Newslinks for Sunday 14th December 2025

Tories to scrap ban on petrol cars

“Kemi Badenoch has said the Tories will ditch the 2030 ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars if the party wins the next election. The Conservative leader said she would scrap Downing Street’s electric vehicle (EV) quotas, describing them as an “economic act of self-harm”. Writing for The Telegraph, she warned that Labour’s “ideological zeal” risked leaving Britain isolated and uncompetitive, and played into China’s hands. Drivers will now face a clear choice at the next election, which must be held before the 2030 ban is scheduled to come into force. Mrs Badenoch made the commitment after holding a meeting with Giorgia Meloni, the Italian prime minister, who has piled pressure on the EU to ditch its own ban.” – Sunday Telegraph

• UK to stick with EV targets as EU looks to water down petrol ban – FT

Comment

Khan to be stripped of net zero powers that block housebuilding

“Mayors and council leaders, including Sir Sadiq Khan, will be stripped of powers to make “gold-plated” net zero demands under plans to boost housebuilding. Steve Reed, the Housing Secretary, is to rein in “overzealous” local authorities as part of another shake-up of planning rules to be announced this week. The reforms will aim to make development more affordable, owing to fears that Labour is on course to miss its pledge to build 1.5 million new homes by 2030. They are expected to have a significant impact in London, where Sir Sadiq, the Labour Mayor, has overseen a calamitous collapse in housebuilding.” – Sunday Telegraph

Labour leadership 1) Rayner joins biggest mutiny against Starmer yet

“Angela Rayner is backing a growing rebellion against Labour’s court reforms after MPs claimed they would play into the hands of Nigel Farage. The former deputy prime minister is understood to have grave concerns about No 10’s plans to halve the number of jury trials. Allies said she was worried that Reform UK would be able to weaponise the changes to further a narrative of the government versus the people. Sir Keir Starmer is facing the biggest rebellion of his premiership over the plans, with around 50 Labour MPs having privately stated their opposition. David Lammy, the Deputy Prime Minister, plans to scrap jury trials for defendants facing jail sentences of less than three years.” – Sunday Telegraph

• PM risks losing ally at top of Britain’s biggest union – FT
• Labour membership plummets since general election – FT
• YouTube channels spreading fake, anti-Labour videos viewed 1.2bn times in 2025 – Observer

Comment

Labour leadership 2) Burnham eyes return as MP before big elections for Starmer

“Andy Burnham still wants to return as an MP before May’s local elections, when a Labour collapse could trigger a leadership crisis for Sir Keir Starmer, allies have said. The mayor of Greater Manchester is understood to have identified a seat after meetings with MPs and is already canvassing support for a leadership challenge, according to sources. One said there were a “number of potential options open to him” and he has identified one which is “nailed on”. Speculation has been mounting for months that Burnham is seeking a Westminster comeback. Asked last week about his ambitions, he told ITV News that “if the call came” to return to government “I’m not going to just turn away from it”. – Sunday Times

• Burnham ‘lining up return as MP’ to challenge Starmer – Sunday Telegraph
• Starmer rocked by new Burnham plot – Mail on Sunday
• PM humiliated as Burnham ‘coup plot’ on brink of major breakthrough – Sunday Express

Labour leadership 3) Panic as Starmer issued dire Reform warning

“Labour is gripped by mounting panic as a senior Cabinet minister has issued a stark warning to Sir Keir Starmer: unite the party or face devastating losses to Nigel Farage’s Reform UK in next year’s local elections. Deputy leader Lucy Powell, one of the Government’s most influential figures, has urged colleagues to rally behind the Prime Minister and stop internal sniping ahead of crucial polls in May. She cautioned against “navel-gazing” or “throwing bricks from the sidelines“, insisting Labour must present a united front to get its message across. Her intervention comes amid a torrid period for the Government, marked by speculation over challenges to Sir Keir’s leadership and intense pressure surrounding the Chancellor’s November Budget.” – Sunday Express

• Reeves has just pushed UK to brink of recession as Chancellor ‘entirely gives up’ – Sunday Express
• Reeves no longer calling shots in No 11, Tories say – Sunday Telegraph

Comment

• Labour’s bonkers workers’ rights reforms may have inadvertently levelled the playing field – Michael Mosbacher, Sunday Telegraph
• Why we feel angry, pessimistic and that Britain is failing – Jeremy Warner, Sunday Telegraph
• Other political news and comment
• Trump sends key allies to Europe with peace envoys set to meet Zelensky – Sun on Sunday
• Kyle: There are lessons we can learn from Trump – Sunday Times
• Inside the former PM’s audition for Maga – Observer
• Trump has just proved that he is un-American – Janet Daley, Sunday Telegraph
• MPs’ pension scheme makes ‘mockery’ of Reeves investment push – FT
• Police spied on group set up to expose wrongdoing in Met, inquiry hears – Observer
• Without immigration, more specialist and new free schools will close – FT
• Police forces to get units that tackle violence against women – Observer
• Why local constabularies are under threat from Labour’s policing overhaul – FT
• The death of France’s centre-Right – Sunday Telegraph

News in Brief