Politics latest news: Labour lead in Red Wall shrinks after Sunak's net zero backtrack
Labour’s poll lead over the Tories in crucial Red Wall seats has shrunk to its narrowest margin in more than a year.
Labour is now 14 points ahead of the Conservative Party which is its smallest Red Wall advantage since August 2022 when it was 13 points ahead.
Sir Keir Starmer’s party has previously enjoyed a lead as high as 40 points in the seats which will be key in deciding the outcome of the next general election.
A new Redfield & Wilton Strategies survey conducted on September 23 put Labour on 45 per cent of the vote in the Red Wall, with the Tories on 31 per cent.
The polling was carried out in the wake of Rishi Sunak announcing on September 20 that he was watering down some of the Government’s net zero policies. Labour’s lead was 16 points in the previous poll conducted on September 3 and 25 points on August 20.
The Red Wall refers to a selection of mostly northern constituencies which are traditionally Labour voting but backed the Tories at the 2019 general election.
Redfield & Wilton Strategies poll 40 of the seats on a regular basis: 39 of them were won by the Tories in 2019 while Hartlepool was gained at a subsequent by-election.
You can follow the latest updates below.
04:00 PM BST
That is all for today...
Thank you for joining me for today’s politics live blog.
I will be back tomorrow morning.
03:25 PM BST
UK and Spain in row over Sunak demand for focus on illegal migration
Britain and Spain are locked in a diplomatic row after Rishi Sunak demanded that illegal migration be the focus of a meeting of European leaders next week.
The Prime Minister wants the European Political Community (EPC) summit to make the issue its top priority as he continues attempts to tackle the Channel crossings crisis.
But Madrid is resisting the demand, instead wanting the gathering of almost 50 leaders to focus on artificial intelligence, the war in Ukraine and graduate mobility.
You can read the full story here.
03:06 PM BST
Liz Truss to lead pro-growth rally at Tory party conference
Liz Truss will address a pro-growth rally at the Conservative Party conference on Monday, as she tries to keep alive her tax-cutting agenda.
The former prime minister will lead a panel of senior MPs that will push for low-tax, pro-growth policies that Rishi Sunak, her successor, has sidelined in his first year in office.
Monday’s event has been dubbed the “Great British Growth Rally”, with Dame Priti Patel, the former home secretary, and Simon Clarke, the former levelling up secretary, discussing the “crisis” of low growth in Britain.
You can read the full story here.
02:46 PM BST
Switch to zero emission vehicles will be 'pragmatic and realistic'
Mark Harper said the transition to zero emission vehicles in the UK will be “proportionate, pragmatic and realistic” under the rules announced by the Government this afternoon (see the post below at 14.27).
The Transport Secretary said: “The path to zero emission vehicles announced today makes sure the route to get there is proportionate, pragmatic and realistic for families.
“Our mandate provides certainty for manufacturers, benefits drivers by providing more options and helps grow the economy by creating skilled jobs.
“We are also making it easier than ever to own an electric vehicle, from reaching record levels of chargepoints to providing tax relief for EV owners.”
02:27 PM BST
More than one in five new cars must be zero emission next year
More than a fifth - 22 per cent - of new cars sold by manufacturers in the UK next year will have to be zero emission, under new rules just announced by the Government.
The minimum proportion will then rise each year to 80 per cent in 2030 and then to 100 per cent in 2035 under the Department for Transport’s zero emission vehicle mandate.
It comes after Rishi Sunak delayed the ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles from 2030 to 2035. The latest industry figures showed 20 per cent of new cars sold in August were zero emission.
01:58 PM BST
Alarm bells ringing over Sunak’s net zero changes, MPs warn
Alarm bells are ringing over the Government’s net zero drive after the Prime Minister watered down a series of green measures, MPs have warned.
The Energy Security and Net Zero Select Committee has written to Energy Secretary Claire Coutinho to set out its concerns over Rishi Sunak’s decision to delay the implementation of certain policies.
The letter states: “The Prime Minister seemed to undermine the actual gains that have been made under previous governments, suggesting that they have sought to reach net zero simply by wishing it.”
