Newslinks for Tuesday the 22nd of July 2025

July 22, 2025

Cleverly expected to return to front bench as Badenoch reshuffles her pack

“Sir James Cleverly is expected to return to the Conservative front bench as Kemi Badenoch makes changes to her senior team.The Leader of the Opposition is expected to reshuffle her shadow cabinet on Tuesday. A Conservative source said: “The Leader of the Opposition will be making some changes to her frontbench team today. The changes reflect the next stage of the party’s policy renewal programme and underline the unity of the party under new leadership. “Sir James Cleverly is expected to return in a prominent frontbench role to take the fight to this dreadful Labour Government.” The Standard

Sir James Cleverly to return to Tory front bench – Daily Telegraph
Badenoch brings back Cleverly as Tory leader launches reshuffle – The Independent
Kemi Badenoch to reshuffle top team today with James Cleverly return – The Mirror
Tory big beast set for frontbench return as Badenoch reshuffles shadow cabinet – Sky News

>Today

How Badenoch could go for a bold shadow cabinet reshuffle

State pension age to be reviewed as Government eyes the costs of the “triple lock”

“Labour has announced a review of the state pension age amid concerns that people are not saving enough for their retirement. The state pension age is 66 and is due to rise to 67 between 2026 and 2028. The independent review will look at whether the state pension age should be linked to life expectancy to ensure there is “fairness between generations”. The independent review will also consider whether the state pension age is “sustainable” and look at international comparisons. However, the government is not expected to increase the state pension age, regardless of the recommendations in the independent report. One government source said that doing so would be “electoral suicide”. The government is also launching a pensions commission amid concerns that workers face a greater risk of poverty in retirement than their parents.” – The Times

State pension age could rise to 74: Fears retirement age could rise faster than ever amid doubts over sustainability of triple lock – Daily Mail
State pension age could rise again after cost of triple lock soars – The i
Millions to be forced to work for longer under state pension reform – Daily Telegraph
UK launches review into state pension age – FT
How your employer could be forced to pay more into your pension pot – The i
State pension age update as DWP makes huge announcement – Daily Express
Pot Luck. State pension age could rise again as government launches review amid soaring costs- The Sun

Rayner and Reeves in big tussle over tourist tax

“Angela Rayner is pushing for councils to be given new powers to tax tourists, despite opposition from Rachel Reeves. The Deputy Prime Minister has argued that councils should be given the power to tax visitors’ hotel stays amid a scramble by cash-strapped local authorities to cash in on booming demand. It comes as a record 43 million foreign visits to the UK are expected this year, on top of British families travelling within the country. Treasury officials are opposed to a tourism tax amid fears it would be a fresh blow for hospitality businesses already hit by Labour’s tax raids in last year’s Budget, as well as snuffing out a post-Covid revival in visits. The row aligns Ms Rayner with powerful regional mayors including Sir Sadiq Khan and Andy Burnham. It marks her latest clash with the Chancellor after previous disagreements over how to plug a multi-billion-pound fiscal black hole. A senior government source said devolving more power to local mayors was central to Ms Rayner’s plan for economic growth, but Ms Reeves was looking for “quick wins” and did not want to force through constitutional changes that would take time and could backfire.” – Daily Telegraph

Angela Rayner blocked from allowing councils to tax tourists – The Times
Tourist tax row goes to heart of Rayner and Reeves power struggle – Daily Telegraph
Angela Rayner ‘clashes’ with Rachel Reeves over demand for new tax – Daily Express

‘Bobbies on the beat’ should be strapping men says Farage in Lawless-Britian campaign

“Bobbies on the beat should be “big strapping male” officers to strike fear into criminals, Reform UK has said as the party announced a £17 billion pledge to halve crime. Nigel Farage said that Reform would insist on a “higher and physically tougher standard of police officer on our streets” if the party entered government. Unveiling proposals on law and order, including the recruitment of 30,000 additional police officers, Farage said: “I think that if criminals slightly fear the police, that is a desirable place for us to be as a society.” Sarah Pochin, Reform’s justice spokeswoman, said that police officers patrolling the streets should be muscular men. She told BBC 5 Live: “I never feel comfortable actually seeing two female officers together. I’d much rather see a great big strapping male police officer with a female.” The public should “fear police just like as kids we should be slightly, just slightly respectful and maybe a touch fearful of school teachers when we’re 11 years old” Farage said” – The Times

Nigel Farage claims he can halve crime in Britain with £17.4bn ‘zero tolerance’ crackdown that sends offenders to jails in El Salvador – as he warns parts of society are ‘collapsing’ – Daily Mail
Behind Bars. Britain is on the brink of civil unrest, Farage warns as he pledges life in prison for serial sex criminals – The Sun
Epping protest: Nigel Farage defends asylum hotel demonstrators – The Times
‘We can’t walk safely day or night’: How an Essex town reached boiling point over a migrant hotel – Daily Telegraph
Protester who had ‘teeth knocked out’ at Epping migrant hotel demo is back – and reveals he has glued them back in – Daily Mail
Keir Starmer slammed after saying there’s ‘lots of housing’ for illegal migrants – Daily Express
Only true ‘radicalism’ will beat Nigel Farage, Labour MPs warn – The Times

Comment

Farage’s fix for lawless Britain is to bring back The Sweeney – Tim Stanley, Daily Telegraph

Ofwat turned off. ‘Broken’ water industry faces tighter controls under new watchdog

“The “broken” water sector in England and Wales faces an era of much tighter oversight after a landmark review, including the creation of a new sector watchdog to “prevent the abuses of the past”. With water and sewerage companies reeling from what the report’s author Sir Jon Cunliffe called their “Great Stink” moment, the government announced it would abolish Ofwat and combine its powers with those of other water watchdogs under a new “super-regulator”. The environment secretary, Steve Reed, told parliament that ministers would be immediately adopting five of Cunliffe’s 88 recommendations, including creating a real-time sewage map with automatic data that names and shames water companies. At the moment, the companies are responsible for reporting their own spills. Campaigners and environment groups will have more of a say in the cleaning-up of their local rivers, Reed announced, and regional water boards will be set up with powers to clean up rivers and seas locally as well as planning essential infrastructure.” – Guardian

Water firms will be forced to refund customers who are overcharged – The i

Comment

Labour is recycling Tory water policy – Henry Hill, Unherd

National Archive release reveals ‘concerns’ over discounted designer clothing for Tony and Cherie Blair

“Tony and Cherie Blair received £46,000 worth of discounts on designer clothes bought by the “Cheriegate” stylist, according to newly released government files. The couple were asked about the payment of the clothes in 2003 by the private secretary, who suggested they pay back the discounts to avoid declaring them or breaking the MPs’ and ministerial code. Carole Caplin, Cherie’s style advisor and personal shopper, bought clothes from Nicole Farhi, Paul Smith, James Lakeland, Paddy Campbell, Tanner Krolle, Janet Thurston and Barbara Bui between July 2001 to December 2002. The retail value of all the purchases amounted to £76,000, although Caplin bought them at wholesale prices, spending £29,768. The National Archives have released letters from Downing Street staff to the prime minister suggesting four options to avoid an expenses scandal just months after “Cheriegate”, when Caplin’s conman partner, Peter Foster, helped Cherie buy two flats in Bristol.” – The Times

Tony and Cherie Blair given nearly £50k discount on designer clothes – Daily Telegraph