UK politics live: Jenrick says ECHR is ‘leave or die’ issue and ramps up migration rhetoric at Tory conference

It is the end at one of the biggest steelworks in the world as the last blast furnace shuts down, leaving it unable to make its own steel.

Nearly 2,000 jobs will be lost at Tata Steel UK’s Port Talbot plant as blast furnace number four ceases production meaning it will no longer be able to make virgin steel.

The ironworks will enter a transition phase until 2027 when steelmaking will resume through a £1.25 billion electric arc furnace.

The new furnace uses electric current to melt scrap steel or iron to produce steel, whereas blast furnaces use coke, a carbon-intensive fuel made from coal to produce steel.

Moving to electric arc steel production will reduce the UK’s overall Co2 emissions by around 1.5%.

In its heyday during the 1960s, more than 18,000 people were employed at Port Talbot’s Abbey steelworks.

But the site has gone through many periods of change, which has sometimes resulted in strikes and job cuts.

Indian conglomerate Tata purchased the steelworks in 2007.

Voters must see that the Conservative Party takes its 2024 election loss “seriously”, Lord Ben Houchen has said.

The Tees Valley mayor warned his party has a “huge job to do” with to regain support from its own voter base, along with the votes which he said “bled” to Nigel Farage’s Reform UK and the Liberal Democrats under Sir Ed Davey in July this year.

Lord Houchen was seen descending an escalator with leadership hopeful Tom Tugendhat at his party’s Birmingham conference on Sunday, but warned he had not backed any of the four candidates.

“It’s been quite a slow start I think to the leadership race and I think the conference will see it come alive,” the mayor told the PA news agency.

“I’m meeting with all of the candidates while we’re here at conference and I’ve been speaking to Tom and the others already.

“So it’s just another catch-up.”

He added: “I’ve met with them all previously and they all want to have a conversation.

“I’ll listen to them, I want to hear what they want to stand for, I want to hear a bit more detail about some of their policy agenda as well and what they’re going to do to be able to bring the party back together and make it a fighting force in electoral terms again.”

The previous Conservative government should hang its head in shame after it failed those “most in need”, a shadow education minister said.

Tory MP Gagan Mohindra accused his party of not doing enough for children with special educational needs and disabilities (Send) during its time in power.

Mr Mohindra, who served in the party’s whips’ office between September 2023 and July 2024, made the comments at a Conservative Party conference fringe event on Sunday.

He added that he is frustrated that in some cases parents are “pushed from pillar to post” when trying to secure adequate provision for their children.

The MP for South West Hertfordshire said: “Hertfordshire (County Council) has invested into Send provision, but actually it’s awful.

“I hold my hand up as a Conservative member of Parliament saying my government didn’t do enough on this.

“Yes, we were fighting a global pandemic, and a cost-of-living crisis, and all the rest of it, but actually, the inability for politicians to step in when those most in need needed our support, I think is something we should hang our heads in shame and apologise for, and I’ll happily do that on stage today.”

Conservative Party MPs and officials scored a victory in a closely fought football match to kick off their annual party conference in Birmingham, in their first victory against the journalists’ side for 12 years.

The winning team had only one serving MP in their ranks, shadow education minister Gagan Mohindra, but the side was bolstered by former MPs Brendan Clarke-Smith and Karl McCartney who turned out for the side.

Both lost their seats at the general election. From the peers, Lord Evans of Rainow completed the lineup.

The lobby side dominated the early stages of the first half at the Aston Villa Academy Centre in Birmingham. They took a well-deserved lead after 21 minutes. Good work on the right saw the ball cut back to an unmarked Richard Vaughan who finished with ease.

The Lobby continued to dominate, but could not turn their possession into clear chances on goal. Their wastefulness was then punished by the Conservative side, who scrambled the ball over the line to equalise 10 minutes after the opener. A corner came over from the left and was not dealt with before it was forced in at the far post.

The Tories then seized the initiative with a fine goal to take the lead just before half time. A incisive through ball saw staff member Jack Pollard race beyond the defence into the area, before cutting the ball back and curling a fine shot into the top corner.

The Lobby started the second half by trying to seize the initiative again, but struggled to make a break through and Mr Pollard continued to cause problems for their back line.

However, they managed to get back on level terms halfway through the second half. A cross from the right was met by MPs’ centre back Jack Doyle, who in straining to stop the ball diverted it past his own goalkeeper.

Ahead of this week’s party conference, the race to become the next leader of the Conservatives is heating up, writes Andrew Grice – but given the state of the party’s popularity, how much does it actually matter?

James Cleverly is the preferred candidate to win the Tory leadership race amongst the British public, a new poll has shown - but a majority of respondents said they don’t know who they would support.

Asked which candidate would make the best prime minister, new polling by Techne put the former home secretary narrowly ahead of his rival candidates at 13 per cent support.

You can read the full story below:

Oliver Dowden was interviewed by police officers from the Gambling Commission as part of the official investigation into bets placed on the date of the investigation, sources told Sky News.

But sources close to the former deputy prime minister told The Independent that he is not and was never under investigation himself.

Sir Oliver spoke to the police to assist with their inquiries in an interview conducted in the early summer.

The inquiry, which was launched in June, is expected to continue for another three to six months.

As part of the probe, the Gambling Commission has reportedly seized “hundreds of documents” from Tory headquarters.

Robert Jenrick has signalled he would give Conservative party members a bigger role in choosing future MPs if he is made party leader.

Attitudes among some Tory activists were soured during the run-up to the general election campaign when Conservative MPs at risk of losing their seats were parachuted into safer constituencies.

Among them was Richard Holden, the then-party chairman, who was selected as the candidate for Basildon and Billericay when his former North West Durham constituency was abolished.

Mr Holden, who won the Essex seat, faced strong opposition from local Tory activists when the move was carried out using a foreshortened selection process.

Speaking at a fringe event at the Conservative Party conference, former minister Mr Jenrick was applauded when he said it was “immensely disrespectful” to parachute candidates into safe seats.

He added: “It was disrespectful to anyone who aspires to be a Conservative candidate and member of Parliament. You have my solemn promise that will never happen if I am lucky enough to lead this party.

“You should be in the driving seat. You should choose who your parliamentary candidates are. That is how we inspire people of substance to stand as parliamentary candidates once again.”

Ditch the non-dom tax, chancellor – and bring in a Robin Hood tax instead, writes John Rentoul: