The Guardian – Scores of MPs could refuse to back Starmer over cut in fuel payments
The Guardian says “scores” of Labour MPs could refuse to back Keir Starmer’s proposed cuts to winter fuel payments, which the prime minister accepts will be “unpopular”. The paper observes although there is no chance of the government losing the vote, a significant number of absences would indicate the disquiet over a policy that rebels fear could lose the party votes.
Elsewhere, a landmark study has uncovered corruption “red flags” in government Covid contracts worth more than £15bn – representing nearly one in every three pounds awarded by the Conservative administration during the pandemic.
There is also a report on the failures at the Lucy Letby hospital.
Up to 50 Labour MPs could rebel over cut to winter fuel allowance
As many as 50 Labour MPs could refuse to back the government’s controversial plan to cut the winter fuel allowance, despite Keir Starmer urging back benchers to get behind a measure he has conceded is “unpopular”.
While few on the government benches are expected to vote against the policy in Tuesday’s vote, dozens are believed to be considering abstaining or being absent – though rebels say the numbers in their ranks are very hard to predict.
After seven Labour MPs had the whip suspended in July for voting for an SNP amendment on the two-child benefit cap, the assumption is that a similar rebellion on Tuesday would bring the same consequences..
One Labour MP said: “I’d expect the vast majority of anyone who does rebel to abstain, and remain inside the tent. Abstention is the new rebellion. It’s a question of defining what dissent is, and it’s probably better to do this than to jump off a cliff.”
Tory Covid contracts worth £15bn had corruption ‘red flags’, study finds
A landmark study has uncovered corruption “red flags” in government Covid contracts worth more than £15bn – representing nearly one in every three pounds awarded by the Conservative administration during the pandemic.
The analysis, billed as the most in-depth look yet at public procurement during the crisis, warns that systemic bias, opaque accounting and uncontrolled pricing resulted in vast waste of public funds on testing and personal protective equipment (PPE).
The review of more than 5,000 contracts across 400 public bodies identifies 135 high-risk contracts with a value of £15.3bn where investigation is merited due to the identification of three or more corruption red flags, which include a lack of competition, delays or failure to release information on procurement, and conflicts of interest in the award of contracts.
A superbug, doctor shortages and a neonatal unit ‘out of its depth’: failures at Lucy Letby hospital revealed
At Liverpool town hall on Tuesday, a public inquiry will begin into the tragic deaths and collapses of babies eight years ago at the Countess of Chester (CoC) hospital for which the former neonatal nurse Lucy Letby has been found guilty of murder and attempted murder.
One of the inquiry’s principal aims is to give the babies’ bereaved families a sense that lessons will be learned. Led by the senior court of appeal judge Lady Justice Thirlwall, it will consider the experiences of the parents of Letby’s victims, examine whether management at the hospital was too slow to identify a serial killer, and whether Letby should have been suspended earlier and the police called in sooner.
Letby has been convicted across two trials of murdering seven babies and trying to kill seven others. Her attempts to appeal have been rejected. Yet in recent months mounting concerns have been raised by senior professionals about the evidence used to convict her.
Today’s news summary – Paper Talk
If you are someone who reads every perspective of a story, here is a news summary of all of today’s front pages from today’s newspapers; summarised in a 2-minute read
Editorial 09 September 2024.
Monday’s front pages continue to report on the backlash facing Keir Starmer and his government’s decision to scrap the winter fuel allowance. There are suggestions the government could face a rebellion in the Commons vote on Tuesday.
Elsewhere, other domestic stories make the front splash. The England football team and cricket news make up the back pages.