Kemi Badenoch insists she believes in maternity pay as Tory rivals jump on ‘excessive’ claim – UK politics live

Immigrants who see Israel as enemy ‘not welcome’ in UK says Kemi Badenoch

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Kemi Badenoch has sparked controversy after describing maternity pay as “excessive” and calling for greater personal responsibility.

In an interview with Times Radio, the Tory leadership hopeful argued that government intervention on issues like the maternity benefit had gone “too far”, placing a burden on businesses.

Ms Badenoch’s remarks have drawn fierce criticism, with union bosses and campaigners condemning them as “out of touch” and “another example of dog-whistle politics”.

Reacting to the comments, rival candidate Tom Tugendhat said he did not know the context of Ms Badenoch’s claims but that it is important for women to have the ability to choose, while Robert Jenrick said the party should be “firmly on the side of parents and working mums”.

It comes after the shadow secretary defended her claim that there has been a recent rise in the number of migrants coming to the UK who “hate Israel”.

She said in a newspaper op-ed on Sunday that migrants’ “feet may be in the UK, but their heads and hearts are still back in their country of origin.” But when she was asked on Sky News if she was referring to Muslim immigrants, Ms Badenoch disagreed.

The Independent’s political team will be reporting live throughout the Conservative Party conference in Birmingham.

Key Points

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Anti-Brexit campaigner blasts conference with funerial music

After appearing to have descended into complete irrelevance with no protesters at all in Birmingham, Tory conference organisers may be relieved that the voice of anti-Brexit campaigner Steve Bray has put them back on the map.

Bray, a familiar figure in Westminster, turned up late on Sunday afternoon with his loudspeaker and started to blast the conference centre and few delegates in the building with funerial music.

Before that, the lack of protesters was matched only by the shortage of party members at a conference which is purely focused on the leadership election rather than the country.

Anti-Brexit protester Steve Bray (Yui Mok/PA). (PA Archive)

Jane Dalton29 September 2024 20:06

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Ben Houchen says Tories have ‘a huge job to do’ on trust

Voters must see that the Conservative Party takes its 2024 election loss “seriously”, Lord Ben Houchen has said.

The Tees Valley mayor warned his party has a “huge job to do” with to regain support from its own voter base, along with the votes which he said “bled” to Nigel Farage’s Reform UK and the Liberal Democrats under Sir Ed Davey in July this year.

Lord Houchen was seen descending an escalator with leadership hopeful Tom Tugendhat at his party’s Birmingham conference on Sunday, but warned he had not backed any of the four candidates.

“It’s been quite a slow start I think to the leadership race and I think the conference will see it come alive,” the mayor told the PA news agency.

“I’m meeting with all of the candidates while we’re here at conference and I’ve been speaking to Tom and the others already.

“So it’s just another catch-up.”

He added: “I’ve met with them all previously and they all want to have a conversation.

“I’ll listen to them, I want to hear what they want to stand for, I want to hear a bit more detail about some of their policy agenda as well and what they’re going to do to be able to bring the party back together and make it a fighting force in electoral terms again.”

(Getty Images)

Salma Ouaguira30 September 2024 06:00

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Tories should hang heads in shame over Send provision, shadow minister says

The previous Conservative government should hang its head in shame after it failed those “most in need”, a shadow education minister said.

Tory MP Gagan Mohindra accused his party of not doing enough for children with special educational needs and disabilities (Send) during its time in power.

Mr Mohindra, who served in the party’s whips’ office between September 2023 and July 2024, made the comments at a Conservative Party conference fringe event on Sunday.

He added that he is frustrated that in some cases parents are “pushed from pillar to post” when trying to secure adequate provision for their children.

The MP for South West Hertfordshire said: “Hertfordshire (County Council) has invested into Send provision, but actually it’s awful.

“I hold my hand up as a Conservative member of Parliament saying my government didn’t do enough on this.

“Yes, we were fighting a global pandemic, and a cost-of-living crisis, and all the rest of it, but actually, the inability for politicians to step in when those most in need needed our support, I think is something we should hang our heads in shame and apologise for, and I’ll happily do that on stage today.”

Salma Ouaguira30 September 2024 05:30

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Tories beat Lobby in football match for first time in 12 years

Conservative Party MPs and officials scored a victory in a closely fought football match to kick off their annual party conference in Birmingham, in their first victory against the journalists’ side for 12 years.

The winning team had only one serving MP in their ranks, shadow education minister Gagan Mohindra, but the side was bolstered by former MPs Brendan Clarke-Smith and Karl McCartney who turned out for the side.

Both lost their seats at the General election. From the peers, Lord Evans of Rainow completed the lineup.

