By election results live: Tories ‘doomed to lose power’ without change of course, warns Lord Frost

Rishi Sunak is “doomed to lose power” if he does not change course ahead of the next general election, a Conservative peer has said.

Lord David Frost, the former Brexit negotiator, pointed to Labour’s defeat in Uxbridge and South Ruislip as evidence green policies are not popular as he called on the prime minister to ditch net zero goals.

In a direct rebuke of Mr Sunak’s five priorities for government, Lord Frost argued that the Tories’ two by-election defeats showed that “sticking to the plan” was not working.

The peer, who supported Liz Truss’s leadership campaign and has announced he will stand as an MP, said Mr Sunak needed to give the public “something to vote for” as he called for tax cuts.

“Getting inflation down is important but won’t be enough,” he wrote in The Daily Telegraph.  “There is still time to change course, but it is running out.”

Elsewhere, Keir Starmer will deliver a speech to his party’s national policy forum this morning following, with Ulez and the controversial U-turn on child benefits police are likely to be discussed over the weekend.

Key Points

• Tories ‘doomed ‘ to lose power without change of course - Lord Frost

• Sunak to launch aggressive new campaign on crime, migrants and trans rights

• Top Tories warn Sunak that Labour is heading for No 10 after disastrous by-elections

• Angela Rayner blames Labour loss in Uxbridge on Ulez

• Tories still in ‘deep electoral trouble’ despite Uxbridge win, says John Curtice

• Uxbridge victory shows anti-Ulez message ‘has now been delivered'

• Labour’s Keir Mather, 25, becomes youngest MP in the Commons

Starmer blames Ulez for Uxbridge defeat

14:35 , Matt Mathers

Sir Keir Starmer pinned the blame for Labour’s loss in the Uxbridge and South Ruislip by-election on the planned expansion of the ultra low emission zone (Ulez) in London.

Speaking to broadcasters during a visit to Shefford in the Mid Bedfordshire constituency, the Labour leader said: "I don’t think there is any doubt that Ulez was the reason that we lost the election in Uxbridge.

"And I have said we should reflect on this, including the mayor (Sadiq Khan). I have spoken to him as you would expect, and so there will be that reflection.

"But we’re not sitting back, we’re not looking over our shoulder. We’re pressing forward.

"There should be an election, a by-election in Mid Bedfordshire, and so I’m here talking to local residents, to people who are now fed up and want a by-election desperately and want to vote Labour.

"So yes, of course we reflect, but we’re moving forward here because the goal is to get to that general election."

The Conservatives won 13,965 votes, Labour 13,470 and the Liberal Democrats 526 - meaning the Tories’ majority is 495.

Starmer: Labour must ‘learn lesson’ of Uxbridge

14:01 , Matt Mathers

Some more remarks now from Keir Starmer‘s speech:

Starmer warned that Labour must "learn the lesson" of seeing a party policy used against it following a narrow defeat in the Uxbridge and South Ruislip by-election.

The Labour leader said there was "something very wrong" when a party policy was on "each and every Tory leaflet" following attacks on London mayor Sadiq Khan’s plan to expand the capital’s ultra low emission zone (Ulez), which applies a charge for the most polluting vehicles.

Sir Keir told the forum on Saturday: "That result in Uxbridge demonstrates there is never any reason to be complacent and never a reason to rest on our laurels.

"It is a reminder that in an election, policy matters.

"We are doing something very wrong if policies put forward by the Labour Party end up on each and every Tory leaflet.

"We’ve got to face up to that and to learn the lesson."

Starmer: Tories have given up on government

13:45 , Matt Mathers

As we reported earlier, Keir Starmer delivered a speech to Labour staff and activists at the party’s national policy forum in Nottingham.

In the speech, which came after Labour recorded a big by-election win in Selby but narrowly lost in Uxbridge, Mr Starmer said all policies must be fully funded.

He also accused the Conservatives of crashing the economy, saying the have given up on government.

Watch more of his comments below:

I knew Labour was going to lose Uxbridge – I was there. They want Boris back

13:28 , Matt Mathers

I was in Uxbridge last week and I thought a Labour win improbable, writes Tanya Gold. Why? The locals are still in love with their departed hero and long for him to return

Read Tanya’s piece in full below:

I knew Labour was going to lose Uxbridge – they want Boris back | Tanya Gold

Will the Ulez be a factor in next year’s general election?

13:20 , Matt Mathers

The Uxbridge by-election may well have been decided on the question of the Ulez expansion. Sean O’Grady asks what this means for the parties in 2024:

Will the Ulez be a factor in next year’s general election?

Rishi Sunak urged not to escalate culture wars in bid to avoid Tory annihilation

13:00 , Matt Mathers

Rishi Sunak is facing calls from within his own party not to escalate culture wars that divide the electorate as he eyes policies on small boats and crime in a bid to avoid electoral annihilation.

Government sources made clear the prime minister intended to have “crunchier” political arguments around areas such as immigration, where the Conservatives believe Labour are weak, in the months ahead.

But they indicated he would shy away from a fight on trans rights, a move which risks disappointing the right of his party.

