Washington Correspondent @thetimes | Send tips to max.kendix@thetimes.co.uk or DMs are open
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🚨🇺🇸 I'm moving to DC next month to join @thetimes team across the pond as Washington Correspondent
Will miss my incredible colleagues here after two years in Westminster but very excited for the new job!
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Tory conference feels empty more than anything. The members' debate on free speech has been attended by 55 people
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EXC: More than 100 Labour MPs signed a letter sent to chief whip yesterday with concerns about welfare cuts, raising the prospect of a parliamentary defeat for the government unless it changes course
👇
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At Robert Jenrick's Tory leadership launch in Newark, a video is shown beforehand of him visiting "all four nations". In the section for Northern Ireland, a screen behind him says "Welcome to Dublin"
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Exclusive: Driving licences will be digitised and available on phones this year, paving the way for it to become the go-to proof of identity for tens of millions of people
The digital driver’s licence will be available on a new Gov.uk app
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EXCLUSIVE
Some local elections *will* be postponed from May '25. All 21 county councils asked to send in restructuring plans by mid-January. Ministers select a first round of councils and lay legislation to postpone elections by mid to late February. Postponed till '26 or '27.
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Nine days ago, Greenwood was removed from this exact position. Will the Employment Rights Bill stop firing and rehiring for ministers too?
Welcome back Lilian Greenwood MP (@LilianGreenwood) who has been appointed as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in the Department for Transport.
ALT A photo of Lilian Greenwood MP. The text reads Appointed Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in the Department for Transport
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This is going round Labour circles...
Is the leak inquiry back on?
12:52pm - Sir Keir Starmer has been assured that no No 10 staff have engaged in briefing against Cabinet ministers after he reiterated to them it is “completely unacceptable”, Downing Street said.
1.38pm - Rachel Reeves: “Well, there I think is going to be a leak inquiry, but at the moment there is no evidence of where that briefing is coming from.”
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A few records broken here, including that this is the worst ever Conservative by-election result
Caerphilly, Senedd constituency by-election result:
PC: 47.4% (+19.0)
REF: 36.0% (+34.2)
LAB: 11.0% (-34.9)
CON: 2.0% (-15.3)
GRN: 1.5% (+1.5)
LDEM: 1.5% (-1.2)
GWL: 0.3% (+0.3)
UKIP: 0.2% (+0.2)
Plaid Cymru GAIN from Labour.
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NEW: Latest on the welfare rebellion
- Total of about 170 Labour MPs have privately made clear they're unhappy with the plans
- Of those, rebels believe 60 up for voting against, the rest considering abstaining
- PPSs are prepared to resign
- Some concessions appear inevitable
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🚨Exc: Migrants sent to Rwanda face being flown out to another country if the medical care they need isn't available there
British taxpayer will cover the costs of treatment abroad in Belgium, India, Turkey, or one of seven east African countries, under contract signed last week
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NEW: No bounce in the polls for Tories despite Kemi Badenoch's conference announcements, weekly YouGov voting intention poll for The Times/Sky News shows - while the Greens hit a record high
RefUK 27% (=)
LAB 20% (=)
CON 17% (=)
LDEM 16% (-1)
GRN 13% (+1)
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Exc: Eight Reform UK councils have indicated that they will raise council tax next year after struggling to find sweeping cuts in public spending
thetimes.com/uk/politics/art…
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NEW: Reform lead narrows to 2 points in weekly YouGov voting intention poll for The Times/Sky News
RefUK 26% (-1)
LAB 24% (+1)
CON 17% (=)
LDEM 16% (=)
GRN 10% (=)
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Delighted to say I've been promoted to Political Correspondent at The Times🎉
Excited for the next stage with the best team in the business!
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Are you struggling to unpack your missions from your milestones? I've done a handy flowchart of Sir Keir Starmer's main objectives and priorities in government. Hope that clears it up.
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The new Chair of the Office for Value for Money, who sits on the HS2 board, will be paid a day rate of £950. Will work one day a week, so about £50k a year, leading a team of 20 civil servants
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Exclusive with @Smyth_Chris @breeallegretti
Wes Streeting will vote against the assisted dying bill over concerns that end-of-life care is not good enough.
Intervention at PLP meeting on Monday had swayed some MPs
thetimes.com/article/64de2be…
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EXC: Now up to a quarter of Labour MPs organise to tell ministers concerns on welfare cuts. 80+ MPs have signed another letter due to be sent to chief whip on Monday calling for pause to consider impact on most vulnerable. Dozens more signalling worries. Full story online soon.
EXC: Sir Keir Starmer faces his biggest parliamentary rebellion as around 40 Labour MPs warn his welfare reforms are "impossible to support".
Letter seen by The Times calls the move the "biggest attack on the welfare state" since austerity and warns against "more hardship"
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EXC: A group of around 40 Labour MPs has written to Rachel Reeves raising concerns about changes to inheritance tax for farmers
The "rural growth group" has a meeting with Treasury this afternoon. Increasingly heated standoff could see more MPs come out in public this evening
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Several Labour MPs disappointed not to be in first group, emails to table office this morning asking to be added.
All not including the dozen ministers considering their position.
The 170 number I wrote about 5 weeks ago still stands - but now it's almost all public.
Number of MPs backing the welfare amendment still rising this morning - this really is a very serious crisis for the government.
Politically, it’s hard to see how the government can proceed as planned.
Fiscally, it’s hard to see how they can’t.
Something will have to give
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Exc with @KateEMcCann
Angela Rayner asked to go on a personal safari during an official trip to Ethiopia last month, but was told by civil servants that the excursion would not be possible on an official trip. One source said: “She was told that’s not how these things worked.”
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Decision has been made to put forward a new reasoned amendment, with 40-50 Labour MP signatures.
Still the biggest rebellion of Starmer's time as PM so far, but well short of defeat. Opinions of this cohort are so strong that suspect threatening to remove the whip won't do much
Understand Meg Hillier will now be withdrawing her reasoned amendment to the welfare bill, which currently has 126 Labour MP backers
The remaining rebels are choosing today whether to make their voices heard on a separate reasoned amendment, or revert to second reading itself
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EXCLUSIVE: More than five million lose the chance to vote in local elections this year. Elections cancelled in Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex and Thurrock, Surrey, East and West Sussex, Hampshire and Isle of Wight - replaced with elections to new unitary councils in 2026
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EXC: The Lower Thames Crossing has been approved by the government. The £9billion project has been in the pipeline since 2009. £300m spent on the planning application alone.
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Understand that Marie Tidball's amendment to the welfare bill, which would enshrine the promise of co-production of Timms review in law, has been selected for a vote tomorrow
Backed by DWP select committee chair and a few other not-usual suspects. Could be a sizeable rebellion
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NEW: Huge areas where Reform were hoping to surge - Essex, Southend-on-Sea and Thurrock - now almost certain to postpone May local elections. Formal recommendation by officials set to be rubber stamped by leaders in first week of January. See extract from Thurrock council report:
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Since everyone seems to be getting new jobs around now, thought I'd say I'm very excited to be joining @thetimes as a trainee news reporter next month. DMs always open and fancy new email incoming!
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EXC: Weekly YouGov voting intention poll for The Times/Sky News shows Tories drop below the Lib Dems to *fourth* place - first time since 2019
RefUK 29%(+1)
LAB 22%(-1)
LDEM 17%(+1)
CON 16%(-2)
GRN 10%(+1)
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Exclusive: A Reform candidate said he would “slaughter” migrants arriving on small boats and “have their family taken out”
Leslie Lilley said: “I hope I’m near one of these scumbags one day I won’t run away I’ll slaughter them then have their family taken out.”
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Bizarre exchange with Kemi Badenoch in BBC interview when asked if she will kick @trussliz out of the party
Kemi: Is she still in the party?
@ChrisMasonBBC: Well, you tell me.
K: Well you tell me. You're the one asking the question.
C: You're the party leader
Right...
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NEW: Weekly YouGov intention poll for The Times/Sky News
RefUK 27% (-2)
LAB 24% (+1)
CON 17% (nc)
LDEM 15% (nc)
GRN 10% (nc)
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EXC: Hundreds of thousands of children with special needs face losing legal right to extra support in schools under plans being considered by ministers.
