Politics latest: Rwanda plan resurfaces in unexpected fashion - as MPs offered vote on winter fuel payment cut (2024)

The government is bringing in new laws which will see stiffer penalties for watercompanies and possible jailsentences for their bosses if they don'tdeal with sewage problems.

The environment secretary chaired a meeting attended by the water industry, investors, and campaignerswhere he announced a landmark review into how the industry works.

Niall Paterson spoke to business correspondent Paul Kelso,who was there, for his assessment of what it could meanfor the companies and bill payers.

Plus, as police investigating theGrenfell Tower fire warn it could be at least a year until they hand over evidence to prosecutors, Niall speaksto Chris Daw KC, author of Justice On Trial,on why it is going to take so long for the survivors and bereaved families to get justice.

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Speaking to tonight'sPolitics Hub With Sophy Ridge, former prime minister Sir Tony Blair is asked about an increase of "strong man" or "macho" leaders.

Sir Tony says he is "worried" about the trend - and that it's important to understand why it's happening.

The former leader - who famously proposed a "third way" of UK politics and advocated a centrist position - said the reason for the increase was the lack of a "strong centre that's delivering".

But he defends the centre as not "the mushy middle between left and right", but rather "the place of solutions".

Sir Tony claims politics and political allegiances have become "more fractured" - and this will only continue as technology develops, reducing voters' traditional loyalties to certain parties.

'Solutions beat strongmen'

He says: "The other thing that's going to happen is that people are, if there are grievances, they are going to expect you to deal with them.

"And the centre has got to be the place that you deal with them."

Sir Tony says it is no good to just say various groups are "extreme" and try to manage the problem that way.

"If you want to defeat this sort of strongman populism, they're defeated by the solutions," he says.

Watch the interview in full on Politics Hub With Sophy Ridge tonight at 7pm.

For all of you who thought the Rwanda deportation scheme had been consigned to the aircraft hangar of history, think again.

It now seems the German migration commissioner wants to develop a plan to send illegal migrants to the central African nation.

Joachim Stamp, Germany's special representative for migration agreements, said the EU could even use facilities set up by the last UK government.

Labour cancelled the Rwanda scheme as soon as they entered office.

Mr Stamp's proposal is a suggestion and not a formally adopted policy, as his role is to "provide important new ideas for shaping the external dimensions of migration policy".

Tories spitting feathers

He told a podcast by Table Media: "We currently have no third country that has come forward, with the exception of Rwanda."

He said around 10,000 people could be sent to Rwanda - specifically refugees entering the EU from the east.

Unsurprisingly, ministers who championed the Rwanda scheme, like Chris Philp, are spitting feathers.

He posted on social media: "Germany set to benefit from Labour's cancellation of the Rwanda scheme (which they cancelled before it had even started)."

Labour claimed £700m of taxpayer cash had been spent on the Rwanda scheme when they axed it.

Sir Edward Leigh is the Conservative MP for Gainsborough, where RAF Scampton is based.

As we reported in our previous post, the former military aerodrome has been removed as a location to send asylum seekers - with the new government saying it is not value for money.

Reacting to the news on social media, Sir Edward said declared "victory" - saying a "two-year battle is over".

He added: "We want the full regeneration package to go ahead, and the site not just sold for housing."

According to the local council's website, an agreement had been reached previously for a company to redevelop the site.

An article on the West Lindsey District Council webpage from early 2023 said: "The deal, which will secure over £300 million of investment into the regeneration of the site will preserve, protect and enhance the site by providing aviation heritage, business, aerospace, space and aviation technology and education opportunities."

According to the site, the council was set to buy the RAF property from the Ministry of Defence, before passing it on to Scampton Holdings Limited to develop.

Under the last government, there were plans to use former military bases to house asylum seekers.

One of these was RAF Scampton in Lincolnshire.

However, the decision has now been reversed - despite £60m already being spent on it.

An announcement from the Home Office said opening it as planned this autumn would have cost a total of £122m by the end of its use in 2027, and therefore it "no longer represents value for money".

In a written statement to parliament, the minister for border security and asylum Dame Angela Eagle MP said the cost was "unacceptable".

She also pointed to local community feedback, "highlighting the concerns about the history of the site and alternative development plans."

The site will now be sold off, she added.

By Alix Culbertson, political reporter

The deputy prime minister has said she is unhappy with how long it is taking to remove unsafe cladding from buildings following the Grenfell Tower fire.

Angela Rayner, who is also the housing secretary, said the government "has got to make sure we accelerate remediation" after the final phase of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry was published on Wednesday.

The report blamed "systematic dishonesty" from cladding and insulation firms and "decades of failure" in government and the construction industry for the fire that killed 72 people in June 2017.

Ms Rayner told Sky News' Breakfast with Kay Burley: "The failures were systemic, absolutely everybody - whether it's the regulator, whether it's those who had the materials, whether it's the government, whether it was the council, the tenant management - every single layer failed to recognise and to protect those residents at Grenfell.

"It is absolutely shocking to see that.

"This government has got to make sure that we accelerate remediation.

"I've looked at it, and I'm not happy with the pace of it at the moment."

We've just recently had the news through that a member of the Royal Navy died in a training incident in the Channel overnight.

The fatality came after a helicopter crashed during night flying exercises with HMS Queen Elizabeth.

PM and defence secretary pay tribute

In a statement on social media, Defence Secretary John Healey said: "Dreadful news about the death of one of our Royal Navy personnel in an incident overnight.

"My thoughts are with their family, friends, and colleagues at this difficult time.

"There will be a full investigation into how this accident occurred."

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said: "Deeply saddened to hear of the tragic death of a member of the Royal Navy.

"My thoughts are with the family and loved ones during this painful time.

"I pay tribute to HMS Queen Elizabeth ship's company, particularly those involved in the search and rescue operation."

By Jennifer Scott, political reporter

A backbench Labour MP is considering bringing forward a bill to parliament to "reform our archaic assisted dying laws".

Each year, MPs from across the Commons enter a ballot that gives them a chance to bring forward their own legislation - known asprivate members' bills.

And one of the 20 to get on this year's list is Rother Valley's Jake Richards. The MP, who only won his seat at this summer's general election, posted on X after the results were confirmed to make clear the issue he wanted to pursue.

"Subject to procedure and those ahead of me [on the list], I've made it clear that my first preference for a bill would be to reform our archaic assisted dying laws, working with [campaign group] Dignity in Dying and others," he wrote, adding: "The time has come."

While private members' bills rarely become law, there have been some notable exceptions when the government has got behind them, from legalising abortion through togiving British Sign Language a legal status.

Sky News' deputy political editor Sam Coates and Politico's Jack Blanchard, two of the best-connected journalists in Westminster, are back with their daily guide to the day ahead in politics in under 20 minutes.

They examine the fallout over Priti Patel’s unsuccessful bid to become the next Conservative leader and what it means for the other candidates.

Jack and Sam also dive into the government’s plans to do something about the sewage in our waterways, with proposals being set out to tackle the problem through legislation.

You can now send a WhatsApp message or voicenote to Jack and Sam on 07511 867 633 or email them: jackandsam@sky.uk

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