Kate Devlin reports:

Rishi Sunak urged not to escalate culture wars in bid to avoid Tory annihilation

Blair leads tributes to Labour MP Ann Clwyd

12:40 , Matt Mathers

Sir Tony Blair has led tributes to former Labour MP Ann Clwyd who has died at the age of 86.

She represented the Cynon Valley constituency in South Wales for 35 years, becoming the oldest woman to sit in the House of Commons before standing down in 2019.

"Ann was a courageous, fearless, principled political campaigner, whose politics remained steadfastly wedded to representation of the poor and oppressed wherever in the world she found them.

"She didn’t flinch from speaking her mind, no matter what the personal or political cost.

"She fought the case of those employed in the coal industry, persuading my government to correct the failure to compensate former miners for the ill health they suffered through mining.

"She was a stalwart campaigner for better healthcare, typically using her own experience to advocate on behalf of others.

"And having spent a large part of her life standing up against the brutal repression of the Kurdish people in Iraq, she supported the removal of Saddam Hussein, not only when it was relatively easy to do so, but when the going got tough.

"I admired her enormously and am deeply sorry at her passing. A remarkable woman with an outstanding record of service to others."

For Rishi Sunak, two out of three ain’t bad – it’s a disaster

12:18 , Matt Mathers

Much has been said and written about Thursday’s by-election results and what they could mean for each party’s prospects at the general election.

Does the Conservatives’ win in Uxbridge show that not all is lost for Rishi Sunak?

“By-elections are a funny old business,” writes Tom Peck. “On the face of it, these results say Sunak will be trounced by Starmer next year. But beware the pernicious pong of Ulez and the lurking ghost of ‘long Boris’...”

Read Tom’s full piece here:

For Rishi Sunak, two out of three ain’t bad – it’s terrible | Tom Peck

'The Tories are watching us'

11:14 , Matt Mathers

Starmer wraps up by saying that Labour’s plan is a long-term one and that spending commitments must always be funded.

He says fiscal responsibility must form the bedrock of all conversations over the weekend for “two reasons”.

“One, because the Tories are watching us, looking for us to slip up...two, because, in the end, power is a partnership...that is the only way to govern our country”.

Starmer: fundamental reform the economy needed

11:09 , Matt Mathers

Starmer reiterates Labour’s plans for cheaper, cleaner energy and making the UK the fastest-growing economy in the G7.

Achieving those aims, in the current economic climate, would be a success akin to creating the NHS in 1945, he adds.

He said fundamental reforms are needed in the UK’s economy.

Economic stability ‘always an imperative'

11:03 , Matt Mathers

Starmer says economic stability will be at the forefront of many debates this weekend.

He says it is imperative to get the country back on track and key to the party’s electoral chances next year.

“It is always an imperative”. It is working people who will “pay the price” if the economy is not managed properly, he adds.

Starmer: We must win power first to enact change

10:52 , Matt Mathers

Starmer says that Labour must first win power if it wants to enact change.

He says that winning elections is his “ultimate duty” and that the language of Labour’s priorities should be its “religion”.

“Only by the possession of power can you get the priorities correct”.

Starmer: Lets roll up our sleeves and fix the fundamentals

10:41 , Matt Mathers

At the start of a weekend discussing Labour policy, Starmer says he wants the party to “roll up its sleeves” and fix the “fundamentals.”

He described the national policy forum as the “messy business of democracy” and that he understands the importance of representative politics.

“I understand that a lot of work has gone into this already and I thank you again for it,” he says.

‘The rescue job will be like no other'

10:35 , Matt Mathers

Starmer says a Labour government will not be a “magic wand” able to “wash away” 13 years of Conservative chaos”.

He says that, if the party does win next year, it will have to make tough choices on the economy to repair the country’s finances.

“The rescue job will be like no other,” he adds.

‘We’ve got to ask ourselves: are our priorities the priorities of working people'

10:31 , Matt Mathers

Starmer reminds staff and activists that Labour does not have a good record of winning from opposition as he urges them to stay focused on the task ahead.

He adds that overturning the party’s catastrophic 2019 defeat requires a “historic effort” and will be a difficult task to achieve in one term.

“We’ve got to ask ourselves: are our priorities the priorities of working people?”

Starmer: Uxbridge shows there’s never any reason to be complacent

10:27 , Matt Mathers

Starmer thanks Danny Beales, the party’s candidate in Uxbridge, for his efforts in Boris Johnson’s old seat, which Labour narrowly lost.

He says that the result in the west London constituency seat showed Labor has a “long way to go” to win the public’s trust and form the next government.

“Of course we’ve every reason to be confident…but that result in Uxbridge demonstrates there is never any reason to be complacent.”

Starmer thanks staff and hails Selby win

10:21 , Matt Mathers

Starmer starts his speech by thanking Labour staff for their hard work and says he’s happy to be in Nottingham.

He says the party will start its work this weekend in “good spirits” following the party’s huge win in Selby and Ainsty.

“I went there yesterday with Ange Rayner and we could feel that it was history in the making”, he told the audience.

Starmer speaks at Labour NPF

10:12 , Matt Mathers

Labour leader Keir Starmer is delivering a speech at his party’s national policy forum in Nottingham.

It comes after Labour recorded a huge by-election win in Selby and Ainsty but narrowly lost in Uxbridge and South Ruislip.

