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Related video: Shamima Begum says Boris Johnson ‘clearly doesn’t know what he’s doing’
Speculation about a Cabinet reshuffle is mounting, with reports that the first firings will begin after PMQs on Wednesday and the full changes announced over the next two days.
Westminster has been anticipating that the prime minister will attempt a reshuffle for several weeks.
It comes as Labour will today challenge Conservative MPs “to do the right thing” and back a vote calling for the government to scrap its plans to cut universal credit.
Ministers have come under sustained pressure to reverse its decision to end the ￡20 uplift introduced to support families during the coronavirus pandemic.
During an opposition day debate on Wednesday, Labour will call on Tory MPs who oppose the welfare cut to vote with them in a non-binding motion.
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Key Points Government delays key border checks on EU imports Labour urges Tory MPs to oppose Universal Credit cut Inflation soars to highest since 2012 Reshuffle rumours swirl in Westminster
Show latest update 1631698226 Health secretary defends Tory MPs refusing to wear masks in parliament
The health secretary has defended Conservative MPs who refuse to wear masks in parliament, following criticism of his party’s lax attitude to the safety measure.
Speaking on Wednesday Sajid Javid said masks were just one of a “suite of measures” that could be taken to prevent illness and said many MPs were vaccinated or might be getting regularly tested as an alternative.
Here is the story:
Health Secretary defends Tory MPs refusing to wear masks in parliament Sajid Javid says masks are only part of a ‘suite of measures’
Tom Batchelor 15 September 2021 10:30
1631697326 Reshuffle rumours swirl in Westminster
Tom Batchelor 15 September 2021 10:15
1631696426 Climate protesters block parts of M25
Climate protesters have blocked parts of the M25 for the second time in three days.
Insulate Britain, which is demanding government action on home insulation, has stopped traffic at several sections of Britain’s busiest motorway.
It wrote on Twitter: “#InsulateBritain are back. @BorisJohnson can you hear us yet?’’
Tom Batchelor 15 September 2021 10:00
1631695526 Government hires JP Morgan to advise on potential sale of Channel 4
The government has hired US banking behemoth JP Morgan to advise on the future of Channel 4, as ministers consider putting the publicly-owned broadcaster up for sale.
A 10-week public consultation into the potential privatisation of Channel 4, ordered by culture secretary Oliver Dowden in June, came to a close on Tuesday night.
The Wall Street giant has been drafted in to provide corporate financial advice and analysis to ministers as they consider the responses, The Independent understands.
Read the full story here:
Government hires JP Morgan to advise on potential sale of Channel 4 Ministers accused of bringing in ‘wrecking ball’ before end of public consultation
Tom Batchelor 15 September 2021 09:45
1631694626 Javid defends decision to strip Begum of British citizenship
Sajid Javid has hit back at Shamima Begum’s claims that she played no part in Islamic State terrorism.
Referring to his decision while home secretary to strip Begum of her British citizenship, the health secretary said: “I won’t go into details of the case, but what I will say is that you certainly haven’t seen what I saw.”
He added: “If you did know what I knew, because you are sensible, responsible people, you would have made exactly the same decision - of that I have no doubt.”
Tom Batchelor 15 September 2021 09:30
1631693726 Former Isis-bride Shamima Begum offers to ‘help’ Boris Johnson
Former Isis-bride Shamima Begum has begged the British public for forgiveness, saying there is “no evidence” she was a key player in preparing terrorist acts.
The 22-year-old, who fled her east London home for Syria as a 15-year-old schoolgirl, said she wanted to be brought back to the UK and face terror charges in order to prove her innocence.
Asked for a message to Boris Johnson, Begum said that she could help the Prime Minister in “your fight against terrorism because you clearly don’t know what you’re doing”.
She told Good Morning Britain: “I want to say that you are clearly struggling with extremism and terrorism in your country. And I want to help with that with giving my own experience from with these extremists and what they say and how they persuade people to do what they do and to come to places like Syria.
“I think I could very much help you in your fight against terrorism, because you clearly don’t know what you’re doing.”
Tom Batchelor 15 September 2021 09:15
1631692826 Tax rises and the overmighty state pave the way for Tory split
Like the Brexit deal, the decision to raise taxes was rushed through at the last minute.
But the repercussions of one of the biggest tax rises in history will take much longer to play out.
John Rentoul reports:
Tax rises and the overmighty state pave the way for Tory split Like the Brexit deal, the decision to raise taxes was rushed through at the last minute. But the repercussions of one of the biggest tax rises in history will take much longer to play out. John Rentoul reports
Tom Batchelor 15 September 2021 09:00
1631691926 Inflation soars to highest since 2012
UK inflation has surged to its highest for nearly a decade after a record jump in August as restaurant and cafe prices raced higher following last summer’s discounts under the Eat Out to Help Out scheme.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said Consumer Prices Index (CPI) inflation jumped from 2 per cent in July to 3.2 per cent in August, which is the highest since March 2012 and far above the Bank of England’s 2 per cent target.
The ONS said the increase - the largest since records began in 1997 - was due to the discounts seen across the hospitality sector last August under Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s Eat Out to Help Out scheme to boost consumer spending and confidence after lockdown.
It added there was also likely to have been some impact from the supply chain crisis on inflation last month, which it said helped push up food and non-alcoholic drinks prices.
Tom Batchelor 15 September 2021 08:45
1631690974 Lords criticised for inviting ‘fringe’ climate denial group to give evidence in parliament
A House of Lords committee has been criticised for inviting a “fringe” group which campaigns against climate action to give evidence on carbon policy.
The Global Warming Policy Foundation was invited by peers to give evidence to an inquiry on reaching net zero and appeared before them on Tuesday.
But environmental groups questioned why the committee would “waste their valuable time” hearing from the organisation, which they said had been “so widely and repeatedly found to be wrong”.
Read more here:
Lords criticised for inviting ‘fringe’ climate denial group to parliament Global Warming Policy Foundation campaigns against renewable energy
Tom Batchelor 15 September 2021 08:29
1631689830 Labour urges Tory MPs to oppose Universal Credit cut
Labour is to call on Tory MPs to back a vote calling for the government to scrap its plans to cut Universal Credit during an opposition day debate on Wednesday.
Ministers have come under sustained pressure to reverse its decision to end the ￡20 uplift introduced to support families during the coronavirus pandemic.
Here is more:
Labour challenges Tory MPs to ‘do the right thing’ and oppose Universal Credit cut Shadow work and pensions secretary Jonathan Reynolds called on Tory MPs to ‘do the right thing’
Tom Batchelor 15 September 2021 08:10
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