The first train to be brought back into public ownership under Labour was (metaphorically) derailed today, turning the major moment into a bit of damp squib.
South Western Railway (SWR) officially came under public ownership at around 2am on Sunday morning as part of the government’s promise to create “better services”.
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The first service of the day – normally be the 2.27am train from Guildford to Waterloo – was cancelled.
So that meant the pressure was on the 5.36am service from Woking to London Waterloo to mark the historic occasion.
But any jubilation from the occasion quickly evaporated when the journey had to rely on a rail replacement bus service between two stops, Surbiton and Clapham Junction.
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It turns out that bank holiday engineering works had overrun meaning the train was no longer able to go down the intended track.
But Keir Starmer seemed to overlook the embarrassment this morning, claiming on social media that his new public ownership scheme was “just the start”.
“After decades of Tory failure, our Plan for Change will put passengers first, as promised. That will mean better services, with simpler ticketing, on more comfortable trains,” the prime minister wrote on X.
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The Department for Transport also promoted the “historic” occasion, claiming it “kicks off a reset of the railways to improve performance and boost economic growth as part of the Plan for Change.”
Despite this government spin, many people were quick to complain – including Liberal Democrat MP Monica Harding.
“This is hardly the fresh start my constituents in Esher and Walton were promised,” she wrote on X. “Let’s hope SWR under government control gets better than this!”
First day of SWR’s renationalisation and all trains from stations in Hersham, Hampton Court, Thames Ditton, Esher, Hinchley Wood, Claygate and Walton on Thames to London Waterloo are replaced by buses – a rail replacement service!
— Monica Harding MP (@monicabeharding) May 25, 2025
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First day of SWR’s renationalisation and all trains from stations in Hersham, Hampton Court, Thames Ditton, Esher, Hinchley Wood, Claygate and Walton on Thames to London Waterloo are replaced by buses – a rail replacement service!
— Monica Harding MP (@monicabeharding) May 25, 2025
Others, of course, wasted no time in finding the hilarity of the situation.
Obviously can’t get enough of this story and very symbolic as the first privatised rail service in 1994 was also a bus replacement service*. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article…*To quote a poet: “After wondering to myself whether or not it should actually be called a train replacement service….”
South Western Railway starts as it means to carry on in public ownership as very first service is a replacement bus, (We didn’t’ even need to make this up) pic.twitter.com/xuPYAslPJn
— The Rotherham Bugle (@Rotherhambugle) May 25, 2025
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South Western Railway starts as it means to carry on in public ownership as very first service is a replacement bus, (We didn’t’ even need to make this up) pic.twitter.com/xuPYAslPJn
— The Rotherham Bugle (@Rotherhambugle) May 25, 2025
In a foreword to a report by the Tony Blair Institute, the former prime minister said political leaders know that the debate around the policy “has become irrational”.
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He also said that the government’s plan to phase out fossil fuels is “doomed to fail”, in what was seen as a dig at Downing Street’s flagship policy to reduce net carbon emissions to zero in the next 25 years.
Keir Starmer is known for sharing many values with New Labour and has taken advice from his predecessor, meaning Blair’s words were a major blow to No.10.
The Tony Blair Institute quickly tried to downplay the split, and claimed the current government has the “right” approach – but it was too late.
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The damage was already done, and the story swept through the country, and even secured a mention in PMQs.
Here’s a look at why Blair’s comments completely missed their mark.
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer with Tony Blair
via Associated Press
A win for Labour’s opponents
Although Blair himself has emphasised the importance of addressing the climate crisis, his words appeared to validate concerns from climate sceptics.
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For instance, Reform UK’s deputy leader Richard Tice told ITV’s Good Morning Britain that the party has “newfound fans like Tony Blair” who agree with their anti-net zero policy – although he admitted he was “teasing”.
DUP MP Sammy Wilson adopted the same tone in PMQs when he told Starmer his net zero policy “is not only bad, it is mad” – and claimed even Blair agrees.
Of course, Blair’s former political secretary John McTernan suggested the opposite to Times Radio, saying the ex-PM was just explaining “grievance is the energy source for populist movements”.
