Read the front pages here.
Rwanda flights
Express
Flights carrying illegal migrants to Rwanda must take off within 24 hours of judges giving the green light, MPs have demanded.
Senior Tories warn the flagship policy to deter people crossing the Channel in small boats must not be derailed again.
A landmark Supreme Court verdict on the legality of the scheme is now not expected until at least December, and Conservatives are demanding radical action to ensure the flights go ahead even if judges rule against the Government.
They want Britain to work with other European countries battling people smuggling to secure changes to the European Convention on Human Rights so states are not blocked from protecting their borders. Rishi Sunak will also come under intense pressure to change UK law so Britain can press ahead with the Rwanda programme.
Immigration Minister Robert Jenrick, writing in the Sunday Express, insists the Rwanda scheme will “remove the incentive for illegal migrants to leave the safety of France in the first place”.
“Labour would do away with all that and fling open our doors to hundreds of thousands of illegal migrants from the safety of Europe.”
Tory MPs insist flights must start before the election expected in 2024. Former Brexit minister David Jones said illegal migration is the “single biggest national issue that is raised” by his constituents.
Demanding that planes take off as soon as the Supreme Court gives the thumbs-up, he said: “The flights should go on the very same day. It’s extremely important.
Education
Mail
Teachers have been told to stop using computer software as a way of catching pupils who use the AI to write their homework.
The warning comes amid fears the technology could discriminate against ethnic-minority children as some AI detection software incorrectly flags up writing by students with English as a second language more often than that by native English speakers.
Two-thirds of secondary school students now use AI such as chatbot ChatGPT to write or edit homework, according to a recent survey. To try to stop them, some teaching staff run essays through AI detection software.
But new guidance from the Teacher Development Trust points to the fact that the technology is ‘likely to be discriminatory’. It also suggests that attempts at setting ‘AI-proof’ homework tasks could be pointless due to the speed technology is advancing.
‘It’s possible that in three to six months, new tools make even the new homework tasks doable with AI,’ says the advice, which is backed by the Confederation of School Trusts, the National Association of Head Teachers and the Association of School and College Leaders.
The guide, called Understanding AI for School, says teachers should instead ‘raise awareness’ about the consequences of cheating.
David Weston, chief executive of the Teacher Development Trust, said: ‘This isn’t something where you can say ‘we don’t want it in our school’ because it is already in your school.’
Mail
Chinese teachers in British classrooms are to be replaced by recruits from Taiwan in the wake of the Commons spy scandal, The Mail on Sunday has learned.
Home Secretary Suella Braverman and Security Minister Tom Tugendhat have led the charge in Cabinet to shut down the Confucius Institutes, which provide Chinese-language teachers to UK classrooms, due to unease about the extent to which the tentacles of the Chinese Communist Party could be reaching into classrooms.
It is understood that Gillian Keegan‘s Education Department has agreed – on condition that the teachers are replaced by staff from Taiwan, which Beijing regards as a breakaway province.
Almost all British Government spending on Chinese-language teaching at schools is channelled through the 30 university-based institutes, and Confucius Classrooms, an offshoot, at almost 150 schools.
Inheritance tax
Mail
Downing Street has backed away from plans to scrap inheritance tax, after Tory MPs in the Red Wall seats argued that it would benefit too small a proportion of voters.
The idea was discussed in No 10 at the start of the summer as a potential ‘game-changer’ to overturn Labour‘s 20-point lead in the opinion polls.
But it is now unlikely to form part of Chancellor Jeremy Hunt‘s Autumn Statement after MPs in key battleground seats argued that the £7 billion cost would be better spent on other tax cuts.
The threshold for inheritance tax is £325,000, with 40 per cent paid on everything above that. There is an extra £175,000 allowance for a main residence if it is passed to children or grandchildren. No tax is paid on an estate left to a spouse or civil partner.
Advocates of abolition argue that even though only four per cent of British estates are liable, aspirational voters expect that theirs will be among them in the future. Around a third of people think their assets will be enough to attract inheritance tax when they die.
