Nigel Farage says Tory occasion ‘not on the best in any measurable method’ in new assault – UK politics reside | Politics

Nigel Farage, chief of Reform UK, has been talking on the Alliance for Accountable Citizenship (ARC) convention in London, the place he was being interviewed by Canadian self-help handbook writer Jordan Peterson.

He rejected Peterson’s assertion that the best was cut up within the UK, as a result of, Farage mentioned, “the Conservative occasion is just not on the best in any measurable method.”

He mentioned their 14 years in authorities noticed “the best tax burden since 1947 … authorized, mass immigration on a scale hitherto by no means even dreamt … unlawful migration, small boats crossing the Channel, and the federal government fully incapable of coping with it, as a result of they couldn’t withstand what membership of the European conference on human rights was all about, and 14 years that noticed web zero enshrined into legislation by a Conservative authorities.”

Farage was requested about power manufacturing and web zero insurance policies by Peterson, and the Reform UK chief mentioned “our platform is to reindustrialise Britain. Let’s produce all of the stuff we want on this nation. Let’s grow to be not simply power impartial. We might really grow to be an power exporter proper now.”

There was a prolonged interlude when Peterson spoke about what he referred to as “carbon apocalypse mongering and terrorising” and what Farage referred to as “carbon dioxide hysteria”. Farage mentioned “I’m an environmentalist in the old fashioned sense” and recommended a deal with carbon had “really blinded us to different environmental disasters which might be occurring.”

The chair of the impartial sentencing evaluate has warned the federal government that it’s “solely a matter of time” earlier than jail numbers exceed capability once more in England and Wales.

Former justice secretary David Gauke instructed BBC Radio 4’s At present Programme:

It is just a matter of time earlier than, as soon as once more, jail numbers will exceed capability. The federal government was compelled into taking motion within the autumn, however we’re going to be in an identical place in all probability in some unspecified time in the future subsequent yr, and that’s removed from very best.

We ought to be way more strategic about these items. You don’t need to be speeding the discharge of prisoners out and motion goes to be wanted. What now we have seen for the final 30 years is one thing of a bidding warfare between political events as to who is ready to elongate sentences essentially the most.

As a consequence, we’ve seen our jail inhabitants basically double over that point. We now have the best incarceration charge in western Europe and with that comes penalties, not least the truth that jail is fairly costly.

Gauke, who was a Conservative justice secretary for 18 months in Theresa Might’s authorities, was requested to hold out a evaluate of the sentencing system this yr.

He discovered that successive governments’ overreliance on jail sentences and need to appear “powerful on crime” have pushed the justice system in England and Wales to the brink of collapse.

Transport secretary Heidi Alexander has mentioned Labour is proposing to “essentially rewire” railways in England to flee “many years of waste, inefficiency, fragmentation, with the privatised railways” launched by the Conservative authorities of the Nineties.

Asserting a session interval over the organising of what’s going to be referred to as Nice British Railway, Alexander mentioned “it is a model new public group that’s going to convey collectively for the primary time in many years, the administration of the trains with the administration of the tracks and infrastructure.”

Alexander additionally instructed viewers of ITV’s Good Morning Britain that the federal government was aspiring to arrange “a model new passenger watchdog, which goes to have a lot larger powers than the journey watchdog that exists in the intervening time in order that we are able to put passengers on the coronary heart of the system.”

She mentioned:

Over the past couple of many years, now we have leaked cash to non-public sector prepare working firms within the administration charges that now we have been paying. And so that is about making our railways extra environment friendly, offering higher worth for cash for the taxpayer, and finally bettering the reliability of these companies.

It’s actually vital that we do that correctly, as a result of we’re essentially rewiring our railways. We’ve had many years of waste, inefficiency, and fragmentation with the privatised railways.

I’m not going to faux that there aren’t issues on the rail community in some components of the nation, and I recognise that persons are bold for change. That’s the reason we’re going to have a radical overhaul of the best way our railways are organised.

Richard Partington is economics correspondent for the Guardian

UK pay development rose in December and unemployment remained unchanged regardless of warnings from enterprise that Rachel Reeves’s autumn funds would result in job losses.

