Latest news with #U-turn
ITV News
3 days ago
- Politics
- ITV News
Starmer suspends rebellious MPs
Sir Keir Starmer has carried out a purge of troublesome backbenchers as he suspended a number of MPs. Rachael Maskell, who spearheaded plans to halt the Government's welfare reforms, has lost the whip, alongside Neil Duncan-Jordan, Brian Leishman and Chris Hinchliff. All voted against the Government's benefits reforms as part of a wider rebellion earlier this month, and all aside from Ms Maskell were first elected at last year's election. The York Central MP said she had been suspended for 'standing up for my constituents' over the benefits plans. Ms Maskell said she had a 'positive conversation' with the chief whip, adding: 'He knows my heart and why I did what I did. 'I explained there are lines I can't cross because of where I come from in politics with my faith.' She said she was 'not angry' but 'upset that we are in this place because I believe we are better than that as a party. I believe that strength comes from the backbenches.' Mr Duncan-Jordan has said he remains 'as committed as ever' to Labour values, but accepted that voting against the welfare plans 'could come at a cost'. In a statement, the MP for Poole said: 'Since being elected, I have consistently spoken up for my constituents on a range of issues, including most recently on cuts to disability benefits. 'I understood this could come at a cost, but I couldn't support making disabled people poorer. 'Although I've been suspended from the Parliamentary Labour Party today, I've been part of the Labour and trade union movement for 40 years and remain as committed as ever to its values.' Mr Leishman said he is a 'proud Labour member' and remains 'committed to the party'. The office of the MP for Alloa and Grangemouth confirmed he had had the whip 'temporarily suspended'. 'I wish to remain a Labour MP and deliver the positive change many voters are craving,' Mr Leishman said in a statement. 'I have voted against the Government on issues because I want to effectively represent and be the voice for communities across Alloa and Grangemouth. 'I firmly believe that it is not my duty as an MP to make people poorer, especially those that have suffered because of austerity and its dire consequences.' A Labour backbencher described the suspensions as 'devastating' and said they did not signal a willingness from the Government to reset relations with the parliamentary party. As well as the suspensions, three other MPs have been removed from trade envoy jobs: Rosena Allin-Khan, Bell Ribeiro-Addy and Mohammad Yasin. It is understood that those who have been suspended have had the whip removed due to repeated infringements when it comes to party discipline. Mr Duncan-Jordan raised concerns about the Government's changes to the winter fuel allowance before the U-turn while Mr Leishman has been a critic of the Government's response to the Grangemouth closure. Mr Hinchliff led a rebellion against ministers' planning Bill over environmental concerns. Shadow minister Richard Holden claimed that the suspensions are 'a desperate attempt to distract from yet another surge in inflation today'. Richard Burgon, who lost the Labour whip last year after he rebelled on the two-child benefit cap but has since had it reinstated said that those who have been suspended 'were simply standing up for their disabled constituents and following their consciences'. In a statement on X, he added: 'Challenging policies that harm our communities, that damage Labour's support and that make a Reform government much more likely is a key role of Labour backbenchers. 'The Prime Minister should be listening to these voices, not punishing them.' The Fire Brigades Union have called the move an 'outrageous and authoritarian act' and claimed the Labour leadership have 'learned nothing from the huge outpouring of anger that the cuts to welfare have provoked'.