When the axing plan was first reported, senior Tories hailed it as ‘throwing the gauntlet’ down to Labour and reviving their ‘low-tax’ credentials as the headline policy offer in next year’s manifesto. But many Red Wall MPs argued this was more of a cut for voters in the Blue Wall of the South than for those in their own seats in the North and Midlands.
Labour Party
Express
Sir Keir Starmer appeared to ditch his aim to give EU citizens in Britain voting rights- in what could be yet another U-turn for the Labour leader.
Sir Keirs’ desire to hand the vote to the millions of EU citizens who live in Britain will not be in his party’s new manifesto according to a new document, reports the Telegraph.
Yet in his leadership election campaign of 2020 Sir Keir had called for “full voting rights for EU nationals”.
However, in the list of policies drawn up by leading Labour figures and union leaders in the run-up to the party conference, he does commit the party to bringing in votes for 16- and 17-year-olds, which would add another 1.4 million voters.
The National Policy Forum document that was published on Thursday says: “Labour will introduce votes for 16 and 17-year-olds, in line with Scotland and Wales, so that young people feel empowered and can fully engage in our democratic processes.
“Those who contribute to our society should also have a say in how it’s governed.”
When the plan to given EU citizens living in the UK a vote was initially announced it prompted accusations that the Labour leader was trying to “rig the outcome” of future elections and “lay the groundwork for a referendum to rejoin the EU”.
Guardian
The shadow foreign secretary, David Lammy, has proposed regular meetings between UK and European Union ministers, as part of a major reset of British foreign policy under a Labour government.
Lammy, who was attending a gathering of centre-left leaders in Montreal, Canada, with the Labour leader Keir Starmer, told the Observer it was high time the UK took up its place again, after Brexit, as a lead player in world affairs. “A UK that is isolated and missing is felt across the world. It is definitely the case that the international community want Britain back,” he said.
“There have always been two visions of Britain. Great Britain, outward looking, internationalist, connected. And Little England, which is unfortunately what is being pursued by Rishi Sunak.”
Last night, as Starmer used a speech at the meeting hosted by the Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau to say Labour would rebuild “the smouldering cinders of the bridges the Tories have burnt” in relations with other countries, Lammy said closer links with the EU were the number one goal.
Telegraph
David Lammy, the shadow foreign secretary, has proposed forging stronger ties between Britain and the EU through a reset of foreign policy under a future Labour government.
Mr Lammy underlined that he felt it was time the UK regained its place as a key player in world affairs.
In an interview with The Observer, he made the comments during a gathering of centre-left leaders in Montreal in Canada.
He said: “A UK that is isolated and missing is felt across the world. It is definitely the case that the international community want Britain back.
“There have been two visions of Britain. Great Britain, outward looking, internationalist, connected.
“And Little England, which is unfortunately what is being pursued by Rishi Sunak.”
He echoed the views made by Sir Keir Starmer during a meeting staged by Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau that Labour would aim to rebuild “the smouldering cinders of the bridges the Tories have burnt” in building links with other countries.
Mr Lammy said for Labour, developing closer links with the EU was key.
“We do think that UK relations with the European Union is our top priority,” he said.
“We can’t imagine describing, as Liz Truss did, Emmanuel Macron as an enemy.
“We think it is bizarre that the UK does not currently under the government have structured dialogue with the European Union in a constructive way.
Mail
Sir Keir Starmer faced a backlash from his own party last night after Labour‘s controversial plans to let 16-year-olds vote in General Elections was set in stone.
One former Minister branded the idea ‘gerrymandering, pure and simple’, while an MP said that it ‘smacked of self-interest’ as people that young were more likely to vote Labour than Tory.
The row erupted after Labour confirmed yesterday that cutting the voting age from 18 to 16 was included in a revised policy blueprint for its General Election manifesto.
And last night a party spokesman added: ‘Labour will introduce votes for 16- and 17-year-olds, in line with Scotland and Wales, so that young people feel empowered and can fully engage in our democratic processes.
‘At the age of 16, many young people are paying taxes, working, and engaging in all parts of society – it is right that they get a say in who governs them.’
Express
Labour‘s huge 20-point poll lead over the Conservatives has been built on Sir Keir Starmer trying to avoid telling us what his party really would do in government.