We’ll bring you updates from the speech shortly.

Boris Johnson says Natwest boss must quit if she leaked Nigel Farage’s account details

10:02 , Matt Mathers

As we’ve reported, Nigel Farage is considering suing Coutts for closing his account.

The row sparked interventions from the top of government and campaigners...and now former prime minister Boris Johnson has waded in.

Writing in his Daily Mail column, Mr Johnson called on the boss of Natwest, which owns Coutts, to resign if she is found to have leaked details about Mr Farage’s account to the BBC.

Kate Devlin reports:

Boris Johnson says Natwest boss must quit if she leaked Farage’s account details

Farage considering suing Coutts in account closure row

09:44 , Matt Mathers

A furious Nigel Farage has said he is considering suing Coutts bank after it closed his account in a major row over free speech that sparked interventions from the top of government.

The arch-Brexiteer claimed the bank had defamed him with comments it made in a report about why it no longer wanted him as a customer.

The Brexit supremo said it would be “difficult” to sue the BBC but that he was considering “all options” against NatWest. “What was said about me in the report was unfair and defamatory,” he told The Sun.

Starmer to speak at Labour’s national policy forum

09:19 , Matt Mathers

Keir Starmer will deliver a speech to his party’s national policy forum this morning following Thursday’s by-elections.

Labour will debate its pitch to the electorate ahead of the next election, as the party reflects on a momentous by-election victory and narrow loss against the Conservatives.

Starmer is expected to address the national policy forum in Nottingham at around 10a, as members and affiliated groups consider on Saturday what ideas Labour should put forward in its manifesto at next year’s likely election.

Ulez and the controversial U-turn on child benefits police are likely to be discussed over the weekend.

Lord Frost: Tories are doomed to lose power without change

09:03 , Matt Mathers

There is no point “sticking to the plan” if you are heading for the “edge of the cliff”, Lord David Frost has said as he urged the prime minister Rishi Sunak to change course and avoid a general election defeat.

The outspoken peer and former Brexit negotiator, who quit government after failing to secure a new deal with the EU, has been a vocal critic of the green agenda and says Mr Sunak should scrap net zero policies if he wants to remain in No 10.

He said: “These policies are massive vote-losers, and especially so for Tories. It’s surely obvious that if we don’t bring back voters who voted for us in 2019 - and people who voted Leave in 2016 - we are doomed to lose.

“We should also be worried by the degree of apparent mistrust of the Prime Minister among our members and core voters because of the way he came to power.”

Lord Forst, who backed Liz Truss in the Tory leadership campaign, said the government must offer voters “something to vote for” as he called for tax cuts ahead of the general election.

“Getting inflation down is important but won’t be enough: that’s just a baseline requirement for being taken seriously,” he wrote in the Daily Telegraph.

“More is needed; some of the energy we’ve seen this week in acting on debanking; lower taxes and reduced spending; junking the costly net-zero policies; lower legal as well as illegal migration; ending the assault on the self-employed and much more - in all, a serious effort to get growth going again in a properly Tory way. There is still time to change course, but it is running out.”

ICYMI: ‘Anyone but them’. True-blue Tory voters see red to hand Labour historic Selby by-election

08:30 , Matt Mathers

Labour has stomped to its largest ever by-election win in Selby and Ainsty, with the 23-point swing celebrated by Sir Keir Starmer’s party rivalling heights not seen since the run-up to 1997’s landslide.

But voters in the Yorkshire market town were not alone in questioning whether the dramatic reversal of the Conservatives’ 20,000-strong majority was more representative of exasperation with the Tories than enthusiasm for Labour’s vision.

Andy Gregory reports:

‘Anyone but them’: True-blue voters see red to hand Labour historic Selby by-election

ICYMI: For Rishi Sunak, two out of three ain’t bad – it’s a disaster

08:15 , Matt Mathers

By-elections are a funny old business, writes Tom Peck. On the face of it, these results say Sunak will be trounced by Starmer next year. But beware the pernicious pong of Ulez and the lurking ghost of ‘long Boris’...

Read Tom’s full piece here:

For Rishi Sunak, two out of three ain’t bad – it’s terrible | Tom Peck

Fall out over Labour Uxbridge loss rumbles on

08:00 , Matt Mathers

The fall out out over Labour’s failure to win in Uxbridge and South Ruislip rumbles on as London mayor Sadiq Khan’s Ulez is blamed for the defeat.

Keir Starmer will still campaign for Mr Khan next year as he seeks a third term in City Hall but the Labour leader has told the mayor he needs to reflect on why the party lost in Boris Johnson’s old seat.

And senior Labour sources refused to back the expansion of Ulez, which proved to be a divisive issue in the west London seat.

“As Angela said, when the voters send you a message, then you should listen to it. We need to reflect on what the voters have said in Uxbridge,” a source told the i.

Tories looking for new jobs - senior MP

07:45 , Matt Mathers

Some Tory MPs are looking for new jobs following Thursday’s by-election results, with fears the party could lose as many as 150 seats at the next general election, it has been reported.

“Colleagues are worried. I know many have been looking at other job opportunities for a while now” a senior MP told the i.  “They’ve got families and mortgages.”

