The government is facing rebellion from its own backbenchers over plans to “criminalise” homelessness. Rebels claim that as many 40 Conservatives – from both the left and right of the party – are unwilling to support the government’s Criminal Justice Bill as is.
Tuesday 2 April 2024 09:25, UK
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By Tim Baker and Alexandra Rogers, political reporters
Rishi Sunak looks to have seen off his backbenchers – at least for now.
The nascent rebellions have gone quiet in the past few weeks and the Commons is in its Easter recess, with MPs returning to Westminster on 15 April.
Time away from parliament normally strengthens – or at least prevents the further collapse – of a prime minister, as MPs disperse back to their constituencies and away from the plot-heavy fug of Westminster.
But a potential flashpoint is looming: May’s local elections.
A particularly bad performance by the Tories could lead to fresh pressure on the PM’s leadership and prove to be the catalyst for a concrete move to oust Mr Sunak.
Sky News explains how Tory MPs could get rid of the PM and – if they are successful – who would likely be in the running to replace him.
Read more below:
Gillian Keegan is now asked about reports that 40 Tory MPs are considering rebelling against plans to “criminalise” homelessness.
The Criminal Justice Bill, which is currently working its way through Parliament, contains provisions to allow police to forcibly move on rough sleepers, among other measures such as “nuisance prevention orders”.
While the government claims it wants to target “nuisance begging” and not general homelessness, charities like Crisis have pointed out the definition provided by the government is broad and includes criteria like sleeping in a doorway, creating “excessive smell”, or someone “looking like they are intending to sleep on the streets”.
This could risk people “being criminalised simply for how they look, or their behaviour appears”.
Ms Keegan says: “The most important thing is to support people who are homeless.”
But should rough sleepers be arrested if they are a “nuisance”?
“Of course if someone is acting aggressively or being a nuisance then that is different,” she says.
Pressed, Ms Keegan admits that people “should not” be arrested if they “smell”, as had been suggested in the bill, adding that the most important matter is getting people off the streets.
She goes on to say that homelessness is “not a lifestyle choice”, agreeing that “a lot of hardship” typically leads to this situation.
“But you do have to get the balance… right.”
The conversation with Gillian Keegan now turns to JK Rowling, who has been backed by the prime minister in her criticism of new Scottish hate crime laws.
The Harry Potter author, who has become a fierce critic of the Scottish government’s stance on transgender rights, dared police to arrest her as the Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Act came into effect yesterday.
Asked if she agrees with Rishi Sunak, Ms Keegan says: “Obviously you shouldn’t be criminalised for stating a fact about biological sex.”
She adds: “I don’t think this law is very fair really.
“Freedom of speech is a very important principle, so being able to say something even though its a contested view is important.”
Ms Keegan says woman are “fed up of being erased from the picture”, adding: “Biological sex does matter.”
She adds that the government will “not be following” Scotland “down that route”.
Education Secretary Gillian Keegan has said she is “very confident” the government’s ambitious free childcare rollout “will be delivered”.
It comes amid warnings that the scheme, which will provide 15 hours of free childcare to the parents of under twos, has not been costed correctly.
Ms Keegan is asked how this will be delivered, as childcare facilities are not required to opt in to the programme.
“Of course the way to make it happen is to ensure that you have an attractive offer,” the minister says.
“So the rates that we’ve offered for two-year-olds and under two-year-olds are about £2 higher on average that most parents pay today.
“It’s very substantial funding that will sustain businesses.”
She says the “biggest risk” to programme is a Labour government, who the minister says would stop it.
On allegations the scheme has not been funded correctly, Ms Keegan says: “We’ve worked with 9,000 businesses to make sure that we’ve got the rates right.
“I’m very confident it will be delivered.”
The conversation with Pat McFadden now turns to JK Rowling, who has been accused of misgendering people on social media.
Should this be an illegal act?
“She shouldn’t be arrested,” Mr McFadden says. “I think she had this arrest me hashtag, she did yesterday.
“She shouldn’t be arrested.”
The Harry Potter author, who has become a fierce critic of the Scottish government’s stance on transgender rights, dared police to arrest her as the Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Act came into effect yesterday.
The new measures aim to tackle the harm caused by hatred and prejudice, extending protections from abusive behaviour to people on grounds including age, disability, religion, sexual orientation and transgender identity.
Asked if he agrees with what she’s doing on social media, Mr McFadden says the author is “entitled to her view”.
