Labour confirms new leader will be named on 12 September – Politics live
|
Version 0 of 1. 4.40pm BST16:40 Afternoon summary Andrew Sparrow Our challenge now is to use this time to listen and learn, to elect a new Leader and Deputy Leader who will rebuild the Labour Party in order to take the fight to this Tory Government and to stand up for Britain. This contest will be run under the new rules we agreed last year: a broad and open contest with one person, one vote. We want as many people as possible to take part. More than 30,000 new members have joined the party in the last few days and I hope many more members and supporters will take this opportunity to have their voice heard. Unions will have until the middle of August to get their members to agree to become affiliated Labour members if they want to take part. The new leader will be announced on Saturday 12 September. This timetable is something of a compromise; calls for a swift contest have been dismissed, but the election will not take as long as those wanting it dragged out to the party conference, or beyond, hoped. (See 4.17pm.) That’s all from us for today. Thanks for the comments. Updated at 4.53pm BST 4.17pm BST16:17 Labour announces timetable for leader and deputy leader elections As expected (see 11.47am), Labour’s national executive committee has decided that the Labour leadership contest should run until the result is announced at a special conference on 12 September, two weeks before the main Labour conference. Here is the full timetable. Friday 15 May Election Period Opens Monday 8 June PLP Nomination Hustings for Leader Tuesday 9 June PLP Nomination Hustings for Deputy Leader Tuesday 9 June PLP Nominations Open 12 noon Monday 15 June PLP Nominations (Leader) Close 12 noon Wednesday 17 June PLP Nominations (Deputy Leader) Close Wednesday 17 June Hustings period opens 12 noon Friday 31 July Supporting Nominations Close 12 noon Wednesday 12 August Last date to join as member, affiliated supporter, or registered supporter Friday 14 August Ballot mailing despatched 12 noon Thursday 10 September Ballot closes Saturday 12 September Special conference to announce result Updated at 4.41pm BST 4.12pm BST16:12 The Prince Charles “black spider” letters have just come out. My colleague Jamie Grierson is covering their release on a separate live blog. 4.09pm BST16:09 For Labour, Stephen Bush’s analysis of in the New Statesman of how hard it would be for the party now to win a majority will be deeply depressing. The whole article is well worth reading, but here’s an extract. To secure a majority of one, Labour now needs a swing of 8.75 percent across the United Kingdom, analysis passed to the New Statesman has revealed. The analysis – which brings together the vote shares, turnout figures and majorities for the seats that would be easiest for Labour to take, highlights the challenge to Labour if it is to return to office in 2020. The document is not a target seat list but would form the beginnings of one. In, Cleethorpes, the seat that on a uniform swing would deliver a Labour majority of one, Labour trails by 7893 votes. In the equivalent seat in 2010, Norwich North, Labour was just 3901 votes behind, and would have required a mere 4.6 per cent national swing to deliver the seat into the party’s hands. An equivalent swing now would see Labour win just 39 seats ... In Labour’s lowest-hanging targets in 2010, the party now faces an uphill task in 2015. North Warwickshire, the party’s number one target, now has a Conservative majority of 2973, up from 54. Just one of Labour’s top ten targets, Thurrock, has a Tory majority of under a thousand. Even in Thurrock, the majority has increased from 92 to 536. To win a majority of ten, Labour would have to win Harlow, Shipley, Chingford & Woodford Green, Filton & Bradley Stoke, Basingstoke, Bexleyheath & Crayford, Kensington, Rugby, Leicestershire North West, Forest of Dean and Gillingham & Rainham. Of those ten, four – Chingford, Kensington, Filton & Bradley Stoke and Basingstoke – have never been won by Labour at any point in its history. All are Conservative-held. 3.51pm BST15:51 Severin Carrell Nicola Sturgeon is likely to have her first face to face meeting with David Cameron later this week where she plans to insist the prime minister honours the hefty mandate the Scottish National party won last Thursday. The SNP leader told MSPs she will “argue for the protection of the vulnerable against deeper welfare cuts, we will seek to defend our human rights protections, to halt further privatisation of the NHS and to safeguard the UK’s place in Europe.” But her statement, which was short on any detail about specific policies, also added to the confusion over what the Scottish government wants to do with the Smith commission proposals to allow Scotland to control income tax, and when. On Monday, the SNP Westminster leader Angus Robertson said he expected to see the Tory government enact the Smith powers first and then meanwhile build on them to agree further powers later this parliament. Some 36 hours later, Sturgeon appeared to contradict Robertson. She implied she wants the Smith powers reviewed first with a new process in Scotland, telling MSPs Cameron “must now agree with us a process