Labour has been urged to suspend an MP forced to apologise over mould and ant infestations in flats he rents out.
Jas Athwal said he was “profoundly sorry that tenants have been let down”.
The BBC first reported on the state of properties the Ilford South MP rents out.
One resident said: “The ants are everywhere. They are on my kid’s body and on their clothes.”
Athwal, who became a Labour MP at the last election and rents out 15 flats, was previously leader of Redbridge Borough Council, said he was “shocked” by the BBC’s findings.
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In a statement, he said: “I know it’s my responsibility to have issues addressed as soon as they arise and have met the property management company to understand failures in communication.
“I’m profoundly sorry that tenants have been let down and will be reviewing the property management and how matters are escalated going forward.”
On LBC this morning, Commons leader Lucy Powell refused to be drawn on whether Athwal would lose the Labour whip over the controversy.
She also insisted Labour would bring forward legislation to improve protections for tenants.
Presenter Lewis Goodall said: ”[Athwal] was literally on the council and introduced a set of standards that all buy-to-let landlords in his council had to obey and he himself did not obey it.
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“Now do you not think that is the height of hypocrisy? If this were the Conservative Party you would be slamming this guy, and yet here you are saying ‘it’s not a huge deal, he’s going to compensate them, we’re just going on as normal’.
“Don’t you think it would send a message to buy-to-let landlords who are ripping people off that you the Labour Party do not tolerate standards like this, not least from your own MPs?”
Powell: “I’m certainly not saying it’s OK and I’ve just made absolutely clear we don’t tolerate standards like this.”
The presenter then interrupted the minister to say: “Punish him then.”
But she replied: “Hold on a minute. That’s why we’re legislating with tough measures to tackle these issues, to give tenants those rights, so they don’t have to go to the BBC or anyone else, whether it’s a Labour MP or any other landlord.
“They will have real rights embedded in law … to back that law. It is not absolutely not OK. What I am saying is that this particular person in questions has taken quick action. He was furious about it. I will take him at his word for now, but he has to put that right.”
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“If this were the Conservative Party you’d be absolutely slamming this guy.” @Lewis_Goodall challenges Labour’s Lucy Powell after her fellow MP, Jas Athwal, was found to be renting out flats with ‘black mould and infested with ants’. pic.twitter.com/ZCc3Qdmd1w
A Redbridge Council spokesperson said: “The selective landlord licensing schemes are in place across several wards. These schemes extend licensing to all privately rented properties occupied by a single household or two unrelated sharers, ensuring a fair and consistent process for all.
“We are aware of the situation with these properties. While we cannot comment on individual cases, it is important to stress that the council is committed to a fair and consistent process for every landlord applying to the selective licensing scheme.
“We notify all existing landlords that they may need to renew their licences and systematically work through those that need to be renewed. This approach applies to all borough landlords needing a licence, ensuring all parties are treated equally.
“In all cases, we expect properties that require a licence to apply for it. Where they do not have a licence, we will send notices and commence enforcement action.
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“It is important that all landlords apply for their licences. This is about maintaining the standards of our selective licensing scheme and ensuring the safety and well-being of people in Redbridge.”
Winter fuel payments were ended for millions of pensioners to prevent the economy from crashing, a minister has claimed.
Commons leader Lucy Powell suggested there could even have been a run on the pound unless Labour had cut day-to-day government spending.
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Her comments come amid a growing backlash to chancellor Rachel Reeves’ decision to end winter fuel payments for all but the very poorest pensioners.
An estimated 10 million old people will lose out on payments of up to £300 a year as a result of the controversial decision.
On Sky News this morning, presenter Trevor Phillips asked Powell: “When the prime minister said this week ‘those with the broadest shoulders should bear the heaviest burden’, was he talking about the 10 million pensioners who will lose [winter fuel payments]?”
Powell told him: “Well this is an example of one of the very difficult decisions that we’ve had to make that we didn’t want to make, that we weren’t wanting to do when we got elected.”
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After Phillips told her “you didn’t have to make it”, the minister replied: “It is really important for people to understand the context.