On the new law in Scotland, Mr McFadden says: “We will see how this can be enforced.
“This has come into force yesterday after a few years. It looks to me like this might not be an easy passage for it.”
This was a question put to Labour’s Pat McFadden on Sky News this morning.
He was pressed numerous times on the matter, before saying: “If we are selling arms to allies who have abided by international humanitarian law, then that’s something that we would do.”
Does that mean Labour believes Israel is abiding by international law?
Mr McFadden says: “If there is proper legal evidence that they aren’t, the government should come out and say so, we’ve said this all the way through.”
While we were listening in to the prime minister’s local radio round, Labour’s national campaign co-ordinator Pat McFadden was chatting to Sky News.
He was asked about a campaign website launched by Labour today, which claims the Tories have wasted £8.2bn since Rishi Sunak became PM in 2022.
Mr McFadden says: “The point of the Tory chaos, it adds up to many billions of pounds. And by the way, forgive the pun, we’ve been quite ‘small C’ conservative in the way that we’ve calculated this.
“We could have put a lot more in over COVID waste and fraud, we could have put other things in too. The other about it is time.
“All these reshuffles, all these leadership contests, every day spent on that is a day where the government isn’t working for you.”
Mr McFadden is now asked about a new poll suggesting the Conservatives could lose 200 seats in the general election expected later this year.
“We are coming back from a very big election defeat four years ago,” he says.
“We’ve got an enormous mountain to climb, not a single vote has been cast in the election and I know how big a responsibility is to win the trust of the public.
“It’s not something you can tick a box and say, we’ve done that.
“It’s something you have to do every day on public money, on national security, on your fitness to govern. We take that really seriously.
“But not a vote has been cast, and change won’t come to the country unless people vote for it.”
Asked about the resignation of 20 Labour councillors over the party’s position on Israel and Gaza, Mr McFadden says: “I understand why people have got strong feelings on this, but we’ve come a long way under Keir Starmer’s leadership.”
Over to BBC Radio Newcastle, and Rishi Sunak is asked again about his government’s free childcare rollout.
It is put to him that it appears the plan hasn’t been properly thought through, to which the prime minister says: “No, this is a really positive development.”
“This is about supporting families.”
But can Mr Sunak guarantee that everybody who wants a nursery place will be able to get one?
“It’s really important that we took the time to build capacity in the sector,” he says, adding that more people work in nurseries than previously.
“We’ve also cut a lot of the red tape involved in being a childminder.”
Asked about child poverty in the region, the prime minister admits there is “more to do and we should keep going”.
The date of the election is once again the final question.
“I’ve talked about that earlier this year and multiple times,” he says, avoiding answering the query directly.
Kicking off his day in the North East, Rishi Sunak is appearing on a number of local radio breakfast shows – starting with BBC Radio Tees.
He begins his conversation with Amy Oakden on childcare, and is asked how much extra funding the government is willing to provide to avoid “nursery closures and fee increases” if they can’t afford to deliver the government’s childcare extension.
Mr Sunak says: “This is a really positive and exciting moment.”
He adds the free childcare rollout is about giving families “choice”.
“It’s about making sure families can make that choice about juggling childcare and their careers, and we’re in the midst of the biggest expansion of childcare that we’ve seen.”
The prime minister says this plan is “fully funded”.
It is put to Mr Sunak that some nurseries are having to increase rates to fit in with free childcare plans.
“We consulted extensively with the sector,” the prime minister says, adding that this is why it is being rolled out in a “methodical way”.
Did the government consult any nurseries in the North East?
Mr Sunak is unable to directly answer, saying the Department for Education will have taken the lead in this consultation process.
Lastly, the prime minister is asked when the general election will take place.
He laughs, saying he has answered this question “many times”.
Asked why this is funny, Mr Sunak says this announcement will be made in a “formal and official way”.
While the Royal Family have faced a challenging few weeks, our political editor Beth Rigby, Jess Phillips, and Ruth Davidson explore the points where royalty and politics meet, and what the family will say publicly about the state of cancer care following the King and the Princess of Wales’s diagnoses.
Plus, is deputy prime minister Oliver Dowden someone likely to be feeling on top after calling out China-backed cyberattacks and announcing sanctions against two individuals and a company? Beth, Jess, and Ruth discuss the extent of the Chinese threat.
And they go through more of your messages and questions.
Listen here:
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Warning: some explicit language.
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