that looks again at the Smith commission proposals, with a view to extending devolution even further. That must be a process that is made in Scotland – and one that involves wider Scottish society.” Claiming that last week’s SNP election victory was of “truly historic proportions”, she said the SNP won the largest number of votes for one party in Scottish history, while the proportion of Tory votes cast was their lowest since 1865. So, it seems to me that the Conservatives now have a clear choice. They can ignore the voice of the Scottish people and carry on regardless, as if nothing has happened, and let people draw their own conclusions about the ability of Westminster to respond to Scottish opinion. Or, alternatively, they can choose to demonstrate that Westminster does listen and that it is capable of serving Scotland better. 3.48pm BST15:48 Christian Wolmar, the transport journalist, has also “announced” he is seeking the Labour nomination for London mayor. Actually, he announced this some years ago, but it would seem unfair to leave him out. Besides, he is saying today that he is “firmly” announcing. Here’s his website. And here’s what he said. After 3 years of grassroots campaigning and over 2,000 miles of cycling, I’m delighted the process has finally opened! I firmly announce my intention to seek the Labour Party candidacy to be Mayor of London. I look forward to announcing my manifesto ideas next week. These have been developed by listening to the ideas of Londoners from every walk of life and all corners of the city. The capital needs a Mayor who puts communities back at the centre of decision making and who tackles the affordability crisis before it becomes too late. That’s why my campaign will be based on three key areas: making London more affordable, liveable and sustainable. 3.35pm BST15:35 Diane Abbott launches bid to be Labour's candidate for London mayor The Labour MP Diane Abbott has also formally launched her bid to be Labour’s candidate for London mayor in 2016. She said: Hard times call for a campaigning mayor. Now more than ever our city needs a mayor who will stand up for the interests of those increasingly left behind. But, as the MP for Hackney, I have always worked to bring all our communities together. And that is the kind of mayor that I will be. Above all, I will be the genuinely independently minded mayor that London needs. Updated at 4.11pm BST 3.29pm BST15:29 Yvette Cooper to announce leadership bid on Today programme tomorrow, I hear. Burnham next week. 3.27pm BST15:27 Police looking into allegation of fraud in Thanet South Police are looking into an allegation of electoral fraud in Thanet South, the seat which Ukip’s Nigel Farage failed to win at the general election, the Press Association reports. Farage lost out to the Conservatives’ Craig Mackinlay who racked up 18,838 votes to Mr Farage’s 16,026. A Kent Police spokesman said: “Kent Police has received a report of electoral fraud. Inquiries are ongoing.” Claims of suspicious behaviour surfaced following a lengthy delay in declaring the seat’s results at Margate’s Winter Gardens. Then the Twitter hashtag #thanetrigged gained momentum when Ukip claimed victory in the local council election, with the party taking control of the authority. Some users said that Ukip’s local council triumph so soon after Farage’s defeat pointed to suspicious behaviour in the parliamentary contest. 3.20pm BST15:20 Farage and Carswell fail to agree whether Ukip should accept £650,000 in Short money Nigel Farage, the Ukip leader, and Douglas Carswell, Ukip’s only MP, have had a meeting today to try to resolve their row about whether or not to accept £650,000 in Short money from the parliamentary authorities. Judging by the statement the party has just issued, they failed to reach agreement. Here it is in full (one sentence). Nigel Farage met with Douglas Carswell this afternoon and there’s ongoing discussion about how best to represent four million Ukip voters in a way that is sensible and correct. 3.13pm BST15:13 Farron says Tory anti-extremism plans 'as Orwellian as New Labour's ID card system' Tim Farron, the Lib Dem MP, told the World at One that the government’s plans for disruption orders (see 9.09am) were “as Orwellian as New Labour’s ID card scheme”. The anti-extremism orders, first of all they are very wooly – what on earth do they mean? Who is an extremist? There are probably tens of thousands of people listening to this programme who will wonder whether or not they are an extremist for their political views, because of their religious faith or expression of it ... If you make people into martyrs by persecuting them for expression of views and opinions, then you create a much worse situation. These are clearly not proposals brought in by David Cameron in order to solve that problem, they are a continuation of last week’s general election narrative which is about trying to maintain support for one or other party on the basis of fear of the other ... If you continue to play politics on the basis of division - fear of people who are different to you - then you will make this problem far worse ... This is as authoritarian and as Orwellian as New Labour’s ID card system which we got rid of five years ago. Farron also refused to say whether or not he was running for the Lib Dem leadership, saying he was still taking soundings. 