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He claimed that he was encouraging politicians to engage with “people’s feelings” to deter support for groups like Reform UK – not that Blair was against net zero altogether.
While the former PM might be winning backing from Labour’s opponents, those affiliated with the party said otherwise.
Unite the Union issued a firm warning that Blair’s net zero intervention must be a wake up call for government.
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General secretary Sharon Graham said: “Unite is not against net zero but it will not be achieved without serious investment in new jobs.
“Unite has warned time after time, that all the rhetoric about a joined up industrial strategy and future jobs must be backed up with serious investment that actually delivers. What is Labour waiting for? The time to act is now.
“If they fail to do this, then Labour cannot expect workers to support their net zero plan.”
To make matters worse, Blair’s intervention came just before local elections in 23 councils and the Runcorn by-election – the current government’s first big test since it won a landslide in July.
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Net zero is not the main concern
Blair’s remarks were also criticised for being “misleading” amid the already hotly-contested climate debate.
An organisation which promotes debate on climate policy, the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit said: “Given the clarification the TBI has had to issue, this seems like a bizarre case of naivety on how parts of the media and politicians might misinterpret some of the statements in the foreword.”
The Blair government’s former climate guru, Nicholas Stern – now chair of the Grantham Research Institute – called Blair’s report “muddled and misleading”.
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“The UK’s leadership on climate change, particularly the elimination of coal from its power sector, is providing an influential example to other countries,” Stern continued.
“So, too, its climate change legislation and its Climate Change Committee. If the UK wobbles on its route to net zero, other countries may become less committed. The UK matters.”
PM Keir Starmer, center, Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves, right, and Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero Ed Miliband
via Associated Press
He warned that the report “downplays the science in its absence of a sense of urgency and the lack of appreciation of the need for the world to achieve net zero as soon as possible”.
Meanwhile, Bob Ward, policy and communications director at the Grantham Research Institute on climate change at the London School of Economics and Political Science, said: “This report provides weak analysis and the wrong solutions. It fails to recognise that the longer it takes to reach net zero emissions in the UK and around the world, the more that households and businesses will suffer from growing impacts of climate change.”
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He added that the challenge is to “accelerate the transition away from fossil fuels, not to slow down”.
Helen Clarkson, CEO of Climate Group, said the report set up a “false binary” between climate strategies of either phasing out fossil fuels or investing in new low-cardon technologies.
And even the Social Market Foundation’s Theo Betram – a former special adviser to Blair – wrote on X that his old boss had “got it wrong on net zero” and his words “has only served to help populist opponents” of the policy.
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There also appears to be limited public support for Blair’s take.
A recent YouGovpoll found 61% of people either strongly support or somewhat support the government’s commitment to cut carbon emissions to net zero by 2050.
Overshadowed climate warnings
Then there’s the fact that Blair’s intervention overshadowed fresh warnings from the government’s climate watchdog, too.
The Climate Change Committee – the statutory adviser on the issue to the government – published a report today calling for Downing Street to go further and faster on climate action, particularly with flood defences.
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Chair Lady Brown said: “We are seeing no change in activity from the new government, despite the fact that… it’s clear to the public that the current approach just isn’t working.
“The country is at risk, people are at risk, and there is not enough being done.”
Brown also warned that there were already too many cuts to flood defences, adding: “I can’t be clear enough about our message: we cannot wait to take action.”
But Blair’s remarks overshadowed her points on the environment.
As she later told BBC Radio 4′s Today programme: “My concern is that people might take away a message from that report that we should do adaptation instead of mitigation, and that is absolutely the wrong message.
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“We need to do adaptation, because even if we get to net zero by mid-century, there’s still a huge amount of climate change to come, and we need to be ready for that. But we can’t adapt to everything.”
The Liberal Democrats trail behind all three on 12% – despite having 72 MPs to Reform’s 5 – while the Greens are on 8% and the SNP on 3%.
More in Common also found prime minister Keir Starmer’s personal net approval rating dropped to -39, which is the lowest the pollsters have ever recorded for him.