The lobby side dominated the early stages of the first half at the Aston Villa Academy Centre in Birmingham. They took a well-deserved lead after 21 minutes. Good work on the right saw the ball cut back to an unmarked Richard Vaughan who finished with ease.

The Lobby continued to dominate, but could not turn their possession into clear chances on goal. Their wastefulness was then punished by the Conservative side, who scrambled the ball over the line to equalise 10 minutes after the opener. A corner came over from the left and was not dealt with before it was forced in at the far post.

The Tories then seized the initiative with a fine goal to take the lead just before half time. A incisive through ball saw staff member Jack Pollard race beyond the defence into the area, before cutting the ball back and curling a fine shot into the top corner.

The Lobby started the second half by trying to seize the initiative again, but struggled to make a break through and Mr Pollard continued to cause problems for their back line.

However, they managed to get back on level terms halfway through the second half. A cross from the right was met by MPs’ centre back Jack Doyle, who in straining to stop the ball diverted it past his own goalkeeper.

Salma Ouaguira30 September 2024 05:00

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INSIDE WESTMINSTER | The Tories are adrift in the political wilderness – can they recover?

Ahead of this week’s party conference, the race to become the next leader of the Conservatives is heating up, writes Andrew Grice – but given the state of the party’s popularity, how much does it actually matter?

Salma Ouaguira30 September 2024 04:30

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Cleverly favourite Tory leadership hopeful among British public

James Cleverly is the preferred candidate to win the Tory leadership race amongst the British public, a new poll has shown – but a majority of respondents said they don’t know who they would support.

Asked which candidate would make the best prime minister, new polling by Techne put the former home secretary narrowly ahead of his rival candidates at 13 per cent support.

You can read the full story below:

Salma Ouaguira30 September 2024 04:00

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Oliver Dowden interviewed by police as part of gambling probe

Oliver Dowden was interviewed by police officers from the Gambling Commission as part of the official investigation into bets placed on the date of the investigation, sources told Sky News.

But sources close to the former deputy prime minister told The Independent that he is not and was never under investigation himself.

Sir Oliver spoke to the police to assist with their inquiries in an interview conducted in the early summer.

The inquiry, which was launched in June, is expected to continue for another three to six months.

As part of the probe, the Gambling Commission has reportedly seized “hundreds of documents” from Tory headquarters.

(PA Wire)

Millie Cooke 30 September 2024 03:30

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Watch: Duffield claims Keir Starmer ‘has problem with women’ after quitting Labour

Rosie Duffield claims Keir Starmer ‘has problem with women’ after quitting Labour

Rosie Duffield has claimed that she believes Keir Starmer “has a problem with women” after sensationally quitting the Labour Party over his “greed”. Just months after the general election, the elected MP for Canterbury says the gifts scandal and “sleaze” are causing MPs to be “laughed at”. “I’ve experienced it myself”, she responded when quizzed on whether there was a gender issue in his government. “Most backbenchers I’m friends with are women and most of us refer to the men who surround him as ‘the lads’…it’s very clear that ‘the lads’ are in charge.”

Salma Ouaguira30 September 2024 03:00

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Robert Jenrick backs moves to prevent parachuting Tory MPs into safe seats

Robert Jenrick has signalled he would give Conservative party members a bigger role in choosing future MPs if he is made party leader.

Attitudes among some Tory activists were soured during the run-up to the general election campaign when Conservative MPs at risk of losing their seats were parachuted into safer constituencies.

Among them was Richard Holden, the then-party chairman, who was selected as the candidate for Basildon and Billericay when his former North West Durham constituency was abolished.

Mr Holden, who won the Essex seat, faced strong opposition from local Tory activists when the move was carried out using a foreshortened selection process.

Speaking at a fringe event at the Conservative Party conference, former minister Mr Jenrick was applauded when he said it was “immensely disrespectful” to parachute candidates into safe seats.

He added: “It was disrespectful to anyone who aspires to be a Conservative candidate and member of Parliament. You have my solemn promise that will never happen if I am lucky enough to lead this party.

“You should be in the driving seat. You should choose who your parliamentary candidates are. That is how we inspire people of substance to stand as parliamentary candidates once again.”

Salma Ouaguira30 September 2024 02:30

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VOICES | Is this the moment that Rachel Reeves put ‘what works’ before dogma?

Ditch the non-dom tax, chancellor – and bring in a Robin Hood tax instead, writes John Rentoul:

Salma Ouaguira30 September 2024 02:00

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/kemi-badenoch-robert-jenrick-labour-starmer-tory-conference-b2621039.html