Rachel Reeves, the chancellor, emphasized the importance of the steel sector in the UK economy, stating that it is a vital part that they are working with businesses and trade unions to transition to green steel while preserving jobs. She highlighted the significance of steel in construction projects and the need for the sector to evolve towards green practices. Further details were promised to be made available later in the day, reinforcing the government’s commitment to supporting the steel industry as a crucial component of the UK economy.
Tories accuse Starmer of ‘mass amnesty’ before PMQs and say early prisoner release scheme is ‘wrong answer’ – UK politics live | Politics
Reeves says steel is ‘vital part’ of economy ahead of statement about Tata plant in Port Talbot
As Jack Simpson reports, Tata Steel is expected to announce the loss of around 2,500 jobs at its plant in Port Talbot. The government is also due to confirm a support package worth £500m for a new electric furnace there. But the jobs are going because the last blast furnace is closing. A statement in the Commons is expected later.
Speaking to broadcasters this morning, Rachel Reeves, the chancellor, said the government regarded steel as a “vital part” of the economy. She said:
The steel sector is incredibly important for the UK economy and we’re working in partnership with business and trade unions to help that transition to green steel, which is what businesses are looking for today in construction projects, whilst also preserving jobs.
We’ll be making further detail available later today, but the steel sector is a vital part of our UK economy.
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Reeves announces £8bn UK investment by Amazon’s cloud computing arm
Amazon’s cloud computing arm will invest £8bn in the UK to build datacentres that support customers in London and the west of England, Rachel Reeves, the chancellor, has said. Phillip Inman and Heather Stewart have the story.
Jeremy Hunt, the shadow chancellor, says this is continuation of work he was doing when he was running the Treasury.
Glad the Chancellor is carrying on the work done by the previous Conservative government in securing this investment from Amazon Web Services today.
We left the government the fastest growing economy in the G7 – further business investment is key to sustaining that position. https://t.co/ebM2XBeJys
— Jeremy Hunt (@Jeremy_Hunt) September 11, 2024
Glad the Chancellor is carrying on the work done by the previous Conservative government in securing this investment from Amazon Web Services today.
We left the government the fastest growing economy in the G7 – further business investment is key to sustaining that position.
ShareAntony Blinken, the US secretary of state, and David Lammy, the foreign secretary, have arrived in Kyiv.
Photograph: Mark Schiefelbein/APShare
Tories claim early release scheme ‘wrong answer’ for jail overcrowding and accuse Starmer of ‘mass amnesty’
Yesterday around 1,700 prisoners in England and Wales were let out under an early release scheme announced by the government. Ministers say they have had to do this because the prisons are full. But the Conservatives don’t accept this, and the topic is likely to come up at PMQs.
James Cleverly, the shadow home secretary and Tory leadership candidate, told Sky News this morning that this “mass amnesty” was not necessary. He said:
The reason there was congestion in our prison system is because unlike many other countries during Covid who decided to prioritise the safety of prisoners and deprioritise the safety of the general population, we decided not to do that.
So we kept people in prison. We also kept jury trials. And the combination of those two things meant there was pressure.
We knew there was, and we were dealing with it, but this, basically, mass amnesty is completely the wrong answer.
One reason why Rishi Sunak may raise this is because the Conservatives often take inspiration from the Tory papers and today the Daily Mail has gone in very, very hard on the prisoner release story. Here’s their splash, which is apocalyptic.
But if Sunak does raise the early prisoner release scheme, Starmer will be able to hit back with new evidence that supports the government’s argument that it had no choice because the Tories left jails full to bursting, with no space for new offenders. Anushka Asthana, ITV’s deputy political editor, is about to publish a book about the election campaign and she reveals that Sunak’s prisons policy amounted to – well, praying something would turn up. In a blog last night she wrote:
The last Conservative justice secretary warned Rishi Sunak that if he failed to introduce an early prisoner release scheme (like the one that has been brought in today by Labour) they might need to “get down on their knees and pray” for the criminal justice system.
I can reveal Alex Chalk repeatedly spoke to the then prime minister, as well as officials in the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) and Downing Street, about what he called a “pray-date” that he warned was no later than mid-June.
He feared that after that point overcrowding could get so severe that the police would be forced to introduce Operation Brinker, effectively a one-in-one-out system.