“I think Rishi can still win the election, but the odds are getting longer.”

Sunak to launch more aggressive political campaign over the summer - report

07:28 , Matt Mathers

Rishi Sunak will launch a more aggressive and divisive political campaign over the summer as he tries to prevent a Labour landslide at the next general election, it has been reported.

The prime minister and his team will seek to draw dividing lines with the opposition on crime, migrants and transgender rights following the Tories’ double by-election drubbing, according to The Times.

“He will explain his vision for the country he wants to create,” an ally said. “It will mean tough fights, it will mean more political edge,” an ally of Sunak told the paper.

Labour to prepare election pitch after by-election boost

05:22 , Adam Withnall

Labour is set to host its annual policy forum this weekend, the day after overturning the largest Tory majority at a by-election in history and, alongside the Liberal Democrats, dealing two huge blows to Rishi Sunak’s party.

Sir Keir Starmer is expected to address members and affiliated groups in Nottingham on Saturday as they consider what ideas Labour should put forward in its manifesto at the next general election, likely to be next year.

Read more about what’s on the table here:

Labour to debate election pitch after delivering by-election blow to Tories

Desperate Tories warn Sunak they are headed for disaster after ‘appalling’ by-elections

01:13 , Holly Bancroft

Rishi Sunak has been warned by his party that the Conservatives are heading for a disastrous general election defeat - as “desperate” Tory MPs called for urgent changes to halt Sir Keir Starmer’s path to No 10.

As Labour overturned a 20,000 majority in a historic by-election victory while the Lib Dems took another safe Tory seat, a former Conservative cabinet minister told The Independent: “The party’s over.”

Sir Keir seized on the victory to declare Labour was on course for power, as Rishi Sunak was forced to insist that the next election was “not a done deal”.

One long-serving Tory MP admitted the results showed voters were “p***ed off with us” over the spiralling interest rates crisis, and Labour would “easily” win an imminent general election.

Another, Nigel Mills, warned the Tories were “going to lose a hell of a lot of seats”, while ex-justice secretary David Gauke said most Conservative MPs would be “terrified” by the “appalling” result.

Read the full story here:

Desperate Tories warn Sunak they are headed for disaster after ‘appalling’ elections

Boris Johnson says Natwest chief must quit if she leaked information about Nigel Farage’s account

Saturday 22 July 2023 00:21 , Holly Bancroft

Former prime minister Boris Johnson has called on the chief executive of Natwest to resign if it is found that she leaked details of Nigel Farage’s Coutts account to the BBC.

Mr Johnson said he did not know whether Dame Alison Rose had briefed the story to the BBC’s business editor.

But he called on banking minister Andrew Griffith to “establish all the facts about how a false impression of Farage’s financial circumstances was given to the media”.

He added: “And I am afraid that if Dame Alison was in any way responsible then she really needs to go. And Farage - if that is what he wants - should have all his accounts restored forthwith. This is about far more than the bank account of one person.”

ICYMI: Starmer labels Johnny Mercer ‘sill sod’ who will ‘soon be history'

Friday 21 July 2023 23:27 , Holly Bancroft

Sir Keir Starmer has labelled a Government minister a “silly sod” who will “soon be history”, after Johnny Mercer compared the party’s new 25-year-old MP to a character from cult Channel 4 comedy The Inbetweeners.

The minister for Veterans’ Affairs said Keir Mather had been “dropped into” the Selby and Ainsty constituency and “spouted identikit Keir Starmer lines”, after earlier stating: “We don’t want Parliament to become like The Inbetweeners.”

The Labour leader hit back at Mr Mercer in Selby on Friday, as he celebrated the by-election victory alongside Mr Mather and deputy leader Angela Rayner.

Strolling along the pitch at Selby Town Football Club and surrounded by media, Sir Keir told the new MP: “There was some silly sod on the radio, on the television last night saying you were only 25.

The comments were picked up by an ITV camera crew and Sir Keir can be heard saying: “But the answer is, you’re 25 and you’ve made history and he’s whatever age he is and he’ll soon be history.”

Mr Mather will become the youngest MP in the Commons - the Baby of the House - after overturning a 20,137 Conservative majority to win the North Yorkshire seat for Labour.

The Inbetweeners, which aired in the late 2000s, follows four friends at school who end up in awkward and embarrassing situations as they try to enter adulthood.

Explaining his comments to Sky News on Friday, Mr Mercer said: “I think this synthetic outrage, identikit Labour politician is the opposite of what people like me came into politics for.

“He’s been at Oxford University more than he’s had a job, right? So if you can really apply that to the empathy required to understand what it’s really like in this country at the moment, in terms of the cost of living and all these experiences of these people he’s trying to represent.

“Personally, I don’t think that is conducive to good electoral representation and I’m more than entitled to have that view.”

New Selby MP has wanted to be PM since age six, grandmother says

Friday 21 July 2023 22:32 , Holly Bancroft

The grandparents of new ‘Baby of the House’ Keir Mather have said that he has wanted to be prime minister since the age of six.

Mr Mather, who is just 25-years-old, won a historic victory in Selby and Ainsty in the recent by-election.