This is no accident, he has been handed the Tony Blair playbook by the master of the dark arts – Lord Mandelson – who has been advising him on how to get Labour back into government.
But, finally the truth is emerging and we are beginning to get a taste of the full horror of what a Labour government would mean.
The latest planned jaunt to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s international gathering of centre-left leaders is the latest example.
As the old proverb says: “A man is judged by the company he keeps.”
As one Tory MP quipped: “Not so much a summit, more an international convention of wokery.”
BBC News
Too boring? Too serious? Too left wing? Too right wing? Too much of a mystery still?
For a long time, Keir Starmer’s Labour has been miles ahead in the opinion polls. And even before that, for a very long time, he has faced calls to be more explicit about his priorities.
When he ran to become leader, promising “moral socialism”, I wondered what his priorities were as he did his first interview as part of his campaign to take on the job.
Even then, he carefully refused to say if his politics were closer to Jeremy Corbyn’s or Tony Blair’s.
Conservative Party
Guardian
Senior Tories are urging Rishi Sunak to use his next manifesto to address their party’s alarming unpopularity among younger voters, amid increasing concern that the Conservatives could be “sunk” without urgent action to win over the under-40s.
With mounting anxiety among moderate Tories that the party is failing to prioritise policies on net zero and help for renters that could attract younger voters, Tom Tugendhat, the cabinet minister who is among the figureheads of the party’s liberal wing, has become one of the most senior figures to publicly urge a rethink.
In comments to a gathering of the moderate Tory Reform Group, the security minister warned that the party can no longer “sit around” and assume that voters will simply turn to the party as they get older – an assumption he warned may no longer be true.
“There isn’t a Conservative in the country that doesn’t believe the opportunity for people to have a home, a family – whatever that family looks like – is vital and we need to be the party of aspiration, helping people achieve that ideal with Conservative policies,” he told the gathering last week.
He added: “There are areas where we can be doing more, especially when it comes to young people and the next generation.
“We need to ensure that young people have those opportunities to help them get ahead and we can’t leave them behind. Let’s look at what we offer to the under-30s, especially when it comes to any future manifesto.
By-election
Independent
Labour and the Conservatives are neck and neck in the byelection battle for Nadine Dorries’ old constituency of Mid Bedfordshire, new polling has revealed.
The Survation survey offers evidence that a split in the “progressive” vote could allow Rishi Sunak’s party to hold onto the seat despite wider unpopularity.
Campaigners are pushing Labour and the Liberal Democrats to form an unofficial electoral pact so only one of the big parties pushes to take the blue wall stronghold.
The new poll for Labour Together – which puts Labour and the Tories on 29 per cent – will add to pressure on Ed Davey to accept that Keir Starmer’s party has the best chance of overturing a 24,000 Tory majority.
The Lib Dems are languishing in third place on 22 per cent in the contest, set to take place on 19 October. Reform UK is on 7 per cent, while independent candidate Gareth Mackey has 6 per cent.
The Survation found poll also found that large proportion – 27 per cent – of people in the seat who are planning to vote remain undecided, with Labour activists pouncing upon the results to encourage Lib Dem supporters to switch to Sir Keir’s party.
NHS
Guardian
The NHS is heading into an unprecedented financial crisis and will overspend its budget by at least £7bn next year as the effects of inflation and strikes plunge hospital trusts into alarming levels of debt, according to leading independent experts.
The problem of soaring deficits is hitting a growing number of trusts across England ahead of a likely general election within 12 months, and will raise further serious doubts about Rishi Sunak’s chances of meeting his pledge to cut record waiting lists.
In a sign of the extreme pressures, the Manchester Integrated Care System, bringing together trusts and other healthcare providers in Greater Manchester, has brought in Stephen Hay, a troubleshooter from PricewaterhouseCoopers who formerly worked in the NHS, to help sort out its disastrous financial position.
According to the Health Service Journal, NHS Greater Manchester has reported a deficit of £125m after the first four months of 2023-24, more than £100m worse than planned.
Ticket offices
Sun
PLANS to close hundreds of rail ticket offices are set to be watered down by ministers, industry insiders believe.