Rhyl Journal
3 days ago
- Politics
- Rhyl Journal
Starmer suspends rebellious MPs
Rachael Maskell, who spearheaded plans to halt the Government's welfare reforms, has lost the whip, alongside Neil Duncan-Jordan, Brian Leishman and Chris Hinchliff. All voted against the Government's benefits reforms as part of a wider rebellion earlier this month, and all aside from Ms Maskell were first elected at last year's election. The York Central MP said she had been suspended for 'standing up for my constituents' over the benefits plans. Ms Maskell said she had a 'positive conversation' with the chief whip, adding: 'He knows my heart and why I did what I did. 'I explained there are lines I can't cross because of where I come from in politics with my faith.' She said she was 'not angry' but 'upset that we are in this place because I believe we are better than that as a party. I believe that strength comes from the backbenches.' Mr Duncan-Jordan has said he remains 'as committed as ever' to Labour values, but accepted that voting against the welfare plans 'could come at a cost'. In a statement, the MP for Poole said: 'Since being elected, I have consistently spoken up for my constituents on a range of issues, including most recently on cuts to disability benefits. 'I understood this could come at a cost, but I couldn't support making disabled people poorer. 'Although I've been suspended from the Parliamentary Labour Party today, I've been part of the Labour and trade union movement for 40 years and remain as committed as ever to its values.' Mr Leishman said he is a 'proud Labour member' and remains 'committed to the party'. The office of the MP for Alloa and Grangemouth confirmed he had had the whip 'temporarily suspended'. 'I wish to remain a Labour MP and deliver the positive change many voters are craving,' Mr Leishman said in a statement. 'I have voted against the Government on issues because I want to effectively represent and be the voice for communities across Alloa and Grangemouth. 'I firmly believe that it is not my duty as an MP to make people poorer, especially those that have suffered because of austerity and its dire consequences.' A Labour backbencher described the suspensions as 'devastating' and said they did not signal a willingness from the Government to reset relations with the parliamentary party. As well as the suspensions, three other MPs have been removed from trade envoy jobs: Rosena Allin-Khan, Bell Ribeiro-Addy and Mohammad Yasin. It is understood that those who have been suspended have had the whip removed due to repeated infringements when it comes to party discipline. Mr Duncan-Jordan raised concerns about the Government's changes to the winter fuel allowance before the U-turn while Mr Leishman has been a critic of the Government's response to the Grangemouth closure. Mr Hinchliff led a rebellion against ministers' planning Bill over environmental concerns. Shadow minister Richard Holden claimed that the suspensions are 'a desperate attempt to distract from yet another surge in inflation today'.
Spectator
3 days ago
- Politics
- Spectator
Starmer takes Labour whip off rebels
After a week of brooding, Keir Starmer has decided to strike. Like Michael Corleone, today he is settling all family business. A series of Labour recalcitrants have been summoned to the Whips' Office this afternoon. So far four MPs – Neil Duncan Jordan, Chris Hinchcliff, Brian Leishman and Rachel Maskell – have lost the whip. All have reputations of being 'troublemakers', having led respective revolts on winter fuel, planning reform, Grangemouth and the welfare changes. Rosena Allin Khan, Bell Ribeiro-Addy and Mohammed Yasin have all lost their trade envoy roles too. What is behind today's bolt from the blue? Among Labour MPs, there is some surprise at the timing of the purge. 'Why now?' was one veteran's snap reaction, pointing to the fact that a six week recess begins on Monday. Clearly, after the debacle of the welfare U-turn, Starmer's aides believes that it is important to 'send a message' in mafioso speak, rather than allow dissenters to stir up trouble throughout the summer. While it is the Whips' Office who are delivering the punishment, most believe the No. 10 political operation are behind it. It is striking how much Starmer has been seen on the estate in recent days. As I reported last week, there was an amusing incident in the Smoking Room. The PM and his entourage arrived on a charm offensive, only to be greeted by Tory MPs at the bar. Messages had to be sent on group chats, ensuring that a deluge of Labour loyalists came to greet him. Starmer then spent two hours in parliament after PMQs today, meeting members of his party. He will hope that such visibility will enable him to mend the broken bridges between his No. 10 team and the parliamentary party. For a man who has always disliked the theatricality of politics, Starmer has today offered his colleagues a stark and visible choice. Work with him and feel the love. Or rebel and enjoy a semi-public execution on one of Alan Campbell's black sofas.
