Newslinks for Thursday 26th June 2025

Welfare Reform 1) Starmer prepared to “water down” plans

“Sir Keir Starmer is preparing to back down on his welfare cuts Bill in an attempt to head off a rebellion by Labour MPs. The Telegraph understands No 10 is exploring tabling its own amendment for the vote on Tuesday to avoid the Prime Minister’s first House of Commons defeat. One option is to include a promise to speed up payment of funds to help people back into work. Another is offering assurances that reviews of policies in this area will be published soon. But it is unclear whether those steps will be enough to convince 123 Labour MPs – more than a quarter of the total of 403 – who have signed an amendment aimed at killing off the proposals.” – Daily Telegraph

• Backbenchers with small majorities and a high number of constituents claiming welfare could be punished at the polls – Daily Telegraph
• Starmer taking personal charge of picking off Labour rebels – The Sun
• Unscripted Angela Rayner takes benefits swipes in her Stride – Tom Peck, The Times
• Inside Labour’s benefits rebellion blame game – The i

>Today: Columnist John Oxley: Labour in office is turning on itself at historic speed – Conservatives must exploit it

>Yesterday:

Welfare reform 2) Labour MPs demanding “regime change” in Downing Street, with the removal of McSweeney

“Sir Keir Starmer’s most senior aide is facing mounting criticism from Labour MPs and ministers over the handling of welfare reforms, with some suggesting that the time has come for “regime change” in No 10. Labour MPs elected for the first time last July have told colleagues that voting down Starmer’s flagship benefits legislation would help oust “over-excitable boys” from his team of advisers. They blame Morgan McSweeney, the prime minister’s chief of staff, for alienating and ignoring backbenchers. Some ministers are also highly critical of the “bunker mentality” adopted in Downing Street. Supportive government sources branded MPs attacking McSweeney “pathetic” and suggested Sir Alan Campbell, the chief whip, instead bore responsibility for the collapse in the government’s authority over backbenchers.” – The Times

• PM defends leadership amid growing welfare rebellion – BBC
• ‘Noises off’ get louder as Starmer fails to quell MPs’ welfare rebellion – The Times
• Why Starmer faces a political storm over welfare reforms – BBC
• Starmer is dangerously vulnerable over welfare reforms – Leader, The Times
• There could be a general election much earlier than you think – William Atkinson, Daily Telegraph

Welfare Reform 3) Heath: The changes don’t go far enough

“The irony is that Labour MPs still see Reeves as too Right-wing, even though she is the most Left-wing Chancellor since Denis Healey. Her Personal Independence Payments reforms would save £4.5 billion a year by 2029-2030; working-age health and disability spending would still increase by £15.4 billion between 2024-25 and 2029-30. These are not cuts, merely slightly slower spending growth, and yet even this has proved too much. Labour isn’t in the mood for nuance, for being sensible. They want to revolutionise Britain, and damn the consequences.” – Allister Heath, Daily Telegraph

• MPs are reckless in their pursuit of more and more welfare and timid in their pursuit of an economy to pay for it – Juliet Samuel, The Times

Delay to employment rights law…

“Several major pieces of government legislation including Labour’s flagship employment rights overhaul will not become law until at least the autumn after being caught up in the grindingly slow parliamentary process.  Bills on employment rules and reforming the rental market were widely expected to achieve “final assent” that makes them law before the summer recess, when MPs disappear on holiday from late July until early September.  Ministers had also hoped to publish the draft audit reform bill “no later than summer recess”, but this is now not expected until later in the year.” – Financial Times 

…as Conservatives pledge to scrap it

“The Conservatives have pledged to scrap Labour’s workers’ rights Bill if they return to office. Kemi Badenoch’s party has vowed to rip up key parts of Angela Rayner’s flagship reforms, warning the plans would “grind our economy to a halt”. The Deputy Prime Minister was warned that her Employment Rights Bill will hurt economic growth and plunge Britain’s employment tribunal system into chaos by allowing spurious claims. The Bill would hand staff the right to take employers to tribunal for unfair dismissal from day one instead of having to wait two years…Speaking at the Prosperity Institute on Thursday, Andrew Griffith, the shadow business secretary, will warn that the Bill would “hand enormous power to trade unions who grind our economy to a halt” – Daily Telegraph

>Today: Andrew Griffith on Comment: Our party will reverse this Government’s assault on employers

>Yesterday: Ben Knight on Comment: How we can revive the capitalist dream

Give public a say on prison sentences, says Tice

“The deputy leader of Reform UK has proposed a new law that would allow members of the public a say when they think criminal sentences are either too harsh or too lenient. MP Richard Tice said he wanted a system where if 500 members of the public said they disagreed with a sentence in a petition to the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC), it would have to decide whether to refer the decision to a court. He said it would add a further safeguard on sentences and that would give the public more confidence in the justice system. A spokesperson for the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) said they were not actively considering Tice’s proposals.” – BBC

• Reform UK would be largest party if general election held today – The Times
• How Reform’s anti-asylum message won over Durham’s former mining communities – Financial Times

>Today: ToryDiary: Better to be feared than forgotten?

>Yesterday: Albie Amankona on Comment: Don’t ignore the racial element to why Zia Yusuf almost quit Reform

Starmer pushed back on Streeting’s assisted dying claims

“Keir Starmer has insisted the government is prepared to deliver assisted dying legislation “in all its aspects”, pushing back against comments made by his health secretary, Wes Streeting, who claimed there was no budget to implement the new law. Streeting, who was previously a supporter of assisted dying but switched sides last year, said better end of life care was needed to stop terminally ill people feeling as though they had no alternative but to end their own life.” – The Guardian

Trump officials cite ‘new intelligence’ to back claims of success with strikes on Iran

“Donald Trump’s administration ratcheted up its defence of the US’s weekend attacks on Iran, citing “new intelligence” to support its initial claim of complete success and criticising a leaked intelligence assessment that suggested Tehran’s nuclear programme had been set back by only a few months. The growing row came amid reports that the White House will to try to limit the sharing of classified documents with Congress, according to the Washington Post and the Associated Press.” – The Guardian

• Trump unleashes on ‘scum’ who leaked Iran bombing intel – Daily Telegraph
• Iran will learn the hard way Putin is not an ally to be trusted – Owen Matthews, Daily Telegraph
• Spain rejects Nato defence target, prompting tariff threat from Trump – The Times
• Trump must put pressure on Iran to renounce nuclear ambitions – Leader, The Times

Roberts: Trump has been Churchillian

“If President Trump has shown Churchillian courage in attempting to destroy the Iranian nuclear threat, there is no doubt who has been playing the role of Neville Chamberlain in all this. Unlike other European leaders, Sir Keir Starmer has not been giving the Americans any comfort, support or post-action congratulation, even though Iran has been a sworn foe of Britain since the late 1970s, with constant provocations, plots and terrorist activity against us, and their characterisation of us as ‘The Little Satan’. ” – Andrew Roberts, Daily Mail

Government could ban alcohol advertising

“Ministers are considering putting an end to alcohol advertising. The Government is examining the introduction of “partial restrictions” which could include a ban on promoting booze before the 9pm watershed. Health officials said they were “exploring options for partial restrictions to bring [alcohol promotion] closer in line with advertising of unhealthy food”. This could mean a total ban on online advertising of alcohol, including in social media and influencer marketing.” – Daily Telegraph

Putin  boosting illegal immigration to the UK

“Russia is pushing migrants to the UK to overwhelm border defences and sow division, security sources warn. Vladimir Putin’s tactics include providing fake documents, transport and even military escorts to smuggling gangs.More than 18,000 have arrived in dinghies so far this year ­— and opposition MPs said the crossings should now be declared a “national security crisis”. Senior security sources warned The Sun that foreign powers are backing or exploiting smuggling gangs in a bid to destabilise Britain.” – The Sun

• Dark forces are exploiting our soft-touch borders. It’s time to take back control before it’s too late – Leader, The Sun
• Tory MP abused by migrants at illegal camp – Daily Express
• Third-country asylum plan shows UK is in ‘a very dark place’, says Albanian PM – The Guardian
• Visa income rules discriminate against working-class people, British father says – The Guardian

Lib Dems push for tougher rules against foreign state ownership of newspapers

“The House of Commons will vote on Labour’s plan to cap foreign state ownership of newspapers at 15 per cent after MPs objected to the proposal. The Commons will be given a chance to veto the law change, which was prompted by concerns about the planned takeover of The Telegraph by an investment vehicle backed mainly by the UAE…Ministers had hoped to pass secondary legislation on the 15 per cent cap “on the nod” in Parliament, which would have avoided a formal vote by MPs. However, the Liberal Democrats objected to the policy on Wednesday evening, forcing a full vote in Parliament next week. The party is alone among the major Westminster factions in pushing for tougher rules against foreign state ownership and is planning a “fatal motion” that could kill the legislation altogether when it reaches the House of Lords.” – Daily Telegraph

Other political news

• Ex-Special Forces chiefs and MPs demand veterans who battled IRA are protected from prosecution – Daily Mail
• Reform council told to reconsider flag policy – BBC
• Post Office scandal victims claims not chased due to harassment fears – BBC
• UK to focus new trade strategy on boosting services exports – Financial Times
• Sadiq Khan will make 12,000-mile round trip to Brazil to host climate change conference – Daily Mail
• Union denies ‘targeting’ school linked to bins boss – BBC
• Chagos deal faces new legal challenge – Daily Telegraph
• Reform UK Council leader quits, leaving 18-year-old in charge – BBC
• Ministers push to prioritise British firms over cheap Chinese rivals in £400bn Government contracts – The Sun
• Labour councillor defects to Green Party – Daily Express
• Who is Zohran Mamdani, the dark horse in line to be NYC mayor? – The Times

News in brief

• We should welcome regime change in Iran – Tom Gross, The Spectator
• A new Corbyn-led party would take ten per cent of the vote – George Eaton, New Statesman
• Our politicians need a reality check – Marc Sidwell, CapX
• The toxic narcissism of Palestine Action – Brendan O’Neill, Spiked Online
• Zohran Mamdani’s success in New York should come as no surprise – Ben Sixsmith, The Critic