“I will hold my hand up and say, I’m a huge fan of Elon Musk.
“I look at Twitter before he took over and after: there is a lot more free speech.
“Yes, there are many, many more things that I see on X, as he calls it, that I don’t like.
“But I also know that views are not suppressed the way that they were, that there was a cultural establishment – that was very left – that controlled quite a lot of discourse on that platform.”
Musk has turned X (formerly Twitter) upside down since his takeover almost two years ago.
More recently, he has repeated baseless conspiracy theories that there is a “two-tier” policing system in the UK, suggesting the far-right rioters seen in August ended up with a harsher punishment compared to previous pro-Palestine demonstrators.
Badenoch, who is currently competing against frontrunner Robert Jenrick,James Cleverly and Tom Tugendhat for the title of Tory leader, was the only leadership hopeful to announce support for Musk in her interview with the Spectator.
Jenrick said he was “not going to be booking a tête-à-tête with Elon Musk any time soon”, while Cleverly said you have to be “very, very careful about curtailing voices that you disagree with”.
Tugendhat appeared to question how Musk has handled X, saying: “If you are running a platform that is entirely dominated by anonymous bots, is that freedom of speech – or just propaganda?
“If you are allowed to say whatever you like but you put your name to it, that’s freedom of speech. And it should be defended, absolutely.”
The Ukrainian president told the United Nations General Assembly that his intelligence agencies had uncovered his Russian counterpart’s deadly intentions.
He said the revelation was further proof of the need for the international community to continue to put pressure on Putin to end the war.
Zelenskyy said: “Recently I received another alarming report from our intelligence. Now Putin does seem to be planning attacks on our nuclear power plants and their infrastructure, aiming to disconnect the plants from the power grid.
“With the help of satellites, by the way, of other countries, Russia is getting images and detailed information about the infrastructure of our nuclear power plants.
“But what does this really threaten? Any missile or drone strike, any critical incident in the energy system, could lead to a nuclear disaster. A day like that must never come.
“Moscow needs to understand this and this depends, in part, on your determination to put pressure on the aggressor. These are nuclear power plants. They must be safe.”
He added: “If, God forbid, Russia causes a nuclear disaster at one of our nuclear power plants, the radiation will not respect state borders, and unfortunately various nations could feel the devastating effects.”
Keir Starmer will today warn voters that there is more pain to come – but pledge that it will be worth it to “build a new Britain”.
The prime minister will deliver the tough message in his keynote speech to the Labour conference in Liverpool.
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Starmer is under huge pressure from his MPs to deliver a more upbeat message after a difficult first two-and-a-half months in power.
The conference has also been largely overshadowed by the ongoing row over the freebies accepted by the Labour leader and other senior party figures.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ decision to axe winter fuel payments for millions of pensioners has also led to intense criticism of the government, not least from Labour’s trade union backers.
Attempting to turn the page on those controversies, the PM will call on the people of Britain to work with him to turn around the country’s fortunes.
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He will say: “The politics of national renewal are collective. They involve a shared struggle.
“A project that says, to everyone, this will be tough in the short-term, but in the long-term – it’s the right thing to do for our country. And we all benefit from that.”
Starmer – who has previously warned that “things will get worse before we get better” and that next month’s Budget will be “painful” – will add: “The truth is that if we take tough long-term decisions now … then that light at the end of this tunnel, that Britain that belongs to you, we get there much more quickly.”
The prime minister will say that he does not want to give the country “false hope” about what lies ahead, and once again lay the blame for the country’s problems on the legacy left by the Tories.
He will said: “It will be hard. That’s not rhetoric, it’s reality. It’s not just that financial black hole, the £22 billion of unfunded spending commitments, concealed from our country by the Tories, it’s not just the societal black hole – our decimated public services leaving communities held together by little more than good will – it’s also the political black hole.
“Just because we all want low taxes and good public services does not mean that the iron law of properly funding policies can be ignored.
