Politics latest: Parliament's Christmas jumper revealed - as Tory group rejects both leadership candidates (2024)

Key points
  • PM and Zelenskyy discuss 'plan for victory'
  • No 10 evasive on Rayner's security council snub
  • Centrist Tories reject both leadership contenders
  • Employment reforms won't become law for two years
  • Parliament's Christmas jumper revealed
  • Live reporting by Ben Blochand (earlier)Tim Baker
In depth
  • Listen:The chancellor's £25bn problem
  • Explained:The latest row over Taylor Swift freebies
  • Explained:What are Labour's employment reforms?
  • Analysis:Unpredictable Tory contest is about to get spicy

16:38:42

Scores of companies take aim at chancellor over tax threat

16:19:47

Sue Gray not attending inaugural meeting of Council of Nations and Regions

As you may recall, Sue Gray was replaced as Downing Street chief of staff on Sunday after a turbulent first few months of the Starmer premiership.

She lost an internal power struggle, and instead agreed to take up the (rather vague) role of envoy for nations and regions.

Westminster hacks logically assumed that, as the envoy for nations and regions, Sue Gray would turn up at the inaugural Council of Nations and Regions, due to take place in Scotland tomorrow.

'A short break'

This summit will bring together first ministers and regional mayors as the new government "forges new partnerships, resets relationships and seizes the opportunity to secure long term investment with the aim of boosting growth and living standards".

But the one person this meeting will not include is Sue Gray, we understand.

That it because she is taking a "short break" in between jobs - although no word on just how short that break will be and when she will be taking up her new post.

15:54:51

Parliament's new Christmas jumper: Not just for woolly liberals

It's not yet Halloween, let alone Advent, but parliament has launched its new Christmas jumper design for the 2024 festive season.

And it appears to be politically neutral.

The unveiling also comes before Scrooge Chancellor Rachel Reeves' 30 October 30 budget, which has many MPs chuntering "Bah, humbug!" over her winter fuel payment cuts.

As for the colour of this year's jumper, it's very green. Are we heading for a net zero Christmas? Unlikely.

But there's no Labour red, Tory blue or Lib Dem yellow to be seen anywhere this year.

"Parliament has unveiled a new design for its 2024 Christmas jumper," the official announcement declares, "payingtribute to the colours of the House of Commons benches, with a vibrant green hue that embodies both the spirit of the season and the traditions of parliament.

"Crafted in Leicester using GRS-certified recycled yarns, this unisex jumper features a design inspired by the unique floor tiles found across the Palace of Westminster, incorporating various symbols associated with Parliament such as the iconic portcullis."

GRS? No, me neither. Apparently, it stands for Global Recycled Standard, which means it's made from a certain amount of recycled material.

Changing designs

Parliament's Christmas jumpers are not an age-old tradition. They were launched in 2019 and the design has changed each year since.

Mind you, we are on our fourth prime minister since their launch.

I still have my 2019 version, however, and wore it at the polling station on general election day on 12 December as I voted with Mrs Craig and our dog, who supports the Defend Our Borders party.

And this year's might be particularly useful…

That year the colours were very much in keeping with House of Commons tradition, green and gold. But since then we've had Labour red – or House of Lords red - and Tory blue.

Two years ago, Angela Rayner appeared at the despatch box in the Commons in a very personal Christmas jumper, with the words "gingers are for life not just for Christmas" on the front.

It was in support of a Save The Children charity campaign and coincided with a Tory junior minister, Alex Burghart, suggesting MPs could "put on fresh jumpers to keep warm".

Will the Labour government be offering similar advice about Christmas jumpers this December, when the winter fuel payments row – and the cold – really starts to bite?

Parliament's Christmas jumpers are not just for woolly liberals, obviously.

"Bah, humbug!"

15:30:01

Assisted dying bill to have first Commons debate on 29 November

A bill to legalise assisted dying will have its first debate in the House of Commons on 29 November, the Labour MP proposing the legislation has said.

Kim Leadbeater's bill, which will be formally introduced next Wednesday, would allow people with terminal illnesses to choose to end their own lives.

It will be the first time in almost a decade that MPs have debated and voted on the subject in almost a decade.

The full details of the bill will be published ahead of the first debate on 29 November, which will be a rare sitting Friday when Private Members' Bills are debated.

Government to remain neutral

The topic is controversial, and since Ms Leadbeater announced plans to introduce the bill last month, it has prompted debate among parliamentarians, charities, and people across the country.

Sir Keir Starmer promised before the election that, should a bill be introduced, it would be a free vote - meaning MPs will not be told by their party how to vote.

The government is remaining neutral on the matter, meaning ministers will be able to vote how they please, and express their own views.

15:10:37

Larry the cat gatecrashes Zelenskyy's arrival

We reported earlier today on Volodymyr Zelenskyy's latest trip to Downing Street, where he met Sir Keir Starmer.

The Ukrainian president discussed his "plan for victory" with the PM, though there was no movement on his hopes for Western allies to let his country use long-range missiles on Russian territory.

Cameras were in place to capture the moment Mr Zelenskyy was welcomed into Number 10 - but someone wasn't hanging around…

14:48:46

Analysis: Unpredictable Tory contest is about to get spicy

It was an indisputably chirpy Robert Jenrick that appeared this morning for his first speech since making the final two of the Tory leadership race.

"It was never in doubt," he quipped as he walked on stage, but the last 24 hours have been a rollercoaster for him, and he knows it.

