UK politics live: Badenoch says Partygate row overblown as she makes first senior appointment as leader

The Treasury financial secretary cited Workplace for Price range Accountability (OBR) forecasts that the financial system would shrink by 4 per cent in the long term as a result of Brexit. And Ms Siddiq stated that Britain’s imports and exports would find yourself 15 per cent decrease than they’d be had the UK stayed within the EU.

Political Correspondent Archie Mitchell experiences:

The shadow tradition secretary stated new Conservative chief Kemi Badenoch would take a “very rounded method” to tackling immigration.

Requested if Ms Badenoch wouldn’t help any of the immigration insurance policies argued by her management rival Robert Jenrick, together with withdrawal from the European Conference on Human Rights (ECHR), Julia Lopez instructed Sky Information’s Sunday Morning With Trevor Philips: “I feel what occurred within the management election was that we began speaking about this stuff as if leaving the ECHR was an finish in itself, and that’s not the top that we have been searching for.

“We’re searching for decrease immigration total, and Kemi needs to take a really rounded method to taking that immigration degree down. Meaning each facet of the problem. Leaving the ECHR could find yourself being a kind of coverage prescriptions.

“Visas could find yourself being a kind of coverage prescriptions, however what she doesn’t wish to do is to start out writing a manifesto at this stage of the Parliament earlier than we all know what we’re prone to be taking up on the subsequent common election.”

Pressed on whether or not leaving the ECHR was nonetheless on the desk, Ms Lopez added: “She stated that if that’s what’s required, that’s what she’s going to do.”

Newly elected Tory chief Kemi Badenoch has been condemned over an unearthed picture that reveals her making a joke about rape on her private Fb web page.

The previous girls and equalities minister has been criticised by anti-domestic abuse charity Girls’s Support, which stated it was appalled by the picture.

In a put up on her personal web page dated from January 2008, which was nonetheless seen on her profile as not too long ago as this week, Ms Badenoch shared a picture of three males with the caption: “The Drummond beer rape incident.”

Political Correspondent Millie Cooke experiences:

Rebecca Harris has been appointed Conservative chief whip, based on her predecessor Stuart Andrew.

In a put up on X, Mr Andrew stated: “It has been an honour and a privilege to function the Conservative Social gathering chief whip.

“Rebecca Harris is a good buddy and a superb whip. I want her all the perfect within the function.”

The MP for Fort Level in Essex has been a Conservative whip since 2018.

There was no official announcement from the celebration, with additional appointments anticipated earlier than Tuesday.

A non-recent allegation of sexual assault made towards Alex Salmond has been obtained by police.

Learn the total story right here:

The shadow tradition secretary dismissed options Kemi Badenoch had an “abrasive” character, saying folks “wish to see politicians who’re straight speaking”.

Put to her that Ms Badenoch would possibly want “a character transplant” as new Tory chief with some colleagues saying she is “impolite”, and requested whether or not she was going to be “good” to folks, Julia Lopez instructed Sky Information’s Sunday Morning With Trevor Philips: “We’re in a scenario now the place Kemi secured probably the most MP votes, Kemi additionally secured probably the most votes among the many membership.

“Individuals wish to see politicians who’re straight speaking. She speaks with readability, she speaks with fact.

“She’s already had a dialogue in a special media outlet about how she would possibly begin to change a few of the methods during which she offers with folks, if that’s mandatory, however I don’t realize it’s mandatory proper now.”

Rachel Reeves is refusing to again down within the face of criticism over her authorities’s enhance to employer nationwide insurance coverage contributions.

The chancellor additionally stated she didn’t take into account or focus on elevating the rise earlier than the overall election.

Requested if she’s going to suppose once more about rising employer nationwide insurance coverage contributions amid considerations from GPs, care houses and charities, Ms Reeves instructed the BBC’s Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg: “I’m not resistant to their criticism.

“However we’ve bought to boost the cash, we’ve bought to place our public funds on a agency footing.”

Requested if she thought of or mentioned elevating employer nationwide insurance coverage contributions earlier than Labour’s election win, Ms Reeves replied: “No, this was not one thing that was on the agenda earlier than the election.”

The Chancellor stated the earlier Tory authorities lower worker nationwide insurance coverage contributions on a “false premise” however she thought it might be “unsuitable” to place that again up.

She stated: “It will have been felt instantly within the payslips of working folks fairly than asking companies to contribute, and second it might have been a direct breach of our manifesto dedication. So we needed to make tough selections however management is about tough selections.”