“Ministers have offered Labour rebels fresh concessions on welfare as analysis shows that people on sickness benefits can take home more than a minimum-wage worker. Dozens of Labour MPs voted against the watered-down benefits bill on Wednesday. The revolt by 47 was the second biggest the government had suffered, narrowly behind the 49 Labour MPs who opposed the welfare bill last week. Kemi Badenoch, the Conservative leader, will warn on Thursday that Britain is becoming “a welfare state with an economy attached” as she points to analysis showing that many people on a range of sickness benefits will have incomes greater than the take-home pay of a worker on the minimum wage. The Centre for Social Justice think tank calculated that a claimant on universal credit incapacity benefits who was claiming personal independence payments (PIP) for disability and housing benefit would have an income of £25,000, more than the £22,500 post-tax income of almost two million workers on the national living wage.” The Times
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>Today
In the face of an unknowable future, policy ‘locks’ are a very bad idea
“Anglo-French talks over a migration deal were deadlocked on Wednesday night, with negotiators haggling over how much Britain will pay towards the cost of policing small boat crossings. Keir Starmer had hoped to announce a returns deal – under which Britain would send back some asylum seekers once they had crossed the Channel – as the close of a three-day state visit by the French president, Emmanuel Macron. But just hours before the start of a bilateral summit on today, aides on both sides said there remained several significant hurdles to a deal, including money, potential legal challenges in France and opposition from other European countries. One British official said the talks were “complex” and “fluid”, adding that they needed to be agreed not only with France but also in consultation with other EU countries.” – Guardian
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“A former Conservative chairman has defected to Reform UK and accused the party of “abandoning the British people”. Sir Jake Berry said that the Conservatives had “lost their way” and no longer stood for low taxes, free enterprise or secure borders. Writing in The Sun, he said: “British politics has become a grotesque pantomime, with the British political class competing to do our country down, telling us we should be ashamed of our history while at the same time putting us on a path to managed decline.” Berry, who lost his Rossendale & Darwen seat in the general election last year, said that Reform is now “the real opposition” rather than the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats.” – The Times
“Sir Keir Starmer is hoping to get his premiership back on track with a summer “refresh” after weeks of setbacks and controversies. The Prime Minister is planning to use the annual long recess of Parliament, which begins on July 22, to inject more purpose into the Government and could reshuffle ministers as soon as next week. The plans will begin on Friday, when Cabinet ministers have been summoned for an “away day” with the Prime Minister at an undisclosed central London location. Over lunch and afternoon meetings, Sir Keir’s top team will discuss the Government’s upcoming plans ahead of the Autumn Budget, in which Rachel Reeves is widely expected to announce a wealth tax to plug a fiscal black hole worth tens of billions.” – Daily Telegraph
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>Today
Labour has lost the market’s trust, and it is now in vigilante mode
“Rishi Sunak is to return to Goldman Sachs as a senior adviser, first major role since resigning as Tory leader following last year’s bruising election defeat. The former prime minister began his career in financial services as a summer intern at the investment bank in 2001. He left the company as a junior analyst in 2004 to work at a hedge fund. The independent Advisory Committee on Business Appointments, which advises former ministers who are seeking to take jobs in the private sector after leaving office, had recommended that Sunak not begin his role at the bank until at least 12 months after his last day in government, which was last Friday. He has also been advised that for a further year, he ought not to get involved in any projects that include lobbying the UK government or any of its arm’s-length bodies. Sunak announced that he will donate all of his salary from Goldman Sachs to the Richmond Project, a charity launched by him and his wife to improve maths skills in the UK.” – The Times