3.03pm BST15:03 Sturgeon says she hopes to meet Cameron this week Nicola Sturgeon, the Scotland’s first minister, has been addressing the Scottish parliament following the general election. She said she hoped to meet David Cameron later this week to discuss the SNP’s demands for more powers for Scotland. .@NicolaSturgeon hopes to meet @David_Cameron this week on new powers & public spending: #FM commends Smith plans but wants new devo review .@NicolaSturgeon says UK govt must revisit Smith powers "with a view to extending devolution even further" #GE2015 #devomore .@NicolaSturgeon says that if PM means what he says about respecting outcome of election, he must look at extending devolution. We are now no wiser about what @theSNP wants & when after @NicolaSturgeon statement on #GE2015 & her meeting with @David_Cameron 2.53pm BST14:53 Sadiq Khan announces he wants to be Labour's candidate for London mayor Sadiq Khan, the former shadow justice secretary, has announced that he is standing to be Labour’s candidate for mayor of London. The son of a bus driver, Khan told the Evening Standard he wanted to lead London in a very different manner from Boris Johnson. For the last eight years you’ve seen a red carpet mayor, somebody who is fantastic going to openings, great with a flute of champagne in his hands,” he said in an interview with editor Sarah Sands. I’d rather roll up my sleeves and fight for all Londoners ... I want to be seen as Mr London — as an exemplar of the best of London. A working class boy done good. 2.25pm BST14:25 Equalities minister Caroline Dinenage says she now backs gay marriage Caroline Dinenage, the Conservative MP for Gosport, voted against gay marriage two years ago. But yesterday she was appointed equalities minister and, following a controversy about her appointment, she has performed her first U-turn. She is now in favour. To all the others I want to be clear - I support equal marriage & I'm fully committed to advancing the cause of LGBT equality moving forward 1.56pm BST13:56 The former Lib Dem MP David Howarth has been in touch to say it was the last Labour government that exempted royal correspondence from the Freedom of Information Act, not the coalition. (See 12.48pm.) The measure was included in the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010. Howarth says he spoke out against it at the time. Those provisions came into force in 2011. 1.39pm BST13:39 Channel 4 News’s Michael Crick tried asking Prince Charles about his letters today. He did not get very far. Updated at 1.41pm BST 1.35pm BST13:35 Alex Salmond appointed SNP's foreign affairs spokesman Talking of Alex Salmond, he has got a new job. Angus Robertson, the SNP leader at Westminster, has been reshuffling his team and has made him foreign affairs spokesman (which does not as yet, we think, cover relations with England.) Delighted to confirm that @theSNP Foreign Affairs spokesperson at Westminster will be @AlexSalmond #SNP Salmond indicates this means he will lead for the SNP on the EU referendum legislation. A key SNP demand is to insert a lock that would ensure the UK only left the EU if all four nations of the UK voted in favour. Delighted to accept the appointment from @ARobertsonSNP as @theSNP's Foreign Affairs spokesperson at Westminster. Foreign affairs - especially Europe - will be among the dominating issues in this parliament. Promoting Scotland's cause in the international arena is a key priority for @theSNP And here are the other appointments Robertson has announced today. Delighted to confirm that @theSNP Economy spokesperson at Westminster will be @StewartHosieSNP #SNP Delighted to confirm that @theSNP Work and Pensions spokesperson at Westminster will be @EilidhWhiteford #SNP Delighted to confirm that @theSNP Justice and Home Affairs spokesperson at Westminster will be @joannaccherry #SNP 1.22pm BST13:22 David Cameron is not the only politician who has defended Prince Charles’s right to write private letters to ministers. In his memoir of the referendum campaign, The Dream Shall Never Die, Alex Salmond, the former Scottish first minister, also speaks up for the Prince. From time to time, stories surface in the UK press about how Prince Charles writes to government ministers and how terrible that is. Well, he does indeed write and has views on all sorts of subjects - and it’s not terrible at all. Indeed, most of his opinions are pretty sensible, and ministers can either accept or reject them as they wish. 1.13pm BST13:13 Here’s a Guardian article from Joshua Rozenberg explaining how the supreme court decided it was entitled to override a ministerial veto and order the release of Prince Charles’s “black spider” memos. And here’s an extract. At issue was section 53 of the 2000 act, which allows a minister to certify that he has formed the opinion, “on reasonable grounds”, that a government department is entitled to refuse a request for disclosure. The question for the supreme court was whether the attorney general’s certificate could override the decision in [Guardian journalist Rob Evans’] favour from the upper tribunal, a court of equal status to the high court. [Lord] Neuberger, for the majority [on the supreme court], got round the attorney’s veto by saying that the common law imposes limits on the definition of “reasonable grounds” so as not to undermine the principle that the decisions of the courts are binding. EU law, which also applied, was even more clear-cut, he added. [Lord] Wilson, by contrast, said his colleagues should have resisted the temptation to uphold the decision of the upper tribunal against the attorney’s veto, even though the government had never appealed against the tribunal’s decision. 