justice. The criminal hurdle of 'beyond reasonable doubt' has not even been approached, let alone overcome, in my opinion. Jeremy Hosking Bantry, Co Cork, Ireland VAT on school fees SIR – The decision to add VAT to independent school fees was originally framed as a targeted measure to support state education, with the revenue ringfenced for that purpose. More recently, however, the Prime Minister has described this policy as a 'tough decision' that underpins the largest investment in affordable housing in a generation. Given that the projected income from VAT on school fees was £1.5 billion, it is surprising to hear it linked to a £39 billion housing programme, as well as to the recruitment of 6,500 new teachers and the expansion of free school meals. The scale of return being attributed to this policy appears ambitious. Meanwhile, just six months into implementation, estimates of the number of pupils leaving the independent sector have risen from 3,000 to more than 11,000. That means thousands of families are no longer paying VAT, and are instead entering a state system already under strain. The resulting disruption in the independent sector is no longer hypothetical. Several schools have closed, and prominent institutions across the UK are being taken over by private investors. Is this the intended consequence of the policy? If difficult decisions must be taken, surely it is reasonable to ask whether they are producing meaningful outcomes. In this case, many in the education sector are wondering if the social and financial cost of disruption is proportionate to the return. Andrew J McGarva Rector, Morrison's Academy Crieff, Perthshire SIR – Regarding Rhidian Llewellyn's letter (July 1), perhaps the money used to fund cricket bursaries for non-academic pupils to attend public schools could be better spent on encouraging pupils at state schools to play cricket. Susan A Smith Ashburnham, East Sussex Heatwave hysterics SIR – I totally agree with Philip Johntson ('Welfarism has made Britain so soft we can't even handle a heatwave', Comment, July 2). When I was five or six, I was often sent away to my grandparents for the summer, either in London or Bournemouth. I recall running around in the heat, which I understood from my grandparents was 'nearly 100 degrees' (Fahrenheit, of course). There was no need for expensive bottled water, as most parks had at least one drinking fountain. These have sadly been done away with. It's time the Met Office stopped issuing panic-stricken warnings. Mike Salter Aberdeen SIR – The BBC weather forecast, once the most gentle adjunct to the news, has over the past 10 years become an intense drama, where death and destruction are predicted on an almost daily basis. Those who have worked in the hotter parts of the world, or travelled to countries nearer the equator, must be bemused by the dire warnings given out when temperatures are due to rise to the low thirties. Perhaps the Government should introduce a summer cooling allowance for the frail and elderly, as air-conditioning is very expensive to install and run. Brian Farmer Carmarthen SIR – I was astounded to read of the 'heat strike' motion put forward by members of the British Medical Association (BMA), demanding that NHS staff should not be forced to work in conditions above a certain temperature (report, June 20). Unfortunately, patients do not stop being ill in hot weather. As a veteran of the Royal Army Medical Corps, I think of our motto, In Arduis Fidelis (faithful in adversity). Perhaps those in the medical profession who want to desert their patients should ponder these words, and demonstrate a little more commitment and resilience for their patients. Mike Gillingham Chelmsford, Essex Power of tablecloths SIR – The decline in restaurant standards (Letters, June 29) started when tablecloths were removed. Dining at a bare table smacks of the canteen or public bar, and leads to quick eating. This may be convenient, but there are times