Newslinks for Tuesday 30th September 2025

Tories point to definite signs In Reeves’ Conference speech that tax rises are coming soon

“Rachel Reeves lit the fuse of another tax bombshell as Britons were put on notice for more painful hikes. The Chancellor all but revealed she will have no choice but to act to fill a £50billion black hole in public finance when she delivers her highly-anticipated pre-Christmas Budget. She complained that “harsh global headwinds” made “harder choices” on taxes and spending inevitable. Ms Reeves laid the groundwork for a brutal raid in just 10 weeks as she addressed Labour supporters at the party’s annual conference in Liverpool. Experts have said Ms Reeves will have to increase taxes or cut spending to fill the colossal shortfall in her budget, which the National Institute of Economic and Social Research has estimated could be as much as £50 billion. Shadow Chancellor, Sir Mel Stride, said: “Rachel Reeves says she won’t risk the public finances, but she’s already doing that – with more borrowing, higher spending, and more taxes. “Labour has raised taxes by £40 billion per year, including a £25 billion tax on jobs, and now won’t rule out coming back for more.”He added: “Labour spends more, taxes more, and blames others when things go wrong. Under them, nothing is safe – not your job, savings, or pension.” – Daily Express

• Rachel Reeves hints taxes will rise in budget – The Times
• Labour refuses to rule out manifesto-breaking tax rises – FT
• Reeves plots VAT attack on private health that would hit eight million families after class war assault on school fees – Daily Mail
• Rachel Reeves warns of ‘hard choices to come’ in Budget & slams Farage as ‘single greatest threat’ to Brits’ livelihoods – The Sun
• Starmer: A better Britain will not be ‘cost-free’ – Daily Telegraph
• Young people to be offered work in pubs and factories – or face losing benefits – The i
• Just one in 20 young people will be targeted by Reeves benefits crackdown – Daily Telegraph
• Reeves warns Labour figures against ‘peddling idea’ of ditching fiscal rules – Guardian

Meanwhile…. spending plans are announced at Labour Conference

“Care workers in England are to receive a substantial pay increase from 2028 after the creation of a new body of trade unions and employers designed to stem the exodus of workers from the sector by improving wages and conditions. The health secretary, Wes Streeting, will put £500m behind the initial increase and will begin this year to establish the new negotiating body, which will create a fair pay agreement. However, unions have warned that the future pay increases will need “substantially more” investment. The move was promised as part of a slew of measures in Labour’s workers’ rights package, intended to create better pay and working conditions in the struggling care sector, where low pay and insecure work have led to a recruitment crisis.The final increase will be negotiated by the body – the first of its kind in the country – with the budget set by government also used to improve conditions at work. Care workers are not expected to feel the benefits of the change for several years.” – Guardian

• Keir Starmer to unveil virtual hospital service – The Times
• Gold-plated pensions for councillors despite record tax rises – Daily Telegraph
• Labour to bring back university maintenance grants for poor students – The Times
• Ed Miliband told clean energy target is distant despite record year – The Times

EDITORIAL

• Rachel’s in Wonderland. The rest of us should be counting the spoons… – Daily Mail

COMMENT

• What Reeves’s conference speech really means: Tax rises are coming – Hugo Gye, The i
• Labour governments all end in the same mess – Matthew Parris, The Times

Labour brands Reform policies ‘racist’ and Home Secretary claims they are worse

“Shabana Mahmood has said that Nigel Farage is “worse than a racist” as she revealed that members of her own family had been called “f***ing P***” in the last few weeks.The home secretary said that she did not agree with Sir Keir Starmer’s characterisation of Farage’s immigration policy as racist because “technically” it was not. However, she claimed that his radical pledge to abolish the right for migrants to permanently settle in the UK — which would apply to non-Europeans already living with settled status in the UK — was even more divisive because it was a deliberate “dog whistle” attempt to appeal to racist voters. Starmer’s unplanned intervention to brand Farage’s policy racist in a BBC interview on Sunday was welcomed by Labour MPs and ministers who have been urging the party’s leadership to take a stronger stance on condemning Reform’s policies for months. However, some ministers fear that it will alienate voters who Labour risk losing to Reform UK at the next election.” – The Times

• Mahmood calls Nigel Farage ‘worse than racist’ over ‘dog-whistle politics’ – Guardian
• Unite the Kingdom marchers dubbed the ‘heirs to skinheads’ by Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood as she acknowledges some voters feel Britain is ‘spinning out of control’ – Daily Mail
• Record 125 migrants arrive on single ‘mega-dinghy’… hours before PM branded Farage’s migration plan ‘racist’ – The Sun
• Shabana Mahmood warns the Home Office isn’t fully fit for purpose and pledges to ‘fight’ her own department – Daily Mail
• New right to remain rules could apply to migrants already in UK – The i
•  Starmer vows to get tough on migrants and welfare & warns Labour lefties they won’t like it as he battles critics – The Sun
• Pollster John Curtice issues warning to Starmer over huge Reform ‘mistake’ – Daily Express
• Labour to tear up right to remain rules – here’s who will be affected – The i
• Labour’s tough new rules will not apply to migrants already in UK – The Times
• Asylum seeker pervert who claimed he ‘didn’t know I was doing wrong’ after trawling web for teen girl is spared jail – The Sun
• Lefty lawyers plotting to turn Britain into ‘utopia’ for migrants – Daily Express
• Germany tried Labour’s migration plan. It failed – Daily Telegraph

