Newslinks for Tuesday 2nd September 2025

Conservatives brand Starmer’s reshuffle as ‘a Downing Street in crisis’

“Sir Keir Starmer has reset his Government in a move which undermines Rachel Reeves’s authority. The Prime Minister began the first day back in Parliament after summer recess by announcing he had brought in three economic experts to oversee the Chancellor ahead of October’s make-or-break Budget. The reshuffle of his top team triggered a jump in Britain’s borrowing costs as traders bet Labour’s tax-and-spend policies would be turbocharged by a new Left-leaning cadre of advisers. Hours after announcing the shake-up, Sir Keir admitted he was not happy with how his first year in power had gone, telling BBC Radio Five Live: “I get the frustration and anger of voters because they want change,” and adding: “I want to deliver that change as quickly as possible.”… The Tories were quick to argue Ms Reeves had lost out. Andrew Griffith, the shadow business secretary, said the changes were “not the largest vote of confidence in Rachel Reeves”. Kevin Hollinrake, the Tory chairman, said: “This chaotic reshuffle shows a Downing Street in crisis – totally distracted from fixing the damage they’ve done to the economy, jobs and small businesses.” – Daily Telegraph

• Keir Starmer sidelines Rachel Reeves in major shake-up of Government as PM has his own high-tax advisers in move to ‘phase 2’ – Daily Mail
• Starmer seeks to wrest back policy control from Treasury in No 10 shake-up – Guardian
• From Blair to Putin to Starmer: PR chief Tim Allan’s CV – FT
• Torsten Bell’s Treasury takeover makes radical tax rises more likely than ever – Daily Telegraph
• Starmer seizes grip of Budget after Reeves ‘mistakes’ hit Labour in polls – The i
• Keir’s fresh woe. Turmoil in No10 as Keir Starmer kicks off mini-reshuffle amid dire polls, Farage threat & failing economy – The Sun

Editorial

Comment

• The lesson of Starmer’s shake-up is: Rachel is toast. Why the Chancellor’s future looks grim – Andrew Pierce, Daily Mail
• Keir Starmer is Downing Street’s David Brent – Madeline Grant, Spectator
• Rachel Reeves is running out of time – Lionel Barber, FT
• New hires cannot fill the strategy vacuum at the heart of No 10 – Patrick Maguire, Times
• James Lyons’s departure will cost Keir Starmer – James Kirkup, Spectator

Tories point to Labour briefing war over Starmer succession, as court order leaves Rayner gagged

“Critics have claimed Ms Rayner avoided £40,000 in stamp duty by telling the taxman that the luxury property in Hove is her main home, while telling the Cabinet Office that her primary residence is her former family home 260 miles away in Greater Manchester. Sir Keir waded into the row today, telling the BBC the former teen mum is a ‘great story of British success’. ‘Angela came from a very humble background, battled all sorts of challenges along the way, and there she is proudly – and I’m proud of her – as our Deputy Prime Minister’, … It has emerged that Ms Rayner’s home in her Ashton-under-Lyne constituency – shared with her ex-husband – was valued at £650,000, the highest amount possible before becoming liable for IHT. The Mail on Sunday revealed that Ms Rayner employed a firm specialising in ‘wealth protection’ to help dispose of her share of the property.  Heather Powell, a property specialist at Blick Rothenberg, told the Times: ‘Valuing the property at £650,000 is a remarkable coincidence.’ The PM’s official spokesman said: ‘The Deputy PM’s team has set out her position on this. ‘There is a court order that restricts her from providing further information, which she is urgently working on rectifying in the interests of public transparency. ‘Whilst that is in place I obviously can’t go beyond that.’ It came as the Tories claimed the row was being fuelled by a Labour ‘civil war’ over who should succeed Keir Starmer.” – Daily Mail

• Don’t ‘talk down’ or brief against Rayner, warns Starmer as flat row escalates – The i
• Tax advisers cast doubt on Angela Rayner’s housing arrangements – The Times
• The ‘remarkable coincidence’ that could let ‘three pads Rayner’ avoid inheritance tax: Deputy PM’s constituency home is valued at exact threshold when tax becomes payable – Daily Mail
• Rayner claims she is gagged over tax affairs – Daily Telegraph
• Angela Rayner barred by court order from revealing tax details, says No 10 – Guardian
• Tax Scandal. Rayner can’t reveal truth about ‘tax dodge’ due to court order, No10 claims – as PM calls her ‘incredible’ – The Sun

Comment

• Rayner has just broken the golden rule of politics – has she no shame? – Mieka Smiles, Daily Express

Shadow Home Secretary accuses Cooper of ‘tinkering’ to tackle migrant crisis

“Labour admitted on Monday night that no Channel migrants have been returned to France yet under its much-vaunted ‘one in, one out’ deal. Ministers had claimed when the agreement was announced in July that it would take effect within weeks, and the first small boat arrivals due to be returned were detained in Dover at the start of August. But the Home Secretary told Parliament on Monday that she now expects the deportations to begin ‘later this month’. And Yvette Cooper would not tell MPs how many people would be in the first tranche, while some 3,567 more people have landed in dinghies since the deal with France was ratified – adding to the record numbers arriving this year. It came as she launched a crackdown on the family reunion scheme, barring refugees from bringing their partners and children to the UK, while Sir Keir Starmer vowed to speed up the closure of asylum hotels in the wake of angry protests around the country. Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp told the Mail: ‘The Government claimed in July that a handful of migrants would be sent back to France within weeks – but it’s now September and not a single person has been sent back.  Under Labour, a small boat to the UK is a one-way ticket to one of Keir Starmer’s cushy hotels – paid for by hard-pressed taxpayers.’”- Daily Mail