“What we found was that spending was much higher in the current year that we are in than anybody had thought.
“There was a black hole of £22 billion that was made up of things like nearly £7 billion of underfunding of the asylum system, that the previous government knew was there and they put their head in the sand and didn’t take the difficult decisions they needed to take because they knew they were going to lose the election.
“That’s why we’ve had to take some of these really difficult decisions around means testing the winter payments so that the poorest pensioners continue to receive it, but some of the wealthiest pensioners won’t.”
But Phillips replied: “You are now the government, you made a choice, and the first choice you’ve made was to withdraw the allowance from pensioners, in the same way that you’ve chosen to hand out pay increases way above inflation while you’ve been telling others with three children that you’ll have to wait until you’ve found the money to lift the benefit cap. These are your choices.”
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Powell replied: “Finding in-year savings in the current year is very difficult indeed.
“If we didn’t, we would have seen the markets losing confidence, potentially a run on the pound, the economy crashing and the people who pay the heaviest price for that when the economy crashes is the poorest in society, and people like pensioners.”
Shadow Treasury chief secretary Laura Trott said: “This simply shows how desperate the new Labour government is to run from responsibility for the tax rises they always planned but hid from the public during the election.
“After handing billions in inflation-busting pay rises to their union paymasters, no-one believes Labour’s chicken little strategy.
“They should stop trying to deceive the public with ridiculous fantasies and instead have the courage to let parliament debate cuts to winter fuel payments for the sake of those pensioners who will lose out thanks to the decisions of this government.”
Both the Tories and Lib Dems are planning to force a Commons vote on the removal of winter fuel payments to all but those who claim pensioner credit.
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Some Labour MPs are threatening to rebel by voting with the opposition in protest at the chancellor’s decision.
The government is launching a campaign urging those who do not claim the £3,900 benefit but are entitled to it to do so.
The average pension credit is £75 a week, but it is estimated that 880,000 who qualify for it do not claim it.
A minister has confirmed that the biggest personal donor for Keir Starmer did have a security pass to 10 Downing Street, but claims it has now been removed.
It comes after The Sunday Times reported that millionaire TV mogul Lord Alli, who was at the forefront of Labour’s fundraising for the general election, had unlimited access to the head office of government.
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He reportedly organised post-election reception drinks in Downing Street’s gardens.
A No.10 pass is an honour usually granted only to political advisers, civil servants, and the immediate families of the PM and the chancellor.
But the chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, Pat McFadden, told Sky News that Lord Alli – who has given £500,000 to the party since 2020 – has not got his pass “anymore”.
He said: “I don’t think it’s unusual for people to have passes to attend political meetings, if they need to do so.
“I don’t think he has a pass now but I believe he may have had one in the past.”
He added: “He won’t have been involved in any governmental decisions, he’s not someone who holds a policy responsibility.
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“I don’t think he’s got the pass anymore, he may have needed it for a short time in that period immediately after the election.”
McFadden also told Times Radio that the peer “does bring a huge amount to the Labour Party”.
He said: “He was an important part of the election campaign. And as I say, he’s a very highly respected peer.
“I don’t believe there’s anything being done here that’s in conflict with the rules.”
Party sources told HuffPost UK Lord Alli’s pass was removed “weeks ago”.
However, The Sunday Times’ columnist and senior political correspondent Patrick Maguire posted on X that No.10 said the peer still had the pass on Friday.
There is no indication that Lord Alli is looking for a role or has broken the rules, but it remains unclear why he needed the pass in the first place.
The tension comes as Labour have only been in power for seven weeks.
The backlash against Keir Starmer’s ruthless decision to suspend seven MPs for voting against the government has been completely slammed – even from within the Labour Party.
On Tuesday, a handful of MPs on the left of the party voted for an amendment calling for the two-child benefit cap – which prevents parents from getting help from the state for their third child – to be scrapped.
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The government’s bid to keep the cap won by some margin, but the prime minister still chose to kick the rebels out of the parliamentary party for six months.
The move has attracted a huge amount of scrutiny from the new prime minister.