Angus Brendan MacNeil, the committee’s chairman, said: “The cross-party consensus on driving the actions needed to combat climate change has been in place for many years, so the Prime Minister’s about turn on policies that people and industries have long been gearing up for has understandably provoked widespread concern.
“Alarm bells are ringing over the Government’s ambitions when it comes to its environmental agenda. We need urgent clarity on the consequences of the new approach and reassurance that it will not derail the UK’s progress towards net zero.”
Mr Sunak announced last week that he was delaying the ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars by five years. He also watered down plans to phase out gas and oil boilers.
01:22 PM BST
Dowden hits campaign trail ahead of Mid Bedfordshire by-election on October 19
Lovely to be out campaigning for @FestAKINBUSOYE in Mid-Beds!
Good reception on the doorstep for a great local candidate 👍🔵
Remember to vote for him on Thursday 19 October 🗳️@Conservatives pic.twitter.com/THO0Xmmct9— Oliver Dowden (@OliverDowden) September 28, 2023
12:50 PM BST
'Not necessary' to scrap charitable status for private schools, says Labour
Labour’s shadow education secretary said it was not necessary to end the charitable status of private schools but insisted the party’s position was not a U-turn (see the post below at 07.49).
Bridget Phillipson was asked during a live Zoom conversation with the online forum Mumsnet today about whether she stood by her previous comments suggesting private schools should be stripped of their charity status.
She said: “I’ve always been focused on how we end the tax breaks and how we then use that money to deliver high standards in our state schools. And ending charitable status was not a necessary part of doing that.
“We can press ahead with ending the tax breaks relatively quickly and then put that money into developing better outcomes for children. So the policy is unchanged in that regard.”
12:24 PM BST
Eco ‘zealots’ biggest threat to tackling climate change, says Energy Secretary
Eco “zealots” are the biggest threat to tackling climate change, the Energy Secretary has said.
In her first interview since taking the role last month, Claire Couthinho said voters in many European countries were “revolting” against net zero policies because their leaders had pushed the issue too hard.
She told The Spectator: “The biggest threat to the cause isn’t the climate change deniers, it’s the zealots who are turning people off.
“Look at what’s happening in Europe: you can see the AfD, a climate-sceptic party in Germany, at its highest point in decades. In the Netherlands, you have got the farmers’ party and in France just yesterday Macron said he is not going to ban boilers.”
12:03 PM BST
Labour more trusted than Tories on 14 of 15 issues in Red Wall
Labour is more trusted than the Tories on all major issues apart from the response to the war in Ukraine, according to a new poll of Red Wall voters.
A Redfield & Wilton Strategies survey conducted in the key constituencies on September 23 found that Labour was trusted more on 14 of 15 issues.
For example, some 38 per cent of respondents said they trusted Labour the most to tackle poverty, compared to 20 per cent who picked the Conservative Party.
Some 38 per cent also said they trusted Labour the most to support the NHS versus 22 per cent for the Tories.
On which party was trusted most to respond to the war in Ukraine, some 30 per cent picked the Conservatives and 29 per cent picked Labour.
Labour is the most trusted party in the Red Wall on every issue EXCEPT Ukraine.
Who do Red Wall voters trust the most on...? (Lab | Con)
NHS (38% | 22%)
Housing (34% | 22%)
Economy (34% | 29%)
Immigration (28% | 27%)
Ukraine (29% | 30%)https://t.co/LAF0h30Asw pic.twitter.com/GnofKrgno9— Redfield & Wilton Strategies (@RedfieldWilton) September 27, 2023
11:37 AM BST
PM 'understands parents' frustration over schools concrete crisis'
One more thing from Rishi Sunak’s broadcast round this morning (see the posts between 8am and 9.41am): The Prime Minister said he understands the frustration felt by parents over the crumbling concrete crisis in the nation’s schools.
Mr Sunak was asked about disruption caused by concerns about reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (Raac) during an appearance on BBC Radio Tees. More than 170 schools around the country have been impacted.
The premier said: “I know how enormously frustrating the timing of this Raac situation was, but when the Government received new information, new advice about the risk posed by Raac in schools specifically, it was right that we took action.
