Angela Rayner suggests Trump’s working mate JD Vance unsuitable to say Britain might change into Islamist nation below Labour
Good morning. Yesterday Donald Trump named the Ohio senator JD Vance as his vice presidential working mate and really shortly consideration centered on what this may imply for the UK. David Lammy, the brand new international secretary, is aware of Vance fairly effectively and has praised his memoir about rising up poor, Hillbilly Elegy (“These are themes in my very own political story,” Lammy told Politico). However now we have not heard but what Lammy has to say about Vance telling the Nationwide Conservatism convention not too long ago that, with Labour now in energy, Britain might find yourself as “the primary actually Islamist nation” with a nuclear weapon.
Wanting on the clip, it was clearly extra of a joke somewhat than a prediction. However jokes will be provocative, harmful and offensive, and so they reveal so much about what individuals assume. Daniel Finkelstein, the Occasions columnist and Conservative social gathering peer, has described this as an “outrageous racist remark”.
Now we have not heard Lammy’s response, however Angela Rayner, the deputy prime minister, has been giving interviews this morning and on ITV’s Good Morning Britain she stated that Vance was unsuitable in regards to the UK. Requested how she felt about his description of the Labour on this remark, she replied:
Properly, I feel he stated various fruity issues up to now as effectively. Look, I don’t acknowledge that characterisation. I’m very happy with the election success that Labour had not too long ago. We received votes throughout all totally different communities, throughout the entire of the nation. And we’re curious about governing on behalf of Britain and likewise working with our worldwide allies.
So I look ahead to that assembly [with Vance] if that’s the consequence [ie if Trump wins]. It’s as much as the American individuals to determine.
Rayner additionally stated that US was a key ally for the UK, that it was for the American individuals to determine who they wished as president and vice chairman, and that whoever they elected, “we are going to work with them, after all we are going to”.
I’ll submit extra from her interviews shortly.
Right here is the agenda for the day.
Morning: Keir Starmer chairs cupboard.
11.30am: The Commons sits in order that MPs who haven’t but taken the oath can accomplish that.
If you wish to contact me, please submit a message under the road (BTL) or message me on X (Twitter). I can’t learn all of the messages BTL, however in the event you put “Andrew” in a message aimed toward me, I’m extra prone to see it as a result of I seek for posts containing that phrase. If you wish to flag one thing up urgently, it’s best to make use of X; I’ll see one thing addressed to @AndrewSparrow in a short time. I discover it very useful when readers level out errors, even minor typos (no error is simply too small to right). And I discover your questions very attention-grabbing too. I can’t promise to answer to all of them, however I’ll attempt to reply to as many as I can, both BTL or typically within the weblog.
Key occasions
The JD Vance remark about Britain supposedly turning into an Islamist nation below Labour (see 8.42am) is an instance of the acute political rhetoric that has coarsened politics on each side of the Atlantic in recent times. Yesterday Yvette Cooper, the house secretary, introduced that she’s going to chair a gathering of the Defending Democracy taskforce to contemplate how election candidates are being uncovered to extra aggression and intimidation than up to now.
This morning Brendan Cox, whose spouse, the Labour MP Jo Cox, was murdered by a far-right terrorist in the course of the Brexit referendum in 2016, instructed the At present programme that he thought the issue was getting worse. He stated:
There was a variety of intimidation, however I do assume it was one other degree.
Having spoken to numerous MPs about it, there was a way that one thing had modified, that they felt hunted, that they felt unable to go about campaigning – that there have been males in balaclavas, there have been fireworks being thrown, there have been tyres being slashed …
Let’s be clear, this isn’t nearly one group. It’s not nearly individuals which are pro-Gaza.
Whether or not it was across the Scottish referendum or the Brexit referendum, I feel there’s something extra caustic in our democratic tradition which signifies that intimidation of MPs, and in some instances even assaults on MPs and councillors, is being seen as extra reliable by a wider vary of programs.
Plaid Cymru accuses Starmer of being Vaughan Gething’s ‘principal cheerleader’ as resignations set off Welsh authorities disaster
Plaid Cymru and the Conservatives, the 2 principal opposition events within the Senedd, are each saying Vaughan Gething can not proceed as first minister within the mild of the newest disaster to hit his authorities. (See 10.17am and 10.25am.)