12.48pm BST12:48 No 10 lobby briefing - Summary Here are the key points from the Number 10 lobby briefing. UPDATE AT 1.56PM: I’ve amended the penultimate sentence above because it was Labour that passed the bill to exempt the Queen and Prince Charles’s letters from the FoI Act, not the coalition, although the new rules came into force in 2011. See 1.56pm. Vocal or active opposition to fundamental British values, including democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect and tolerance of different faiths and beliefs. We also include in our definition of extremism calls for the death of members of our armed forces, whether in this country or overseas. David Cameron’s hopes for a far-reaching overhaul of Britain’s relationship with the EU were dealt an early setback on Tuesday when Germany said the UK’s partners would not be rushed into changing the bloc’s treaties to meet its reform demands. In a sign of a broader distrust of London’s motives, Wolfgang Schäuble, Germany’s finance minister, also lashed out at George Osborne’s “silly” and “unnecessary” record of intervening over the eurozone crisis. Many in Brussels believe London intentionally sought to undermine monetary union, Mr Schäuble noted. Updated at 2.00pm BST 12.02pm BST12:02 No 10 says FoI legislation could be amended to make it easier for ministers to veto release of information Andrew Sparrow I’m just back from the Number 10 lobby briefing. Here is the top line. I will post a summary with more on this, and some of the other lines from the briefing, shortly. UPDATE: I’ve changed this from “planning to amend” to “considering amending” because Number 10 stress a final decision has not been taken, and that there would be widespread consultation first. Updated at 1.02pm BST 11.54am BST11:54 A tantalising tweet from the Guardian’s political editor: For those in search of the #EdStone I have the first clue. It is in a garage in South London under lock adnd key. More follows. Updated at 1.05pm BST 11.47am BST11:47 Labour will announce new leader on 12 September, reports say The Press Association is reporting that Labour’s national executive committee will choose a shorter leadership campaign, meaning the winner would be in place by the party conference at the end of September. Balloting is expected to open in mid-August, leaving three months for campaigning by the candidates, with the results announced on 12 September. Here’s the PA report: The timetable for electing Ed Miliband’s successor is expected to see the Labour Party’s new leader announced in mid-September. The party’s ruling national executive committee meets later to make a decision, but sources have told the Press Association that the new leader is set to be announced on September 12. Balloting is expected to open in mid-August, leaving three months for campaigning by the candidates. Announcing the new leader on September 12, a day before the TUC Congress opens, would mean he or she would address the Labour Party conference at the end of September already in place. Another option would be an earlier campaign, with the winner announced in mid-August, or a later date at the end of September. It is understood that the executive will plump for the September 12 date. A Labour spokesman said the NEC would have “full discretion” in deciding the timetable for the election, taking into account the opinions of members, constituency Labour parties, the shadow cabinet and Parliamentary Labour Party. Shadow business secretary Chuka Umunna and shadow health minister Liz Kendall have both confirmed they will stand in the election, with others tipped to join the race including shadow education secretary Tristram Hunt, shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper and shadow health secretary Andy Burnham. Meanwhile, Walthamstow MP Stella Creasy has indicated she is open to putting her name forward for the position of deputy leader of the party - setting up a potential tussle with Tom Watson, the party’s former deputy chairman. Updated at 12.06pm BST 11.38am BST11:38 If you’re interested in the row over Ukip’s short money windfall (see 7.51am) and want to delve a bit deeper, Faisal Islam of Sky News has tweeted a spreadsheet showing how much each party has received in the last five years. The total bill to the taxpayer for the last full parliamentary session was just over £7m. Here are short money payments over past 5 years, HoC spreadsheet: Now bad for LDs, not good for Lab, vg for SNP/UKIP pic.twitter.com/bTDA994RnW If you want a full explainer about short money, and why and how it’s paid, the House of Commons has a pdf document available here. 11.23am BST11:23 The British press’s hunt for the “Ed stone” has