when only the grace of a properly set table, laid with cloth, real flowers, large napkins, sparkling glasses and several pieces of cutlery, including a dessert fork, will do. Trying to find a restaurant that provides such an arrangement can take considerable effort. A recent attempt was unsuccessful, so we settled for lunch at a five-star hotel to celebrate a family event – with a bare, incompletely set table. It did not enhance our dining experience, and we will not return. Heather Erridge Weston-super-Mare, Somerset SIR – During a visit to Simpson's in the Strand many years ago, one of my lunch guests asked for steak tartare (Letters, June 29), but added, 'Please can I have it well done?' The seasoned waiter, oozing experience and diplomacy, and without a moment's pause, highly recommended another dish from the bill of fare, which was gratefully accepted. Tim Oldfield Wye, Kent Dubious claims about gender in Shakespeare SIR – Ruth Fernando's assertion that Macbeth is a gender-fluid play (report, June 29) made me laugh out loud. The famous lines uttered in desperation by Lady Macbeth – 'unsex me here,/And fill me, from the crown to the toe, top-full/Of direst cruelty' – surely relies upon the fact that she is a woman alone and in crisis, in a world of strong, violent and unpredictable men. David Hunter St Columb Minor, Cornwall SIR – If the Royal Shakespeare Company wants to know how to interest today's youngsters in the Bard's work (Comment, June 17), it has only to consult Mrs Burrows, who taught English Literature to girls in Kent in the 1970s. Minute dissection of the language revealed plenty of insults and sexual references that ensured total attention and aided comprehension. Gillian Courage Cheltenham, Gloucestershire British philanthropy SIR – With the Giving and Impact Summit returning to the London Stock Exchange on Tuesday, we write to highlight the vital role of philanthropy in British society, and the importance of unlocking the full potential of high-net-worth giving. The UK is a generous nation. Last year, the public donated over £15 billion to charity, maintaining our position as the fourth most generous country internationally. Successful entrepreneurs and wealth creators can leverage their full range of assets – financial resources, strategic skills, time and leadership experience – to tackle society's most urgent problems. With the greatest wealth transfer in history underway, as fortunes pass to younger generations, we have a unique opportunity to embed a culture of significant giving among emerging philanthropists. The Government should make more use of matched funding schemes, and simplify the gift aid process. The wealth management sector should better equip advisers to discuss philanthropy with clients, and we should explore other innovative solutions, such as introducing optional donations from lottery winners. Philanthropy built Britain's great universities, museums and cultural institutions. As we face unprecedented global challenges, we need today's successful wealth creators and wealth holders to step forward with the same boldness and vision. The opportunity for change has never been greater. Dame Vivien Duffield Chair, Clore Duffield Foundation Gary Lubner Founder, This Day Charitable Foundation John Studzinski Founder and Chair, Genesis Foundation Lord Verjee (Lib Dem) Founder, The Rumi Foundation Lord Browne of Madingley (Crossbench) Founder, John Browne Charitable Trust Baroness Rebuck (Lab) Chair, Somerset House Lord Stevens of Birmingham (Crossbench) Chair, Cancer Research UK Sir Peter Bazalgette Council Chair, Royal College of Art Professor Geeta Nargund Co-founder and Director, Social Impact Enterprises Ltd Vice Chair, British Red Cross Ajaz Ahmed Founder, and Trustee, Mission 44 and Virgin Unite Alex Chesterman Amar Shah Andrew Dixon Founder of ARC InterCapital, Woodhaven Trust and Fairer Share Andrew Harrison Chair of Trustees, Mental Health Innovations Andrew Law Chair and