Did Keir Starmer screw up his own anniversary?
Sir Keir Starmer wanted to be talking about what he sees as Labour's achievements after 12 months in government and his 10-year plan for the NHS.
But, after another dramatic policy U-turn and the sight of his own chancellor crying at PMQs, when he kept his support for her slightly vague, Beth Rigby, Harriet Harman and Ruth Davidson discuss if his start in office has been shattered by this week.
They also wonder if the solution to make relations with his own MPs a bit easier would be to make better use of Angela Rayner.
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Telegraph
13 minutes ago
- Telegraph
Slash welfare for migrants to save the taxpayer
After a year in office, the travails of Sir Keir Starmer's Government can be summarised neatly in two words: 'benefits' and 'migration'. The British state has proven unable to tackle either, and the associated costs are proving ruinous, with Chancellor Rachel Reeves now looking at further tax rises as a result of Labour's welfare U-turn. These issues, too, are compounding one another. Rising worklessness feeds demand for migration even as Britain's apparent desire to act as the world's welfare state aids in fuelling the supply. With his half-hearted attempt at addressing one of these issues shredded by militant Left-wing backbenchers, Sir Keir now appears utterly devoid of ideas for addressing either. The Conservative Party is not, and is now calling on the Government to bar non-citizens from claiming the Personal Independence Payment (PIP) and sickness top-ups to Universal Credit, with an exemption for those EU citizens given special status under the Brexit deal. The savings could prove to be substantial, with recent figures showing that the cost of benefits claims by households with at least one foreign national have doubled in recent years to nearly £1 billion a month. The overall bill for PIP, and its predecessor the Disability Living Allowance, is set to reach £28 billion a year by 2028-29. With the British state under increasing fiscal strain, and taxpayers in turn shouldering an ever greater burden for the maintenance of the welfare state, it is evident to all but the Labour backbenches that something must be done to rein in eligibility. Some of these measures should target the criteria through which conditions become eligible for payment – some 122,855 people were receiving enhanced PIP mobility payments in March for mixed anxiety and depressive disorders, figures which are hard to credit as a legitimate reflection of need – but others should look to reassert the idea that the welfare state is for the welfare of Britain and not the wider world. If they do not, we will find that we implicitly accept the inexorable growth of the state, and its demands on those generous enough to work to fund it. It is quite clear which direction Sir Keir's government is heading in, with Labour signing Britain up to a United Nations pact which makes 42 references to taxation, including specific mentions of 'high-net-worth individuals' and 'progressive tax systems'. While not a binding commitment on the behalf of this country, it is a strong indicator of where this Government's instincts lie – and where, come the Autumn Budget, the blow to taxpayers is likely to fall. The Conservatives deserve credit for being willing to push for a viable alternative.
The Sun
13 minutes ago
- The Sun
Dramatic new jetski tactic used by French cops to stop migrant dinghies sailing to Britain revealed
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Telegraph
29 minutes ago
- Telegraph
Starmer endorses UN's high-tax manifesto
Labour has paved the way for higher taxes on the wealthy, alcohol and fossil fuels by signing Britain up to a new United Nations pact. Ministers have endorsed the global agreement, which calls for greater environmental levies and 'gender-responsive taxation'. The UK's participation represents another break with Donald Trump, who pulled the US out of the deal over concerns about its provisions on tax. It comes after Rachel Reeves warned that taxes may have to be increased again in the autumn to plug the hole left by Labour's welfare rebellion. The Tories warned that Sir Keir Starmer was deliberately making it 'harder for a future government to reverse Labour's tax rises'. Known as the Sevilla Commitment, the UN agreement was thrashed out between 192 countries at a five-day summit in Seville, Spain, last week. While ostensibly focused on drumming up more development cash for poorer states, the final text of the deal contains 42 references to taxation. 'High net worth' There are specific mentions of taxes on 'high-net-worth individuals', as well as tobacco and alcohol, natural resources and pollution. Britain also signed up to a series of declarations on the side, including one that promotes higher taxes on unhealthy products such as sugary drinks. Gareth Davies, the shadow Treasury minister, accused Labour of 'outsourcing tax policy to organisations that don't reflect the priorities of the British people'. 'People want to see their taxes reduced and simplified, not increased and complicated to fund vacuous virtue signalling by global elites,' he said. 'This will only make it harder for a future government to reverse Labour's tax rises.' The commitments in the deal are not legally binding, meaning that they could not be used to force through the adoption of domestic tax policies. But critics warned that signing up to the pact shows the Government was locking Britain into a permanent course of ever higher taxation. One part of the pact encourages the 'broadening of the tax base', including a crackdown on the 'informal sector', which includes cash-in-hand payments. Elsewhere it says that signatories will 'promote progressive tax systems' and 'enhance efforts to address tax evasion and avoidance by high-net-worth individuals and ensure their effective taxation'. 'We will also promote effective and equitable government spending,' the text adds. In some passages the deal suggests specific tax rises that countries should introduce. 'We encourage effective taxation of natural resources that optimises domestic revenue,' it states, a reference that could cover North Sea oil and gas. 'We will consider introducing or increasing taxes on tobacco and alcohol, as a non-distortionary tax source with a clear potential to increase domestic revenue and reduce the risk factors of noncommunicable diseases,' another section adds. Elsewhere, the agreement says that countries should consider the environment, biodiversity, climate, and food security when setting their budgets. 'While respecting national sovereignty, options may include, but are not limited to, green budgeting, taxation and fiscal rules; and taxes on environmental contamination and pollution,' it states. One part of the deal says that signatories will 'promote gender-responsive budgeting', as well as 'advance discussion on gender responsive taxation'. A senior UN official said that the commitment 'outlines what to do with every kind of money – national, international, public, and private'. The agreement comes amid fears that Ms Reeves is lining up a series of fresh tax raids in the autumn as she struggles to fill an estimated £30 billion black hole. Labour MPs are openly pushing for new wealth taxes, while 'sin taxes' on alcohol, sugary and salty foods, and gambling could also be considered. Donald Trump pulled the US out of talks on the pact last month, with the White House warning that the proposed text 'crosses many of our red lines'. The US president had objected to tax measures in the deal and also wanted the references to climate, gender equality and sustainability removed. Alongside the main deal the UK also signed up to several declarations drawn up during the five-day conference in Seville. One is titled 'Accelerating Health Taxes: The 3 by 35 Initiative' and promotes a World Health Organisation bid to increase levies on alcohol, tobacco and sugary drinks. It included a commitment to 'broaden political and societal support for health taxes'. Another, called the 'Coalition for Tax Expenditure Reform', focuses on efforts to remove what it calls 'harmful' and 'ineffective' tax reliefs.
