Latest news with #Conservatives
Sky News
41 minutes ago
- Business
- Sky News
Fixing welfare a 'moral imperative', Starmer says, after government U-turn
Sir Keir Starmer has said fixing the UK's welfare system is a "moral imperative" after the government's U-turn. The prime minister faced a significant rebellion over plans to cut sickness and disability benefits as part of a package he said would shave £5bn off the welfare bill and get more people into work. The government has since offered concessions ahead of a vote in the Commons on Tuesday, including exempting existing Personal Independence Payment claimants (PIP) from the stricter new criteria, while the universal credit health top-up will only be cut and frozen for new applications. Speaking at Welsh Labour's annual conference in Llandudno, North Wales, on Saturday, Sir Keir said: "Everyone agrees that our welfare system is broken, failing people every day. "Fixing it is a moral imperative, but we need to do it in a Labour way, conference, and we will." 2:59 Sir Keir also warned of a "backroom stitch up" between the Conservatives, Reform UK and Plaid Cymru ahead of next year's Senedd elections. He said such a deal would mark a "return to the chaos and division of the last decade". But opposition parties have hit back at the prime minister's "imaginary coalitions", with Plaid Cymru accusing Labour of "scraping the barrel". Voters in Wales will head to the polls next May and recent polls suggest Labour are in third place, behind Reform and Plaid. Labour have been the largest party at every Senedd election since devolution began in 1999. At the conference, the prime minister was joined on stage by Wales Secretary Jo Stevens, First Minister Eluned Morgan and deputy leader of Welsh Labour Carolyn Harries. He described Baroness Morgan as a "fierce champion for Wales" and "the best person to lead Wales into the future". Sir Keir said the £80m transition board to support Port Talbot steelworkers after the closure of the plant's blast furnaces was a result of "two Labour governments working together for the people of Wales".
Hamilton Spectator
2 hours ago
- Business
- Hamilton Spectator
Carney government's ‘nation-building' bill becomes law despite Senate criticism
OTTAWA — Prime Minister Mark Carney's controversial legislation to fast-track 'nation-building' development projects received royal assent and became law after the rushed passage of Bill C-5 through the Senate on Thursday. But the legislative accomplishment — the first government bill to pass in both chambers under the minority Liberal administration elected April 28 — was marred by expressions of outrage from some senators, who criticized the legislation's creation of 'so-called Henry VIII' powers that allow the federal cabinet to override laws and regulations to approve development projects. Some also condemned what they saw as the bill's lack of consultation and requirements to respect Indigenous rights, suggesting the new process could get bogged down in the very opposition and delay that it is designed to avoid. 'Bill C-5 is not reconciliation. It's a betrayal of it,' said Sen. Paul Prosper, a Mi'kmaq lawyer from Nova Scotia, who told the red chamber his office received a deluge of 'racist vitriol' after he spoke about his desire to slow down the legislation that sped through the House of Commons last week with the support of opposition Conservatives. Yet some in that party still had concerns about the legislation. Mary Jane McCallum, a Conservative senator from Manitoba, argued Thursday that the bill gives too much power to the federal cabinet to choose projects, and to decide which laws and regulations are relevant to how they are approved. 'Canada is not a dictatorship, yet the so-called Henry VIII clauses in Bill C-5 bring us dangerously close to the precipice,' she said. After two days of debate, the Senate voted down several amendments that would have sent the legislation back to the House, and passed it as written without a recorded vote Thursday afternoon. It received Royal Assent from Gov. Gen. Mary Simon a short time later. Since introducing and pushing to pass the bill before Canada Day, the Carney government has defended the legislation as a necessary framework to boost economic growth and reduce reliance on the United States that has imposed steep tariffs that Ottawa deems illegal and unjustified. Last week, Carney also promised to host summits with Indigenous leaders in July to ensure there is participation on which proposed projects — from pipelines to ports and mines — are chosen for the fast-track process under C-5. The legislation gives the cabinet wide latitude to fast-track a development project based on 'any factor' it deems relevant. Although it's not written in the legislation, the government has pledged to finish the approval of fast-tracked projects so construction can begin within two years, while the special powers the bill creates are set to expire after five years. On Thursday, Sen. Hassan Yusseff, a former labour leader who advocated for the bill in the upper chamber, echoed the government's rationale that the special process to fast-track major projects — and a separate, less contentious part of the bill to lift federal barriers to trade and labour mobility inside Canada — are necessary because of U.S. President Donald Trump's trade war. His voice breaking with emotion, Yusseff made the case that the legislation is needed quickly to bolster the Canadian economy and help workers in the industries targeted by Trump's tariffs, from steel and aluminum to the auto sector. 