COMMENT

• Was Starmer mistaken to brand Reform’s migrant policy racist? – Steve Swinford, The Times
• Shabana Mahmood versus the Labour Party. Her own side is holding her back – Rob Lownie, Unherd

Labour leadership gossip damps down as Burnham challenge appears to fizzle out

“Carol Vorderman told Labour that Sir Keir Starmer ‘will never be voted in as Prime Minister again’ as she urged the party to change leader in order to retain power. Speaking at Labour’s conference in Liverpool, the ex-Countdown star said she felt ‘very let down’ by the party’s first year in office in a fiery attack on the Government.Appearing at a fringe event, the 64-year-old lashed out at Sir Keir’s administration over freebies, winter fuel cuts and an ongoing donations row. The outspoken broadcaster also said it was a ‘disgrace’ that the now-resigned Lord Mandelson had been appointed by the PM as Britain’s ambassador to the US. She went on to shower praise on Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham, amid feverish speculation he is plotting a leadership challenge against Sir Keir. It came as a YouGov poll of Labour members, on behalf of Sky News, found Mr Burnham would beat Sir Keir by two to one if they went head-to-head in a contest. But, later on Monday, Mr Burnham appeared to be in full retreat as he said Sir Keir was the right person to be PM when he spoke at a separate fringe event.He offered his backing to Sir Keir despite having previously fuelled claims he was poised to rival the premier.” – Daily Mail

• Labour members back Burnham – Spectator
• Operation Stop Burnham: the plot to halt Manchester Mayor’s push for power – The i
• Andy Burnham hits back at Labour critics over challenge to Starmer – Guardian
• Burnham’s abortive coup dissolves into thin air – The Times

COMMENT

• Labour conference is a triumph of anti-talent – Madeline Grant, Spectator

Blair returns to centre stage, not at Conference but running Gaza as part of Trump peace plan

“Tony Blair and Donald Trump will jointly govern Gaza on a Board of Peace under the President’s plan to end the bloodshed and secure the release of all hostages. The IDF would withdraw from Gaza and commit not to annex the strip if both Israel and Hamas sign the 20-point plan unveiled today. Mr Blair, 72, was the first world leader named on the new transitional body to run Gaza apart, which Trump will chair.This evening Blair hailed the plan as offering “the best chance of ending two years if war, misery and suffering”.The former Labour leader and Middle East envoy is expected to take charge of the day-to-day running of the new board which will eventually hand power back to peace-loving Palestinians. Trump said his blueprint had secured backing from the Muslim and Arab leaders of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the UAE, Jordan, Turkey, Indonesia, Pakistan and Egypt.” – The Sun

• Trump and Netanyahu announce peace plan: US President hails ‘one of the greatest days in civilisation’ as he reveals 20-point road map to end Israel-Hamas war and for him to help run Gaza with Tony Blair – Daily Mail
• Benjamin Netanyahu says Israel backs Donald Trump’s peace plan for Gaza – FT
• Trump demands Hamas accept US plan to ‘end Gaza conflict’ as Netanyahu says Israel will ‘finish the job’ if they don’t – Guardian
• US declares ‘peace in Middle East’ as wild plan sees Blair help run Gaza – Daily Express
• Gaza peace plan brings Blair back centre stage — but carries big risks – The Times
• Labour members defy Starmer to accuse Israel of genocide – Daily Telegraph

Unite union ‘created ghost job to rig election for general secretary’ whistleblower claims

“A whistleblower has accused one of Britain’s biggest unions of creating a “ghost job” to rig an election and protect the position of its general secretary, Sharon Graham. Unite the Union allegedly put a Heathrow baggage handler on its payroll on the understanding he withdrew from an election, according to a complaint sent to Unite leadership by a regional officer. It claimed the person “may not have actually carried out any work for Unite” and was therefore “in effect a ghost employee”. The 2023 vote was for a spot on the Unite executive council, according to the claim, and his election could have resulted in a supporter of Graham being ousted. “If what has been alleged in this whistleblower ­letter is true, then there are elements that I feel have to be investigated by the police,” Eddie Cassidy, a member of Unite’s executive council, said. The union denied the claims, saying the baggage handler was paid part-time to map the airport, and that their withdrawal from the election was unrelated. Unite, Britain’s second largest union with about 1.2 million members, has been fighting to move on from allegations of historical fraud and corruption under the leadership of Len McCluskey.” – The Times

News in Brief

• Under Labour, state intervention has no limits – Eliot Wilson, CapX
• The battle behind digital IDs Secrecy has always been powerful – Toby Green, Unherd
• The Riyadh Comedy Festival is a bad joke – Ben Sixsmith, The Critic
• Ukraine is determined to give Russia a taste of its own medicine – Svitlana Morenets, Spectator