His grandmother told Channel 4: “I’ll tell you why he won - there’s no bull. He’s just an honest kid and that’s what people want. He was going to be prime minister, he told me when he was six or seven.”

His grandfather told the broadcaster: “We’re not surprised that he’s become an MP, just suprised that he’s won the victory that he did here today. We thought it was probably insurmountable. But he’s worked very hard and he deserves it.

“He’s one of six grandsons and he’s always been a leader and a mouthpiece for all of them.”

Treasury eyes inherited pension pots

Friday 21 July 2023 21:27 , Holly Bancroft

Tax breaks for people who inherit a pension could be taken away, according to a report in The Times.

Pensions are typically exempt from inheritance tax and a beneficiary can inherit one, keep it invested, and continue to withdraw an income without paying tax on it. This stops if the pension belongs to someone over 75, with income tax paid on withdrawals.

However the government are considering a plan to apply income tax to withdrawals no matter what the age, the paper reports.

Recap: Sadiq Khan needs to ‘reflect’ on Ulez, Starmer says

Friday 21 July 2023 20:32 , Holly Bancroft

Sir Keir Starmer has said that London mayor Sadiq Khan needs to “reflect” on the plan to extend London’s ultra-low emission zone following the Tory by-election win in Uxbridge & South Ruislip.

The Labour leader blamed the transport policy as “the reason we didn’t win there”.

“We know that. We heard that on the doors. We’ve all got to reflect on that, including the mayor. We’ve got to look at the result. The mayor needs to reflect. And it’s too early to say what should happen next.”

Mr Khan said he was “disappointed” at the Uxbridge result but said that pressing ahead with the Ulez expansion was the right thing to do.

“It was a difficult decision to take. But just like nobody will accept drinking dirty water, why accept dirty air?”

The offending comment

Friday 21 July 2023 19:30 , William Mata

Here is how Labour’s newest MP was called an ‘Inbetweener’ by a Tory.

From our Instagram:

Home Office denies barge housing asylum is ‘floating prison'

Friday 21 July 2023 19:00 , PA

The Home Office has denied its barge housing asylum seekers is a “floating prison” and said the people on board would be “free to come and go as they want”.

Gardening in nearby allotments and hiking tours of the area are among the activities which could be offered to some 500 migrants set to board the giant vessel now berthed on the most southerly point of Dorset’s Jurassic Coast.

Officials were keen to stress efforts the department had made to allay the concerns of people in Portland - a small island with a population of about 13,600 people - as they led a press tour of the vessel on Friday.

Deputy director for asylum accommodation Leanne Palk disputed claims made by campaigners about the facilities.

She said: “It isn’t a floating prison.

“People are free to come and go as they want, but we do have this secure fence line in place just so that people don’t wander around the port.

“It is a working port and we need to keep the safety of the asylum seekers on board the vessel at the heart of everything we do.”

Ms Palk said it was unlikely asylum seekers would leave the barge and never come back, adding: “They’ve got a vested interest in having their asylum claim processed.”

What do Uxbridge voters think of Boris Johnson?

Friday 21 July 2023 18:30 , William Mata

ICYMI, this is what Uxbridge had to say about their departing MP.

Government minister labelled ‘silly sod’ after Inbetweener’s comparison

Friday 21 July 2023 18:20 , PA

Sir Keir Starmer has labelled a Government minister a “silly sod” who will “soon be history”, after Johnny Mercer compared the party’s new 25-year-old MP to a character from cult Channel 4 comedy The Inbetweeners.

The minister for Veterans’ Affairs said Keir Mather had been “dropped into” the Selby and Ainsty constituency and “spouted identikit Keir Starmer lines”, after earlier stating: “We don’t want Parliament to become like The Inbetweeners.”

The Labour leader hit back at Mr Mercer in Selby on Friday, as he celebrated the by-election victory alongside Mr Mather and deputy leader Angela Rayner.

Strolling along the pitch at Selby Town Football Club and surrounded by media, Sir Keir told the new MP: “There was some silly sod on the radio, on the television last night saying you were only 25.

The comments were picked up by an ITV camera crew and Sir Keir can be heard saying: “But the answer is, you’re 25 and you’ve made history and he’s whatever age he is and he’ll soon be history.”

Mr Mather will become the youngest MP in the Commons - the Baby of the House - after overturning a 20,137 Conservative majority to win the North Yorkshire seat for Labour.

The Inbetweeners, which aired in the late 2000s, follows four friends at school who end up in awkward and embarrassing situations as they try to enter adulthood.

Explaining his comments to Sky News on Friday, Mr Mercer said: “I think this synthetic outrage, identikit Labour politician is the opposite of what people like me came into politics for.

“He’s been at Oxford University more than he’s had a job, right? So if you can really apply that to the empathy required to understand what it’s really like in this country at the moment, in terms of the cost of living and all these experiences of these people he’s trying to represent.

“Personally, I don’t think that is conducive to good electoral representation and I’m more than entitled to have that view.”

Live: Canada’s Finance minister speaks at Aspen Security Forum

Friday 21 July 2023 17:39 , William Mata

Watch live as Canada’s deputy PM Chrystia Freeland speaks at Aspen Security Forum.

What is now the make up of Parliament after the by-elections?

