Reform UK conference – live: Nigel Farage ‘gives up party ownership’ as Keir Starmer’s Sue Gray row deepens

Here are some key timings to keep an eye on today during the Reform Party Conference in Birmingham:

12:15pm: Speech from James McMurdock, MP for South Basildon and East Thurrock

12:30pm: Ann Widdecombe, Reform UK Immigration and Justice spokesperson

12:45pm: Ant Middleton, TV personality and former Special Forces soldier

3pm: Rupert Lowe, MP for Great Yarmouth

3:15pm: Chief whip Lee Anderson 

3:30pm: Deputy Leader Richard Tice

3:45pm: Zia Yusuf, Reform Chairman

4pm: Grand finale speech from party leader Nigel Farage

Nigel Farage’s relationship with former US President Donald Trump is “to the benefit of this country”, Reform Deputy leader Richard Tice has said.

Asked if he thought the party leader was distracted from his constituency duties by his trips to the US, Mr Tice told the PA News Agency: “Far from it.

“But as a leader of a party that is now becoming mainstream, international affairs, our relationship with our most important, strategic international partner- the US – is very important and the world will be a safer place if Donald Trump wins the presidential election.

“Nigel’s strong relationship with Donald Trump is actually to the benefit of this country and it’s quite right that he cements and strengthens that.”

Asked if the Mr Farage had attended Parliament frequently enough, Mr Tice said: “As leader, you’ve got a huge job, because you’re campaigning everywhere.

“You’re sorting out the professionalisation with the chairman and so we’re sharing and sharing alike and that’s an important part of it. You can’t be everywhere all the time. It’s really difficult. But let me tell you, no one works harder than Nigel Farage.”

Chancellor Rachel Reeves is under increased pressure to axe the cuts to winter fuel payments after being handed a £10bn budget boost by the Bank of England.

Ms Reeves was handed more room for manoevre as a result of a BoE decision to slow the pace of its quantitative tightening programme, which would reduce losses to the Treasury from bond sales.

Read the full report from our political correspondent Millie Cooke here.

Reform Deputy Leader Richard Tice has said he’s “very happy” with the party’s new constitution as he and party leader Nigel Farage give up their shares in Reform UK limited.

Mr Tice told the PA news agency at the party conference in Birmingham: “We’re basically taking the party to the next step from being an entrepreneurial political startup through the election, so now we’re growing the professionalisation of it. Branches up and down the country, there’s, give or take, 150 already set up.

“And as part of the democratisation, we’re going to change the structure, change the constitution and that’s a natural evolution. Nigel committed to that, we did immediately after the election we knew we’re going to do that and so already we’re delivering on it.”

Asked about comments made by his predecessor Ben Habib criticising the party’s constitution that would require 50% of party members to remove the leader, Mr Tice said: “I’m very happy with the Constitution. Life would be boring if we all agreed with everything.

“And so Ben’s entitled to his view. We’re entitled to our view, we think it’s the right balance and the thing is, the key about leadership is you got to look forward. Let’s not be looking over our shoulder backwards. Let’s be looking forwards.”

Nigel Farage has ignited a row after he claimed security concerns had prevented him from holding surgeries in his Essex constituency.

Before he was elected, the Reform UK leader famously asked: “Do I want to be an MP? Do I want to spend every Friday for the next five years in Clacton?”

Now he has said he was told not to hold the face-to-face meetings with voters, traditionally held on Fridays, for safety reasons.

Read the full report below:

Chancellor Rachel Reeves faces a fresh headache ahead of her first Budget this autumn after official figures revealed Government borrowing jumped by more than expected last month.

Borrowing rose to £13.7 billion last month, marking the third highest August on record, driven by higher spending on public services due to increased running costs and pay increases.

The increase means public sector debt hit 100% of gross domestic product (GDP) at the end of August 2024.

The figure, which excludes public sector banks, means national debt is at levels last seen in the early 1960s, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said.

Domestic abuse specialists will work in 999 control rooms under a new ‘Raneem’s Law’, Yvette Cooper has announced.

Speaking this morning, safeguarding minister Jess Phillips said she wants to do more than give domestic abuse victims “a good call”, as she outlined the Government’s plans.

“We have to stop this happening in the first place, and the Government has a mission to halve the incidences of violence against women and girls in a decade,” she told Sky News.

“And so much of that work is going to have to be about the prevention of perpetration, the changing of attitudes around healthy relationships within education, this is a mission that is going to take every Government department.”

Read the full report from The Independent’s Whitehall Editor Kate Devlin here.