• Migrants granted asylum to be blocked from bringing family to UK – The Times
• ‘They’re not coming from war-torn countries, they’re coming from France’: Labour MPs revolt on migrants and lambast Yvette Cooper as she launches another ‘crackdown’ – Daily Mail
• Yvette Cooper accused of pushing children towards people smugglers by halting refugee scheme – Guardian
• Asylum seekers face two-year wait to bring family members to stay with them – The i
• The rule that allows migrants to bring their families over to Britain and claim access to housing, healthcare and benefits – but Brits have to fork out thousands – Daily Mail
• Shocking excuse judge gave for blocking migrant hotel ban revealed – Daily Express
• Small boat, big house: Elon Musk ridicules Starmer’s Britain after asylum seekers ‘are given new £300k new-build homes while locals battle to get on the property ladder’ – Daily Mail

Comment

• Labour’s tweaks won’t grip migrant crisis – the public deserves more – Chris Philp, Daily Express
• Don’t trust Labour. Young male migrants will not be moved to detention centres or deported, they’ll be transferred to HMOs on a street near you – Richard Littlejohn, Daily Mail

Former Tory MP dies at his flat aged 59, two years after being caught up in drugs and sex scandal

“A former Conservative MP who left politics after being accused of sexual misconduct has died suddenly at the age 59. Paramedics found David Warburton dead in his flat in Chelsea, west London, last Tuesday. He represented the Somerton & Frome constituency in Somerset until 2023, when he resigned from office. Marcus Fysh, a former Conservative MP for Yeovil, said Warburton was a “steadfast colleague and defender of Somerset and Britain”. He added: “I am so very sad to hear this news and my thoughts are with David’s family and friends.” Warburton’s resignation came after more than a year of controversy, starting with his suspension from the Conservative Party over allegations of sexual misconduct, which he denied. An investigation launched by the House of Commons was closed after the allegations were withdrawn. Warburton resigned as MP in June 2023, having served as MP for Somerton & Frome since May 2015. He admitted to using cocaine after The Sunday Times published photos of him taking the drug.” – The Times

• MP dead. Coke shame MP David Warburton dies suddenly aged 59 – just 2 years after quitting over ‘sex & drugs’ sting – The Sun
• Former Tory MP David Warburton dies at 59 – Daily Telegraph
• Shamed Tory MP David Warburton who quit after he was caught in sex and cocaine ‘sting’ dies suddenly aged 59 – Daily Mail
• Former Tory MP David Warburton found dead at west London flat – Guardian
• Ex-MP David Warburton dies 2 years after quitting over coke scandal – Daily Express

Badenoch stands by comments over Stanford ‘offer’ brushing aside Guardian criticism

“Kemi Badenoch has insisted she was offered a place at Stanford University aged 16, after the university’s admissions officer at the time said her claim was untrue. The Conservative Party leader insisted she had “done very well” in her exams and been offered several university places after doubts were cast over her claim to have been offered a partial scholarship to the elite California institution. Badenoch, who lived in Nigeria until the age of 16, has previously said she was offered a place to study in preparation for a medical degree at Stanford but her family was unable to afford for her to take it up. Instead, she returned to England and studied at a further education college before a degree in computer systems engineering at Sussex. However, The Guardian reported former officials at the university casting doubt on her claim… Badenoch insisted she was “very happy to stand by what I said — when I was 16 I did get an offer”. On a visit to Surrey, she said: “All I will say is that I remember the very day those letters came to me, it was not just from Stanford, I was 16, I had done very well in my SATs. But this is 30 years ago, I don’t have the papers, and what The Guardian is doing is reporting on hearsay rather than talking about what the government is doing.” – The Times

• Badenoch urged to ‘come clean’ after doubt cast on Stanford University claim – Guardian

Reform councillor accused of electoral malpractice for giving away ice cream at polling station

“A 22-year-old Reform UK councillor has been accused of electoral malpractice after ‘giving away free ice creams outside of a polling station on a local election day’. Footage captured in May showed Councillor Joseph Boam, former deputy leader of Leicestershire County Council, allegedly passing out free ice creams from a reportedly family-owned van during Reform UK’s local election campaign. Mr Boam, who declared ‘this is just the beginning’ following his appointment, left both his deputy leader and adult social care cabinet role last month. The Electoral Commission states that, under electoral law, an offence is committed if an individual gives or provides any meat, drink, entertainment or provision to anyone with the purpose of influencing that person to either vote or refrain from voting. It comes after council leader Dan Harrison claimed that Mr Boam had been removed from his two positions as he ‘wasn’t able do the job’.” – Daily Mail

Today

News in Brief

• Europe’s deadly debt spiral. Tax rises will only accelerate its decline- Wolfgang Munchau, Unherd
• Badenoch’s Tories have seen sense on North Sea Oil. Will Starmer? – Iain Macwhirter, Spectator
• The cross language of flags – James Martin Charlton, The Critic
• The NHS is stuck in 1999 – Mike Salem, CapX