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“We have the seen the damage that does, and I will not let that happen again. I will not let Tory economic recklessness hold back the working people of this country.”
Setting out his long-term vision for the UK, Starmer will say: “Through the power unleashed by renewal, we can build a country that gives equal voice to every person.
“A country that won’t expect you to change who you are, just to get on. A country that doesn’t just work for you and your family, but one that recognises you, sees you, and respects you as part of our story. A Britain that belongs to you.”
Republican nominee and former US president Trump has only said that he wants the war in Ukraine to end, not who he wants to win.
Pundits believe Trump could even end up pushing Ukraine to cede land to Putin just in an effort to end the violent conflict.
Still, in a weekend interview with the New Yorker, Zelenskyy did not name which politicians he was talking about when he expressed concerns about Putin’s relationships with international counterparts.
Zelenskyy said: “A lot of world leaders want to have some sort of dealings with Putin, to reach agreements, to conduct some business with him.
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“I look at such leaders and realise that they are very interested in playing this game—and for them, unfortunately, it really is a game.
“But what makes a real leader? A leader is someone whom Putin needs for something, not a person who needs Putin.
“Flirting with him is not a sign of strength.”
While the war in Ukraine has left Putin pretty isolated on the world stage – particularly when it comes to former allies in the West – he still has a handful of supporters, like China’s Xi Jinping and India’s Narendra Modi.
However, if Trump were to be re-elected and reduce US support for Ukraine, there’s little doubt that would shift the war into Russia’s favour.
When questioned about Trump’s plans to “stop” the Ukraine war, Zelenskyy said: “My feeling is that Trump doesn’t really know how to stop the war even if he might think he knows how.
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“With this war, oftentimes, the deeper you look at it the less you understand.
“I’ve seen many leaders who were convinced they knew how to end it tomorrow, and as they waded deeper into it, they realised it’s not that simple.”
He also said he believes Trump’s running mate, JD Vance, is “too radical” and has a plan to “give up our territories” as part of a Ukrainian sacrifice.
Zelenskyy declared it to be an “awful idea” and said while there was “no way this could ever happen”, Vance was still sending “dangerous signals”.
He added: “Whichever president or vice-president raises this prospect—that ending the war hinges on cementing the status quo, with Ukraine simply giving up its land—should be held responsible for potentially starting a global war.
“Because such a person would be implying that this kind of behaviour is acceptable.”
A leading trade union boss has accused Keir Starmer of leading the UK towards “austerity mark 2” as she launched a bitter attack on the prime minister.
Sharon Graham, general secretary of Unite – which has donated more than £500,000 to Labour MPs this year – urged the prime minister to ditch the “cruel” policy of scrapping winter fuel payments for 10 million pensioners.
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She made her comments on Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips on Sky News as Labour’s annual conference kicks off in Liverpool.
Asked what she wanted to hear in Starmer’s keynote speech on Tuesday, Graham said: “I think the priority that I’d like to hear from him is that he’s going to reverse the decision on the winter fuel allowance. It’s a cruel policy. He needs to reverse it. And I’d like him to say that he’s made a misstep and to reverse that policy.
“I’d also like him to say that we’re not going to take this country down austerity mark 2. People voted for change. They need to see change. And he needs to reverse the winter fuel allowance [decision] and let people have that £300 they can put their heating on this winter.”
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She later added: “I’ve got a million workers in my union and pensioners.
“But the reality is the mood music here is that they are taking away from the poorest in our society now. And actually the conversation they’re having is walking us into austerity mark 2.
“Nobody wants to see that. Workers don’t want to see it, communities don’t want to see it. And I can tell you, the pensioners don’t want to see it either.”
Graham said the government should introduce a 1% wealth tax on the richest people in the country, which she claimed would raise £25 billion.
“That would take away the so-called black hole, job done, and we’d have £3 billion left over.”
Angela Rayner has been confronted with the extent of voters’ anger as the row over senior Labour figures accepting freebies including clothes, accommodation, and football and concert tickets continues.
