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| New cabinet meets for first time after Boris Johnson's reshuffle – live news | |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Rolling coverage of the day’s political developments as they happen, including Boris Johnson chairing a meeting of the new cabinet and further government reshuffle developments | Rolling coverage of the day’s political developments as they happen, including Boris Johnson chairing a meeting of the new cabinet and further government reshuffle developments |
| Rather than going to the pub (see 11.51am), Julian Smith, the former Northern Ireland secretary, has been visiting a school in his Skipton and Ripon constituency. It turned out the pupils hadn’t been keeping up with the news. | |
| Julian Smith, who was sacked as Northern Ireland secretary yesterday, was doorstepped by Sky News this morning. Asked about his future plans, he replied: | |
| Jackson Carlaw has been elected the new leader of the Scottish Conservatives. | Jackson Carlaw has been elected the new leader of the Scottish Conservatives. |
| Carlaw, who had been filling the role on an interim basis since Ruth Davidson stepped down last August, comfortably defeated his rival, Michelle Ballantyne, the party’s social security spokesperson at Holyrood by 4,917 votes to 1,581. | |
| Carlaw promised to offer voters a “clear, focused, ambitious alternative to the SNP”, which will include a refreshed approach to the union that would be “positive and forward-looking, not lazy and historical”. | |
| Insisting that he would be “an ambassador for Scotland to the UK government”, Carlaw said he would have no problem speaking up against Boris Johnson where necessary. | |
| During his leadership campaign, Carlaw, who has served as an MSP since 2007, signalled that he wants to put forward a more populist policy agenda, to dovetail with Johnson’s plans for the UK party, and win over blue-collar voters disillusioned with the SNP and Labour. | |
| Q: If the UK goes into recession, how would that affect your plans? | Q: If the UK goes into recession, how would that affect your plans? |
| Long-Bailey says the economy is vulnerable because the economic model is broken. | Long-Bailey says the economy is vulnerable because the economic model is broken. |
| She refers to the film The Big Short. That shows how people have not learned lessons from the financial crash, she says. | |
| She says government should invest more in the UK. It is too unequal, she says. She says the green industrial revolution would spread power. | She says government should invest more in the UK. It is too unequal, she says. She says the green industrial revolution would spread power. |
| She says people think of collective ownership as an obsession. But it is not, she says. It is about spreading power. | She says people think of collective ownership as an obsession. But it is not, she says. It is about spreading power. |
| Q: What would you replace the House of Lords with? | Q: What would you replace the House of Lords with? |
| Long-Bailey says she does not support the Lords, because it is the only unelected chamber in Europe. | Long-Bailey says she does not support the Lords, because it is the only unelected chamber in Europe. |
| There are some great Labour peers, she says. But a second chamber should be democratically accountable, she says. It should be replaced with an elected senate outside of London. | There are some great Labour peers, she says. But a second chamber should be democratically accountable, she says. It should be replaced with an elected senate outside of London. |
| That would be one step towards restoring faith in politics, she says. | |
| And that’s it. | And that’s it. |
| I will post a summary shortly. | I will post a summary shortly. |
| Q: How much would your policy on freedom of movement affect the wages of workers? | Q: How much would your policy on freedom of movement affect the wages of workers? |
| Long-Bailey says the UK will be out of the single market. She says she wants an immigration system based on values, not on targets. | Long-Bailey says the UK will be out of the single market. She says she wants an immigration system based on values, not on targets. |
| She says she is worried EU nationals could be facing deportations. | She says she is worried EU nationals could be facing deportations. |
| And she says Labour has a moral duty to oppose the far right, and to make the positive case for immigration. She says she is a child of immigrants. She is proud of that, she says. | And she says Labour has a moral duty to oppose the far right, and to make the positive case for immigration. She says she is a child of immigrants. She is proud of that, she says. |
| She says the impact of immigration on wages is “negligible”. But she says communities are right to be angry about how services are not working for them. | She says the impact of immigration on wages is “negligible”. But she says communities are right to be angry about how services are not working for them. |
| That’s not an immigration problem, she says. She says that is because the Conservative government has starved public services of resources. | That’s not an immigration problem, she says. She says that is because the Conservative government has starved public services of resources. |
| Q: Do you think it was a mistake backing the election to take place? And what would you do to stop a no-deal Brexit at the end of this year? | Q: Do you think it was a mistake backing the election to take place? And what would you do to stop a no-deal Brexit at the end of this year? |
| Long-Bailey says she would rather not have had the election. But the party was not in a good place. Many people in Labour communities saw the party as one trying to overturn the referendum. And remain supporters did not like the party’s stance either, she says. | Long-Bailey says she would rather not have had the election. But the party was not in a good place. Many people in Labour communities saw the party as one trying to overturn the referendum. And remain supporters did not like the party’s stance either, she says. |
| She says it did not help that people in the party were saying different things. | She says it did not help that people in the party were saying different things. |
| And she says it was “really bad” that Labour could not even say it would campaign for its own Brexit deal. | And she says it was “really bad” that Labour could not even say it would campaign for its own Brexit deal. |
| She says Labour needs to scrutinise the government, and make sure it does not water down standards. | She says Labour needs to scrutinise the government, and make sure it does not water down standards. |