“Of course the timing was frustrating, but the worst thing to have done would have been to sit on that and wait and put our kids at risk. What I can say is we’re working as quickly as possible providing the funding to schools, to get the surveys done to help them put mitigations in place so we can get all our kids back and face-to-face education as quickly as possible.”
11:08 AM BST
Sunak gains ground on Starmer on question of best PM
Rishi Sunak has gained ground on Sir Keir Starmer among Red Wall voters on the question of who would be the better prime minister for the UK.
A new poll by Redfield & Wilton Strategies conducted on September 23 found 42 per cent of respondents picked the Labour leader, down by one point when compared to the previous Red Wall poll on September 3.
Mr Sunak was picked by 36 per cent of people which was up by four points on the previous poll.
Labour leads by 14% in the Red Wall, their narrowest lead in these seats since August 2022.
Red Wall VI (23 Sep):
Labour 45% (-3)
Conservative 31% (-1)
Reform UK 10% (+4)
Lib Dem 6% (-1)
Green 6% (+3)
Plaid 1% (-1)
Other 1% (-2)
Changes +/- 3 Sephttps://t.co/LAF0h30Asw pic.twitter.com/ASUjOdX5On— Redfield & Wilton Strategies (@RedfieldWilton) September 27, 2023
10:44 AM BST
Labour's Red Wall lead over Tories narrowest since August 2022
Labour’s poll lead over the Tories in crucial Red Wall seats has shrunk to its narrowest margin in more than a year.
Labour is now 14 points ahead of the Conservative Party which is its smallest Red Wall advantage since August 2022 when it was 13 points ahead.
Sir Keir Starmer’s party has previously enjoyed a lead as high as 40 points in the seats which will be key in deciding the outcome of the next general election.
A new Redfield & Wilton Strategies survey conducted on September 23 put Labour on 45 per cent of the vote in the Red Wall, with the Tories on 31 per cent.
The polling was carried out in the wake of Rishi Sunak announcing on September 20 that he was watering down some of the Government’s net zero policies.
The Red Wall refers to a selection of mostly northern constituencies which are traditionally Labour voting but backed the Tories at the 2019 general election.
Redfield & Wilton Strategies poll 40 of the seats on a regular basis: 39 of them were won by the Tories in 2019 while Hartlepool was gained at a subsequent by-election.
Labour leads by 14% in the Red Wall, their narrowest lead in these seats since August 2022.
Red Wall VI (23 Sep):
Labour 45% (-3)
Conservative 31% (-1)
Reform UK 10% (+4)
Lib Dem 6% (-1)
Green 6% (+3)
Plaid 1% (-1)
Other 1% (-2)
Changes +/- 3 Sephttps://t.co/LAF0h30Asw pic.twitter.com/ASUjOdX5On— Redfield & Wilton Strategies (@RedfieldWilton) September 27, 2023
10:02 AM BST
Pictured: Grant Shapps meets Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv today
09:41 AM BST
Sunak 'determined to change direction of our country'
Rishi Sunak said he was “determined to change the direction of our country” despite getting “a lot of flak” for watering down the Government’s green policies.
Asked about the Conservatives’ electoral prospects after the party’s drubbing in the local elections in May, the Prime Minister told BBC Radio Berkshire: “Mid term, whether it’s by-elections, local elections, always tricky for incumbent governments. I get that and I get people are frustrated about what’s been happening over the past couple of years.
“But I am determined to deliver for them. So I set out very clearly at the beginning of the year five priorities… we’re making progress on all, by no means are we there yet and I’m not complacent, we have got to keep working hard at it, that is what I am doing, but I think people will see the benefits of that over time.
“But also the other week I took quite a big decision because I’m determined to change the direction of our country. And that means no longer politicians taking the easy way out, but making the right long-term decisions for the future.
“I did that by charting a new course for net zero – more realistic, more proportionate, more sensible.”
He added: “I got a lot of flak for it but that’s the kind of approach to leadership that I’m going to bring and that’s how we’re going to change things for the better”.
09:15 AM BST
'Tricky' to make progress on NHS waiting lists due to strikes, says Sunak
It has been “tricky” to deliver on a pledge to reduce NHS waiting lists because of ongoing strikes in the health service, Rishi Sunak said.