piqued the interest of the New York Times, which carries a story in the vein of “look at those crazy Brits”. Reporting how the Mail is offering a case of champagne for information leading to its discovery, and the Sun having set up a dedicated hotline. the NYT goes on to say: Much of the hunt and the ridicule surrounding the stone are being driven by the conservative news media, which was seen as critical to the Conservative victory. But many Labour supporters and candidates were also harsh. John Mann, a Labour member of Parliament, told the BBC that the minute he saw the slab, “I just shrugged my shoulders; I couldn’t believe it.” Meanwhile, Daniel Finkelstein of the Times (of London – as the NYT calls it) says the destruction of the stone would be “an act of historical vandalism”. I (genuinely) think it would be an act of historical vandalism if they destroyed the Ed stone http://t.co/46Xp7cuPhR 10.58am BST10:58 You can read all today’s Guardian politics stories here. And here are three articles in other papers I found interesting. David Cameron floated the option of making Boris Johnson culture secretary in discussions before his cabinet reshuffle as he tried to lock the London mayor into a government role. Mr Cameron completed his appointments yesterday, handing junior ministerial posts to former rebels from both wings of the party. The prime minister failed, however, to persuade Mr Johnson to renege on a commitment to serve out his term as London mayor in 2016 before taking a ministerial post. A Downing Street spokesman conceded that there had been “some discussions” between Mr Cameron and Mr Johnson over the culture job at the weekend but insisted that no formal offer was made as the two men discussed what part he should play in the Conservative-only administration. Most people in this country — and particularly those willing to vote for a centre-right prime minister — aren’t that bothered about politics. They are at the office. They have a job. These people know what they think but they don’t particularly want to advertise it. It’s not really anyone else’s business. They’d like people to share their views but they aren’t going to spend a lot of time persuading others. These aren’t shy people. They are sociable, successful, frank. They might be the life and soul of a social occasion. But they don’t have much time for people who sound off. They make the world a better place for themselves, for their families, for their communities and they expect that from others. They admire — quietly — those who make something of themselves. They despair — quietly — of those who expect to take without contributing. They don’t think that talking loudly about equality is the same as being kind. Caring for the vulnerable is a practical not a theoretical issue. They are in touch with the modern world but don’t feel they need to wear a badge saying so. They listen carefully to business leaders without thinking them saints or geniuses. Mr Miliband’s problem was not that he veered too far Left or Right, since Mr Farage and Ms Sturgeon outflanked him on either side, but that he failed to tell a national story that would touch the soul of voters. And so, rather than gaining a mandate to build on the achievements of Blair’s pre-Iraq years, ranging from the Human Rights Act to lifting many children out of poverty, Labour is about to see such pillars demolished. Its mistake was one of political anatomy. In focusing on the converted, rather than all voters, Labour mistook its own navel for the nation’s heart. As Tessa Jowell, one of party’s most experienced campaigners, warns, it must not “retreat into beliefs about what people think without discovering what people really think”. I’m off to the Number 10 lobby briefing now. My colleague Mark will keep an eye on the blog while I’m away. 10.42am BST10:42 Regional unemployment figures Here are the regional unemployment figures. I’ve taken the chart from the Press Association. Region - Unemployment total - change from previous quarter - rate North East - 96,000 - down 7,000 - 7.5% North West - 201,000 - down 28,000 - 5.7% Yorkshire/Humber - 177,000 - up 13,000 - 6.6% East Midlands - 115,000 - no change - 4.9% West Midlands - 178,000 - up 10,000 - 6.4% East of England - 137,000 - down 19,000 - 4.4% London - 285,000 - down 10,000 - 6.2% South East - 197,000 - down 15,000 - 4.2% South West - 119,000 - down 3,000 - 4.3% Wales - 99,000 - no change - 6.7% Scotland - 168,000 - up 19,000 - 6.0% Northern Ireland - 55,000 - up 6,000 - 6.2% 10.29am BST10:29 For the first time in quarter of a century there will be no Sikh MPs in parliament, the Sikh Press Association says. In a press release highlighting this, it says Sikhs comprise about 1% of the population. Chaz Singh, a Sikh Labour candidate who failed to get elected in Devon South West, said: As a first time candidate, I find it hard to believe given that Sikhs are one of the most integrated visible communities in the UK there are no Sikh MPs. Looking at parliament, MPs must mean male, pale and stale. Our parliament does not really represent the society we live in. 10.14am BST10:14 Theresa May suggests migrants rescued in the Mediterranean should be forcibly returned In an article in the Times (paywall) Theresa