His team's tactic since making the final two has been to flood the media. They think he is less gaffe-prone than his rival Kemi Badenoch, and by being visible to members he can clinch this narrow race.

To be fair, since the result Mr Jenrick has in front of a microphone everywhere I turn, while Kemi Badenoch's backers say she is opting for a "direct to the membership" approach.

The contest may not have turned publicly dirty yet but get ready for some spice between these two right-wingers in the weeks ahead.

Behind the scenes briefings between team Jenrick and Badenoch have been well documented, and on stage today Mr Jenrick’s criticisms were thinly veiled.

Leave vs Remain... again

He said some other candidates (in now a two-horse race) don't have "clear policy answers" and he has a "plan for now" rather than a "plan for tomorrow".

He seems to be talking about Kemi Badenoch’s refusal to commit to leaving the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), a pledge she has described as an "easy answer".

Mr Jenrick today said: "We must resolve this (ECHR) question for good it is leave or remain, and I'm for leave."

This morning Mr Jenrick claimed in the Telegraph he's "got Nigel Farage rattled" - and his big policy pitch today is once again all about immigration.

He hopes his resignation from the Home Office is enough to show only he can tackle migration and can take on Reform at its specialist subject.

Watch: Are you in the final two by accident?

But is immigration (which polls behind the cost of living and NHS as what matters most to people) enough to win an election?

It's a message that may well resonate with Conservative membership, and for now he is preaching to the choir.

His backers scoff when I ask if he made the final two by accident.

The last 24 hours have been surprising to say the least; no-one would want to predict what happens next.

14:27:39

Lib Dems call for London to have its own NFL team

In the past few years, several NFL games have been played in London - with both Wembley and the Tottenham Hotspur stadium playing host.

Max Wilkinson, the Liberal Democrat sports spokesperson, has called for the capital's participation in the sport to go further.

"For both sporting and economic reasons, is it not now also time for London to have its own NFL franchise?" he posed to the Commons.

The MP for Cheltenham claimed doing so "could bring many hundreds of millions of pounds to our economy every year, and bring the joy of NFL to many more fans in this country, too".

'Make more sport free-to-air'

He also asked for more sport to be made free-to-air.

"While I enjoyed many days at The Dell [in Southampton] watching Matt Le Tissier and others, the majority of my consumption of sports was on free-to-air television.

"Today, youngsters simply do not have the same opportunity to be inspired.

"I would urge the government to consider extending free-to-air coverage of international cricket, rugby, golf and tennis, and even extending protection to some live Premier League football coverage, too."

13:45:43

Centrist Tories reject both leadership candidates

A group of Tories representing the centre of the party (the kind of people who loved David Cameron) have decided not to back either of the two candidates left in the leadership contest.

The confusingly named Tory Reform Group hasn't officially endorsed a leadership candidate since Lord Cameron ran back in 2005, but Sky News understands they were planning to back James Cleverly until his shock exit from the race yesterday.

Robert Jenrick nor Kemi Badenoch much take their fancy.

'Far from the party at its best'

A statement said the group has been "consistently disappointed by the lack of engagement" from either of them.

"Both have used rhetoric and focused on issues which are far and away from the party at its best, let alone the One Nation values we cherish and uphold," it added.

Tory members will be voting for either Mr Jenrick or Ms Badenoch in an online ballot and the winner will be announced on 2 November.

13:30:01

Immigration, immigration, immigration: Jenrick makes pitch to Tory membership

With just two candidates left, the Tory leadership race is now opening up to members.

Instead of MPs voting - as in all the previous rounds - the roughly 170,000 card-carrying Conservatives in the UK will be this month either voting for Robert Jenrick or Kemi Badenoch.

Mr Jenrick delivered a speech this lunchtime to make his pitch - and the former immigration minister stayed on home turf.

He spent most of the talk on the subject of migration, laying out his plans to bring down the number of people entering the UK.

The leadership hopeful resurrected the phrasing of the 2016 Brexit referendum with reference to the European Convention on Human Rights - saying "it is leave or remain - and I'm for leave".

Mr Jenrick voted to remain in 2016.

He pledges to introduce a legal cap on migration in the tens of thousands, as he does not believe mass migration has helped the economy.

Jenrick wants contest to end early

The race to replace Rishi Sunak has already been running for months, and still has weeks to go - with a winner not declared until 2 November.

Previously, Mr Jenrick called for the race to be over by 30 October, allowing the new leader to respond to Labour's budget.

He repeated his calls today, but the board of the Conservative Party has not made any suggestion it is willing to change the course of the contest.

13:00:53

Use Ukraine-style drones to puncture small boats, Tory peer suggests

Over in the Lords, peers are debating migration.

One Conservative member of the benches - Lord Lucas - suggested using drones like those engaged in war to take out smuggler boats.

He said: "The drone capability we see daily in Ukraine – could that not be used to puncture people smugglers' boats before they ever leave French shores?"

Lord Lucas - full name RalphPalmer, 12th Baron Lucas and 8th Lord Dingwall - is a hereditary peer, meaning he sits in the upper chamber by virtue of his birth and an election among other such aristocrats.

He is known for editing the Good Schools Guide.

Responding to the Conservative, Labour defence minister Lord Vernon Coaker said: "Well, I don't know about that, but of course the use of drones is becoming increasingly important.

"With respect to his suggestion, I'm sure that people will have heard that and will consider it in due course."

Politics latest: Parliament's Christmas jumper revealed - as Tory group rejects both leadership candidates (2024)
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