Figures from the Workplace for Nationwide Statistics present annual development in complete common weekly earnings rose by 6% within the three months to December, up from 5.6% in November and above a 5.9% forecast made by Metropolis economists.

Common pay, excluding bonuses additionally accelerated from 5.6% to five.9%, matching estimates.

Unemployment remained unchanged at 4.4%, confounding expectations for a marginal improve to 4.5%.

Liz McKeown, an ONS director of financial statistics, mentioned: “Progress in pay, excluding bonuses, rose for a 3rd consecutive time, with will increase seen in each the non-public and public sector. After taking account of inflation, actual pay development additionally elevated barely.

“The variety of staff on payroll was broadly unchanged within the final three months of the yr, persevering with a medium-term pattern of slowing development. The variety of vacancies additionally continued to fall within the newest quarter, albeit extra slowly, with the entire quantity remaining a bit of above its pre-pandemic degree.”

Learn extra right here: UK pay development rises 6% regardless of job loss warnings after Reeves’s funds

London mayor Sadiq Khan is anticipated to inform diplomats right this moment that “Brexit was a mistake” and renew backing for a youth mobility scheme.

In feedback briefed to the media upfront, the Labour politician, in his third time period as mayor, will inform delegates at a gathering with the EU ambassador and UK ambassadors of the 27 member states that Britain’s withdrawal from the EU “continues to have a destructive impression.”

“As mayor, I’m strongly in favour of a brand new youth mobility scheme,” PA media studies he’s anticipated to inform the gathering.

“This might assist to help financial development throughout Europe, but additionally give younger Londoners and EU residents vital life experiences – like the chance to work overseas and study extra about our respective languages and cultures.

“As a part of this, I’m eager for us to take a look at how we are able to make it simpler for schoolchildren from the EU to go to the UK and study extra about our shared ties and historical past.

“I’m a proud European and of the view that Brexit was a mistake that continues to have a destructive impression – not simply on my metropolis and nation, however on the European neighborhood as a complete”

Good morning, defence secretary John Healey has completed talking, so I can take a fast pause and truly welcome you to our rolling protection of UK politics for Tuesday. Listed below are the headlines …

• Defence secretary John Healey has introduced what he described as essentially the most important defence reform for 50 years, by which reporting traces and budgets might be simplified, and a brand new “quad” of 4 senior leaders reporting on to the minister appointed

• Healy mentioned there have been extraordinary folks within the UK’s defence forces, however too typically they had been hampered by course of, and there was an absence of direct accountability. He recommended his adjustments would possibly result in as much as £10bn in financial savings to the taxpayer over the following decade

• Transport secretary Heidi Alexander has mentioned the UK mustn’t rule out sending troops to Ukraine as a part of any future peacekeeping power

• The speed of UK unemployment remained unchanged at 4.4% within the three months to December. Work and pensions secretary Liz Kendall mentioned “Since July, wages have continued to develop at tempo … however these figures additionally present that too many individuals are being locked out of labor”

• London mayor Sadiq Khan is reportedly set to inform EU diplomats “Brexit was a mistake”

• Successive governments’ overreliance on jail sentences and need to appear “powerful on crime” have pushed the justice system in England and Wales to the brink of collapse, an official evaluate has discovered

• Nigel Farage, chief of Reform UK, has spoken on the Alliance for Accountable Citizenship (ARC) convention in London. Yesterday Conservative opposition chief Kemi Badenoch instructed the identical occasion that “western civilisation might be misplaced” if the Tory occasion fails

It’s Martin Belam right here with you once more right this moment. You may contact me at martin.belam@theguardian.com. It’s at all times helpful if you happen to let me know if you spot my inevitable typos, errors and omissions.

John Healey has mentioned that his reform proposals for defence within the UK is just not a “change for change’s sake programme”.

He mentioned “it’s required, in my opinion, for us extra successfully to fulfill the challenges of the occasions. It’s required, in my opinion, with the intention to give us the inspiration for implementing the strategic defence evaluate.”