Friday 21 July 2023 17:17 , William Mata

It is a net loss of two seats for the Conservative Party after Thursday’s by-elections but the Tories did unexpectedly manage to hang on to Uxbridge and West Ruislip.

It now means the make up is:

- Conservative: 353 -2

- Labour: 196 +1

- SNP: 44

- Liberal Democrat: 15 +1

- DUP: 8

- Plaid Cymru: 3

- Alba Party: 2

- SDLP: 2

- Alliance: 1

- Green Party: 1

- Reclaim Party: 1

- Independents: 16

- Sinn Fein: 7 - although the MPs do not take their seats in Parliament

Inside ‘quasi-prison’ barge set to house 500 migrants - as we go on board for the first time

Friday 21 July 2023 17:10 , William Mata

With bunk beds, metal fencing and cabins for six people, Lizzie Dearden reports from the controversial Bibby Stockholm.

The accommodation barge will house up to 500 asylum seekers and is not a prison but does impose restrictions on how guests can come and go.

Calculations by The Independent show that, at full capacity, each asylum seeker will have less living space than an average car parking bay, even when taking shared spaces and outdoor courtyards into account.

Lib Dems celebrate fifteenth MP joining the fray

Friday 21 July 2023 17:04 , William Mata

The Liberal Democrats won the seat of Somerton and Frome in the by-election.

The party tweeted: “A huge congratulations and warm welcome to our 15th and newest MP, @SarahDykeLD.

“We know you’ll be a fantastic champion for Somerton and Frome.”

Pictures: By-elections up and down the country

Friday 21 July 2023 16:45 , William Mata

Update: Johnson to hand over phone

Friday 21 July 2023 15:52 , PA

Boris Johnson will hand over messages from his old mobile phone to the UK Covid-19 Inquiry after technical experts managed to recover them, his spokesman has said.

The apparent breakthrough announced on Friday came after he was told to stop using the device over security concerns after it emerged his number had been online for years.

He then reportedly forgot the passcode.

But his spokesman said that the former prime minister was "pleased that technical experts have now successfully recovered all relevant messages from the device".

"As repeatedly stated, he will now deliver this material in unredacted form to the inquiry," he added in a statement.

"The inquiry process requires that a security check of this material is now made by the Cabinet Office. The timing of any further progress on delivery to the inquiry is therefore under the Cabinet Office's control.

Labour yet to seal the deal, says senior Tory

Friday 21 July 2023 15:38 , Adam Forrest

A senior Tory MP told The Independent: “People are p****d off with us – no doubt about it, but there’s no real appetite for Labour.

“Tony Blair would have won Uxbridge, given the state of the economy. If the general election was held in a month’s time, Labour would win easily. But in six months, if the economy recovers a bit, who knows?”

Experts recover all relevant messages from Johnson’s phone

Friday 21 July 2023 15:36 , William Mata / Agencies

Technical experts have recovered all relevant messages from Boris Johnson's old phone that he had been advised not to use on security grounds and he will hand them over "unredacted" to the coronavirus inquiry, a spokesman for the ex-prime minister has said.

Boris Johnson’s spokesman said: “Boris Johnson is pleased that technical experts have now successfully recovered all relevant messages from the device. As repeatedly stated, he will now deliver this material in unredacted form to the inquiry.

“The inquiry process requires that a security check of this material is now made by the Cabinet Office. The timing of any further progress on delivery to the inquiry is therefore under the Cabinet Office’s control.

“It was always the case that Boris Johnson would pass this material to the inquiry and do everything possible to help it be recovered. A careful process approved by the Inquiry has been followed to ensure that this was successful.”

Boris Johnson’s former seat of Uxbridge and West Ruislip was won by the Conservative Party after the former prime minister stepped down.

‘History makers'

Friday 21 July 2023 15:22 , William Mata

Sir Keir Starmer is celebrating Labour’s success with a tweet from Selby Town Football Club.

His party won their biggest ever by-election overturn in the constituency on Thursday.

Sir Keir wrote: “Labour has made history in Selby and Ainsty.

“We will work hard to earn every vote to win the next general election and change our country for the better.”

Sunak ‘on course to be ejected’, say Tories

Friday 21 July 2023 15:17 , Adam Forrest

David Gauke, former Tory cabinet minister, wrote in the New Statesman that the results showed that the party was “under attack from all directions and very few of their MPs can be entirely confident their seats are safe”.

But the moderate Tory warned that a “desperate party may be susceptible to bad ideas to recover its position”.

Paul Goodman, the influential editor of ConservativeHome editor, said Mr Sunak was in a “bleak” position and was doomed for defeat unless he changed course.

“As matters stand, the prime minister is on course to be ejected from Downing Street,” he wrote.

Urging the PM to offer more, beyond the five pledges, he added: “Sunak and his team have no choice but to be radical. After all, there’s nothing much in his present position to consolidate.”

When will the next general election be?

Friday 21 July 2023 15:08 , William Mata

Three UK constituencies went to the polls on Thursday night but they could all be among the shortest-serving MPs in living memory with a general election likely to be next year.

House of Commons rules mean elections have to be held no more than five years apart, which means the next vote must be no later than January 2025.

However, it is likely that the vote will be next spring or summer. Once a prime minister has declared a general election it will be held around 25 working days later.