May, the home secretary, suggests that economic migrants rescued in the Mediterranean should be forcibly returned. Here’s the key quote. I disagree with the suggestion by the EU’s high representative Federica Mogherini that ‘no migrants’ intercepted at sea should be ‘sent back against their will’. Such an approach would only act as an increased pull factor across the Mediterranean — and encourage more people to put their lives at risk. 10.02am BST10:02 Patrick Wintour Conservative officials threatened the BBC with far-reaching reforms, such as changes to the licence fee funding system, if it did not alter the political balance of its coverage of the general election campaign, Tom Baldwin, one of Ed Miliband’s senior advisers, has claimed. Patrick Wintour has written up the full story. Here’s an extract: Baldwin claimed that senior BBC executives and journalists faced repeated threats during that campaign about what would happen if they didn’t change their coverage. Baldwin makes the assertion in a Guardian article, one of the first comments on the much criticised campaign from Ed Miliband’s own team. His claim was roundly rejected by Conservative officials. Baldwin writes: “BBC executives and journalists have told me that there were regular, repeated threats from senior Tories during this election campaign about ‘what would happen afterwards’ if they did not fall into line. He says: “It is a disturbing suggestion that a democratically elected government would seek to stamp on and silence dissent from an independent broadcaster.” Updated at 11.09am BST 9.53am BST09:53 Here is the start of the Press Association story on the employment figures. The new government has been given some good news on the jobs front, with unemployment continuing to fall and a record number of people in work. Official figures showed that unemployment has dipped to a seven-year low of 1.83m, although the latest quarterly cut of 35,000 was the smallest for almost two years. The number of people claiming jobseeker’s allowance fell by 12,600 in April to 763,000, the 30th consecutive monthly reduction. Employment continued to rise, up by 202,000 in the three months to March to more than 31m, the highest since records began in 1971. The UK now has an employment rate of 73.5%, also a record, although for men the figure is even higher at 78.4%. The claimant count has fallen by around 350,000 in the past year, although last month’s 12,600 was the smallest fall since March 2013. Average earnings increased by 1.9% in the year to March, up by 0.2 percentage points on the previous month, giving an average weekly wage of 489. Other data from the Office for National Statistics showed that almost nine million people were classed as economically inactive, including students, those looking after a family, on long-term sick leave or who had given up looking for work. The total was down by 69,000 over the quarter, but little changed compared with a year ago. 9.50am BST09:50 Here’s George Osborne, the chancellor, on the employment figures. Today we see further proof the plan is working with unemployment falling, record numbers of people in work and confirmation that regular pay packets are growing at their fastest in four years, putting more in people’s pockets and stretching family budgets that bit further. With full-time employees making up nearly all of the increase in employment over the past year, this shows we are on the way to our goal of full employment. 9.37am BST09:37 Unemployment down to 5.5%, average earnings up by 1.9% The latest employment figures are out. Unemployment continues to fall. Here is the Office for National Statistics news release. And here is the ONS statistical bulletin, with the full details (pdf). 9.30am BST09:30 This is helpful - a link to an article Alan Travis wrote last October, when Theresa May unveiled plans for extremism disruption orders at the Conservative conference, explaining how they would work. What are May’s new ‘extremism disruption orders’? Why they will put a media gag on non-violent extremists - from Oct http://t.co/6fGWPU0qfx 9.25am BST09:25 Here’s some reaction to Theresa May’s Today interview from journalists and commentators on Twitter. From the journalist Tom Sutcliffe Theresa May struggling to define British values. How about 'living in a country where the government doesn't try to define national values'? From politics.co.uk’s Ian Dunt Worrying interview with Theresa May. She's looking to clamp down on free speech and association, but won't tell us under what conditions. From France Crook, head of the Howard League for Penal Reform John Humphries asked Theresa May on @BBCr4today how you promote British values & enshrine them in law. Simple. The Human Rights Act & ECHR From BuzzFeed’s Tom Chivers in fairness to Theresa May, it is time we had a serious discussion about #britishvalues http://t.co/6Pci951UaQ pic.twitter.com/pRwDX99Bpr From the BBC’s Dominic Casciani Question: How do you define extremism ... and where do you draw the line... between something unpalatable and something illegal? From the Guardian’s Charles Arthur Theresa May interview was laugh-out-loud. "We're a tolerant nation with unclear values and we won't tolerate some undefined difference!!" From the Herald’s