Admitting it was bold in its scope and timescale, Healey mentioned of his reform programme “I have no idea of any massive change programme that has not been difficult, and I have no idea of any massive organisational change programme that may ever be mentioned to be accomplished, so I count on this to be a function of my position for the whole time that I’m on this place.”

One of many key adjustments is the appointment of a nationwide armaments director, which he mentioned they’re trying to recruit as quickly as potential.

The Liberal Democrats have referred to as for parliament to be recalled amid dialogue of the likelihood that British troops could be deployed on the bottom in Ukraine as a part of a European peacekeeping power within the occasion there’s a US-Russia brokered peace deal.

Chief Ed Davey mentioned:

That is an era-defining second for international safety with occasions that can impression us for many years going down over days.

We should act instantly to save lots of Ukraine from a shoddy deal cooked up by Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin.

It’s critical that parliament has an opportunity to debate and scrutinise the federal government’s plans to assist Ukraine.

Sturdy cross-party assist from throughout the Home will strengthen the prime minister’s hand and permit the UK to step up and lead in Europe at this vital second.

Parliament is presently as a consequence of resume on 24 February. Yesterday Davey mentioned he anticipated broad cross-party assist for Starmer’s plan, except for what Davey referred to as the “Trump bootlickers” in Reform UK.

Wrapping up his speech on the Institute for Authorities, defence secretary John Healey has mentioned “It is a authorities whose dedication to defence is unshakable.”

Asserting what he described as “the most important shake up of UK defence for over 50 years”, Healey mentioned:

Let me say this. It is a authorities whose dedication to defence is unshakable. It’s the inspiration for our plan for change, for the supply of our authorities’s missions. We’ll match sustained funding with severe reform. It should imply rising the financial system. It should imply a extra muscular defence for a extra harmful world. It should imply a Britain which is safe at residence and robust overseas.

Healey is now taking questions, and requested if there was frustration on the method the UK’s defence was arrange he mentioned:

I and Keir Starmer had recognised the requirement for defence reform early. We got here into authorities with a plan.

What I’ve been struck by is how responsive defence is to course and resolution, how broad the urge for food for change inside defence is, and that’s at each degree.

So I come throughout many simply actually gifted officers who need larger scope to have the ability to take the initiative, who need the flexibility to supply the recommendation and make the selections. And it goes proper throughout the board and proper to the highest.

He continued by saying:

There aren’t any bonus factors in politics for administrative and managerial reform. However I would like the outcomes. I would like defence to be stronger. I would like us to be extra influential.

And I would like the people who find themselves devoted, that I talked about of their alternative ways, proper throughout defence, out and in of uniform, devoted, defending our nation, and retaining folks secure. I would like them to have the ability to do the job that they’ve joined to do.

Defence secretary John Healey has paid tribute to the UK’s armed forces and those who work with them, saying “one of many actually particular issues about this job, the particular factor about this particular job, are the deeply spectacular women and men I meet every single day” who he described as “extraordinary folks doing extraordinary issues.”

Nevertheless he went on to say they’re working “inside a system that fairly often doesn’t work in the best way that we want it to for an more and more harmful world.”

He has recognized the issue as “an absence of clear, constant accountability”

Healey says “I’m right here to declare that funding in defence might be matched by reform”, and has introduced that he might be appointing 4 new senior leaders reporting into the minister.

He says:

This new quad … will shift the strategy as an organisation which too typically has been obsessive about course of, to 1 centered on outcomes, by which info flows rapidly, accountability is evident, and outcomes demanded.

The variety of budget-holders might be lowered from ten to 4.

Defence secretary John Healey is talking in London on the Institute for Authorities. He has opened his speech by saying that when he confirmed this look a few weeks in the past he had no concept that geopolitical occasions would result in such curiosity in his opinions on MOD reform.

He mentioned:

The choices that we make proper now over the approaching weeks won’t solely outline the result of the battle in Ukraine, however the safety of our world for a generations to come back. And the character of presidency means coping with these challenges.

However in my opinion, the take a look at of management, of political management, isn’t nearly managing the rapid, it’s additionally about reforming for the long run. We’re in a brand new period of menace, and that calls for a brand new period for defence.