‘It would be bigger than ‘97’: Labour MP Thornberry

Friday 21 July 2023 14:58 , William Mata

Top Labour MP Emily Thornberry has said that her party is “very cautious” despite the “encouraging” by-election results on Thursday night.

In her interview on Sky News, she added that a victory would be “bigger than ‘97” for Labour.

Swing from Tories to Labour was because Conservative voters stayed at home, party chair says

Friday 21 July 2023 14:45 , Holly Patrick

Conservative losses in Thursday’s (20 July) by elections were because Tory voters stayed at home, Greg Hands has said.

The Tory party chairman spoke to TalkTV after his party lost two safe seats as Labour gained Selby and Ainsty and the Liberal Democrats won in Somerton and Frome.

“It’s not 1996’: Labour landslide ‘for the birds’, says senior Tory

Friday 21 July 2023 14:33 , Adam Forrest

Senior Tory Robert Buckland told The Independent: “Selby is a bad result, but the idea that it’s a harbinger of a Labour landslide is for the birds.

“It’s not too late for us – I don’t sense that we’re in a 1996 moment.”

The former justice secretary added: “Uxbridge is a very significant result. It shows Labour is not inspiring enthusiasm and they can be derailed by difficult issues. I wouldn’t be smoking the proverbial cigar if I was them.”

Mr Buckland said Mr Sunak should “set out where he wants to take the country in the next five years” – and warned the PM not to listen to any “glib solutions” on small boats or “go soft” on net zero policies, though green schemes had to be “fair” to hard-pressed families.

Green Party third in all three by-elections

Friday 21 July 2023 14:24 , William Mata

The Green Party finished third in all three by-elections fought on Thursday night.

The party’s one MP Caroline Lucas is standing down at the next election and Sian Berry will contest her Brighton Pavillion seat.

Ms Berry said in the Guardian on Thursday: "[Keir] Starmer is abandoning so many pledges, it’s sending a message to people on the left... they’re no longer the party to improve child benefit policies, control rents. Only Green MPs will be arguing for these things.”

What is ULEZ?

Friday 21 July 2023 14:07 , PA

What is Ulez for?

Separate from the congestion charge, which is aimed at reducing traffic, Ulez is designed to cut air pollution in the capital by discouraging the use of high-emission vehicles through imposing a daily fee.

It runs 24 hours a day, seven days a week and aims to improve the health of Londoners by reducing the amount of particulate matter and nitrous oxides they breathe.

All cars, motorcycles, vans, minibuses and other specialist vehicles weighing up to 3.5 tonnes.

Generally, petrol cars registered after 2005 and diesel cars registered after 2015 meet the emissions standards. Cars older than this are charged £12.50 a day.

Whose idea was Ulez?

The scheme was first approved in 2015 when Mr Johnson was London mayor but introduced four years later under Mr Khan’s stewardship.

At first, Ulez only applied to central London but in 2021 grew to border the North and South Circular roads as part of a pandemic bail-out agreement between Transport for London (TfL) and the Government.

Mr Khan said he wants to expand the zone further to encompass the outer London boroughs from August 29 to lower the air pollution in those areas.

Opponents of the expansion believe the Mayor is using it as a way to make money for TfL and that it disproportionately affects poorer people who need to drive for work.

Could Ulez be ditched?

The Conservative-run outer London boroughs of Bexley, Bromley, Harrow and Hillingdon along with Surrey County Council have taken legal action against the Mayor of London in the High Court, saying he lacks the legal power to order the scheme’s extension.

They are expecting a judgment on that case before the end of July which could delay the extension, making it a prominent campaign issue in next year’s mayoral and general elections and Labour may choose to reconsider backing it.

Politics professor says ULEZ played ‘significant role’ in Tories winning Uxbridge

Friday 21 July 2023 13:49 , PA

The Ultra Low Emission Zone (Ulez) debate was likely a significant factor in the the Conservatives' Uxbridge and South Ruislip by-election win, a political researcher said.

Professor Tony Travers of the London School of Economic's Department of Government said the result, which saw Steve Tuckwell win by 495 votes, may not be indicative of national voting trends because of the strong presence of what is a local issue.

The constituency's new MP said in his victory speech it was London Mayor Sadiq Khan's "damaging and costly Ulez policy" that cost Labour the election.

Elsewhere, the Conservatives failed to retain Selby and Ainsty and Somerton and Frome, losing to Labour and the Liberal Democrats respectively.

Prof Travers said of Boris Johnson's old constituency: "It looks as if some number of around 10 percentage points of the vote didn't swing because of Ulez.

"The Selby and Ainsty and Somerton and Frome results tell us more about the future of British politics because Ulez is only an issue in outer London."

Labour MP calls on Khan to ‘suspend’ Ulez expansion

Friday 21 July 2023 13:46 , Adam Forrest

Labour’s Siobhan McDonagh – MP for outer London seat Mitcham and Morden – called on Mr Khan to “suspend” the expansion and find a way to make sure “those with the broadest shoulders” carry the burden for any changes.

“I think Sadiq should suspend the start date and have another look at it,” she told The Independent – saying the £12.50 charge set to be imposed on outer London drivers from August was essentially a “regressive tax”.