CEO, Caxton Associates Founding Trustee, Law Family Charitable Foundation and Law Family Educational Trust Andy Wates Chair, Wates Family Enterprise Trust Batia Ofer Chair, Royal Academy of Arts Trust Co-Founder, Idan and Batia Ofer Family Foundation Founder and Chair, Art of Wishes Bill Holroyd Founder, OnSide YouthZones Bob Wigley Chair, UK Finance Brent Hoberman Chair and Co-Founder, Founders Forum Group, Founders Factory and firstminute capital Bruce Carnegie-Brown Carol Shanahan Chair, Port Vale Football Club Trustee, The Port Vale Foundation Trust and EFL in the Community Founder, The Hubb Foundation Charles Gurassa Chair, Oxfam GB Chair, Migration Museum Chris Oglesby CEO, Bruntwood Trustee, Oglesby Charitable Trust Jane Oglesby Chair, Oglesby Charitable Trust Dame Elizabeth Corley Chair Emerita, Impact Investing Institute Chair, Schroders plc Dame Marit Mohn Co-Founder, The Mohn Westlake Foundation Dame Martina Milburn DMC Philanthropy Daniel Levy Co-Chair, The Grove Hotel President, Jewish Volunteering Network Chair, Immanuel College David Dangoor Chair, The Exilarch's Foundation and Dangoor Education David Forbes-Nixon Chair and Founder, DFN Foundation David Gregson Chair and Co-Founder, #BeeWell Chair, Gregson Family Foundation David Pearl Chair and Chief Executive, Pearl & Coutts Founder and Chair, David Pearlman Charitable Foundation Dinesh Dhamija Chair, Copper Beech Group Founder, Dr Nik Kotecha Founder, Morningside Pharmaceuticals Ltd Founder and Chair, Randalsun Capital Ltd and The Randal Charitable Foundation Dr Robert D Kilgour Dr Vijay C Patel CEO, Waymade plc Chair, Waymade Capital Dr Vikas Shah Duke of Richmond and Gordon Chair, The Goodwood Estate Company Ltd Trustee, Goodwood Education Trust, Lennox Trust and Goodwood Art Foundation Earl Cadogan Cadogan Charitable Trust Edmund Lazarus Founder and Managing Partner, EMK Capital Emma Kane Deputy Chair, Elton John AIDS Foundation Gavin Patterson Chair, Alzheimer's Research UK Graham Baker Founder, Butchers Pet Care Graham Edwards Chair, Edwards Family Foundation Trustee, The Pennies Foundation Grant Gordon Chair, Ethos Foundation Harry Hyman Founder, International Opera Awards Ian Marcus Chair, Shurgard Self Storage Deputy Chair, Saracens Multi Academy Trust Ian Rosenblatt Founder, Rosenblatt Law James Lambert Founder investor and Deputy Chair, The Bicester Collection Trustee, The National Gallery James Reed Chair and CEO, Reed Chair, Big Give Trustee, The Reed Foundation Jamie Ritblat Founder and Executive Chairman, Delancey Trustee, Heritage of London Trust Trustee, The Ritblat Family Foundation Trustee, Blenheim Palace Joanna Barnett Chair, Fields in Trust Joe Garner Chair, Tennis First John Booth Chair, The National Gallery Vice- President, The King's Trust John Caudwell Founder, Caudwell Children and Caudwell Youth John Hartz Co-Founder, Inflexion Private Equity Trustee, Inflexion Foundation Founder, Hartz Family Foundation Jonathan Straight Chair, WasteAid Judy Dewinter Chair, Royal Free Charity President, Myeloma UK Justin Byam Shaw Founder, The Felix Project Keith Black CEO and Chair, Regatta Chair, Regatta Foundation Trustee, Family Foundation Chair, Jewish Leadership Council Keith Breslauer Vice Patron, The Royal Marines Charity Chair, PTI, formerly The Prince's Teaching Institute Koolesh Shah Founder, London Town Group Lady Jill Shaw Ruddock Founder and Chair, The Second Half Foundation Laurence Geller Chair, Loveday & Co Chancellor, University of West London Founder, Geller Commission on Dementia Care Laurence Kirschel Founder, Outernet London; Founder, Adot charity Leo Noé Founding Trustee, Rachel Charitable Trust Chair, Centre for Social Justice Foundation Trustee, Project Seed Lord Gadhia (Non-affiliated) Chair, British Asian Trust Lord Lupton (Non-affiliated) Chair, The Ashmolean Museum Founder Chair, The Lovington Foundation Lord Kestenbaum (Lab) Chancellor, University of Plymouth Trustee, Teach First Chair, Chief Rabbinate Charitable