Newslinks for Wednesday 1st October 2025

Starmer lashes out at Farage, Badenoch brands Starmer dangerous, Farage says PM inciting violence against Reform

“Keir Starmer has been accused of ‘descending into the gutter’ after claiming Nigel Farage was an ‘enemy’ of Britain. The Prime Minister triggered a bitter war of words when he used his speech at the Labour Party conference to repeatedly attack the Reform UK leader, questioning his patriotism just days after branding his immigration policies ‘racist’. In a further sign that Labour risks importing the toxic political culture of the United States in its pursuit of poll-leading Reform, Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy made a poisonous claim that Mr Farage had ‘flirted with the Hitler Youth’, which he was forced to withdraw. Mr Farage, who already needs personal security following a string of death threats, accused Sir Keir of putting a target on his back and ‘inciting’ the ‘radical Left’ against him and his supporters, and invoked the murder of American conservative activist Charlie Kirk. Writing in today’s Daily Mail, he vowed to take revenge at the ballot box, pledging to ‘teach Keir Starmer a lesson’ in next May’s elections. He said the string of slurs that have come his way since the conference began on Sunday were the mark of a man who was ‘unfit to be Prime Minister’. Mr Farage accused the PM of resorting to a ‘desperate last throw of the dice’ in his keynote speech in Liverpool because ‘the Government are incapable of beating us on our arguments’. ‘As a result, Keir Starmer has decided to descend into the gutter – and bring all his Cabinet with him,’ he added. As speculation continued to swirl around his troubled leadership, Sir Keir:

• Admitted that Labour had ‘patronised’ voters over immigration for years, but insisted he would now take their concerns seriously;
• Issued a partial apology to business over last year’s huge tax raid, saying: ‘We asked a lot at the last Budget’;
• Hinted that Labour will scrap the two-child benefit cap, handing a huge payout to big families on the dole;
• Warned Britain faced years of ‘tough decisions’ to bring about ‘national renewal’;
• Wrapped himself in the flag following recent polling showing Labour is viewed as the least patriotic party.

With Labour trailing Reform in the polls, the PM used his speech in the conference main hall to launch a series of incendiary personal attacks on his rival. Sir Keir described Mr Farage as an ‘enemy of national renewal’, saying his immigration policies would destroy communities. The PM targeted Reform’s plans to prevent migrants claiming benefits in this country, which would involve deporting some people previously given leave to remain if they are not deemed to be contributing enough to the economy. Sir Keir claimed that ‘snake oil salesman’ Mr Farage ‘doesn’t like Britain’ and was interested only in stoking ‘the politics of grievance’.” – Daily Mail

• Kemi Badenoch tears into Nigel Farage with brutal 4-word slapdown – Daily Express
• Keir Starmer in humiliating climbdown as he insists: ‘Farage is not racist’ – Daily Expres
• Brexit to blame for small boats crisis, says Starmer – Daily Telegraph
• Lammy backtracks on claim Farage ‘once flirted with Hitler Youth’ – Daily Telegraph
• Keir Starmer’s keynote conference speech – The Times
• Starmer vows Labour will never surrender Britain to ‘enemy’ Farage in rousing party conference speech – The Independent
• Jacob Rees-Mogg goes behind enemy lines at Labour conference – Daily Telegraph

Comment:

• Mark my words, after this abuse we will teach Keir Starmer a lesson at the ballot box – Nigel Farage, Daily Mail
• I spent 30 minutes with Kemi Badenoch and I’d use these 3 words to describe her – JJ Anisiobi, Daily Express
• PM’s Blue Labour act won’t win the red wall – Daniel Finkelstein, The Times
• Keir Starmer buys himself time but Reform isn’t going away – Patrick Maguire, The Times
• Starmer’s claim that Farage hates Britain is his biggest own goal yet – Gordon Rayner, Daily Telegraph
• Keir Starmer has just bought himself some more time in No 10 – Kitty Donaldson, The i
• A good speech, but Starmer’s still doomed. This is how the end will come… – Dan Hodges, Daily Mail

> Today: Patrick English: As conference approaches, the Conservatives’ problem isn’t so much about popularity, it’s getting heard

Reeves prepares to lift two-child benefit cap

“The two-child benefit cap is set to be lifted at the Budget but will be accompanied by “tough” decisions such as tax rises or welfare reform to help pay for it, Sir Keir Starmer has indicated. The Prime Minister stopped short of announcing a lifting of the cap, a Conservative policy opposed by many Labour MPs, despite rumours he would do so to boost morale in his crunch conference leader’s speech. But in listing the Government’s achievements on behalf of “working people”, the Prime Minister pointed to the extension of free school meals as a “first step” in efforts to “end child poverty”. “We have walked that road before and we will walk that road again,” Starmer said. It is understood that the final decision on the cap will be made as part of the Budget, as Starmer appears to have heeded voices in the Government arguing for a delay in any announcement until there is a plan to meet the £3bn cost of its lifting. The i Paper reported on Sunday that officials are exploring a range of options, including lifting the cap completely, or limiting it to working parents, or even replacing it with a three-child cap. Reports have suggested that Starmer will be forced to act as the Child Poverty Taskforce, commissioned by the Government, will say lifting the cap is one of the most effective ways of lifting hundreds of thousands of children out of poverty. But Government sources insisted the taskforce’s work is not yet complete.” – The i