The Sunday Times has also reported this morning that Rayner may have breached parliamentary rules over holiday accommodation in New York provided by millionaire Labour peer Lord Alli.
On Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg on BBC1, Labour’s deputy leader was shown comments by viewers left furious by the ongoing controversy.
Kuenssberg said: “I want to let you know how angry some of our viewers have been over this last week.
“Wendy emailed to say ‘it’s been extraordinary behaviour to accept clothing donations when the government feels justified to remove winter fuel payments to pensioners’.
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“Eilles said it’s ‘morally indefensible’ for politicians to be doing this. Peter called you ‘the goody party’ and Clive, who was a Labour Party member, said ‘I find it deeply disappointing that Labour seems no different from the Tories when it comes to freebies’.
“Are we expected to believe that the donors get nothing in return? Lord Alli gave you individually more than £20,000. What did you promise or give him in return?”
Rayner replied: “I promised nothing and gave him nothing in return. What the donors that have helped me in the past have done is seen someone who has come from a very working class background, and I say it how it is. I always try to fight for people.
“Since having the honour and privilege of being the deputy prime minister and the secretary of state for housing, I’ve got a significant number of bills in the King’s Speech because I want to improve people’s housing. I want to get on with the job of supporting people.
“However, a feature of our politics at the moment is for me to stand as the deputy leader … that’s why transparency is extremely important.”
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Earlier this morning, education secretary Bridget Phillipson was forced to defend Lord Alli paying for her 40th birthday party last year, which was attended by journalists, trade unionists and education experts.
The prime minister has also been criticised for accepting more than £100,000 in hospitality over the last five years – far more than any other MP.
A cabinet minister has been forced to defend allowing a millionaire Labour donor to pay for her 40th birthday party.
Education secretary Bridget Phillipson was told it “looks dodgy” that Lord Alli funded the bash, which was held at the upmarket Cinnamon Club restaurant in Westminster last December.
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However, on Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips on Sky News this morning, she insisted it had been a work event and that even her own family were not in attendance.
According to the Houghton and Sunderland South MP’s register of interests, she received £14,000 from Lord Alli.
Asked by Phillips what the money was for, Phillipson said: “It was used to fund two events, all of which was declared properly and thoroughly, that’s why that information is in the public domain.
“The first event was ahead of my birthday. So I was turning 40, I thought it was a good opportunity to get people together in a professional context. So it was journalists, trade unionists, education people, MPs and shadow cabinet.”
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The presenter replied: “That’s a very nice thing, but if a Tory had done that two years ago, I know exactly what you would be saying to me this morning – they should pay for their own birthday parties.”
Phillipson responded: “Look, this was in a work context. My own family didn’t come to that, it was in a work context.
“I celebrated my actual 40th birthday with my family. We went for a pizza, I celebrated with my kids.
“This was where I got together colleagues, journalists actually, trade unionists, education people. It was in a very different kind of context.
″[Lord Alli] is a Labour peer, he’s been a Labour peer for over 25 years. This is fully transparent.”
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But Phillips told her: “I think we might be digging a slightly bigger hole here. You’ve got a lot of people who knew you might be the education secretary and you’ve got them in a room. You’re paying them to lobby you.
“To the average viewer, it feels dodgy. It feels like this is now an event for lobbyists.”
Phillipson said: “No, that’s absolutely not what it was. This was an opportunity for people to come together to have a reception so we can talk about, for example, issues around education.
“These kinds of things happen regularly. It was all declared in line with the rules and fully transparent.”
The clash came amid an ongoing row over senior Labour figures, including Keir Starmer, receiving hospitality from, among others, Lord Alli.
Keir Starmer will no longer accept clothes from Labour donors, party sources have confirmed.
The decision is a major U-turn by the prime minister, who had defended accepting thousands of pounds worth of suits and glasses from Lord Alli.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves and deputy prime minister Angela Rayner will also no longer accept clothes as gifts, senior Labour figures confirmed.
