Newslinks for Wednesday 8th October 2025

Badenoch reveals ‘golden rule’ to fix black hole

“Kemi Badenoch will announce on Wednesday that she would plug the country’s financial black hole using a new “golden economic rule”. The Conservative leader will tell delegates at her party conference that a Tory government would use £47bn in spending cuts to reduce the deficit, boost growth and cut taxes. Rachel Reeves, the Labour Chancellor, is facing an economic shortfall of up to £50bn, and is expected to be forced to raise taxes in what will be a difficult Budget next month. Mrs Badenoch and her shadow cabinet ministers are now seeking to rebuild the Conservatives’ reputation for economic credibility after last summer’s general election defeat. Becoming the party of sound economic management once again could offer a path to a political comeback, given the public’s lack of trust in Reform UK over the economy and Labour’s failure to boost anaemic growth rates.” – Daily Telegraph

• Badenoch pledges cuts to restore Tories’ image of fiscal prudence – The Times
• Tory leader aims to boost party’s fortunes with economy plan – FT
• Badenoch unveils ‘golden rule’ to use half of spending cuts to reduce deficit – Guardian
• And Badenoch paves the way for £25bn in tax cuts with new ‘Golden Rule’ – Daily Mail
• ‘I will stop Labour from stealing from our children and grandchildren’ – Badenoch – Daily Express
• Tory leader must answer three questions today – Daily Express
• Why the Tories are trapped in intellectual drift – FT
• Badenoch clashes with interviewer as she says Reform ‘is not a party of the right’ – Daily Mail

Comment

>Today:

Stride: ‘If I were Labour chancellor, I’d raise income tax’

“Sir Mel Stride has said he would raise income tax in the autumn Budget if he were in Rachel Reeves’s position. Speaking at an event at the Conservative Party conference, the shadow chancellor said that, if tax rises were required, targeting income tax might be better because increasing VAT would be inflationary. Economists have said Ms Reeves has no option but to increase broad-based taxes in her Budget next month because she cannot fill the Government’s fiscal black hole through spending cuts alone. At the Onward and British Chambers of Commerce event, Sir Mel was asked what he would do if he were in Ms Reeves’s position. He replied: “If I were in exactly her position and I had to deal with tax, and I was down that end of the spectrum where it was really big, I would probably go for income tax on the basis that VAT would be inflationary.” – Daily Telegraph

• Tory frontbencher suggests older Brits with savings could lose the state pension through means-testing – Daily Mail

Badenoch’s ‘future in doubt as shadow ministers consider coup’

“Kemi Badenoch’s shadow cabinet is divided over her future and some shadow ministers are so concerned they are considering the “nuclear” option of resigning to precipitate a leadership contest. Allies of the Tory leader believe that she has bought herself time with a “policy blitz” at conference, including proposals to leave the European Convention on Human Rights and scrap the Climate Change Act. They argue that to have a seventh Tory leader in ten years would look “insane”, and make no difference to the party’s electoral prospects. However, others believe that the party is heading for disaster in May’s local elections and are pressing for Robert Jenrick, the shadow justice secretary, to lead the party. They are incensed by the delay in making policy announcements in her first year, which they regard as a year wasted.” – The Times

• Starmer: Jenrick clearly still running leadership campaign – The Times
• PM says Jenrick is ‘hard to take seriously’ after Birmingham comments – Guardian
• Jenrick accused of fuelling ‘toxic nationalism’ with Birmingham claims – Guardian
• Handsworth locals reject Jenrick’s race claims – Guardian

Comment

• Jenrick is right to call out immigration judges failing to protect our society from harm – Editorial, The Sun

>Yesterday:

Fiery clash over Badenoch as Tory MP snaps at colleague to ‘pack it in’

