“Rishi Sunak today expressed solidarity with the Jewish community in London in light of the ‘appalling attack’ in Israel. Giving an address at a vigil for victims in a London synagogue, the Prime Minister denounced those standing with Hamas, calling the group ‘terrorists’. ‘I wanted to come here tonight to stand with you, to stand with you in this hour of grief as we mourn the victims of an utterly abhorrent act of terror,’ he said… Mr Sunak was hailed as a ‘great and wonderful friend’ of Israel and the Jewish people last night as he attended the prayer service at the Finchley United Synagogue in north London. The Prime Minister entered the synagogue wearing a kippah, a traditional Jewish headcovering, as he expressed condolences to those affected and those paying their respects.” – Daily Mail
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International:
>Today:
“Most western governments are stressing in their statements that Israel has the right to defend itself against terror. That is absolutely right. At the same time, they all know that it will require great wisdom on the part of Israel’s leaders to deliver a counterattack that rebuilds their country’s security, deters further attacks, kills the perpetrators and recovers most hostages without falling into the trap of doing what Hamas intended. The Israelis have some of the most sophisticated armed forces in the world but will need an equally sophisticated political strategy to accompany them. Ultimately 9/11 led the West into Iraq, consuming our strength and dividing our politics, which most of us now recognise was a mistake. Israel will need to do better than that.” – The Times
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Editorial:
>Yesterday:
“A list of transport projects to be funded using HS2 money, which included schemes that had already been built or were swiftly deleted, was intended only to be “illustrative”, the prime minister has said. Speaking to the BBC, Rishi Sunak repeatedly dodged or refused to answer questions about the list, which was published alongside his announcement that the northern leg of the HS2 rail link would be scrapped. Announcing the HS2 plan during his speech to the Conservative party conference in Manchester last week, Sunak promised that £36bn saved from it would be used for other road, rail and transport links… Sunak told BBC Radio 2’s Jeremy Vine show that the list had not been mistaken or misleading, saying these were just examples of the sort of plans that might be included.” – The Guardian
>Today:
>Yesterday:
“The UK’s policy to tackle cross-Channel migration came under fresh scrutiny on Monday as the protracted battle over the legality of plans to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda reached the UK Supreme Court in London. UK prime minister Rishi Sunak’s strategy for “stopping the boats” by deterring clandestine migrants from making the journey to Britain hinges on his ability to overturn a Court of Appeal decision that prevents his government from deporting people to Rwanda. In July, the Court of Appeal ruled the policy was “unlawful” because the central African country could not be considered a “safe” destination for refugees… Sir James Eadie KC said “key safeguarding elements” were built into the agreement with Kigali.. to ensure the “secure and safe transfer” of asylum seekers.” – FT
>Today:
Rupert Matthews in Local Government: What are the police actually for?
“A new Labour government would give all towns and cities in England new powers and funding to boost local economies, deliver thousands of new homes and create high-quality jobs, Keir Starmer will announce. In the biggest expansion of devolution since Labour was last in power, he will pledge that councils and combined authorities would get more control over housing and planning, skills, energy and transport of the kind currently held by London, the West Midlands and Greater Manchester… In his speech to Labour conference, potentially the last before a general election, Starmer will set his sights on at least two terms in power in an attempt to rescue a country “ruined” by 13 years of Conservative rule.” – The Guardian
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>Yesterday: ToryDiary: Britain needs Labour to offer another Attlee. Will it be saddled with Starmer – and our stagnant status quo?
“Rachel Reeves hinted at a tax raid on the wealthy to ‘rebuild Britain’ today as she was endorsed by former Bank of England governor Mark Carney. The shadow chancellor hit out at the Tories for allowing the ‘wealthiest to avoid taxes’ and ‘keeping loopholes open’ as she delivered her Labour conference speech. Although Ms Reeves did not elaborate, there have been hints at tightening up inheritance tax rules to raise more cash. It also wants to levy VAT on private schools. She also swiped at Rishi Sunak for using private planes and helicopters to travel, vowing to save billions by cracking down on government waste.” – Daily Mail
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Sketch:
>Yesterday: Left Watch: Reeves may have declared an end to ‘tax and spend’. But does Labour want to listen?
“Labour would offer doctors “the pay they deserve”, Wes Streeting has said in a strong hint that the party would look to find the money to meet the British Medical Association’s demands. Professor Philip Banfield, head of the BMA’s council who was speaking alongside Streeting at a Labour conference fringe event, said that the government would need to make offers to all branches of the union to resolve the strikes, and should not consider “picking off” consultants. Streeting, the shadow health secretary, said: “I don’t see a way to address the recruitment and retention crisis in the NHS and in social care which doesn’t involve giving people the respect, the conditions and the pay they deserve. One of the reasons we didn’t have any national strikes in the NHS under the last Labour government is because we treated staff with respect. We worked with staff in partnership.”” – The Times
“Labour’s leadership believes Scottish politics has reached a “tipping point” where it can beat the Scottish National party at the next general and Holyrood elections after last week’s dramatic byelection result. Party strategists said the manner of Labour’s victory over the SNP in Rutherglen and Hamilton West confirmed it now holds about 35% of the vote in Scotland, allowing the party to win back more than two dozen SNP Westminster seats next year. Peter Kellner, the former president of the polling firm YouGov, said on Monday that level of support puts Labour in touching distance of winning the next Holyrood election in 2026, allowing it to form a minority government after nearly two decades in opposition.” – The Guardian
“Hundreds of House of Commons security guards have voted for strike action in a move that could cause queues for MPs, staff and visitors and disruption for parliament. The Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS), a trade union for civil servants and public sector contractors, said more than 250 guards who provide security at the Palace of Westminster took part in the ballot, with 95% in favour on a 79% turnout. They backed the action in protest at being asked to work extra night shifts to cover for a lack of staff, amid wider discontent about their treatment. The PCS said a strike would lead to restricted access to the Houses of Parliament, potentially resulting in long queues for MPs, staff and visitors.” – The Guardian