Mish Rahman, a member of Labour’s National Executive Committee (NEC) which is the governing body of the party, claimed Starmer was showing “complete control freakery, authoritarianism”.
Speaking to Times Radio, he said: “Starmer thinks that he’s showing that he’s a strong leader but really it’s complete control freakery, authoritarianism, showing people what he’ll do if people disagree with him.
“I don’t think this benefits him, the party or anyone in the long run just because, I mean these are backbenchers, they’re not frontbenchers, these people are there literally to represent their constituencies and they have to go back and explain why they would have voted.”
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Rahman then claimed: “There’s no reason why even if these seven people had voted against it, why they had to have the whip taken away from them.
“I mean, they literally voted to end child poverty in the way that they thought voting against this would.”
He said everyone in the Labour Party agrees the cap is “heinous, it’s cruel, it’s punishing” anyway.
Labour’s Nadia Whittome, who did vote with the government, criticised the suspension, too.
She said: “The government’s approach to party discipline has been appalling. No MP should have lost the whip for their vote this evening, especially on a policy that almost everyone in Labour opposes.”
Meanwhile, Zarah Sultana, who lost the whip over the vote last night, told the media this morning she was victim of a “macho virility test” but that she “slept well knowing that I told a stand against child poverty”.
Another one of the now ousted rebels, Aspana Begum, told Sky News: “I myself was quite shocked and surprised at the way I was treated.
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“I had a very difficult election. Many people said to me, you know, we’re happy to support you as an individual but we’re finding it very hard to support Labour at the time, for a number of different reasons.”
She said some voters are “not seeing a difference between the two main parties in parliament”.
“It’s unacceptable, but that demonstrates the way in which that draconian stand was taken in regards to the scrapping of the two-child limit,” she said.
The backlash also extended to the House of Lords.
Labour peer, Prem Sikka, wrote on X: “Solidarity with the seven. With big majority Starmer silencing debate, just as Tories did. Sooner or later the cap will go.”
He also told the Lords it was “disappointing” the cap still had not been abolished, and there was “no shortage of money”.
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He added on X: “Would the government find the money if a bank collapsed tomorrow? Poverty is a political choice.”
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Meanwhile, independent MPs – Jeremy Corbyn, Shockat Adam, Iqbal Mohamed, Adnan Hussain and Ayoub Khan – took the chance to write to the rebel MPs on Wednesday, thanking them for voting against the government on the cap.
“It is beyond disgraceful that you have been punished for voting to alleviate child poverty,” the letter said.
A top Tory has been called out for interrupting a cabinet minister and heckling jim from the dispatch box.
Shadow health secretary Victoria Atkins, who is expected to run for the party leadership, had to be rebuked by the deputy speaker for her “abominable” behaviour in the Commons.
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On Friday afternoon, the new environment, food and rural affairs secretary Steve Reed began his first speech as a member of government by talking about the Labour’s plan to “get Britain building again”.
It was part of the parliamentary debate on the King’s Speech.
But, he was interrupted repeatedly by Tories – first by Tory backbencher and former party chair Richard Holden, who stood up to indicate he wanted to speak.
But Reed refused to give way, saying there was not enough time for Holden’s speech and that other “members should have spoken for less time” earlier in the three-hour debate.
Reed then attacked the Conservatives for neglected parts of the country.
The shadow housing, communities and local government secretary, Kemi Badenoch, who is also expected to try out for Tory leader, then attempted to cut in.
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But Reed said: “I am very sorry but there are only three minutes left and I need to cover the points that have been raised. They had their time.”
He resumed by talking about how Labour plans to increase the number of mental health professionals.
Atkins then jumped up and leant across the despatch box while shouting at Reed, seemingly irate.
The deputy speaker Sir Christopher Chope had to shout: “Order. The right honourable member for Louth and Horncastle [Atkins] has behaved abominably.”
According to The Guardian, a spokesperson for Atkins’ office said: “Conservative MPs were trying to get answers about their budgets for farming, flood defences and food security, which the minister ignored.
“She will always stand up fearlessly for farmers and our rural area in Westminster, even if that means a rare admonishment from the Chair.”