The Prime Minister pledged in January this year that “NHS waiting lists will fall” but they have actually continued to climb.
Mr Sunak told BBC Radio Cornwall that “it is tricky because of the industrial action” but he said he had made “record funding” available to the health service.
And while “good progress” had been made on boosting the supply of beds and publishing a long term workforce plan “unfortunately because of the strikes it has been hard to make progress”.
09:02 AM BST
Sunak would like cameo in Star Wars film to tick off 'bucket list' item
Rishi Sunak said he would like a cameo in a Star Wars film so that he could fulfill a “bucket list” item of “piloting an X-Wing”.
The Prime Minister, known to be a huge Star Wars fan, was asked during an interview on BBC Three Counties Radio if he was more like Luke Skywalker, Han Solo or Darth Vader.
He replied: “I will leave others to come to their conclusion. Gosh, who wouldn’t love to go on the Millennium Falcon and have that be your ship so I would love to be able to do that but then again also piloting an X-Wing has been probably one of my life’s bucket list things that I would want to do.
“Actually, if you could have a chat with the people who film the movies there if they could get me a cameo in an X-Wing and I would get to say ‘red seven, standing by’ before we take down the Death Star that would make me a very happy man.”
08:49 AM BST
Sunak likely driving to Manchester for conference due to rail strikes
Rishi Sunak has said he will “probably be driving” to Manchester for the Conservative Party conference which gets underway on Sunday.
Opposition politicians have criticised Mr Sunak in the past for travelling by private jet and helicopter for domestic visits.
Asked on BBC Radio Manchester about his travel plans given there are rail strikes on Saturday, the Prime Minister said: “I’ll probably be driving because train strikes have been put in place, which is very disappointing, actually, at a time when people are trying to just get around and do their regular business.
“Strikes are very disruptive on people and actually, that’s why we’ve taken action recently to pass new laws in Parliament that will ensure that you know, when people do strike, which is obviously their right, that we can put in place minimum levels of service.”
08:43 AM BST
PM rejects claim of ignoring rural communities
Rishi Sunak has rejected claims that the Government was guilty of neglecting rural communities.
Asked if the Government was ignoring the countryside, the Prime Minister told BBC Radio Shropshire that he understood “probably better than most the acute challenges that rural communities face”.
He said that “we should be helping people everywhere”.
It was suggested to Mr Sunak that rural communities had been left behind during 13 years of Tory rule. He rejected the suggestion and said “I think we are actually making progress”, pointing to last week’s watering down of the Government’s net zero policies.
He said that will “save families thousands of pounds” and will be particularly helpful for rural families.
08:32 AM BST
Sunak repeatedly dodges question on future of Birmingham to Manchester HS2 line
Rishi Sunak repeatedly ducked the question of whether he is going to scrap the HS2 line between Birmingham and Manchester as he suffered a bruising grilling on BBC Radio Manchester this morning.
Askedif he was going to axe the northern leg ofthe high speed railway, Mr Sunak said: “I know there is a lot of speculation on this but we have already got spades in the ground on the first bit of HS2 and what we are doing is getting on with delivering it.
“But it is always right that the government is looking at things to make sure that we are doing things in a way that creates value for money.
“But what I would say is HS2 is just one of the many things we are doing to level up across our country and it is one of the many things we are doing to invest in the north and in transport infrastructure in the north.”
Asked “yes or no” if he was scrapping the line, Mr Sunak said: “As I said, I am not speculating on future things. We have got spades in the ground right now and we are getting on.”
Asked if the northern leg was under review, the Prime Minister said: “Government is always making sure that we get value for money out of everything we do but that is just a statement of the obvious.”
08:18 AM BST
Rishi Sunak refuses to commit to building Birmingham-Manchester HS2 leg
Rishi Sunak refused to commit to building the Birmingham to Manchester leg of HS2.
Asked if the line will go to Manchester amid mounting speculation it could be scrapped, the Prime Minister told BBC Radio West Midlands that “there are spades in the ground right now” on the first part of the line between Birmingham and London.
He said the Government is “absolutely getting on with that”. But he would not be drawn on the future of the Birmingham to Manchester line.
08:14 AM BST
Birmingham City Council financial woes 'incredibly disappointing', says PM
Rishi Sunak said the financial struggles at Birmingham City Council are “incredibly disappointing” as he answered questions during an interview on BBC Radio West Midlands this morning.
The Prime Minister said it was for councils to “manage their own finances” but he said the Labour-run local authority has “a lot to answer for”.
He said: “Locally these things need to get resolved. I think people rightly in Birmingham will hold the Labour run council to account. They should do.”
08:09 AM BST
Rishi Sunak grilled on HS2 future
Rishi Sunak is doing a broadcast round of regional BBC radio stations this morning ahead of the start of Conservative Party conference in Manchester on Sunday.
The Prime Minister started on BBC Radio York and was grilled on the future of HS2 amid speculation that he could axe the Birmingham to Manchester leg of the railway line.
Asked if he had gone against the North, Mr Sunak said the Government is “investing record sums in transport infrastructure”.
He said he recognised the need to “make it easier to get around all our northern towns and cities” and “we are doing that”.
Asked specifically about the prospect of scrapping the Birmingham to Manchester line, Mr Sunak would not be drawn but said: “I think what people will see… we are investing record amounts in improving infrastructure...”
08:01 AM BST
Gordon Brown: Suella Braverman 'completely wrong' on migration
Suella Braverman’s approach on tackling illegal migration is “completely wrong”, Gordon Brown has claimed.
The former Labour prime minister criticised the Home Secretary after she said the uncontrolled movement of people posed an “existential challenge” to the West.
Ms Braverman also this week called for an international discussion on whether the United Nations Refugee Convention is fit for purpose.
Asked if Ms Braverman was right to say that the world needed to start talking about what it means to have high numbers of people on the move, Mr Brown told Sophy Ridge on Sky News: “Yeah but her policy is completely wrong. Look, if you go to Africa and I’ve visited most of the African countries over my time, African population is 1.2 billion at the moment. It will be 2.5 billion, twice as much, in 30 years’ time. Africa will be 25 per cent of the world’s population.
“Now, are you going to say to people in Africa that your only hope of getting a decent standard of living is migrating to the rest of the rest of the world, particularly to Europe? Or are you going to say we will help you in Africa and enable you to produce jobs, to produce products that can be sold, to get your agriculture sorted out? Africa is still a net importer of food.
“So you’ve got to have a policy to help those people who, if they think they’re going to be better off poor in a rich country, then rich in a poor country, then the pressures for migration will grow. But if we are able to support Africa in its economic development…”
Asked if he was suggesting the focus should be on international aid, Mr Brown said: “It is partly aid, but it’s partly helping the economic development of these countries.”
07:52 AM BST
Starmer denies 'attack' on private schools
Sir Keir Starmer has insisted he is not launching an “attack” on private schools with his plans to impose VAT on fees if Labour wins the next general election.
“We have to do something about the appalling state of our schools,” he told the BBC’s Political Thinking with Nick Robinson podcast.
“It is not an attack on private schools. It’s just saying an exemption you have had is going to go.”
Sir Keir also told private schools they do not have to pass the additional costs onto parents in the form of increased fees.
He said: “The school doesn’t have to pass this on to the parents in fees. And each of the schools is going to have to ask themselves whether that’s what they want to do.”
07:49 AM BST
Minister: Labour's private schools policy 'just doesn't work'
The Tories claimed Labour’s private schools policy “just doesn’t work” as they accused Sir Keir Starmer of being “forced to U-turn”.
Labour has backtracked on its plans to end the charitable status of private schools in England but it still intends to press ahead with its policy of imposing VAT on private school fees despite a backlash (you can read the original story here).
John Glen, the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, claimed Labour was “just making it up as they go along” as he described the “flip-flop” as “inevitable”.
The senior Tory MP said: “Labour has been forced to U-turn on one of their major policies – this time admitting that their schools tax hike just doesn’t work. They are just making it up as they go long.
“Keir Starmer is clearly only interested in short term policies designed to grab headlines, without any regard for the consequences - and inevitably has flip-flopped on them.
“In contrast the Conservatives are taking immediate action to provide relief and take the long-term decisions for a brighter future for our children.”