Iain Macwhirter Best way to save the boat people is not to save them. Teresa May 9.09am BST09:09 May claims her extremism crackdown will not undermine free speech Theresa May, the home secretary, has given at least two interviews this morning, explaining plans for banning orders and disruption orders that are going to be contained in a new counter-terrorism bill. There is no great surprise about what May wants to do because she set out these ideas, and many others, in a detailed speech in March. But at that stage those were just aspirations for a Conservative-only government, which is not what many people expected. Now these are going to become legislative plans. Here are the key points May made. No they are not. This is a difficult area and it is an area where we do have to be careful about how we draft the legislation to make sure that it does cover what we want it to cover, but still enables free speech to take place. This isn’t an easy measure to bring in, it is something that has to be looked at very carefully. We are very conscious of the need to still maintain that value of free speech. This is a great country to live in, we have a pluralistic society, we are one nation living together. But sadly, there are those who seek to divide us - the extremists of all kinds. There’s Islamist extremism, neo-Nazi extremism, trying to preach hatred and intolerance and challenge the values that underpin our society - values of democracy, tolerance, freedom, the rule of law. What we want to do is ensure that those who are trying to promote that hatred and intolerance, we can deal with them ... What we are proposing is a bill which will have certain measures within it, measures such as introducing banning orders for groups and disruption orders for individuals, for those who are out there actively trying to promote this hatred and intolerance which can lead to division in our society and undermines our British values. These are very often economic migrants, people who have paid criminal gangs to transport them across Africa, to put them into vessels which those criminal gangs know are not sea-worthy. The important thing was to stop them trying to enter Europe in the first place, she said. Updated at 9.10am BST 8.59am BST08:59 Diane Abbott dismisses suggestions Ed Miliband was too leftwing to win In a comment piece for the Guardian this morning Diane Abbott dismisses suggestions that Labour was roundly defeated in the election because Ed Miliband was too leftwing as a “myth”. On the contrary, she says – he was not leftwing enough. Abbott, who stood against Miliband in the 2010 leadership election but got just 7.4% of the vote, says “the fundamental reason why it makes no sense to characterise Miliband’s policies as leftwing is the failure to challenge austerity”. If you strip out the mansion tax and other gimmicks, we made it clear that we were going to match the Tories cut for cut outside protected areas such as education and health. It may have been theresponsible approach, as Balls insisted. But it was scarcely leftwing. Yet commentators and former Labour ministers who are trashing Miliband for his supposed leftism go unchallenged. When the facts don’t fit their theory they ignore them. They dismiss the fact that the majority of the Scottish electorate voted emphatically for a party with clear leftwing policies on, among other things,austerity and scrapping Trident. We are asked to believe that Labour voters in the west of Scotland voted SNP because of a mysterious mystic nationalism. She goes on to say that the vitriol being poured on Miliband by former Labour ministers “perhaps has more to do with a sense of grievance that he did not consult with them enough than any extreme leftism in his policy positions”. Related: If you think Ed Miliband was too leftwing you weren’t paying attention | Diane Abbott Updated at 9.06am BST 8.32am BST08:32 This is Labour’s response to the plans for a counter-terrorism bill unveiled by the government overnight. It is from David Hanson, a shadow Home Office minister. Labour believes much more needs to be done to tackle extremism and our manifesto included new powers to deal with those returning from Syria - which don’t seem to be included in these government proposals. Nor does there seem to be enough to strengthen community-led prevention work that the government cut back during the last Parliament. However we will look at the detail of these proposals. Hundreds of people have returned from fighting with ISIL in Syria and we need proper measures in place to ensure the security agencies and counter terror police have the tools they need to protect the public. Strong powers also need strong checks and balances to ensure they are used appropriately. We will look at the detail of these proposals to ensure these measures are both effective and proportionate. The government were wrong to weaken counter terror powers in the last parliament. And wrong to cut back on community-led work to prevent young people being drawn into extremism in the first place. 