However they’re additionally each blaming Labour for backing Gething.
Andrew RT Davies, the Welsh Conservative chief, stated:
Vaughan Gething’s time as first minister is rightly coming to an finish.
However Labour can not idiot the individuals of Wales. These ministers, like Jeremy Miles, sat in his cupboard, they stood by his aspect, and they’re culpable for the breakdown of governance in Wales.
Wales will keep in mind.
And in his remark Rhun ap Iorwerth, the Plaid Cymru chief, claimed Keir Starmer ought to take some accountability for what was occurring within the Welsh Labour social gathering. He stated:
Vaughan Gething has led a authorities of chaos and put his personal self-interest earlier than the pursuits of the individuals of Wales.
For months, the primary minister’s poor judgment, aversion to scrutiny and ‘do nothing’ strategy to governing has undermined the workplace of first minister and introduced Welsh politics into disrepute.
Seldom have heads of presidency in a democracy disregarded the desire of its legislature by carrying on regardless of dropping a vote of confidence.
The Labour social gathering has thrown its weight behind Vaughan Gething and Keir Starmer has acted as his principal cheerleader.
The ministers who resigned at this time are equally culpable, they need to have acted far ahead of their eleventh hour intervention when it was a case of 1 unhealthy headline too many.
Starmer may be stunned to see himself described as Gething’s principal cheerleader. He didn’t take a public place in the course of the Welsh management contest and, though he defended Gething on his visits to Wales in the course of the election marketing campaign, he by no means appeared significantly completely happy having to reply to questions on Gething’s marketing campaign donations or his no confidence vote.
Greater than 1,000 migrants have arrived within the UK after crossing the Channel since Labour took workplace, PA Media stories. PA says:
Dwelling Workplace figures present 427 individuals made the journey in seven boats on Monday, taking the provisional complete for the yr up to now to 14,759.
It means the variety of arrivals recorded since Keir Starmer turned PM on July 5 now stands at 1,185.
The whole for 2024 to this point is 12% larger than the quantity recorded this time final yr (13,200) and up 1% on the identical interval in 2022 (14,554), in response to PA evaluation of presidency knowledge.
Final yr, 29,437 migrants arrived within the UK after making the journey, down 36% on a file 45,774 in 2022.
That is what Mick Antoniw stated in his letter to Vaughan Gething resigning as counsel common within the Welsh authorities.
Wales wants assured and secure authorities. I don’t imagine you’re able to delivering that.
You’ve gotten misplaced a vote of confidence within the Senedd. That’s one thing I regard as being of main constitutional significance.
It’s clear that you simply not command a majority, that you may be unable to enter into the agreements essential to go a finances, and for all intents and functions the Senedd is rudderless.
We’re all right here to do one of the best for our nation. I imagine it’s now essential so that you can select to place the nation first and resign as first minister to permit an election for a brand new first minister and chief of Welsh Labour.
Lesley Griffiths, who was tradition secretary, has posted her resignation letter on X. She stated:
Yesterday we mentioned my issues in regards to the circumstances surrounding sure marketing campaign donations you obtained; the result of the vote of no confidence; and the sacking of a ministerial colleague for leaking when no formal leak inquiry had taken place.
As well as, I discover it deeply distressing, from each private {and professional} views, to see the destructive affect all of this has had on relationships between longstanding colleagues and, in lots of instances, shut mates.
Relationships have fractured and would require goodwill and powerful management to restore. These unlucky and deeply saddening occasions have collectively impacted considerably on our capability to proceed to ship for the individuals of Wales.”
I’ve reached the conclusion that we merely will be unable to place issues again on monitor below your management, leaving me with just one practical choice at this level.
And that is from Julie James, who resigned as housing secretary. She stated:
I feel [the leadership crisis] additionally now threatens the continued existence of the devolution journey itself.
We should start to restore this injury instantly and I’m extraordinarily sorry to let you know that I don’t assume you’re able to being the chief who can lead us by means of that.