| And she says businesses will need support. They have been preparing for the worst, she says. But smaller businesses do not have the resources to prepare, especially firms in the supply chain. Labour should be demanding the government support these firms, she says. | And she says businesses will need support. They have been preparing for the worst, she says. But smaller businesses do not have the resources to prepare, especially firms in the supply chain. Labour should be demanding the government support these firms, she says. |
| Rebecca Long-Bailey is now taking questions. | Rebecca Long-Bailey is now taking questions. |
| Q: This room isn’t full. Are you worried that your campaign is not going as well as you hoped? | Q: This room isn’t full. Are you worried that your campaign is not going as well as you hoped? |
| Long-Bailey does not accept this. She says she has got some of her finest supporters in the room this morning. | Long-Bailey does not accept this. She says she has got some of her finest supporters in the room this morning. |
| It is a long campaign, she says. And she did not have a campaign ready to go. She was concentrating on trying to win the election. | It is a long campaign, she says. And she did not have a campaign ready to go. She was concentrating on trying to win the election. |
| She says she thought members would go through a grieving process. But she is standing to tell people that their ambitions are not wrong. | She says she thought members would go through a grieving process. But she is standing to tell people that their ambitions are not wrong. |
| Q: Do you only see a path to power outside parliament? | Q: Do you only see a path to power outside parliament? |
| She says Labour will only get into power if it has a strong membership. She wants to have 1m members. And she thinks the party needs a more robust media strategy. | She says Labour will only get into power if it has a strong membership. She wants to have 1m members. And she thinks the party needs a more robust media strategy. |
| The government wants Labour to be seen as the establishment, she says. It would like Labour to go down the route of “shiny suit wearing”, so they can tell Labour voters the party is unrepresentative. | The government wants Labour to be seen as the establishment, she says. It would like Labour to go down the route of “shiny suit wearing”, so they can tell Labour voters the party is unrepresentative. |
| Long-Bailey says Tories want to portray Labour as an establishment, “shiny suit wearing” party. | Long-Bailey says Tories want to portray Labour as an establishment, “shiny suit wearing” party. |
| She says parliament has to have a role in giving power away. She wants the nations and regions to be given far more power. | She says parliament has to have a role in giving power away. She wants the nations and regions to be given far more power. |
| She says they also need to define what the role of the government is. She supports a written constitution, so that every decision a government makes should be based on how much it improve’s people’s lives. | She says they also need to define what the role of the government is. She supports a written constitution, so that every decision a government makes should be based on how much it improve’s people’s lives. |
| Long-Bailey is now winding up. | Long-Bailey is now winding up. |
| Long-Bailey says she can do details and big vision. | Long-Bailey says she can do details and big vision. |
| Long-Bailey cites Falmouth as an example of a place where Labour should have promoted its green industrial revolution more effectively. | Long-Bailey cites Falmouth as an example of a place where Labour should have promoted its green industrial revolution more effectively. |
| Long-Bailey turns to the need for a green industrial revolution. She says she is “sad” that this did not feature more in the party’s campaign during the general election. | Long-Bailey turns to the need for a green industrial revolution. She says she is “sad” that this did not feature more in the party’s campaign during the general election. |
| Long-Bailey says Labour has to tell a “concrete story” about how this plan would help communities. | Long-Bailey says Labour has to tell a “concrete story” about how this plan would help communities. |
| Long-Bailey says Labour has to tell a credible story about how it will help people improve their lives. | Long-Bailey says Labour has to tell a credible story about how it will help people improve their lives. |
| Long-Bailey says Britain needs a democratic revolution. | Long-Bailey says Britain needs a democratic revolution. |
| Long-Bailey says she would be more “robust” with the media. | Long-Bailey says she would be more “robust” with the media. |
| Long-Bailey says she wants to empower members. The least they can do is give them open selections, she says. | Long-Bailey says she wants to empower members. The least they can do is give them open selections, she says. |
| She says she has heard the criticism about how the party should be focusing on getting rid of Tory MPs, not Labour ones. But having empowered members will allow the party to get rid of Tory MPs, she says. | She says she has heard the criticism about how the party should be focusing on getting rid of Tory MPs, not Labour ones. But having empowered members will allow the party to get rid of Tory MPs, she says. |
| Long-Bailey says she thinks she is the only candidate to have worked out a path to power. It has four elements. | Long-Bailey says she thinks she is the only candidate to have worked out a path to power. It has four elements. |
| To win again, Labour has to look like the party of the workers, she says. She says under her leadership it will back workers in every strike and every dispute against unfair employers. | To win again, Labour has to look like the party of the workers, she says. She says under her leadership it will back workers in every strike and every dispute against unfair employers. |
| She says it will fight any further Tory attempt to restrict the unions. | She says it will fight any further Tory attempt to restrict the unions. |
| She says she has been wearing a “love unions” badge this week, because it is the love unions week. She says she was the only candidate on Newsnight wearing the badge. | She says she has been wearing a “love unions” badge this week, because it is the love unions week. She says she was the only candidate on Newsnight wearing the badge. |
| In her speech Long-Bailey has just quoted Tony Blair. In his introduction to the 1997 he said that the Labour party was the political arm of the British people, she says. She says he was right. | In her speech Long-Bailey has just quoted Tony Blair. In his introduction to the 1997 he said that the Labour party was the political arm of the British people, she says. She says he was right. |
| Long-Bailey has tweeted a link to extracts from her speech. | Long-Bailey has tweeted a link to extracts from her speech. |