Thursday evening news briefing: Switching PM now would be 'insanity', Tory chairman says
Good evening. The chairman of the Conservative Party has said a fresh leadership contest to replace Rishi Sunak would be “insanity”, amid a row over the Prime Minister’s Rwanda plan.
Elsewhere, the Culture Secretary has announced the BBC licence fee will rise by more than £10.
Switching PM now would be ‘insanity’, Tory chairman says
A fresh leadership contest to replace Rishi Sunak would be “insanity”, the chairman of the Conservative Party has said amid a row over the Prime Minister’s Rwanda plan.
The Prime Minister is under fire from both ‘One Nation’ Tories and the Right of the party, with MPs concerned about the effectiveness and potential consequences of his emergency legislation.
Braverman: Time for talk on illegal immigration is over
The “time for talk” on tackling illegal immigration is over, Suella Braverman said, as she warned that Rishi Sunak’s Rwanda deportation policy is doomed to fail. The former home secretary, who was sacked by the Prime Minister last month, said the Rwanda Bill, published on Wednesday, did not go far enough and would not stop the boats unless it was toughened up. Click here to read Mrs Braverman’s proposed changes to the bill.
BBC licence fee to increase by £10
The BBC licence fee will rise by more than £10, the Culture Secretary has announced. The levy had been frozen at £159 for two years but is set to undergo a controversial increase in line with inflation to £169.50. Licence fee payers are set to have an additional £10.50 added to their payments following government pressure to keep prices down. There had been reports that the post-freeze increase would add nine per cent to the cost of the fee, adding £15 to the annual payment.
Evening Briefing: Today’s essential headlines
Hacking | Russia’s security services have obtained private conversations of politicians and civil servants as part of “sustained” attempts to interfere in British politics, a minister has revealed.
Guide | How does the Rwanda Bill work?
Politics | The four Tory groups that could make-or-break Sunak’s Rwanda Bill
Ofsted | ‘Intimidating’ inspection contributed to head teacher Ruth Perry’s suicide
Pictured | IDF strip Palestinian men and parade them through square once used by Hamas
Battle Lines Podcast | ‘A nightmare I hope we can wake up from’
In this bonus episode of Battle Lines, The Telegraph’s fixer in Gaza, Siham Shamalakh, sends us a dispatch from the ground. Speaking via WhatsApp voice notes, Siham reflects on her personal journey of having to flee her home and considers what the future might hold for the Palestinian people.
Letters: “It is clearly indefensible to force viewers to subscribe via the licence fee”
In tomorrow’s Letters to the Editor newsletter, readers exclusively reveal their concerns about the increase in the BBC’s licence fee. Sign up to the newsletter here.
Comment and analysis
Nick Trend | Cynical tourist ‘surge pricing’ is starting to feel personal
Tom Stevenson | Investors are getting a once in a lifetime discount
Hugh Grosvenor | We’re denying too many children the chance to thrive
David Axe | Manila is pushing back against China’s attempt to snatch its waters
Jemima Lewis | My two weeks of French exchange were lonely – but life-changing
World news: Tourists in Venice capsize gondola after trying to take selfies
A group of hapless tourists in Venice ended up falling into a canal after ignoring a gondolier’s instructions not to move around in their quest for taking selfies. The gondolier had told them not to stand up or move about as he poled the boat beneath a low bridge along the Rio de la Verona canal. Watch the full video here.
Feature of the day
‘Vaccination would have kept my child alive – that is something I will always regret’
Unvaccinated children across Africa are dying from easily preventable diseases. A new project in Ethiopia is using solar power to fix this.
Business news: Jacob Rees-Mogg’s firm to shut down
Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg’s money management business is to shut down after losing its biggest client. Somerset Capital Management, which was co-founded by the Tory MP, is to wind down after wealth manager St James’s Place said Somerset could no longer manage $2.5bn (£2bn) of its funds. Somerset Capital was last week removed from the running of two SJP funds, reducing the amount it manages by more than two-thirds.
Live business news: Tesla loses legal challenge against Swedish strikes
Editor’s choice
Priscilla review | Sofia Coppola shunts Elvis to the shadows, to beautiful effect
Expert’s advice | The 19 best alcoholic Christmas gifts of 2023
Lesley Manville | ‘Historically the Royal family haven’t publicly exposed their emotions’
Sport briefing: Today’s essential headlines
Dan McKellar interview | I come up with ideas in the sauna...
Thom Gibbs | Stelling is back – and the world is a better place for it
Football | Joey Barton compares female football commentators to men talking about knitting
Premier League | City’s wobble does not mean this is Arsenal, Liverpool or Villa’s season yet
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