Wes Streeting will not be paid for his first three months as Defence Secretary to offset his resignation pay-off, despite Housing Secretary Angela Rayner not returning hers.
After Mr Streeting resigned from his role as Health Secretary, he was entitled to a pay-off of £16,876, which is equivalent to three months of a cabinet minister’s salary.
However, the Ilford North MP will not take his ministerial salary during his first three months at the Ministry of Defence, reports HuffPost.
This is in contrast to Angela Rayner, who rejected pleas from the Conservatives to hand back her severance pay, even though the Ashton-under-Lyne MP is under no obligation to do so.
The Housing Secretary said: “No, my severance payment was given to me at the time.
“I’d worked in Government for a period of time, and then I came out of government for just under a year, I think is the timetable, and I’ll be delivering in government again.”
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Andy Burnham’s pledge to ‘pause’ early prison releases dismantled by top Tory: ‘No plan, no scrutiny!’
Gareth Davies has torn into Andy Burnham’s plans to ‘pause’ the early release prison scheme | PA / GB NEWS
Andy Burnham’s plan to pause all early prison releases has been dismantled by Gareth Davies, declaring he has “no plan” and has so far faced “no scrutiny”.
Speaking to GB News, the Shadow Exchequer to the Treasury questioned how the Prime Minister will execute the pause on releases while Parliament is in recess.
Mr Davies argued: “We’re not clear on what this pause is, by the way. How is he going to stop it? It’s a piece of legislation. Is he going to scrap the act? Is he going to change the act? How is he going to do it?
“We’re on recess, it’s not very clear. Nick Timothy on our side has written to his counterpart to ask, we need more detail on how you’re actually going to pause this situation.”
Andy Burnham told John Swinney Scottish independence is ‘off limits’
Prime Minister Andy Burnham told John Swinney Scottish independence was “off limits” in a meeting on Thursday, according to the Scottish Secretary.
The pair met in person for the first time on Thursday ahead of the opening ceremony of the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.
During the meeting, which also included Douglas Alexander and Deputy First Minister Jenny Gilruth, the issue of Scottish independence was raised.
Mr Alexander told the BBC: “I was alongside Andy as we met John Swinney yesterday in Glasgow and so I can see very clearly how the that conversation progressed and, indeed, what it does mean for Scotland.
“Up front, the Prime Minister made clear that independence was off limits…I genuinely believe that we agreed to disagree.
“John Swinney, perfectly honourably, continues to advance the case that he would like to see independence for Scotland – that’s been the cause to which he’s devoted his political life.
“But Andy, in a very reasonable way, was pretty open in saying, ‘listen, respectfully, we’ll agree to disagree on a referendum, and independence is off limits.'”
Angela Rayner admits Labour is on ‘borrowed time’ if party doesn’t move quick enough
Angela Rayner has returned to frontline politics
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Angela Rayner has admitted Labour is on “borrowed time if we don’t get a move on.”
The Housing Secretary, who returned to her role on the frontbench this week, said: “As Prime Minister [Andy Burnham] stood on the streets of Downing Street without notes and spoke directly to the public and said ‘we get it, I get the frustration’.
Addressing Labour’s goal to build 1.5million homes in this parliament, she called it “a really difficult stretched target” but insisted she is not walking away from it.
She told the BBC: “It certainly got more challenging, and we’ve seen things like construction costs go up etc, which has had a real negative impact on that.
“But I’m not dropping it. I’m just saying that it is a really difficult stretched target.”
State pension age could rise sooner for five million workers under Labour proposals
Around five million Generation X workers could see their state pension age pushed back by up to a year under Treasury proposals currently being considered in Whitehall.
The Office for Budget Responsibility has been told that the planned rise in the state pension age to 68, currently scheduled for between April 2044 and April 2046, could instead be brought forward to between 2037 and 2039.
Workers aged between 49 and 55 would be most affected.
Southport killer ‘should not qualify’ for benefits, says Labour minister
It would not be right for Southport killer Axel Rudakubana to qualify for benefits, a minister has said after he was transferred from prison to Broadmoor psychiatric hospital.