“Two Tory MPs had a blazing row over Kemi Badenoch with one telling the other to “pack it in”. Former minister Sir Alec Shelbrooke accused MP Ben Obese-Jecty of trying to undermine their leader. He claimed the former British Army Officer had said negative things to the media about Ms Badenoch, sources told The Sun. The showdown took place in the private MPs’ parliamentary lounge at their annual conference in Manchester on Tuesday. Witnesses said it was “heated” and Mr Shelbrooke told Mr Obese-Jecty to “pack it in”. It is understood veteran Mr Obese-Jecty denied the claims. Approached by The Sun, Mr Shelbrooke said: “I called him out about it. He denied it.” – The Sun

Lord Heseltine attacks Badenoch’s new policies – and calls Farage a ‘phoney’

“Michael Heseltine rolled back the years with a blistering onslaught at the Tory conference on Kemi Badenoch’s new policies on human rights, asylum seekers and climate change. The 92-year-old former deputy prime minister also bitterly attacked Nigel Farage, appearing to compare Reform UK and other right-wing parties in Europe to the fascists of the 1930s. The Conservative peer, nicknamed ‘Tarzan’ when he was the darling of the Tory faithful during the premierships of Margaret Thatcher and John Major, told Sky News he was attending the Conservative Party conference for the first time since 1997. He spoke at a European Movement fringe meeting alongside former Liberal Democrat MP Sir Nick Harvey, and demonstrated that his pro-European views remain as strong as ever.” – Sky News

Farage: I was genuinely worried about asylum seeker’s threat

“Nigel Farage has said he was “genuinely worried” about a “death threat” made against him by an Afghan migrant trying to cross the Channel to the UK. The Reform UK leader said Fayaz Khan, 26, posted a clip online in which he said he was “going to shoot him” when he reached Britain. On Tuesday, a jury at Southwark Crown Court was told that Mr Khan had a “very large presence online”, with his TikTok videos, posted under the username “madapasa”, amassing hundreds of thousands of views. After arriving in the UK, Mr Khan was charged with making a threat to kill Mr Farage between Oct 12 and 15 last year.” – Daily Telegraph

• Farage thought Afghan migrant ‘was going to shoot me’ – FT
• What it takes to keep Farage safe – Daily Telegraph

CPS blames Labour for collapse of China spies trial

“Britain’s most senior prosecutor has blamed Labour for the collapse of the China spies trial after the Government repeatedly refused to describe Beijing as a national security threat. On Tuesday, Stephen Parkinson, the director of public prosecutions (DPP), revealed that for more than a year the Government had failed to provide evidence that could have shown the accused men were working for an enemy state. In a letter to the chairmen of the home affairs and justice committees, Mr Parkinson explained that this led to the collapse of the case against Christopher Cash and Christopher Berry last month, when the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said it no longer had enough evidence to proceed. In a rare public clash with the Government, Mr Parkinson said he had decided to go public because “government briefings have been provided, commenting on the evidential situation”. – Daily Telegraph

• China ‘spies’ case was dropped after government failed to provide evidence of Beijing threat – Guardian
• Starmer under fire from his old colleagues over China spy trial collapse – Daily Express
• Powell met ‘malign’ Chinese group before joining Starmer’s team – Daily Telegraph

Comment

Powell tells Labour it can’t sugarcoat how badly things are going

“The Labour deputy leadership contender Lucy Powell has told party members that she will not “sugarcoat” how badly the party is doing, promising to challenge Downing Street’s “groupthink” as voting begins. Ballots open on Wednesday for members and affiliates in the race between Powell and the education secretary, Bridget Phillipson, with polls for LabourList suggesting Powell is the clear frontrunner. Phillipson, who has been broadly viewed as No 10’s preferred candidate, has won the most significant endorsements from unions, including Unison and GMB. Powell, who was sacked from the shadow cabinet at the last reshuffle, is expected to pick up votes from members who want to see a progressive turn from Keir Starmer’s government.” – Guardian

Other political news

• More visas for highly skilled Indian workers ‘not part of the plan’, says Starmer – FT
• Reeves clears planning blockage amid ‘good relationship’ with developer – Guardian
• An AI crash could spell disaster for Reeves – Daily Telegraph
• Trump jokes about US-Canada ‘merger’ during Carney visit – Daily Telegraph

News in Brief