'The men and women who build this country of ours are watching very closely,' Yusseff said. Throughout the day, senators debated the merits of the bill, with some arguing it forces Indigenous groups and environmentalists to trust the government to respect rights and standards, rather than force the government to do so. Some senators, however, said the bill's references to Indigenous rights in the Constitution, as well as the government's insistence it won't fast-track projects without provincial buy-in and Indigenous consultation, mean these concerns can't be addressed through amending the legislation. 'There's no bill we can pass that will guarantee the honour of the Crown,' said Alberta Sen. Patti LaBoucane-Benson. 'I don't think there's anything more we can do to the text of the bill to protect Indigenous rights.' Others, like Ontario Sen. Bernadette Clement, argued Parliament should take more time to improve the legislation and address concerns raised by environmental groups, Indigenous communities, and organizations like the Assembly of First Nations. 'Growing our economy, nation-building — yeah, that's urgent. It requires a timely an efficient response. But it doesn't require the trampling of Indigenous rights and our environmental protections,' Clement said. Marilou McPhedran, a senator from Manitoba, expressed shock that Conservatives and Liberals in the House voted en masse to surrender 'parliamentary sovereignty' to the cabinet under the bill. 'As we watch the results of the C-5 juggernaut roll out and roll over Canada, please remember this key question: are the constitutionally guaranteed rights to equality, to Aboriginal and treaty rights, the first to go with Bill C-5?' she said. The House of Commons made several amendments to the bill that some senators welcomed, including new reporting requirements on how projects are selected, and the creation of a parliamentary committee to oversee how the legislation is being used. The House also added a requirement to publish details of a project at least 30 days before it is named in the 'national interest,' and introduced limits so no projects can be added to the new process while Parliament is prorogued or dissolved. The legislation also requires the minister responsible for the law — currently Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Dominic LeBlanc — to consult with provinces, territories and Indigenous Peoples whose rights 'may be adversely affected' by a project. The Commons inserted a clause that requires the government to get 'written consent' from a province or territory — but not an Indigenous community — if a project falls within an area of its 'exclusive' jurisdiction. Sen. Marc Gold, the government representative in the chamber, said the bill is 'fundamentally about trust' that all groups — including the government — will act in the best interests of Canadians during a time of crisis after an election he said gave the Liberal minority government a clear mandate to pursue rapid economic growth. 'C-5 is indeed extraordinary, and indeed it entails unprecedented trust,' Gold said. 'This is not about any partisan interest, but in the interest of our country.'
Spectator
6 hours ago
- Politics
- Spectator
Steve Baker on how to organise a successful rebellion
As Labour rebels appear to have forced concessions from Keir Starmer over welfare this week, former Conservative MP Steve Baker joins James Heale to reflect on his own time as a rebel, and to provide some advice to Labour MPs. Steve, an MP for 14 years and a minister under Theresa May, Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak, tells James about the different rebellions he was a part of (from Brexit to Covid), explains how to organise a successful one and reveals how he has lost close friends when he has made the decision to compromise. He also blames Labour's problems on their 'bombs not benefits' approach, explains why the current welfare rebellion demonstrates that 'the facts of life are Conservative' and argues that it has been a mistake for the Conservatives not the support Labour's original approach to reducing the winter fuel allowance. Produced by Patrick Gibbons and Megan McElroy.