Reed wrapped up his speech by reeling off the “Tories’ failure”, calling his opponents “the party of broken dreams”.
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Closing the debate, Reed said: “After 14 years of chaos, there is once again hope for our environment, hope for our countryside and hope for our rural communities. I welcome the king’s speech, I recommend it to this house.”
Over the weekend, clips of this exchange were picked up by other MPs….
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This happened during my first experience of a debate in the chamber. The behaviour of several Conservative MPs was appalling. After the debate, I asked a group of them why they behaved that way. I was accused of rudeness myself for having the temerity to ask. Absolutely shocking. https://t.co/PuS57iyTqI
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A new photo of the Labour Party has put the Tories’ electoral defeat in another, rather unflattering light.
All of the female MPs elected for Labour gathered for a historic image in Westminster Hall this week, making it pretty clear for their political opponents just how many of them there are.
Advertisement
In fact, there are 189 female Labour MPs now – almost half of the total 411 seats it won in the election.
That’s more than there are Tory MPs (of any gender) in this parliament.
Having secured just 121 seats in the election, the Conservatives now have 29 female MPs – that works out to less than a quarter of its total parliamentary party, a detail which did not escape Labour MPs and party supporters online.
In 1924 there was uproar in the press when the newly-elected Ellen Wilkinson appeared in Parliament in a green dress. Goodness knows what they’d have made of Labour’s 190 women MPs a hundred years on! pic.twitter.com/L8x7rdnNIO
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In 1924 there was uproar in the press when the newly-elected Ellen Wilkinson appeared in Parliament in a green dress. Goodness knows what they’d have made of Labour’s 190 women MPs a hundred years on! pic.twitter.com/L8x7rdnNIO
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That’s more than all the Tories MPs.And our diversity is growing and growing!Excited to see and feel what a difference a Labour Government will make to my constituents in Brent and the country pic.twitter.com/7ZgMrTNQLz— Dawn Butler ✊🏾💙 (@DawnButlerBrent) July 17, 2024\n\n\n","options":{"_hide_media":{"label":"Hide photos, videos, and cards","value":false},"_maxwidth":{"label":"Adjust width","placeholder":"220-550, in px","value":""},"_theme":{"value":"","values":{"dark":"Use dark theme"}}},"provider_name":"Twitter","title":"Dawn Butler ✊🏾💙 on Twitter / X","type":"rich","url":"https://twitter.com/DawnButlerBrent/status/1813568883275792638","version":"1.0"},"flags":[],"enhancements":{},"fullBleed":false,"options":{"theme":"news","device":"desktop","editionInfo":{"id":"uk","name":"U.K.","link":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk","locale":"en_GB"},"originalEdition":"uk","isMapi":false,"isAmp":false,"isVideoEntry":false,"isEntry":true,"isMt":false,"entryId":"6699184be4b0e9707971bdef","entryPermalink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/labour-mps-photo-reveals-harsh-truth-about-tory-benches_uk_6699184be4b0e9707971bdef","entryTagsList":"government,labour,conservatives,@ai_seo_headline","sectionSlug":"politics","deptSlug":null,"sectionRedirectUrl":null,"subcategories":"","isWide":false,"headerOverride":null,"noVideoAds":false,"disableFloat":false,"isNative":false,"commercialVideo":{"provider":"custom","site_and_category":"uk.politics","package":null},"isHighline":false,"vidibleConfigValues":{"cid":"60afc140cf94592c45d7390c","disabledWithMapiEntries":false,"overrides":{"all":"60b8e525cdd90620331baaf4"},"whitelisted":["56c5f12ee4b03a39c93c9439","56c6056ee4b01f2b7e1b5f35","59bfee7f9e451049f87f550b","5acccbaac269d609ef44c529","570278d2e4b070ff77b98217","57027b4be4b070ff77b98d5c","56fe95c4e4b0041c4242016b","570279cfe4b06d08e3629954","5ba9e8821c2e65639162ccf1","5bcd9904