Welsh Labour authorities in disaster as 4 ministers give up demanding Vaughan Gething’s resignation as first minister
The Labour authorities in Wales is in disaster. 4 ministers have resigned saying they don’t have any confidence in Vaughan Gething, the primary minister who solely took workplace in March. Final month Gething misplaced a confidence vote within the Senedd (though not one which required him to resign).
Jeremy Miles, the financial secretary, stated in his resignation letter:
The occasions of the previous couple of months together with your lack of the boldness vote within the Senedd, have been extremely painful ..
It’s important that we start to restore the injury instantly, and I’ve reached the conclusion very regrettably that this can not occur below your management …
I can’t see any means ahead for us which permits us to get on with job we’re elected to do, with out you standing down.
Serving within the Welsh Authorities has been an immense privilege and solemn accountability.
It’s with deep disappointment that I resign at this time. pic.twitter.com/QqhIDNNxqg
— Jeremy Miles (@Jeremy_Miles) July 16, 2024
The opposite ministers who’ve resigned are Lesley Griffiths, the tradition secretary, Julie James, the housing secretary, and Mick Antoniw, counsel common (the legislation officer).
BBC Wales has extra on this on its live blog.
Rayner says she expects Labour to make ‘vital adjustments’ to baby poverty, as she defends stance on two-child profit cap
In an interview on BBC Breakfast this morning Angela Rayner, the deputy prime minister, was repeatedly requested why Labour has not dedicated to abolishing the two-child profit cap, which implies households on advantages can lose greater than £3,455 if they’ve a 3rd baby as a result of advantages are solely paid for the primary two youngsters. Jon Kay, the presenter, instructed Rayner she had beforehand described this rule as obscene and inhumane.
In response, Rayner stated she was happy that Labour is prioritising requiring main faculties to supply breakfast golf equipment. As somebody who grew up in a poor household, she stated she used to go to high school hungry. She stated the federal government can be utilizing “not only one lever” to sort out baby poverty.
She stated what the Tories had achieved was “abhorrent”. However, utilizing the road Labour caught to earlier than the election, she stated Labour would solely decide to insurance policies after they knew how they could possibly be funded.
Nonetheless, she additionally stated that the federal government can be reviewing common credit score. And she or he stated she anticipated the federal government to make “vital adjustments” to baby poverty. She stated:
All I’d say is take a look at what Labour’s historical past and what we do after we’re in authorities and as somebody who grew up in poverty, I’m not ready to go away workplace after a Labour authorities the place we haven’t made these vital adjustments and baby poverty is a matter for us.
And we’re completely appalled that youngsters haven’t received beds to sleep in at evening. That is the twenty first century, this shouldn’t be the state of affairs we’re in however that is the inheritance that the Conservatives have left us and we are going to proceed to sort out these points.
Sunder Katwala, who used to run a Labour thinktank and who’s now director of British Future, a thinktank specializing in race and id points, has welcomed the Tory response (see 8.58am) to the JD Vance remark. Katwala has additionally described what Vance stated as “basic crass prejudice”.
A really wise response from @AndrewBowie_MP for the Conservatives on why the JD Vance remarks to Nationwide Cons on an Islamist UK Labour authorities are unsuitable, “offensive” after a democratic election + replicate the coarsening of political discourse that many are warning in opposition to. https://t.co/jCRfmzadoP
— Sunder Katwala (@sundersays) July 16, 2024
A really wise response from @AndrewBowie_MP for the Conservatives on why the JD Vance remarks to Nationwide Cons on an Islamist UK Labour authorities are unsuitable, “offensive” after a democratic election + replicate the coarsening of political discourse that many are warning in opposition to.
James Murray, a Treasury minister, has additionally been giving interviews on behalf of the federal government this morning. When he was requested about JD Vance’s line about Britain turning into an Islamist nation below Labour (see 8.42am) in an interview with Sky Information, he repeatedly claimed he didn’t know what Vance meant by the remark (though he did additionally at one level say “we”, that means the federal government presumably, disagreed with it).
Murray stated:
I don’t actually perceive these feedback …
I genuinely heard that remark, and I don’t know what [Vance] was driving at in that remark, to be trustworthy. I imply, in Britain, we’re very happy with our variety.