Trust Lord Davies of Abersoch (Non-affiliated) Chair, Letter One Chair, Glyndebourne Opera House Lord Levy (Lab) Life President, Jewish Care, Sense, Barnet and Southgate College, JFS School and JLGB Lord Wei (Con) Co-founder and Director, The Shaftesbury Partnership Co-founder, Teach First Lord Fink (Con) Lord Stuart Marks Malik Karim Founder and CEO, Fenchurch Advisory Partners Mark Adlestone Chair, Beaverbrooks Charitable Trust Martin Port Matthew Westerman Chair, Clocktower Foundation Meheen Rangoonwala Global Programme Manager, Rangoonwala Foundation Michael Samuel Chair, Anna Freud Chair, Full Fact Chair, Somerset Community Foundation Chair, Family Foundations Michelle Pinggera Deputy Chair, The King's Trust International Mike Still Mike Welch Founder, Founder, The Welch Trust Trustee, King's Trust USA Neil Blair Founder and Chair, The Jigsaw Network Nick Wheeler Founder and Chair, Charles Tyrwhitt Shirt Nicola Loftus Senior Vice President, Jewish Care Oliver Gregson CEO, Wealth Management, Schroders plc Oliver Pawle Chair, Korn Ferry Board Paul Drechsler Trustee, The Felix Project Peter Samuelson Chair, First Star Scholars UK Philip Marsden Chair, MCC Foundation Chair, Marsden Family Trust Trustee, Royal Academy Ric Lewis Founder and Chair, The Black Heart Foundation Richard Huntingford Vice-President, The King's Trust Richard Oldfield Chair, The Christopher and Henry Oldfield Trust Richard Reed Partner, JamJar Richard Ross Chair, Rosetrees Rick Sopher Roland Rudd Chair, Tate Chair, Millfield School Trustee, Speakers for Schools Ambassador, Alzheimer's Society Trustee, Royal Hospital Chelsea Shabir Randeree Randeree Charitable Foundation Chair, King's Trust International Shahzad Malik General Partner, Advent Life Sciences Chair, MQ Shalni Arora Savannah Wisdom Sherry Coutu Chair, Founders4Schools Shobi Khan CEO, Canary Whary Group Trustee, British Library Simon Collins Chair, Global Leadership Board, University of Manchester Simon Turner Co-Founder, Inflexion Private Equity Trustee, Inflexion Foundation Chair, The Roundhouse Sir Damon Buffini Chair, National Theatre and Royal Anniversary Trust Co-Founder, Buffini Chao Foundation Sir Douglas Flint Chair, The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity Sir Jeremy Isaacs Chair, The J Isaacs Charitable Trust Honorary Life Chair, Noah's Ark Children's Hospice Sir John and Lady Sorrell Co-Founders and Trustees, The Sorrell Foundation and The National Saturday Club Sir Keith Mills Patron, Sported Sir Kenneth Olisa Founder and Chair, Aleto Foundation Chair, BusinessLDN Sir Lloyd Dorfman Chair, Royal Opera House Deputy Chair, Community Security Trust Sir Martin Sorrell Executive Chair, Founder, S4 Capital Founder, WPP Chair, JMCMRJ Sorrell Foundation Sir Mick Davis Sir Nicholas Coleridge Chair, Historic Royal Palaces Sir Paul Marshall Chair and CIO, Marshall Wace Founder, the Marshall Institute for Philanthropy and Social Entrepreneurship Sir Ron Kalifa Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou Founder and President, Stelios Philanthropic Foundation Sir Victor Blank Sonal Sachdev Patel CEO, GMSP Foundation Philanthropist in Residence, LSE Stephen Brenninkmeijer Founder, Willows Investments Stephen Grabiner Founder and Chair, The Blue Thread Foundation Steve Morgan Founder and Chair of The Steve Morgan Foundation Steve Rigby Chair, The Rigby Foundation Steven Kaye Director, The Aimwell Charitable Trust Steven Lewis Founder, Lewis and Partners President, Jewish Care Stuart Gulliver Chair, Maggie's Cancer Charity Stuart Roden Founder and Chair, Roden Family Foundation Co-Founder and Chair, Unlocking Potential Chair, the Design Museum Sunita Arora Founder, Arora Charitable Foundation Surinder Arora Founder and Chair, The Arora Group Tania Slowe and Paddy Walker Chair, J Leon Philanthropy Council Hon Charles Wigoder Founder and Chair, The Wigoder Family Foundation William Sieghart Chair, Henry Smith Foundation Yan Huo Founder, Huo Family Foundation