OC Media
10-07-2025
- Politics
- OC Media
Georgian Foreign Ministry ‘fires entire Euro-Atlantic Integration Department'
Sign in or or Become a member to unlock the audio version of this article Join the voices Aliyev wants to silence. For over eight years, OC Media has worked with fearless journalists from Azerbaijan — some of whom now face decades behind bars — to bring you the stories the regime is afraid will get out. Help us fuel Aliyev's fears — become an OC Media member today Become a member Georgia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has fired the entire staff of its department of Euro-Atlantic Integration, according to the department's former head, Tornike Parulava, who said he had also been let go. On Wednesday, Parulava said he had been dismissed after 24 years in the diplomatic service without any formal explanation, adding that all the other members of his department were also let go along with him. 'No one initiated any kind of handover process — the entire department was dismissed without anyone asking whether there was anything left to be done', he wrote on Facebook. In early May, it was announced that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was launching a reorganisation — branded that time as a 'reform' — that would affect its internal structure. The news came amid a wave of dismissals in various public institutions earlier in the year. Many of those let go believed they were targeted for protesting the Georgian government's EU U-turn with public petitions. At the time, Foreign Minister Maka Botchorishvili denied that the process was aimed at letting staff go. However, after the process began, several ministry employees were laid off — the latest being Parulava. According to him, the nature of the ongoing dismissals would undermine 'the principle of continuity of the institutional memory built and developed over the years'. He also stated that the way the reorganisation has unfolded revealed the government's lack of interest in the country's Euro-Atlantic integration. Advertisement 'The units responsible for coordinating inter-agency and sectoral reform processes — and presenting those processes to Brussels — have been dismantled. It clearly indicates that there is no intention to continue these efforts, not even in the long term', he said. Over the past few days, some other department employees also announced their dismissals publicly. As with Parulava, the other department employees are among those who had joined a public petition by ministry staff condemning Georgian Dream's suspension of the EU membership bid on 28 November. 'I have no doubt that the so-called reorganisation announced at the ministry is connected to the joint statement made by a group of employees at the end of November, and is intended to purge the system of undesirable or unreliable personnel', stated Giorgi Tsikarishvili, one of the employees, on 30 June. In a brief written comment sent to OC Media, the ministry's press office did not address the specific cases, instead referring broadly to internal structural changes. According to the new structure, the Euro-Atlantic Integration Department was replaced by a Department of Euro-Atlantic Integration and Security Policy. The directorate that oversaw the former department — the Directorate of Security Policy and Euro-Atlantic Integration — has now become the Political Directorate for Security Policy, International Organisations, and Euro-Atlantic Integration. The ministry told OC Media that after the reorganisation began, open competitions were announced for each position, which were open to all interested candidates. 'Some ministry employees chose not to participate in the announced competitions', said the press service. One of those dismissed, Keti Pruidze — who worked in the Department of International Law — confirmed she did not apply. She said it was clear to her from the beginning what the real purpose of the process was: to 'set an example' by punishing employees. 'I knew very well what this masquerade was about — to humiliate and break public servants with critical views, including myself', she wrote on social media. Another who declined to take part in the competition was Shalva Tsiskarishvili, who has a 28-year diplomatic career and headed the Department of International Organisations at the ministry. Like his colleagues, Tsiskarishvili also considered the reorganisation a response to ministry staff's public letter warning that the process 'will inevitably lead to the systemic politicisation of Georgia's diplomatic service'. 'With this, my 28 years in Georgia's diplomatic service are coming to an end', he wrote on X, expressing solidarity 'with all public servants who have been unjustly dismissed'. According to an April report by the local anti-corruption organisation Transparency International — Georgia (TI), around 700 civil servants have been dismissed from a variety of agencies on political grounds since December 2024. Shortly after the protesting petitions were published, Georgian Dream first proposed and then passed a law that simplified reorganisation processes in public institutions. In addition, ruling party leaders publicly condemned the civil servants who signed the petitions.
Sky News
27-06-2025
- Business
- Sky News
Sky News Business Podcast: Welfare reforms, bond markets and skills
As Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer backs down over planned cuts to disability entitlements, Paul Kelso discusses the latest developments with Simon French, chief economist and head of research at Panmure Liberum. Paul also speaks to George Lagarias, chief economist at Forvis Mazars, about how the bond markets have reacted to the U-turn. And there is an interview with entrepreneur Simon Squibb on the drop in the number of graduate-level jobs.