It’s even approaching his predecessor Rishi Sunak’s low point of -41 in July 2024, which was when the former PM lost the general election.
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But Tory leader Kemi Badenoch and Reform leader Nigel Farage have also seen a decline in their net approval ratings in recent months – Badenoch is on -18 and Farage -17.
More in Common asked the public who they would prefer as their prime minister – and the results did not exactly correspond with the voting intentions.
Starmer was in the lead with 21%, while Farage followed with 20% and Badenoch came in last with 12% – while a whopping 47% said they wanted none of the three main party leaders to sit in No.10.
Our latest @Moreincommon_ voting intention in today’s Playbook finds a virtual 3 way tie with 1 point separating the Tories, Reform and Labour. 🌳 Con 25% (-1) 🌹 Lab 24% (-2) ➡️ Ref UK 24% (+2) 🔶 Lib Dem 12% (-) 🌍 Green 8% (+1) 🟡 SNP 3% (-) N= 2102, 10-13/1 Change w 8/1 pic.twitter.com/axOsQVyhP1
","type":"rich","meta":{"author":"Luke Tryl","author_url":"https://twitter.com/LukeTryl","cache_age":86400,"description":"Our latest @Moreincommon_ voting intention in today’s Playbook finds a virtual 3 way tie with 1 point separating the Tories, Reform and Labour.🌳 Con 25% (-1)🌹 Lab 24% (-2)➡️ Ref UK 24% (+2)🔶 Lib Dem 12% (-)🌍 Green 8% (+1)🟡 SNP 3% (-)N= 2102, 10-13/1 Change w 8/1 pic.twitter.com/axOsQVyhP1— Luke Tryl (@LukeTryl) January 15, 2025\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","thumbnail_height":790,"thumbnail_url":"https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GhUVS1pWkAA8_uw.jpg:large","thumbnail_width":1194,"title":"Luke Tryl on Twitter / 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Our latest @Moreincommon_ voting intention in today’s Playbook finds a virtual 3 way tie with 1 point separating the Tories, Reform and Labour. 🌳 Con 25% (-1) 🌹 Lab 24% (-2) ➡️ Ref UK 24% (+2) 🔶 Lib Dem 12% (-) 🌍 Green 8% (+1) 🟡 SNP 3% (-) N= 2102, 10-13/1 Change w 8/1 pic.twitter.com/axOsQVyhP1
A fact-finding probe found Siddiq had not broken the ministerial code, but she announced she was stepping down because she did not want to be a “distraction” to the government.
Meanwhile, inflation continues to hover above the 2% mark – having dropped to 2.5% in December – while government borrowing costs remain high and the pound has fallen in value.
Rachel Reeves has warned farmers preparing to take part in a mass anti-government protest that there will be no U-turn on controversial changes to inheritance tax rules.
The chancellor announced in last month’s Budget that farms worth more than £1 million which are handed down to a family member after the owner dies will be subject to 20% inheritance tax rather than zero, as is the case at present.
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Farmers say that will put many of them out of business, and will make their feelings known at a lobby of MPs in Westminster on Tuesday, which has been organised by the National Farmers’ Union.
Thousands more are expected to join a separate rally in Whitehall.
Celebrities including TV presenter and farmer Jeremy Clarkson – who told The Times in 2021 that avoiding inheritance tax was “critical” in his decision to buy land – are expected to join the rally.
But in a joint-statement with rural affairs secretary Steve Reed ahead of the demos, Reeves said: “With public services crumbling and a £22 billion fiscal hole that this government inherited, we have taken difficult decisions.
“The reforms to agricultural property relief ensure that wealthier estates and the most valuable farms pay their fair share to invest in our schools and health services that farmers and families in rural communities rely on.”
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The pair said farmers were “the backbone of Britain”, and said the government is investing £5 billion into farming over the next two years.
But NFU president Tom Bradshaw said: “There’s a complete disillusionment and distrust, and feeling of betrayal, that [the government] doesn’t understand food production or even want to understand food production.
“Farmers are cross, they’re worried, they feel they’ve nothing to lose, I don’t know where this ends. I don’t believe the government have any choice but to rethink this policy.”
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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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.
