By election results live: Tories ‘doomed to lose power’ without change of course, warns Lord Frost
Rishi Sunak should ditch green policies, says Tory peer
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Rishi Sunak is “doomed to lose power” if he does not change course ahead of the next general election, a Conservative peer has said.
Lord David Frost, the former Brexit negotiator, pointed to Labour’s defeat in Uxbridge and South Ruislip as evidence green policies are not popular as he called on the prime minister to ditch net zero goals.
In a direct rebuke of Mr Sunak’s five priorities for government, Lord Frost argued that the Tories’ two by-election defeats showed that “sticking to the plan” was not working.
The peer, who supported Liz Truss’s leadership campaign and has announced he will stand as an MP, said Mr Sunak needed to give the public “something to vote for” as he called for tax cuts.
“Getting inflation down is important but won’t be enough,” he wrote in The Daily Telegraph. “There is still time to change course, but it is running out.”
Elsewhere, Keir Starmer is delivering a speech to his party’s national policy forum this morning following, with Ulez and the controversial U-turn on child benefits police are likely to be discussed over the weekend.
Pictures: By-elections up and down the country
Lib Dems celebrate fifteenth MP joining the fray
The Liberal Democrats won the seat of Somerton and Frome in the by-election.
The party tweeted: “A huge congratulations and warm welcome to our 15th and newest MP, @SarahDykeLD.
“We know you’ll be a fantastic champion for Somerton and Frome.”
Inside ‘quasi-prison’ barge set to house 500 migrants - as we go on board for the first time
With bunk beds, metal fencing and cabins for six people, Lizzie Dearden reports from the controversial Bibby Stockholm.
The accommodation barge will house up to 500 asylum seekers and is not a prison but does impose restrictions on how guests can come and go.
Calculations by The Independent show that, at full capacity, each asylum seeker will have less living space than an average car parking bay, even when taking shared spaces and outdoor courtyards into account.
What is now the make up of Parliament after the by-elections?
It is a net loss of two seats for the Conservative Party after Thursday’s by-elections but the Tories did unexpectedly manage to hang on to Uxbridge and West Ruislip.
It now means the make up is:
- Conservative: 353 -2
- Labour: 196 +1
- SNP: 44
- Liberal Democrat: 15 +1
- DUP: 8
- Plaid Cymru: 3
- Alba Party: 2
- SDLP: 2
- Alliance: 1
- Green Party: 1
- Reclaim Party: 1
- Independents: 16
- Sinn Fein: 7 - although the MPs do not take their seats in Parliament
Live: Canada’s Finance minister speaks at Aspen Security Forum
Watch live as Canada’s deputy PM Chrystia Freeland speaks at Aspen Security Forum.
Government minister labelled ‘silly sod’ after Inbetweener’s comparison
Sir Keir Starmer has labelled a Government minister a “silly sod” who will “soon be history”, after Johnny Mercer compared the party’s new 25-year-old MP to a character from cult Channel 4 comedy The Inbetweeners.
The minister for Veterans’ Affairs said Keir Mather had been “dropped into” the Selby and Ainsty constituency and “spouted identikit Keir Starmer lines”, after earlier stating: “We don’t want Parliament to become like The Inbetweeners.”
The Labour leader hit back at Mr Mercer in Selby on Friday, as he celebrated the by-election victory alongside Mr Mather and deputy leader Angela Rayner.
Strolling along the pitch at Selby Town Football Club and surrounded by media, Sir Keir told the new MP: “There was some silly sod on the radio, on the television last night saying you were only 25.
The comments were picked up by an ITV camera crew and Sir Keir can be heard saying: “But the answer is, you’re 25 and you’ve made history and he’s whatever age he is and he’ll soon be history.”
Mr Mather will become the youngest MP in the Commons - the Baby of the House - after overturning a 20,137 Conservative majority to win the North Yorkshire seat for Labour.
The Inbetweeners, which aired in the late 2000s, follows four friends at school who end up in awkward and embarrassing situations as they try to enter adulthood.
Explaining his comments to Sky News on Friday, Mr Mercer said: “I think this synthetic outrage, identikit Labour politician is the opposite of what people like me came into politics for.
“He’s been at Oxford University more than he’s had a job, right? So if you can really apply that to the empathy required to understand what it’s really like in this country at the moment, in terms of the cost of living and all these experiences of these people he’s trying to represent.
“Personally, I don’t think that is conducive to good electoral representation and I’m more than entitled to have that view.”
What do Uxbridge voters think of Boris Johnson?
ICYMI, this is what Uxbridge had to say about their departing MP.
Home Office denies barge housing asylum is ‘floating prison'
The Home Office has denied its barge housing asylum seekers is a “floating prison” and said the people on board would be “free to come and go as they want”.
Gardening in nearby allotments and hiking tours of the area are among the activities which could be offered to some 500 migrants set to board the giant vessel now berthed on the most southerly point of Dorset’s Jurassic Coast.
Officials were keen to stress efforts the department had made to allay the concerns of people in Portland - a small island with a population of about 13,600 people - as they led a press tour of the vessel on Friday.
Deputy director for asylum accommodation Leanne Palk disputed claims made by campaigners about the facilities.
She said: “It isn’t a floating prison.
“People are free to come and go as they want, but we do have this secure fence line in place just so that people don’t wander around the port.
“It is a working port and we need to keep the safety of the asylum seekers on board the vessel at the heart of everything we do.”
Ms Palk said it was unlikely asylum seekers would leave the barge and never come back, adding: “They’ve got a vested interest in having their asylum claim processed.”
The offending comment
Here is how Labour’s newest MP was called an ‘Inbetweener’ by a Tory.
From our Instagram:
Recap: Sadiq Khan needs to ‘reflect’ on Ulez, Starmer says
Sir Keir Starmer has said that London mayor Sadiq Khan needs to “reflect” on the plan to extend London’s ultra-low emission zone following the Tory by-election win in Uxbridge & South Ruislip.
The Labour leader blamed the transport policy as “the reason we didn’t win there”.
“We know that. We heard that on the doors. We’ve all got to reflect on that, including the mayor. We’ve got to look at the result. The mayor needs to reflect. And it’s too early to say what should happen next.”
Mr Khan said he was “disappointed” at the Uxbridge result but said that pressing ahead with the Ulez expansion was the right thing to do.
“It was a difficult decision to take. But just like nobody will accept drinking dirty water, why accept dirty air?”
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments