MP Rosie Duffield has launched a scathing attack on Sir Keir Starmer since resigning the Labour whip on Saturday, accusing the prime minister of “having a problem with women”.
She told the BBC that many women backbenchers she’s friends with refer to the “young men that surround him [Starmer] as ‘the lads’ and it’s clear that the lads are now in charge”.
In her resignation letter, the Canterbury MP said: “The sleaze, nepotism and apparent avarice are off the scale. I am so ashamed of what you and your inner circle have done to tarnish and humiliate our once proud party.”
Meanwhile, Kemi Badenoch has defended her claim that there has been a recent rise in the number of migrants coming to the UK who “hate Israel”.
The Tory leadership hopeful 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.”
Asked on Sky News if she was referring to Muslim immigrants, Ms Badenoch disagreed, adding: “Because it is not all Muslim immigrants. And this is what I don’t do, I am very careful when I speak.”
Robert Jenrick squirms over support for Donald Trump in US election
Robert Jenrick squirmed as he was challenged over his past support for Donald Trump, saying it is “natural” for a Conservative to lean towards Republican candidates.
The Tory leadership contest frontrunner was noticeably uncomfortable when the BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg challenged him over his past support for the bombastic ex-US president.
He avoided using Trump’s name when repeatedly asked the question instead reverting to historic links between the Tories and Republicans in the US.
Our political correspondent Millie Cooke has the full story:
Salma Ouaguira29 September 2024 11:50
Sunak calls Tories to unite behind new leader
Rishi Sunak has urged Conservatives to rally behind whoever is elected as the new leader.
The former prime minister emphasised the importance of unity for the party’s future.
In an op-ed for the House magazine, his first significant statement since the general election, Mr Sunak described the upcoming annual conference as a “unique opportunity to debate and reflect” on the direction of the Conservative Party.
He added: “Just as importantly for many going, it will also be one to catch up with old friends and make new ones.
“We, the Conservative Party, are a family and, once this contest is over, we must come together to support our new leader.”
In a mesage to party members and MPs, past and present, he said: “This will be my last conference as leader, and I want to thank everyone in the party for their support. I will always be sorry that I could not deliver the results that everyone’s efforts deserved, but I will always be grateful for everyone’s hard work and commitment.”
Salma Ouaguira29 September 2024 11:44
Watch: Immigrants who see Israel as enemy ‘not welcome’ in UK says Badenoch
Salma Ouaguira29 September 2024 11:40
Badenoch praises Duffield but says she’s ‘not a Conservative’
When asked if she would welcome Rosie Duffield to the Conservative party, Tory leadership candidate Kemi Badenoch expressed admiration for the Labour critic but clarified that she is “not a Conservative”.
“Rosie Duffield is an amazing person. Whenever people ask me whoever’s the Labour person you like most, I always say Rosie,” Ms Badenoch told Times Radio. “She fights for her beliefs, she’s passionate, she’s principled. She’s not a Conservative.”
On the abuse Ms Duffield has received in recent weeks and since handing in her resignation, the shadow business secretary said: “I’ve offered moral support where I can. She’s had abuse from her own side, which is the worse thing.”
Salma Ouaguira29 September 2024 11:29
Boris Johnson: Covid virus created in Chinese laboratory
Boris Johnson has said that he believes a leak from a Chinese laboratory was the “likely” cause of the pandemic.
The former prime minister told the Daily Mail: “The awful thing about the whole Covid catastrophe is that it appears to have been entirely man-made, in all its aspects.
“It now looks overwhelmingly likely that the mutation was the result of some botched experiment in a Chinese lab.
“Some scientists were clearly splicing bits of virus together like the witches in Macbeth – eye of bat and toe of frog – and oops, the frisky little critter jumped out of the test tube and started replicating all over the world.”
Salma Ouaguira29 September 2024 11:25
Tugendhat: Judge me on my record, not ‘posh’ schooling
Tom Tugendhat has rejected suggestions he would be just another privately educated “posh boy” in charge of the Conservative Party if he wins its leadership election.
The former security minister was pressed about his private education at St Paul’s School in London as he faced questions on the dawn of the Tory conference in Birmingham.
Mr Tugendhat urged the public to judge him on his record, rather than on his background, as he faced questions on Sky News’s Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips.
Asked whether the Tories need another “posh boy leader from a great public school”, Mr Tugendhat said: “I think the Conservative Party needs a leader who can lead, and you can judge me on the decisions my parents made 35 years ago or you can judge me on the decisions I have made for the last 35 years.
“I think that decisions I have made for the last 35 years demonstrate the character that you are looking at.
“I have chosen consistently to serve our country. I have put myself on the front line in Iraq and Afghanistan.”
Salma Ouaguira29 September 2024 11:22
Lib Dems: Tory leadership candidates defend the indefensible
Following the appearance of the four Conservative leadership candidates on the morning media round, the Liberal Democrat deputy leader has expressed come concerns.
Daisy Cooper accused the contenders of trying to “defend the indefensible” on their pitches.
She added: “As James Cleverly said himself, people wanted the Conservatives out of government and this dire set of candidates has made it crystal clear why. “From the Conservative’s Partygate and PPE scandals to their disastrous mini budget, every one of the Conservative’s leadership candidates has spent years defending the indefensible.
“The British people have had enough of Conservative sleaze and scandal. They’ve had enough of seeing their health services and economy trashed. And that’s why so many former life-long Conservative voters backed the Liberal Democrats at the last election.
“People want urgent action to fix the health and care crisis not Conservative leadership candidates sniping from the sidelines. That’s why Liberal Democrats are calling for a Budget to Save the NHS and Care and working day in day out to be the constructive opposition the country needs and deserves.“
Salma Ouaguira29 September 2024 11:20
Watch: Duffield claims 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 Ouaguira29 September 2024 11:10
Badenoch: Britain needs to be clear in its national identity
Kemi Badenoch has called for the need for clarity around Britain’s national identity.
Speaking on Times Radio about the challenges posed by migration, she said: “People are running away from terrifying regimes and coming here. We cannot allow the things they’re running from to spring up here.
“Immigrants come here to build their lives, not to build this country. We should ask them to contribute to this country.
“But at some point if you just become a mix of everything that’s just going on around the world, what is it that you’re uniting around, what is your national identity?”
Salma Ouaguira29 September 2024 11:03
Tugendhat rejects ‘tailender’ label
Tom Tugendhat has rejected claims that he is the “tailender” in the Tory leadership race.
Asked on Times Radio if he was the “tailender”, he said: “No I don’t think that’s right. I think what we’re seeing is that this is a massive reset moment for the party and actually for the race.
“The reality is that we need to restore trust in this party, we need to restore trust in politics across the country, and we need to offer the leadership that the British people need.
“And you know, I’ve demonstrated over 25 years serving our country in different ways, on operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, in Parliament and recently in cabinet, that you know, service is absolutely essential to what we need, and it defines who I am, and we need to be offering that same level of service and that same offer of leadership to make sure we’re delivering for the British people.”
In a quick-fire round of questioning, Mr Tugendhat answered “yes” to questions “can you win” and “would you appoint your final contenders to your shadow cabinet if you do win” and “do you think this contest should be cut short so you can respond to the budget”.
Asked, “if not you, who”, Mr Tugendhat did not answer and said “that will be a matter for the Conservative voters”. Pushed on the question, he said: “Look, I’m standing because I think I’m the best placed to offer the leadership this country needs.”
Salma Ouaguira29 September 2024 10:55