• Rachel Reeves to lift two-child benefit cap in November budget – The Guardian
• Rachel Reeves ‘to scrap two-child benefit cap’ at Budget despite fears over costs – as Chancellor lines up new ‘taper system’ – Daily Mail
• Labour MPs are competing over who had the toughest upbringing as if they’re in Monty Python’s famed ‘Four Yorkshiremen’ sketch, Cabinet minister admits – Daily Mail
• Why Lucy Powell is steaming ahead in Labour’s deputy leadership race – Daily Telegraph

Comment:

• Rachel Reeves is right to give young people help to find work but there are three things she must do first – Ross Clark, The Sun

> Today: For all their moral posturing about helping children Labour are willingly bankrupting the next generation

Business confidence crashes under Labour

“Business confidence fell to a fresh record low in September, as fears of another cost squeeze stoked an already dire operating environment that was found to have “worsened across the board”. According to an Institute of Directors (IoD) poll, private sector optimism plunged to the lowest level since the industry body started collecting data a decade ago, piling fresh pressure on new business secretary Peter Kyle and the Chancellor as she prepares her second Budget. Optimism among business leaders fell to a score of -74 last month, the survey found, meaning nearly 80 per cent of bosses felt either ‘quite pessimistic’ or ‘very pessimistic’ about the outlook for the UK economy over the next year. This was dow from a score of -61 in August and eclipsed the previous record – set this July – of -72. Execs overwhelmingly attributed their dour predictions to fears that the batch of tax hikes expected at next month’s Budget will set off another round of heightened price pressures that will drive up the cost of wages and firms’ other inputs. Chancellor Rachel Reeves is widely expected to unveil up to £30bn of tax rises when she publishes her second major fiscal event on 26 November. Bosses fear the more constrictive fiscal landscape will drive up staff’s wage demands and supply costs, in a manner redolent of the months following the government’s fateful £25bn raid on payroll tax last year. “Business confidence has plumbed new depths in September, following a fleeting improvement at the tag-end of summer,” said IoD boss Anna Leach. “Conditions worsened across the board, with cost expectations hitting a record high, driven notably by employment costs.” Respondents’ outlook for staff headcount and investment were also found to have fallen sharply. Headcount expectations fell to -13 from -4 in August, while investment intentions plunged as much as 12 points to -20. The bleak poll adds to a string of similar updates that have laid bare the battle the Chancellor is locked in to revive the UK’s economic fortunes. On Tuesday, the Office for National Statistics confirmed the economy grew by just 0.3 per cent in the second quarter, while the UK’s fiscal watchdog is widely expected to downgrade its all-important productivity forecast, in what would amount to a major blow to the government’s tax-and-spend plans… Shadow business secretary Andrew Griffith said the Lloyds reading was evidence of the “government’s failure”.” – City AM

• UK business confidence falls to record low amid rising employment costs – The Guardian
• Business confidence crashes to record low as bosses demand ‘credible plan’ to kick-start floundering economy – This is Money
• Keir Starmer says tough choices to come on ‘path to renewal’ as he lines up yet ANOTHER tax rise – Daily Mail

Comment:

• Labour is indulging in an economic fantasy as working people struggle to  stay afloat – Alex Brummer, Daily Mail
• We now have the proof Reeves’s tax raid has only just begun – Annabel Denham, Daily Telegraph
• It’s time for pensioners to start paying their way – Eir Nolsoe, Daily Telegraph

> Yesterday: Will Rachel Reeves ever take responsibility?

F Andrew Wolf: Is Starmer’s economy slowly collapsing?

US government shuts down and Gaza deal discussed

“America woke up on Wednesday to a shuttered federal government after Congress failed to pass a stopgap spending bill. It’s the first US government shutdown in nearly seven years, with hundreds of thousands of workers being forced off the job and public service grinding to a halt. And this time, the fight is over healthcare funding. Senate Democrats blocked a Republican plan late Tuesday night, voting 55-45 against the measure and denying Republicans the 60 votes needed to overcome a filibuster. GOP leaders had counted on at least eight Democratic defections but got only three — Sens. John Fetterman, Catherine Cortez Masto and Independent Angus King. Republicans hold a 53-47 majority, but even one of their own, Sen. Rand Paul, voted no. At 12.01am, federal agencies began executing shutdown plans. National parks, museums, passport services and loan processing are going dark. Food inspections and immigration courts will also slow. And roughly 750,000 federal workers are expected to be furloughed, with more than a million workers working without pay. President Donald Trump blamed Democrats and made clear he’s ready to use the shutdown to reshape government. He also threatened mass public-sector job cuts and hinted the pause could be used to kill programs the Democrats support. Trump said in the Oval Office: “We can do things during the shutdown that are irreversible – that are bad for them and irreversible by them – by cutting vast numbers of people out, cutting things that they like, cutting programs that they like.”” – The Sun

• Thousands of jobs on the line as US government officially shuts down – The i
• How Blair and his right-hand man built a Middle East plan for Trump to take credit – The i
• Accept peace deal or pay in     hell, Trump warns Hamas – The Times

News in brief:

• What MAGA is teaching Farage’s Fillies – Poppy Sowerby, Unherd
• Progressivism in criminal justice needs locking up – David Spencer, The Critic
• Keir Starmer gave the speech of his life at Labour conference – Tim Shipman, The Spectator
• Would Nigel Farage abandon Hong Kong? – Jimmy Nicholls, CapX
• What should Labour supporters make of a conference dominated by Reform? – Douglas Beattie, CityAM