I’m very proud that now we have a brand new authorities, I’m very proud that our Labour authorities is dedicated to nationwide safety and financial development. I’m very clear the place we’re. I don’t actually understand how that remark suits in.
In an interview with Occasions Radio, Murray additionally claimed he didn’t know what Vance meant by the “Islamist” remark.
As a line to take, this was a cop-out. Everybody else appears to know what the remark meant.
Tory shadow minister says it was ‘offensive’ for JD Vance to say Britain could possibly be change into ‘Islamist’ nation below Labour
Conservatives appear extra keen this morning to criticise what JD Vance stated in regards to the UK (see 8.42am) than Labour politicians. Though the Tories are extra aligned with US Republicans than Labour, this isn’t significantly stunning as a result of Labour has to fret about diplomatic relations with a potential Trump administration whereas that’s not one thing a Conservative chief might be each going to have to fret about.
Angela Rayner discovered a well mannered means of claiming she disagreed with Vance’s remark in regards to the UK turning into an “Islamist” nation. However Andrew Bowie, the brand new shadow veterans minister, has additionally been on an interview spherical this morning and he instructed Occasions Radio that the US senator was being offensive.
Requested if Labour was creating an “Islamist” nation, Bowie stated:
No, completely not. The Labour social gathering, I disagree with the Labour social gathering basically on many points, however I don’t agree with that view. I feel it’s truly fairly offensive, frankly, to my colleagues within the Labour social gathering.
They’ve simply received the election. It’s now as much as us to kind an opposition. However we have to relearn methods to disagree agreeably and have these full, frank disagreements out in public – however have the ability to take action with civility.
Angela Rayner suggests Trump’s working mate JD Vance unsuitable to say Britain might change into Islamist nation below Labour
Good morning. Yesterday Donald Trump named the Ohio senator JD Vance as his vice presidential working mate and really shortly consideration centered on what this may imply for the UK. David Lammy, the brand new international secretary, is aware of Vance fairly effectively and has praised his memoir about rising up poor, Hillbilly Elegy (“These are themes in my very own political story,” Lammy told Politico). However now we have not heard but what Lammy has to say about Vance telling the Nationwide Conservatism convention not too long ago that, with Labour now in energy, Britain might find yourself as “the primary actually Islamist nation” with a nuclear weapon.
Wanting on the clip, it was clearly extra of a joke somewhat than a prediction. However jokes will be provocative, harmful and offensive, and so they reveal so much about what individuals assume. Daniel Finkelstein, the Occasions columnist and Conservative social gathering peer, has described this as an “outrageous racist remark”.
Now we have not heard Lammy’s response, however Angela Rayner, the deputy prime minister, has been giving interviews this morning and on ITV’s Good Morning Britain she stated that Vance was unsuitable in regards to the UK. Requested how she felt about his description of the Labour on this remark, she replied:
Properly, I feel he stated various fruity issues up to now as effectively. Look, I don’t acknowledge that characterisation. I’m very happy with the election success that Labour had not too long ago. We received votes throughout all totally different communities, throughout the entire of the nation. And we’re curious about governing on behalf of Britain and likewise working with our worldwide allies.
So I look ahead to that assembly [with Vance] if that’s the consequence [ie if Trump wins]. It’s as much as the American individuals to determine.
Rayner additionally stated that US was a key ally for the UK, that it was for the American individuals to determine who they wished as president and vice chairman, and that whoever they elected, “we are going to work with them, after all we are going to”.
I’ll submit extra from her interviews shortly.
Right here is the agenda for the day.
Morning: Keir Starmer chairs cupboard.
11.30am: The Commons sits in order that MPs who haven’t but taken the oath can accomplish that.
If you wish to contact me, please submit a message under the road (BTL) or message me on X (Twitter). I can’t learn all of the messages BTL, however in the event you put “Andrew” in a message aimed toward me, I’m extra prone to see it as a result of I seek for posts containing that phrase. If you wish to flag one thing up urgently, it’s best to make use of X; I’ll see one thing addressed to @AndrewSparrow in a short time. I discover it very useful when readers level out errors, even minor typos (no error is simply too small to right). And I discover your questions very attention-grabbing too. I can’t promise to answer to all of them, however I’ll attempt to reply to as many as I can, both BTL or typically within the weblog.