The Treasury is on the defensive today amid concern over a rise in the cost of government borrowing. Meanwhile, the foreign secretary has outlined a new sanctions regime targeting people smugglers and Liz Truss wants Keir Starmer to stop saying she crashed the economy.
Thursday 9 January 2025 16:00, UK
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Andy Burnham, the mayor of Greater Manchester, has said he’d back a “limited” national inquiry into grooming gangs.
He told the BBC this could compel people to give evidence so “those who may have charges to answer are held to account”.
Mr Burnham said at present, people are not required to give evidence to the review team – with some police officers in the previous Rochdale inquiry refusing to take part.
Local inquiries have ‘limitations’
“There will always be limitations with what you can do with a local review,” the mayor explained.
“The review team could not compel someone to speak to them.
“That is something I couldn’t do at my level.”
Last night, MPs voted down a Conservative amendment attempting to force the government to hold a statutory national inquiry into child grooming gangs.
But speaking to Sky News, safeguarding minister Jess Phillips did not rule out holding one in the future if it is wanted by victims.
By Alix Culbertson, political reporter
Lawyers for Liz Truss have sent a cease and desist letter to Keir Starmer, demanding the prime minister stop saying she “crashed the economy”.
A cease and desist letter demands the recipient immediately stop “unlawful activity”.
It is a serious warning and can be the first step towards starting court proceedings.
They often threaten severe legal actions if the recipient does not cease (stop) and desist (does not repeat).
This could include an application for an injunction – a court order to refrain someone from doing something.
Cease and desist letters normally state what action will be taken and the consequences if the demands are not met.
However, the letter from Liz Truss’s lawyers does not have any threat of legal action, just a request to cease and desist saying she crashed the economy and asks for Sir Keir to “refrain from causing any further damage to our client”.
Sir Keir’s spokesperson has said he’ll keep saying it anyway.
Lord Peter Hendy, the minister for rail, praised Mick Lynch for “doing a good job in difficult circumstances” as he announced his retirement as head of the RMT Union.
Mr Lynch has been a member of the union since 1993, when he worked at Eurostar.
Lord Hendy said: “He’s done a good job in difficult circumstances.
“I wish him well for his retirement and I hope there’s a good successor.
“We need to deal with the people who work on the railways decently and with respect.”
In this extra episode of Electoral Dysfunction, Jess Phillips sits down with Beth and reveals what she has lived through in the past few weeks.
Elon Musk accused the Labour MP of being a “rape genocide apologist”, putting her in the middle of a political storm.
As the safeguarding minister, Jess Phillips also explains what the government is doing to tackle violence against women and girls.
👉 Click here to listen to Electoral Dysfunction on your podcast app 👈
Email us at electoraldysfunction@sky.uk, post on X to @BethRigby, or send a WhatsApp voice note on 07934 200 444.
Elon Musk was “digging deep into historical misogyny” by calling Home Office minister Jess Phillips an “evil witch”, a Labour MP has said.
Sarah Owen, who chairs the Women and Equalities Committee, criticised the tech entrepreneur during a Commons debate on tackling violence against women and girls.
Mr Musk, a key ally of US president-elect Donald Trump, has been critical of Ms Phillips and the UK government after Labour declined a request for a nationally led inquiry into child sexual abuse in Oldham.
‘Most of us have been called something similar’
Ms Owen told the Commons: “We’re about to witness the inauguration of a man as president who openly boasted about grabbing women ‘by the p***y’, enabled by the richest man in the world, Elon Musk, who has on the one hand pretended in the last few weeks to care about victims of sexual violence while on the other targeting and inciting hatred against (Ms Phillips), calling her an evil witch.
“I mean really digging deep into the historical misogyny there, right? Evil witch.
“How long has it been – powerful women that have stood up constantly called witch or something that rhymes with it.
“I’m pretty sure most of us have all been called something similar for standing up to those in power.”
The government is today unveiling plans to sanction people smugglers in order to choke off the funding that supports small boat crossings.
To promote the announcement, the PM has visited the City of London police station to meet with Martin Hewitt, the government’s border security commander, the City of London Police commissioner Pete O’Doherty, and other law enforcement officials.
Sir Keir Starmer described the new sanctions regime for people smugglers as a “very powerful addition to the powers at your disposal”.
As we reported this morning, lawyers for former prime minister Liz Truss have sent a “cease and desist” letter to Sir Keir Starmer, stating his claim she “crashed the economy” with her mini-budget in 2022 is defamatory.
His official spokesman was asked whether the PM stands by the assertion, and the answer was “absolutely”.
“You don’t have to take it from the prime minister,” they added.
“I think you can ask people up and down the country what the impact of previous economic management was on their mortgages, on inflation, and I think you’ll get similar answers.”
Asked whether Sir Keir had plans to moderate his language, his spokesman said simply: “No.”
Mick Lynch’s decision to quit as chief of the RMT rail union is a “significant moment”.
That’s the view of business and economics correspondent Paul Kelso, who says it’s a big deal not just for the union movement, “but more broadly across the political and industrial climate”.
Lynch came to “signifiant prominence” during the rail strikes of 2022, “when the network was repeatedly brought to a standstill”.
He was also very prominent, Paul recalls, when P&O summarily sacked all its British seafarers and replaced them – “a moment when his views chimed with the entire political climate”.
“A thorn in the side of previous governments,” he leaves his post with many things he’s campaigned on now being delivered by Labour.
Chiefly the railways being taken back into public ownership, and pay increases for staff.
Rail strikes were a thorn in the side of the previous Tory governments, as union bosses sought to force them into pay rises and improved conditions for their members.
Few had as much media attention as RMT boss Mick Lynch – who you’ll probably recognise…
‘Time for change’
But it’s now been announced the 63-year-old is retiring after more than three years as general secretary.
He’d been a member since 1993, when he worked at Eurostar.
“Now it is the time for change,” he said.
“This union has been through a lot of struggles in recent years, and I believe that’s only made it stronger despite all the odds.”
Mr Lynch said it was time for a “new generation of workers to take up the fight for its members and for a fairer society”.
The Politics Hub has had one eye on the economy and one eye on foreign policy this morning.
Here are the main things you need to know:
French President Emmanuel Macron is in the UK today for talks with the prime minister, and we’re hoping to bring you some updates on that sometime later this evening.
Politics Hub With Sophy Ridge is also live from 7pm.
Stay with us for more updates and analysis through the afternoon.
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