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Starmer has come in for fierce criticism after it emerged Lord Alli, a Labour peer and millionaire, had given him £16,435 of work clothing and glasses worth £2,400 before the election, as well as £5,000-worth of clothes for the PM’s wife, Victoria.
Asked about it earlier this week, the prime minister insisted that the donations had been within the rules and properly declared – but dodged questions on why he had not paid for his own clothes.
He said: “It’s very important to me that the rules are followed. I’ve always said that. I said that before the election, I’ve reinforced it after the election.
“And that’s why, shortly after the election, my team reached out for advice on what declaration should be made so it’s in accordance with the rules. They then sought out for further advice more recently, as a result of which they made the relevant declarations.”
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It was also revealed on Friday that Rayner had received clothing worth £3,500 from Lord Alli, while Reeves has accepted donations of £7,500 from another Labour supporter, Juliet Rosenfeld, to pay for clothing.
HuffPost UK understands that Starmer, Rayner and Reeves have all now agreed to pay for their own clothes in future.
The move is an attempt by Labour to finally draw a line under the controversy as the party gathers in Liverpool for its annual conference.
This year’s Labour conference should, all things considered, be one gigantic celebration.
For the first time since 2009, the party is gathering in Liverpool this weekend with its leader in 10 Downing Street.
But less than three months after securing a landslide general election victory, Keir Starmer is already a man under pressure due to a series of missteps which have even led some to question whether he is really up to the job.
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The controversial decision to cut winter fuel payments from 10 million pensioners was taken shortly after Labour took office and continues to dog the prime minister.
A simmering briefing war against Starmer’s chief of staff, Sue Gray, burst into the open this week when it was revealed she earns more than the PM – angering government aides who accuse her of blocking their calls for a pay rise.
Meanwhile, Starmer’s liking for freebies – more than £100,000-worth of hospitality, concert tickets, clothes and glasses in the last five years – has seen him dubbed “Free Gear Keir” by his gleeful opponents.
Even his wife, Victoria, was dragged into the row when it emerged Labour donor Lord Alli had also paid for £5,000-worth of clothes for her.
“Because Keir only became an MP in 2015, he lacks political experience,” one Labour veteran told HuffPost UK. “And there’s no one around about him giving him the right advice.”
Another senior party figure said: “The extent to which he takes freebies is disgraceful really. It smacks of arrogance.”
A former frontbencher added: “They are so shit it is really hard to believe.”
Even party loyalists like Baroness Harman have been critical of the PM, in particular his decision to accept corporate hospitality so he can continue watching his team, Arsenal.
Starmer, who has had a season ticket at the Emirates for many years, says the cost to the taxpayer of providing him with security at matches would be too high, so he is saving the public purse by choosing to sit in the posh seats.
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But speaking on the Electoral Dysfunction podcast, Harman said: “It’s not a hanging offence, but I think doubling down and trying to justify it is making things worse.
“You can just say it was probably a misstep, if I had my time again I wouldn’t do it and therefore I’m going to auction [it] for charity or something. I think at the moment he’s just got to get rid of every distraction he possibly can.”
Both Keir Starmer and his wife Victoria have been criticised for having clothes bought for them by a Labour donor.
via Associated Press
Any hope Labour have that the public will see “frockgate” as a Westminster bubble issue are forlorn, according to Luke Tryl of the More in Common think-tank.
“In the focus groups which we regularly hold with a variety of voters from all over the country, we hear consistent anger about these kinds of issues,” he said.
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“With the Tories, we kept hearing it was ‘one rule for them and one rule for everyone else’ but the overarching feeling is that all politicians are in it for themselves. That’s the real point here. These stories may well be dismissed as Westminster tittle-tattle, but they eat away at the most fundamental quality required for democracies to work effectively and that is trust.”
A senior government figure admitted that things are “a bit shaky” at the moment, but insisted the party conference is the perfect opportunity for Starmer and Labour to rebound.