South Wales Argus
9 hours ago
- Health
- South Wales Argus
Senedd hears allied health professionals ‘undervalued'
Mabon ap Gwynfor said allied health professionals (AHPs) – more than a dozen professions from paramedics to radiographers – make up around a quarter of the NHS workforce. But Plaid Cymru's shadow health secretary told the Senedd that allied health professionals are 'constantly undervalued' and receive 'far too little attention'. Mr ap Gwynfor called on the Welsh Government to develop a long-term workforce strategy as he led a debate on a motion backed by the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats. He said: 'Wales invests in training the next generation of AHPs, yet shockingly, many of them are unable to secure employment…. These are highly skilled, motivated individuals trained at public expense but often left underemployed or forced to leave Wales for work.' Senedd members warned of the 'postcode lottery', with Mr ap Gwynfor saying: 'Too often, your ability to access life-changing support depends on where you live, not what you need.' The Society of Radiographers has warned of a chronic shortage of radiographers across the NHS, with an average department vacancy rate of 15 per cent. Wales also has fewer speech and language therapists per head than anywhere else in the UK and trains only 55 a year. The Conservatives' Mark Isherwood said: 'To make matters worse, the youth justice board for England and Wales reports that 71 per cent of sentenced children have speech, language or communication difficulties, showing just how important these services are.' Labour's John Griffiths echoed concerns about the barriers many patients face when accessing health care, including limited provision and long waiting times in some areas. Jeremy Miles, Wales' health secretary, agreed about the need to invest to nurture and develop the workforce, describing AHPs as the 'heartbeat of the health service'. He told Senedd members there are more allied health professionals working in the NHS in Wales than ever before, with a 12 per cent increase in the past three years. Mr Miles drew attention to an extra £5m the Welsh Government made available to health boards every year from April 2023 to create more AHP posts. 'More than 100 additional full-time equivalent AHPs and support workers have been employed as a direct result of that additional investment,' he said. The Senedd voted 31-0, with 16 abstentions, in favour of the motion following the debate
Spectator
13 hours ago
- Politics
- Spectator
Tories fume at council by-election results
It seems that all is not well with the once-mighty Tory ground game. After a thumping set of election defeats last month, a worrying new trend has developed for the Conservatives. They are not only losing more wards in council by-elections; they now seem unable to field candidates, even in seats still represented at Westminster by the surviving 120 Tory MPs. Hardly a healthy sign… Three weeks ago, the party was unable to field candidates for two by-elections in King's Lynn and West Norfolk – a seat still held in the Commons by the Tory James Wild. Then, this week, the party could not find someone to stand for a vacant ward in Mel Stride's patch on Mid Devon District Council. Even when the party does field a candidate in Tory-held constituencies, it seems that there are very few wards that could now be considered truly safe territory. A devastating example of that was offered last night in Essex. Reform UK won its first seat on Basildon Council after polling 922 votes in the Wickford Park ward, ahead of the Tories on 840. It prompted a late-night ding-dong on the official Tory MPs' WhatsApp group between local MP Mark Francois and Nigel Huddleston, the party's co-chairman. Shortly after the count, amid some crowing on the group about a seat held in South Staffordshire, Francois wrote at 00:56 that: We lost in Wickford.. by 82 votes. Despite absolutely knocking ourselves out, for the best part of six weeks. The fault didn't lie with the front line troops – it was back at the Chateau. It prompted Huddleston to reply: 'Sorry Mark. Know how hard team worked.' Francois responded 'No you don't – you've no idea.' Ouch. One MP told Mr S tonight: 'It's hard to say what's more embarrassing: not fielding a candidate – or losing supposedly safe wards. No change, no chance.' Let's hope the renewal programme starts soon eh?