8.23am BST08:23 Andrew Sparrow Good morning. I’m taking over from Mark now. On the Today programme Theresa May, the home secretary, has just confirmed that the government will not participate in an EU-wide scheme to take in migrants coming to Europe via the Mediterranean. Tomorrow's front page: May gets tough over fate of Med migrants #tomorrowspaperstoday pic.twitter.com/PaLr5AlhnS Earlier, she also seemed to concede that the government did not have a precise definition of what would count as “extremism” in the proposals for extremism disruption orders. Seems Govt does not yet have a clear definition of when people will be guilty of new offence of extremism/dividing society @BBCr4today I’ll post a proper summary soon. 8.14am BST08:14 Theresa May, the home secretary, is speaking to John Humphrys on Radio 4 now about the government’s plans for new limits on extremists’ activities. We’ll bring you a summary and analysis of what she says shortly. 8.00am BST08:00 Matthew Weaver The government’s tough new plans for tackling terrorism will only address the symptoms of radical Islamism rather than its causes, a counter-extremist expert has warned. Jonathan Russell, political liaison officer at the Quilliam thinktank, likened David Cameron’s plans, which will be outlined at the National Security Council today, to a game of whack-a-mole. The measures are set to include disruption orders to ban extremists speaking in public, and the power to close premises where hatred is preached. Russell said: “I welcome the shift from counterterrorism to focusing on extremism but I still think the measures will tackle the symptoms rather than the causes of the problem.” Speaking on BBC Radio Radio 4’s Today programme Russell said: “The danger here is that we negatively alter the balance here between national security and civil liberties, between counterterrorism and human rights … I don’t think it will tackle radicalisation it won’t change the numbers of people who are attracted to this poisonous ideology and I don’t think it will attack the ideology itself.” Russell called for more measures to tackle extremist ideology head-on. “We need a lot more education in schools and educating our frontline, our teachers, our university lecturers, our prison officers our police forces, to tackle this before it becomes a problem,” he told Today. He added: There is a role for disruption, but my problem is that too often since 9/11 it has looked like whack-a-mole ... We shouldn’t negatively alter the fabric of our society when looking to tackle it. What we need is a lot more focus on engaging with communities, building resilience among our institutions to prevent people getting further on to the curve of radicalisation and addressing the ideology and addressing grievances people might have and providing some really alternatives to our young people, a thousand of whom have been convinced that it is such a good idea that they are willing to travel to Syria to implement it. 7.51am BST07:51 Carswell says he will not challenge Farage for Ukip leadership Ukip’s sole MP, Douglas Carswell, is at the centre of two of the biggest issues facing the party right now: his relationship with former leader Nigel Farage and whether he will accept the £650,000 of taxpayers’ “short money” due to the party since it got 4 million votes in the general election. Carswell clarified both matters on the Today programme earlier. He said he will not be taking the full amount of short money – which is intended to help opposition parties fund its activities without the help of the civil service – and intends to make a decision on how much he needs, not what he is able to claim. “I’m absolutely certain Nigel would see the good sense of this,” Carswell said. Carswell also ruled himself out of challenging Farage for the leadership after his “unresignation” over the weekend. But he stopped short of backing Farage himself, saying: Nigel is party leader … Lots of people could do the job far better than me. I can’t be leader, run Ukip in Westminster, represent my Clacton constituents as well as be a husband and father. 7.37am BST07:37 Morning briefing Mark Smith Good morning and welcome to today’s Politics live blog. You may notice that we’ve said a fond farewell to our special Election 2015 livery and returned to our trusty home as we seek to put the past behind us and move on. We’ll also be returning the blog to its more traditional hours as we transition from election mania to business as usual. I’m Mark Smith, and I’ll be cranking the blog up for Andrew Sparrow, who’ll take you through the lion’s share of the day. You can tweet us @marksmith174 or @AndrewSparrow and we’ll be reading below the line too so please comment away. The big picture I’ve just heard the Today programme discussing whether Labour need to change their colour from red to become more electable. So it’s one of those days … Here are the main political stories around this morning: Today’s diary 9.30am: The new Cameron government is hoping for continued improvement on the employment front as new figures reveal how many people are out of work.10.30am: The Bank of England will deliver its quarterly outlook for the UK economy for the first time since figures showed a sharp growth slowdown at the start of 2015. 12noon: The Labour NEC is meeting at party HQ to decide the timetable for electing Ed Miliband’s successor. We’ll update you with more diary items as they come in. Updated at 8.10am BST |