Officials have told me they feared that could result in riots breaking out across the country’s prison estates.
James Cleverly. Photograph: Carl Court/Getty ImagesShare
At the briefing with Scottish lobby journalists yesterday, Keir Starmer also said he will lead a new council of the nations and regions, which will involve the first ministers of the three devolved administrations. The new body will replace the joint ministerial councils, which previously operated and brought ministers from Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast together with UK government ministers.
Starmer said that, under the old system, the PM “didn’t bother turning up” and the UK government (also, in effect, England) was represented by the chancellor of the duchy of Lancaster (Michael Gove). Starmer said the new body would be:
A proper council, where Scotland is properly represented by the first minister in a formal setting with me and the other first ministers, meeting on a regular basis, where we can look at challenges and opportunities together.
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Some of Keir Starmer’s critics complain that he overdoes the gloom and negativity when talking about the outlook facing the country. A speech he gave in Downing Street in August is remembered as the ‘things can only get worse’ speech, after he told his audience: “Frankly – things will get worse before we get better.”
But he may be revising the message a bit. Yesterday he held a briefing with Scottish lobby journalists in Downing Street, embargoed until today, and, according to the PA Media report, he told them his government offered a “big message of hope”, despite having had to make decisions which “appear gloomy and hard”.
Starmer said:
There is massive hope in this, what we want to do, the change we want to bring about is massive.
It is to make sure the economy is not only growing but growing across the whole of the United Kingdom, including in Scotland, which will be measured in living standards rising, people feeling better off in a material way.
It will be interesting to see if he tries using language like this at PMQs.
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Reeves says steel is ‘vital part’ of economy ahead of statement about Tata plant in Port Talbot
As Jack Simpson reports, Tata Steel is expected to announce the loss of around 2,500 jobs at its plant in Port Talbot. The government is also due to confirm a support package worth £500m for a new electric furnace there. But the jobs are going because the last blast furnace is closing. A statement in the Commons is expected later.
Speaking to broadcasters this morning, Rachel Reeves, the chancellor, said the government regarded steel as a “vital part” of the economy. She said:
The steel sector is incredibly important for the UK economy and we’re working in partnership with business and trade unions to help that transition to green steel, which is what businesses are looking for today in construction projects, whilst also preserving jobs.
We’ll be making further detail available later today, but the steel sector is a vital part of our UK economy.
Share
Keir Starmer to face PMQs as latest figures show economy stalling over summer
Good morning. Keir Starmer faces PMQs later today. It is only his third as prime minister, but there is not much novelty factor left, perhaps because his non-performative, serious, ‘government of service’ focus has been evident for some years. This afternoon he is likely to face more questions about the decision to means-test the winter fuel payment. But growth figures out this morning are also important – not because they reflect badly on the government (Labour was not even in office at the start of July), but because they illustrate the size of the challenge it faces.
Starmer and Rachel Reeves, the chancellor, say boosting growth is their top priority. But this morning’s figures show that, in July, there was no growth at all. It was the second month in a row where the economy flatlined. Larry Elliott has the details here.
And Julia Kollewe has reaction on her business live blog.
Commenting on the figures, Reeves said:
I am under no illusion about the scale of the challenge we face and I will be honest with the British people that change will not happen overnight.
Two quarters of positive economic growth does not make up for 14 years of stagnation.
That is why we are taking the long-term decisions now to fix the foundations of our economy.
Here is the agenda for the day.
10am: MPs start voting in the ballot to elect new select committee chairs. It closes at 4pm, and results should be announced in the early evening.
Noon: Keir Starmer faces Rishi Sunak at PMQs.
Afternoon: David Lammy, the foreign secretary, is expected to hold a press conference in Kyiv with Antony Blinken, his US counterpart.
After 12.30pm: Jonathan Reynolds, the business secretary, is expected to make a statement in the Commons about the future of the Tata steelworks in Port Talbot.
After 3.40pm: Peers debate the regulations to means-test the winter fuel payment.
Also, the government is publishes its renters’ rights bill at some point.
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Updated at 09.16 BST
Read the full story on www.theguardian.com
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/live/2024/sep/11/pmqs-keir-starmer-labour-rishi-sunak-conservatives-latest-uk-politics-live-updates