“We have to use the conference to get beyond all of this,” he said. “We need to talk about the inheritance we were left by the Tories. The winter fuel decision and having to release people from prison are a hangover from what we were left.
“It’s not like people are being let out of jail because we want to let them out.
“And it’s a bit rich of the Tories to attack us when they just fought an election promising £12 million in welfare cuts.
“There’s no doubt it’s tough at the moment, but the important thing about conference is to stand up there, talk about why we won and what we’ll do to improve the country. We need to get back on the front foot.”
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One cabinet minister took aim at the anonymous special advisers (SpAds) who went to the BBC to voice their unhappiness about Sue Gray’s wage packet.
“There’s obviously some leaks coming from No.10 and people saying things that shouldn’t be in the public domain,” they said. “It’s ill-discipline. Some of them probably are unhappy about their pay offers, but there’s a way to negotiate that and they shouldn’t be using journalists as therapists.
“Sue was brought in to do a job. She’s the chief of staff, so she can go to any meeting she wants. The criticism of her is unfair.”
Sue Gray, Starmer’s chief of staff, has been criticised over her £170,000 salary.
Charles McQuillan via Getty Images
The Labour conference slogan is “Change Begins”, which aims to move beyond the gloomy messages which have been emanating from Downing Street since the election.
He will strike a more upbeat tone in his keynote speech on Tuesday afternoon, which he will deliver before jetting off to a meeting of the UN General Assembly in New York.
A close ally of the PM said: “He’ll talk about the good things we’ve already done, while reminding people again about what we were left by the Tories.
“But this is the first conference in 15 years in which we are the party of government – we shouldn’t forget what a change that is.
“It’s really important to remember that we won big, we’ve got a right to govern and we shouldn’t be blown off course by people who think that Labour have no right to be ever be in power.”
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Starmer’s first 77 days in power have not always gone as he would have hoped when he stood on the steps of 10 Downing Street on July 5 promising to change the country.
He will hope, to coin a famous phrase, that things can only get better from now on.
The rows have threatened to overshadow Labour’s annual conference in Liverpool, which kicks off at the weekend.
It emerged yesterday that Gray saw her salary go up to £170,000 – more than the PM’s – after the election, angering government special advisers who accuse her of blocking higher wages for them.
In an interview with BBC South East political editor Charlotte Wright, Starmer was asked whether he has “got a grip” of his administration.
He said: “I’m completely in control. I’m focused and every day the message from me to the team is exactly the same, which is we have to deliver.
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“We were elected on a big mandate to deliver change, I am determined that we are going to do that.”
Starmer was also forced to defend his decision to accept seats in a corporate box at the Emirates Stadium, home of his favourite football team, Arsenal.
The revelation followed the row over Starmer and his wife, Victoria, accepting thousands of pounds worth of clothes from the Labour peer and multi-millionaire party donor, Lord Alli.
The PM told BBC Yorkshire’s political editor, James Vincent: “Since I’ve been prime minister the security advice is don’t go in the stands, not least because it’ll cost a fortune to the taxpayer in security police officers if you choose to go in the stands.
“I’ve taken that advice, I’ve been offered a ticket somewhere else. Frankly I’d rather be in the stands but I’m not going to ask the taxpayer to indulge me to be in the stands when I could go and sit somewhere else where the club and the security say it’s safer for me to be. That is for me a common sense situation.”
He added: “I’m a life-long Arsenal fan. I’ve been going for years and years and years and it’s a real passion of mine and I can go with my boy.”
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Starmer also defended the government’s controversial decision to axe winter fuel payments for 10 million pensioners, repeating his claim that Labour had to fill a £22 billion “black hole” left by the last government.
He was asked by BBC East Yorkshire and Lincolnshire political editor Tim Iredale: “How long can you carry on blaming the last lot? It gets cold up north, could you survive on £220 a week?”
The PM replied: “We can’t pretend the £22 billion black hole doesn’t exist. I could pretend I had a magic wand, but I don’t want to give people false hope things can be fixed by Christmas.”