Ms McDonagh said: “It’s a laudable aim to improve air quality, but the question is whether this is the right way to do it.”

Lib Dems hail 'revenge of the farmers' for Tory by-election defeat

Friday 21 July 2023 13:45 , William Mata

Senior Liberal Democrats believe the ‘revenge of the farmers’ help deliver their stunning by-election win in Somerset – and will help the party bring down part of the Conservative’s blue wall at the general election.

The party secured a huge victory in Somerton and Frome, overturning a majority of more than 19,000 votes.

Visiting the seat Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey fired a mock circus cannon in celebration as he declared it was “time to get these clowns out of No 10”.

See Kate Devlin’s full article here.

Thornberry defends Labour against ‘untruthful’ ULEZ remarks

Friday 21 July 2023 13:40 , PA

It is "untruthful" of the Tories to claim their "single issue" win in Uxbridge could be replicated across the country at a general election, a shadow cabinet member has said.

Labour's shadow attorney general Emily Thornberry told BBC Radio 4's World At One programme: "To claim that somehow or other you can extrapolate what happened in Uxbridge across the whole of the country when they themselves narrowed it down to one issue is just in the end untruthful.

"There is a truth out of this, which is that we can't be complacent and we need to work really hard and we have a long way to go. We have a mountain to climb, we know that and we will continue to work for it."

Khan: ‘We will listen to Londoners’ Mayor speaks after Uxbridge defeat

Friday 21 July 2023 13:33 , PA

London Mayor Sadiq Khan said he intends to “listen to Londoners” following Labour’s loss at the Uxbridge and South Ruislip by-election.

The party’s deputy leader Angela Rayner has suggested Labour did not win Boris Johnson’s former seat because it did not “listen to the voters”’ concerns about Ulez.

When asked about this, Mr Khan told the PA news agency: “I think there are a variety of lessons in relation to the by-elections last night.

“I’m quite clear, I’m going to carry on doing what I have been doing over the past few years, which is to listen to Londoners on a whole range of issues, whether it is air pollution, climate change or the support they need to make that transition.

“It is because we are listening we launched the biggest scrappage scheme in the whole country without a penny of support from the Government.

“It’s because we are listening we widened the eligibility some weeks ago so that more Londoners are eligibile for the scrappage scheme. We are going to carry on listening.”

‘We hear you,’ Starmer insists to new Labour voters after ‘cry for change’ in Selby

Friday 21 July 2023 13:13 , Andy Gregory

Sir Keir Starmer sought to command a jubilant mood as he, Angela Rayner and his namesake Keir Mather addressed a crowd of supporters in Selby.

The Labour leader declared it “a day of firsts”, after Labour seized Selby and Ainsty for the first time in the constituency’s history and overturned its largest-ever majority at a by-election.

Insisting that he is “always saying ‘no complacency’”, he joked that today marked the “first time ever I can say ‘well done Keir’”, as he welcomed the party’s youngest MP.Greeted by an enthusiastic crowd of supporters at Selby Town Football Club, Sir Keir insisted to those who had issued a “cry for change” that “we hear you” – and claimed the result was “vindication” of the changes he has pushed through in his party.

But pressed by reporters on Labour’s failure to clinch Uxbridge and South Ruislip from the Tories – and asked whether Sadiq Khan should rethink his ULEZ expansion – Sir Keir said that all of those involved should reflect on the result.

Also taking to the small stage set up in cloudy Selby, Ms Rayner said the victory “in Rishi Sunak’s back garden” has “shown we can win in Tory areas as well”.Joking twice that it was “great to be in a Keir sandwich”, she insisted that Labour “knows Tory voters want a credible plan” and said that 25-year-old Mather “knows he has to work hard”, adding: “And the work starts now.”

Speaking just hours after clinching victory and a 4,000 majority, Mr Mather told those gathered that he would “work tirelessly to repay faith shown in him” by typical Tory voters, calling the challenge ahead “the privilege of my life”. After taking questions from broadcasters, the top Labour figures spoke briefly to the campaigners gathered to hear them before walking back across the football pitch and towards the town newly painted red.

Labour’s Uxbridge chair quits and lashes out at Starmer

Friday 21 July 2023 12:50 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

David Williams, chair of the Uxbridge and South Ruislip Constituency Labour Party (CLP), has resigned his role – lashing out at Keir Starmer’s leadership as he goes.

The left-winger tweeted: “Politics needs to have principles or we end up with people like Boris Johnson and Liz Truss running the country. Jeremy Corbyn gave a huge boost to the Labour Party.”

Watch live: Keir Starmer speaks in Selby and Ainsty after Labour’s Keir Mather wins seat

Friday 21 July 2023 12:20 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Watch live as Sir Keir Starmer speaks in Selby and Ainsty on Friday, 21 July, after Labour won the seat in Thursday’s by election.

Keir Mather will become the youngest MP in the Commons at 25 years old after overturning a 20,137 majority in the North Yorkshire constituency.

Labour said Mr Mather’s 4,161 majority in the seat was the highest majority the party had ever overturned in a by-election.

Live: Keir Starmer speaks in Selby and Ainsty after Labour’s Keir Mather wins seat