Rail bosses want to shut kiosks that are barely selling any tickets and send staff out to busy stations where they can help more punters.
Ministers have publicly backed the industry plans – saying railways must be dragged kicking and screaming into the 21st Century.
But the proposals have sparked a public backlash and opposition from some local Tory MPs.
And Rails Minister Huw Merriman is “backpedalling” and “watering down” the plan, industry insiders say.
A source told The Sun on Sunday: “They are dropping it like a bomb.”
Mr Merriman called train operating companies into a meeting on Monday to discuss the plan.
Measles
Telegraph
More than 100,000 children have started school unvaccinated for measles, it has emerged after councils issued warnings that those without jabs could end up in 21-day self-isolation.
Health officials are urging those who have not had their MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) jab to come forward amid concern that the disease is spreading.
Parents in London and surrounding counties have been told in letters from councils that if a pupil is infected, classmates who have not had both doses could be sent home and asked to self-isolate for three weeks.
It follows modelling from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) which suggested that up to 160,000 cases of measles could occur in London alone, without action to boost uptake of jabs.
NHS England said the latest figures show 102,000 children aged four and five started school last week without being fully vaccinated – including 32,000 in the capital.
HS2
Mirror
HS2 has been hit by fresh chaos after No10 refused to rule out axing the northern leg of the shambolic project.
Ministers have already ditched the line East from Birmingham to Leeds amid spiralling costs. Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham accused the Tories of making the “North pay for their failure” as HS2’s bill could top £106billion.
No10 failed to quash speculation Rishi Sunak is to axe the stretch from Birmingham to Manchester. It comes after the leg from Birmingham to Leeds was ditched, while cash continued to be lavished on the southern section, as experts warned HS2 could end up costing £106billion.
An official was photographed with documents showing the PM and Chancellor Jeremy Hunt held talks this week about cutting costs in the northern phase, despite already spending £2.3billion on it. Asked if the PM was committed to the line going to Manchester, his official spokesman said: “I can’t comment on the speculation that’s a result of a photograph.
Peat bog
Telegraph
A huge swathe of peat bog in the far north of Scotland is a step closer to becoming a Unesco World Heritage Site after a team working for the UN completed a survey of the Flow Country.
The bog, in Sutherland and Caithness, is the most extensive and intact blanket bog system in the world and stores more carbon than all the forests in Britain.
It was first suggested that it should have world heritage status in 1988, but plans for a serious proposal were only drawn up in 2010.
Following the Unesco team’s survey, a decision from the UN body is expected in mid-2024.
The site, which covers nearly half-a-million acres, is teaming with more than 400 lochens – small lochs – as well as sphagnum mosses, heathers, grasses and insects and wildlife. Scientists estimate that the peatland contains 400 million tonnes of carbon.
https://petitions.senedd.wales/petitions/245548 off topic I know but the Welsh and their real friends would support this petition even though this mess was planned and implemented without any consultation with the long suffering voters.
The NHS has been broken since the early nineties. I saw the dramatic change for myself thanks to Bliar and his liars in chief. The waiting lists in my part of Wales for any joint replacement is 20 years. That came from a very credible source. The only way the lists go down is if someone dies or goes private.
I have absolutely nothing to say about the uni/communist parties who just want to drag us down further and I thought we had reached rock bottom. It seems they just want to keep digging.
Lisa – Happy to sign the petition. Another example of the undemocratic decisions made by those who hold us all in contempt. The Uniparty must be ousted one way or another.
Bev- Reading the above, it makes one wonder if either party want to take office.
Who wants kids voting? Or infants indoctrinated? Illegal invasion is one thing, but what of the annual one and a half million ‘legal invaders’ infected with measels, TB and Allah knows what? If the trains aint broke, why fix ’em? Better to sort out all the dud bridges across the country. And the nhs, campaigning to go down the plughole sooner rather than later. Many of us wont know the difference.
Oh, and must send the rest of Britain’s defence kit to the ex-commonwealth(?) corrupt Ukraine – soonest. And then, buy new expensive Merican kit demonstrated to be junk in action, against a country who are not goat herders.