821576674bc55ced","5d076ca127f25f504327c72e","5b35266b158f855373e28256","5ebac2e8abddfb04f877dff2","60b8e525cdd90620331baaf4","60b64354b171b7444beaff4d","60d0d8e09340d7032ad0fb1a","60d0d90f9340d7032ad0fbeb","60d0d9949340d7032ad0fed3","60d0d9f99340d7032ad10113","60d0daa69340d7032ad104cf","60d0de02b627221e9d819408"],"playlists":{"default":"57bc306888d2ff1a7f6b5579","news":"56c6dbcee4b04edee8beb49c","politics":"56c6dbcee4b04edee8beb49c","entertainment":"56c6e7f2e4b0983aa64c60fc","tech":"56c6f70ae4b043c5bdcaebf9","parents":"56cc65c2e4b0239099455b42","lifestyle":"56cc66a9e4b01f81ef94e98c"},"playerUpdates":{"56c6056ee4b01f2b7e1b5f35":"60b8e525cdd90620331baaf4","56c5f12ee4b03a39c93c9439":"60d0d8e09340d7032ad0fb1a","59bfee7f9e451049f87f550b":"60d0d90f9340d7032ad0fbeb","5acccbaac269d609ef44c529":"60d0d9949340d7032ad0fed3","5bcd9904821576674bc55ced":"60d0d9f99340d7032ad10113","5d076ca127f25f504327c72e":"60d0daa69340d7032ad104cf","5ebac2e8abddfb04f877dff2":"60d0de02b627221e9d819408"}},"connatixConfigValues":{"defaultPlayer":"8b034f64-513c-4987-b16f-42d6008f7feb","clickToPlayPlayer":"5a777b9b-81fe-41a6-8302-59e9953ee8a2","videoPagePlayer":"19654b65-409c-4b38-90db-80cbdea02cf4"},"topConnatixThumnbailSrc":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABCAQAAAC1HAwCAAAAC0lEQVR42mNkYAAAAAYAAjCB0C8AAAAASUVORK5CYII=","customAmpComponents":[],"ampAssetsUrl":"https://amp.assets.huffpost.com","videoTraits":null,"positionInUnitCounts":{"buzz_head":{"count":0},"buzz_body":{"count":0},"buzz_bottom":{"count":0}},"positionInSubUnitCounts":{"article_body":{"count":7},"blog_summary":{"count":0},"before_you_go_content":{"count":0}},"connatixCountsHelper":{"count":0},"buzzfeedTracking":{"context_page_id":"6699184be4b0e9707971bdef","context_page_type":"buzz","destination":"huffpost","mode":"desktop","page_edition":"en-uk"},"tags":[{"name":"government","slug":"government","links":{"relativeLink":"news/government","permalink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/government","mobileWebLink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/government"},"relegenceSubjectId":4941492,"url":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/government/"},{"name":"labour","slug":"labour","links":{"relativeLink":"news/labour","permalink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/labour","mobileWebLink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/labour"},"section":{"title":"Politics","slug":"politics"},"topic":{"title":"Labour Party","slug":"labour-party","overridesSectionLabel":false},"url":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/labour-party/"},{"name":"Conservatives","slug":"conservatives","links":{"relativeLink":"news/conservatives","permalink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/conservatives","mobileWebLink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/conservatives"},"section":{"title":"Politics","slug":"politics"},"topic":{"title":"Conservative Party","slug":"conservative-party","overridesSectionLabel":false},"url":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/conservative-party/"}],"isLiveblogLive":null,"cetUnit":"buzz_body","bodyAds":["
When Diane Abbott entered parliament in 1987 there were just 40 female MPs in total. Today there are 263 and Labour has 190 of them – more than the entire number of Tory MPs in opposition. Much still to do, but worth taking a moment to recognise how far women have come. https://t.co/roVExNblhx
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Much still to do, but worth taking a moment to recognise how far women have come. https://t.co/roVExNblhx— Linda Green (@LindaGreenisms) July 18, 2024\n\n\n","options":{"_hide_media":{"label":"Hide photos, videos, and cards","value":false},"_maxwidth":{"label":"Adjust width","placeholder":"220-550, in px","value":""},"_theme":{"value":"","values":{"dark":"Use dark theme"}}},"provider_name":"Twitter","title":"Linda Green on Twitter / X","type":"rich","url":"https://twitter.com/LindaGreenisms/status/1813896701142507691","version":"1.0"},"flags":[],"enhancements":{},"fullBleed":false,"options":{"theme":"news","device":"desktop","editionInfo":{"id":"uk","name":"U.K.","link":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk","locale":"en_GB"},"originalEdition":"uk","isMapi":false,"isAmp":false,"isVideoEntry":false,"isEntry":true,"isMt":false,"entryId":"6699184be4b0e9707971bdef","entryPermalink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/labour-mps-photo-reveals-harsh-truth-about-tory-benches_uk_6699184be4b0e9707971bdef","entryTagsList":"government,labour,conservatives,@ai_seo_headline","sectionSlug":"politics","deptSlug":null,"sectionRedirectUrl":null,"subcategories":"","isWide":false,"headerOverride":null,"noVideoAds":false,"disableFloat":false,"isNative":false,"commercialVideo":{"provider":"custom","site_and_category":"uk.politics","package":null},"isHighline":false,"vidibleConfigValues":{"cid":"60afc140cf94592c45d7390c","disabledWithMapiEntries":false,"overrides":{"all":"60b8e525cdd90620331baaf4"},"whitelisted":["56c5f12ee4b03a39c93c9439","56c6056ee4b01f2b7e1b5f35","59bfee7f9e451049f87f550b","5acccbaac269d609ef44c529","570278d2e4b070ff77b98217","57027b4be4b070ff77b98d5c","56fe95c4e4b0041c4242016b","570279cfe4b06d08e3629954","5ba9e8821c2e65639162ccf1","5bcd9904821576674bc55ced","5d076ca127f25f504327c72e","5b35266b158f855373e28256","5ebac2e8abddfb04f877dff2","60b8e525cdd90620331baaf4","60b64354b171b7444beaff4d","60d0d8e09340d7032ad0fb1a","60d0d90f9340d7032ad0fbeb","60d0d9949340d7032ad0fed3","60d0d9f99340d7032ad10113","60d0daa69340d7032ad104cf","60d0de02b627221e9d819408"],"playlists":{"default":"57bc306888d2ff1a7f6b5579","news":"56c6dbcee4b04edee8beb49c","politics":"56c6dbcee4b04edee8beb49c","entertainment":"56c6e7f2e4b0983aa64c60fc","tech":"56c6f70ae4b043c5bdcaebf9","parents":"56cc65c2e4b0239099455b42","lifestyle":"56cc66a9e4b01f81ef94e98c"},"playerUpdates":{"56c6056ee4b01f2b7e1b5f35":"60b8e525cdd90620331baaf4","56c5f12ee4b03a39c93c9439":"60d0d8e09340d7032ad0fb1a","59bfee7f9e451049f87f550b":"60d0d90f9340d7032ad0fbeb","5acccbaac269d609ef44c529":"60d0d9949340d7032ad0fed3","5bcd9904821576674bc55ced":"60d0d9f99340d7032ad10113","5d076ca127f25f504327c72e":"60d0daa69340d7032ad104cf","5ebac2e8abddfb04f877dff2":"60d0de02b627221e9d819408"}},"connatixConfigValues":{"defaultPlayer":"8b034f64-513c-4987-b16f-42d6008f7feb","clickToPlayPlayer":"5a777b9b-81fe-41a6-8302-59e9953ee8a2","videoPagePlayer":"19654b65-409c-4b38-90db-80cbdea02cf4"},"topConnatixThumnbailSrc":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABCAQAAAC1HAwCAAAAC0lEQVR42mNkYAAAAAYAAjCB0C8AAAAASUVORK5CYII=","customAmpComponents":[],"ampAssetsUrl":"https://amp.assets.huffpost.com","videoTraits":null,"positionInUnitCounts":{"buzz_head":{"count":0},"buzz_body":{"count":0},"buzz_bottom":{"count":0}},"positionInSubUnitCounts":{"article_body":{"count":7},"blog_summary":{"count":0},"before_you_go_content":{"count":0}},"connatixCountsHelper":{"count":0},"buzzfeedTracking":{"context_page_id":"6699184be4b0e9707971bdef","context_page_type":"buzz","destination":"huffpost","mode":"desktop","page_edition":"en-uk"},"tags":[{"name":"government","slug":"government","links":{"relativeLink":"news/government","permalink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/government","mobileWebLink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/government"},"relegenceSubjectId":4941492,"url":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/government/"},{"name":"labour","slug":"labour","links":{"relativeLink":"news/labour","permalink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/labour","mobileWebLink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/labour"},"section":{"title":"Politics","slug":"politics"},"topic":{"title":"Labour Party","slug":"labour-party","overridesSectionLabel":false},"url":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/labour-party/"},{"name":"Conservatives","slug":"conservatives","links":{"relativeLink":"news/conservatives","permalink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/conservatives","mobileWebLink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/conservatives"},"section":{"title":"Politics","slug":"politics"},"topic":{"title":"Conservative Party","slug":"conservative-party","overridesSectionLabel":false},"url":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/conservative-party/"}],"isLiveblogLive":null,"cetUnit":"buzz_body","bodyAds":["
When Diane Abbott entered parliament in 1987 there were just 40 female MPs in total. Today there are 263 and Labour has 190 of them – more than the entire number of Tory MPs in opposition. Much still to do, but worth taking a moment to recognise how far women have come. https://t.co/roVExNblhx
This parliament is certainly one full of records in terms of its make-up, much of it related to the Labour Party.
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Aside from creating the largest female cohort in parliament ever, with more than 40% of all MPs being women, there’s also a historic 11 female cabinet members.
In terms of educational background, the cabinet is the most diverse in history, with the majority (92%) of members having attended state school.
The Sun newspaper has officially endorsed the Labour Party just one day before the public head to the polls in a major victory for Keir Starmer.
The best-selling tabloid, owned by media mogul Rupert Murdoch, announced “it’s time for a change” in an editorial published online.
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This afternoon, the newspaper shared an early version of Thursday’s front page, complete with the headline: “As Britain goes to the polls, it’s time for a new manager (and we don’t mean Southgate).”
The paper has a track record of backing election winners.
It famously claimed to have swayed 10 million readers to vote for Tory John Major in 1992, leading to its well-known headline: “It was the Sun wot won it.”
It later supported Labour shortly before Tony Blair took the party into three election victories, only to move away from the party in 2009.
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It stayed loyal to the Conservatives over the next 15 years – which is why today’s switch is a major win for Starmer.
The editorial admitted that PM Rishi Sunak “has many policies which we can support” such as the Rwanda deportation plan, and the pledge to drop National Insurance contributions for workers.
It also praised the “ban on teaching harmful gender ideology in schools”, “putting the brakes on the headlong rush towards Net Zero” and Sunak’s commitment to “our Brexit freedoms”.
However, the pro-Brexit newspaper said the party has become “a divided rabble, more interested in fighting themselves than running the country”.
The Sun said the party needs to be in Opposition to unite “around a common set of principles”.
It also stopped short of endorsing Nigel Farage’s populist party Reform, saying those his manifesto “has struck a chord with millions” it is “a one-man band” – and swiftly described the Liberal Democrats as “a joke”.
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The editorial seems to come around to Labour through a process of elimination, saying while it was “still a work in progress” and there are “plenty of concerns” remaining, Starmer has pulled his “party back to the centre ground of British politics for the first time since Tony Blair was in No.10”.
The endorsement comes as all signs point to a landslide victory for Labour.
In yet another blow to PM Rishi Sunak as his campaign continues to flounder, YouGov has revealed that that two thirds (67%) of Brits disapprove of the government’s record.
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Three quarters (73%) think the UK is a worse place than it was 13 years ago, too – and that includes a majority (59%) of 2019 Tory voters.
In fact, even 61-68% of those planning to vote Tory in the next election agreed.
Of the 2,040 adults polled between 29 and 30 May, only 8% think the UK is better now, and 11% think life is pretty much the same.
YouGov also asked participants what they thought about how the government has handled 21 different topics, from social issues to healthcare.
The respondents were most united in their reaction to how the cost of living has changed over the last 14 years – 85% said the Tories had made it worse.
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This was closely followed by the NHS, which 84% thought had worsened under the Conservatives.
The poll offered similarly bleak reactions over what has happened to immigration system and the economy in the last decade and a half with 78% saying both areas had worsened.
This will be an especially disappointing result for those in the Conservative headquarters considering the party has been pledging to reduce the number of migrants since David Cameron got into office.
The party has often portrayed itself as the one which is best at managing the economy, too – but it seems that reputation is now in tatters.
In fact, more than half of participants thought the Tories had made 15 of the 21 issues worse – including housing, crime and policing, Britain’s standing in the world and standards in public life.
A majority also had a poor opinion of what’s happened to the health of British democracy, the tax system, transport, schools, the state of the armed forces, the welfare system and local government services.
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In most ways, most Britons think the UK is worse now than it was in 2010
% who say the following are now worse than in 2010 Cost of living: 85% NHS: 84% Immigration: 78% Economy: 78% Housing: 72% Crime/policing: 71% Britain’s standing in the world: 67% Standards in public life:… pic.twitter.com/U24Sb33tIn
More than half (57%) said they thought Rishi Sunak was a poor or terrible prime minister, and only 13% thought he was a great or a good one.
YouGov is not the only one predicting a pretty bleak turnout for Sunak at next month’s election, either.
On Tuesday, Survation’s mega poll predicted the Conservatives face electoral wipeout at the general election, with just 71 MPs in a potentially “extinction level event” ahead.
The minister then blamed the figures on the delay in passing the Rwanda bill through parliament.
She also said the new act was already working as a deterrent as Ireland have been complaining that more refugees are arriving from the UK.
But Ridge replied: “I’m happy to say it’s a deterrent when we have evidence it’s a deterrent. Right now, it’s a deterrent for people already in the UK. Which I’m guessing, is not what you’re aiming for.”
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Donelan continually tried to say the government has a “multi-prong strategy” but the Sky News host repeatedly reminded her: “It hasn’t worked!”
“Just having a plan isn’t enough,” Ridge reminded her.
Explaining how she empathises with Britons’ frustration over the issue, Donelan said: “I always view it as one of our values, fairness.
“It’s inherent in our values – we literally invented the queue.
“It’s downright unfair that illegal immigrants think they can bypass our systems and come here after having been in a safe country, and that’s what we are determined to stop.”
It has once again prompted questions about the behaviour of MPs and how their parties handle complaints.
Asked on GB News if MPs are safe, Nichols said: “I don’t think that female MPs are, but I think that the people that are most at risk are parliamentary staff, particularly young women, and young gay men or men perceived to be gay, who have the least power in the institution.
“They are the most at risk and have the least form of redress of any of us.
‘Predators are given free rein to continue.’
Labour MP Charlotte Nichols says she was handed a list of ’30 MPs to avoid’ due to fears of sexual misconduct.
“I think the issue of sexual harassment and sexual misconduct is unfortunately baked into every single part of how the institution of Westminster operates. No party has clean hands on this.
“But one of the things that I’m concerned about is that I do expect my own party to be better.
“And we’re not having the ability to have the moral high ground at the moment because we can’t even keep our own house in order and on a personal and a professional level, I find it deeply, deeply upsetting.”
Nichols has previously revealed that when she first came into parliament she was given a list of around 30 MPs to avoid, adding: “This was MPs from all different parties, including a handful from my own.”
A Labour spokesperson said the party would urge people with complaints to come forward so they can be investigated and action taken.
Politico website said a sitting Labour MP had also registered a complaint against Davies.
The outlet had earlier reported that five women had made sexual harassment claims against the veteran politician.
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Davies said that he did not “recognise” the allegations, according to Politico.
A Labour Party spokesperson said: “We would strongly urge anyone with a complaint to come forward so that allegations can be swiftly and fully investigated and action taken.
“The party has ensured that there is a wide range of support available to complainants, to provide confidence and confidential guidance throughout the disciplinary process.”