Sally Jameson, a junior housing minister and former prison officer, told LBC: “Well, it’s not right, and I sincerely hope that he won’t be qualifying for benefits.
“But actually, fundamentally, what I think is important to note is he will not get time off his sentence, and he will be returned to jail as soon as possible.
“Also, the high security hospitals, they’re not like ordinary hospitals. They are a prison hospital. He will be kept under very stringent conditions, befitting actually to his crime, but also the level of security that needs to be put around him.
“I’m confident that he will be returned to prison as soon as possible and serve out his sentence. I agree that should be under the most punitive and solitary conditions that is possible.”
‘VAT is crucifying the industry’: Pub landlords slam Andy Burnham’s business rate move ‘too little, too late’
Andy Burnham said the business rates change would save the average pub some £1,100 per year | GETTY
Prime Minister Andy Burnham has unveiled a 20 per cent cut to business rates for pubs across England from April 2027, but publicans have warned the measure will do little to prevent more closures.
Downing Street said the change would benefit nearly 32,000 hospitality venues, with the average pub expected to save around £1,100 a year.
Landlords, however, said the relief comes too late to help many struggling businesses, with the sector continuing to face higher employers’ National Insurance contributions, business rates changes and rising wage costs since Labour took office in 2024.
According to Campaign for Real Ale data analysed by The Telegraph, four pubs have been closing every day since January.
Labour hits back at Nigel Farage’s demand for ‘Nightingale’ prisons
A Labour source has hit back against Nigel Farage’s demand to build temporary “Nightingale” prisons on unused Ministry of Defence land within 18 months and deporting the 10,500 foreign nationals in British jails.
Writing in The Express, the Reform UK leader said: “These low-cost, high-security, pre-fabricated prisons will be built on Ministry of Defence land. Disused military barracks could also be converted into jails.
“Those thousands more prison spaces will mean we can make sure that convicted criminals serve their sentences.”
A Labour source responded, telling Politico: “Not sure what a pop-up prison is in the real world.”
Cabinet Office minister says No10 North is ‘sending a message’ to people living outside London
Doncaster Central MP Sally Jameson
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GB NEWS
A Cabinet Office minister has told GB News No10 North is about “sending a message” to people living outside London.
Doncaster Central MP Sally Jameson said: “It’s not about moving everything out of London, its about moving certain aspects out.
“I think it’s a really important Milestone. Andy has shown in Manchester when devolve money into mayors and local authorities you can deliver something incredible.
When asked the benefit of No10 North in Manchester was to someone living in Scarborough, she said: “It’s about sending that message out that decisions are not just made with London in mind.”
Andy Burnham’s BRUTAL Cabinet reshuffle – What really happens behind the doors of Number 10?
As the fallout from Andy Burnham’s sweeping Cabinet reshuffle, our very own Chris Hope has lifted the lid on what happened behind the famous doors of No10.
In this week’s Chopper’s Political Podcast, Chris explores the true machinations behind the scenes which saw Rachel Reeves, David Lammy, Lord Hermer and others booted to the back benches by the former Manchester Mayor.
Joining Chopper to dissect the drama is Lord Hart, Rishi Sunak’s Chief Whip from 2022 to 2024, who oversaw 10 different reshuffles and Caroline Slocombe, the former private secretary for No10 under Margaret Thatcher.
WATCH THIS WEEK’S CHOPPER’S POLITICAL PODCAST HERE.
Andy Burnham to host first No10 North meeting today
Andy Burnham is returning to Manchester today
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PA
Andy Burnham will host the first ever No10 North meeting today as he declared Whitehall’s resistance to devolution is “over for good”.
He will chair a meeting of the National Economic Council, a Cabinet committee first launched in 2008 to respond to economic challenges.
The panel’s attendees will vary according to No10 North meeting agendas and could include business leaders and trade unions, the Government said.
No10 North is housed at Heron House, near Manchester’s Albert Square, a building which is also home to GCHQ’s Manchester and North West hub.
“For 40 years, power and resources have been sucked into the centre, and too many communities have felt forgotten, without the attention and investment they deserve,” Mr Burnham said.