Keir Starmer ignores calls to provide further details on Louise Haigh’s resignation at PMQs. The PM is also facing pressure from rural MPs over controversial inheritance tax changes for farmers. Meanwhile, the Tory leader is visiting the US. Follow for live updates.
Wednesday 4 December 2024 18:40, UK
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As we reported earlier, Sir Keir Starmer has held a meeting in Downing Street with the Emir of Qatar, who is in the UK for a state visit.
We’ve had a readout of the meeting from Downing Street.
A spokesperson said the PM “began by welcoming a significant milestone in the UK and Qatar’s new clean energy partnership, and the initial £1bn commitment made by Qatar”.
On defence, Sir Keir “reflected on the UK’s close cooperation with Qatar and the leaders discussed their ambition to go further to strengthen their unique partnership”.
“Finally, the prime minister commended Qatar’s leadership in mediation in the Middle East, including their role in securing the release of hostages from Gaza,” the spokesperson said.
“He added that we must continue to push for all hostages to be released, including British national Emily Damari.”
In 1993, then Conservative Prime Minister John Major did something even his predecessor Margaret Thatcher considered a step too far – privatised the railways.
Some 30 years later, the decision is regarded by unions as the root cause of problems facing commuters: Rising costs, frequent delays, cuts to services and timetable chaos.
The new Labour government has vowed to return rail journeys to public ownership within five years – naming the first three companies to be nationalised.
But what does that mean for passengers – and crucially – will it reduce fares?
Our political reporter Faye Brown explores those questions, with the help of some expert voices from the industry:
Kemi Badenoch is heading to Washington DC in order to “build relations with the Republican party”.
The Tory leader is reportedly set to have several meetings on Capitol Hill (at the US Congress).
A Conservative Party source would not comment in advance on her schedule, so it is unclear if she will meet Donald Trump or other Republicans.
A Conservative Party motion to scrap the changes to inheritance tax that farmers will pay has been defeated comfortably by Labour.
The result was:
That means there was a majority of 158 against the motion.
If you missed the debate and want to catch up, you can watch it back in full here:
Scotland’s finance secretary has unveiled the nation’s draft budget for the coming year.
Shona Robison set out the Scottish government’s tax and spending proposals for 2025-26 in a speech at Holyrood.
Our Scotland reporter Jenness Mitchell has all the key details of the SNP’s draft budget:
The draft budget will be scrutinised in the Scottish parliament over the coming weeks before an expected vote in February, where the SNP will need to garner support from outside its minority administration for it to pass.
Our weeknight politics show Politics Hub With Sophy Ridge will be live on Sky News from 7pm.
The fast-paced programme dissects the inner workings of Westminster, with interviews, insights, and analysis – bringing you, the audience, into the corridors of power.
After a busy day in Westminster, Sophy will be joined by:
On Sophy’s panel will be:
Watch live on Sky News, in the stream at the top of this page, and follow live updates here in the Politics Hub.
Watch Politics Hub With Sophy Ridge from Monday to Thursday on Sky channel 501, Virgin channel 602, Freeview channel 233, on the Sky News website and app or on YouTube.
By Alix Culbertson, political reporter
Driving test managers are “bullying” examiners into being lenient with learners to reduce the COVID driving test backlog, Sky News has been told.
They have claimed bosses at the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) are encouraging examiners to carry out driving tests in unroadworthy cars, sometimes without valid MOTs, owned by those taking tests, instead of the examiners’ cars.
Managers, they say, are also using a tool that charts different test routes to identify which routes have low test pass rates, with the aim of phasing those routes out in favour of high pass routes.
Some HGV examiners have reported being told to remove more difficult manoeuvres to increase their chance of passing, according to evidence given to parliament’s transport committee by the civil servants union, the Public and Commercial Services union (PSC).
The block booking of tests by unofficial websites is also a major issue, examiners said, as they are using people’s licence numbers without their knowledge to book tests and then charging people up to £600 – instead of the standard £62.
After his weekly session of PMQs, the prime minister headed back to Downing Street to welcome the Emir of Qatar.
Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani has been visiting the UK this week for a state visit, and a banquet was held at Buckingham Palace last night in his honour.
Welcoming the Qatari ruler to Downing Street, Sir Keir Starmer said: “Let me just extend a very, very warm welcome and say it’s a real privilege to be able to welcome you here for your state visit. My first state visit as a prime minister.”
He thanked the Emir for the new investment announced today, as well as his “vital role in difficult issues like the Middle East”.
The Emir thanked the PM for his welcome, and also thanked the King for his “warm hospitality” at the state dinner last night, which was “a celebration of our relationship”.
Of the meeting in Downing Street, he added: “We’re also going to be discussing this crisis in the Gaza, and we’re going to be talking about some details on how to go forward and how to try and put an end to this crisis.”
Scotland’s finance secretary has begun to unveil the nation’s draft budget for the coming year.
Shona Robison is setting out the Scottish government’s tax and spending plans for 2025-26 in a speech at Holyrood.
The MSP previously said the budget will put “the people of Scotland first”.
Ms Robison told the chamber on Wednesday: “This budget invests in public services, lifts children out of poverty, acts in the face of the climate emergency, and supports jobs and economic growth.
“It is a budget filled with hope for Scotland’s future.”
Our Scotland reporter Jenness Mitchell is reporting live as the budget is unveiled – follow the latest at the link below (don’t forget to refresh the page for the latest version).
By Tim Baker, political reporter
It was all aboard the criticise Louise Haigh train at PMQs this week – with Kemi Badenoch going full steam ahead at the “resignation” of Sir Keir Starmer’s first transport secretary.
The juicy morsel of a cabinet minister’s downfall would be enough to invigorate even a political party at an almost unprecedented nadir riled and rowdy – and so it turned out for the Conservatives.
Ms Badenoch – after quickly despatching with routine tributes and well-wishes – straight away asked the PM “what was he thinking” by hiring a convicted fraudster.
The PM mumbled his way through his assurances that Ms Haigh was right to “resign” after “further information” came to light in the wake of the Sky News report on her convictions.
But, quick as his red-haired transport supremo left, Sir Keir fixed his headlights on the Tory leader – that Labour was acting differently in office to the Conservatives by taking quick action.
When Ms Badenoch came back with a traditional Commons’ zinger – “the country needs conviction politicians, not politicians with convictions” – Sir Keir was once again able to harken back to governments past.
He quickly reminded her that two of her predecessors “had convictions” (although technically, the COVID fines received by Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak don’t actually count as convictions).
The dismissal comes to the core of the decision that was made by Ms Haigh to step aside.
Rather than weeks of painful litigation like we saw between Sir Keir and Mr Johnson over partygate and his fine, the plaster was ripped off and the matter likely won’t be featuring again bar new developments.
How shelf stable is Starmer’s blame game?
Away from the open goal of Ms Haigh’s departure from her cabinet station, Ms Badenoch lurched from topic to topic trying to nail down Sir Keir.
First it was immigration, then it was trade unions, then it was tax rises, then it was growth.
To all of these, the prime minister gave a variation of the same answer – how can you have the gall to ask about that when your lot messed it up so badly.
But Labour’s core tactic of blaming past governments is not the most shelf stable
Take, for example, the Sky News interview with restaurateur Tom Kerridge that Ms Badenoch raised.
He endorsed Labour before the election, but has now told Sophy Ridge the new government’s budget is “catastrophic” for hospitality.
Maybe if Ms Badenoch drills down into one issue in future, the prime minister will have to whip up a slightly better response.
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