Ministers believe the growth in EHCPs is unsustainable and want to reserve access to those with “very high and complex needs”
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Little overlap with 42 MPs in public letter last week - meaning total is as high as 140, out of 403.
The government has a working majority of 165, so 83 would have to rebel to lose votes, expected in June. Ministers still bullish rebellion will be contained.
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The one time Lib Dems don't call for parliament to get recalled it does
Parliament will be recalled tomorrow for a vote on legislation to nationalise British Steel
Sounds like the legislation will force the Chinese company that currently owns it to surrender ownership to the government
Viewed as a matter of significant national interest. Sounds like Government decided it had no choice but to intervene
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Excited to be joining the Westminster team at @thetimes in the run up to the general election, joining the incredible @lara_spirit on the flagship Red Box newsletter after Easter recess. Do get in touch with stories, DMs open or on max.kendix@thetimes.co.uk
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Group asking for concessions on health element of UC (cut from £97 to £50 pw for new claimants) + full assessment of impact on disabled before vote.
Sources say movement is more likely on the latter and that concerns are being treated seriously - response already received
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Twelve county councils - all Tory - have now said they want to postpone elections. Ministers decide by mid-Feb but unlikely to choose more than 10.
Those who want to postpone: Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex, Surrey, Warwickshire, Hampshire, East and West Sussex, Devon... (1/3)
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NEW: Weekly YouGov voting intention poll for The Times/Sky News - the first since the end of Labour conference
RefUK 27% (-2)
LAB 20% (-2)
CON 17% (+1)
LDEM 17% (+2)
GRN 12% (+1)
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EXC: Kemi Badenoch will unveil plans to order judges to ignore the ECHR and bar small boat migrants from claiming asylum
Speech on Friday to launch commission led by Lord Wolfson into Britain’s membership of ECHR, Refugee Convention, and other agreements
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Understand Meg Hillier will now be withdrawing her reasoned amendment to the welfare bill, which currently has 126 Labour MP backers
The remaining rebels are choosing today whether to make their voices heard on a separate reasoned amendment, or revert to second reading itself
Dame Meg Hillier, one of leaders of rebellion, calls the concessions “a positive outcome” and she thinks this a “good and workable compromise” that means govt and MPs can work together & move forward. Now to see what others think…
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Supermarkets could link the digital licence with self-checkout technology, so customers can scan to prove their age rather than waiting for a staff member to come over and approve the purchase
With @benclatworthy
thetimes.com/article/cb6eca0…
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EXC: Elections to seven councils covering 5m+ people could be delayed for second year amid fears Reform would stop Labour’s plans to overhaul local government.
Ministers considering accepting private pleas from Tory leaders of county councils to cancel their elections this year
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Exclusive: We've all seen companies promising to plant trees to 'offset' their emissions. In reality, new data reveals there's not enough space in the world for everyone's schemes... 🧵📈 @thetimes @Times__Earth
thetimes.co.uk/article/the-r…
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This was an incredibly difficult story to work on. Besides navigating legal and moral responsibilities, it was a personally traumatic experience to read people I have met in Durham say horrifically antisemitic things. First time I have felt unsafe as a Jew at university.
EXCLUSIVE: Screenshots that led to society bans mention rape, the Holocaust and white supremacy
palatinate.org.uk/screenshot…
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Sir John Curtice with a brutal assessment on Tory progress at the party's conference when asked how they can win back seats
"You've got to get to base camp first. At the moment you can't even see the Himalayas."
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Johnson left tonight's event while Sunak was still speaking
When Johnson came on, the crowd of activists chanted "Boris" non-stop
As Sunak finished, CCHQ staff on the balcony tried to start a similar "Rishi" chant. Nobody followed suit
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EXC: Sir Keir Starmer faces his biggest parliamentary rebellion as around 40 Labour MPs warn his welfare reforms are "impossible to support".
Letter seen by The Times calls the move the "biggest attack on the welfare state" since austerity and warns against "more hardship"
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Exc: The justice secretary will come out against amendments next week to stop women being prosecuted for abortion.
Shabana Mahmood will write to constituents with "significant concerns" that a change in the law could give women an incentive to have unsafe abortions at home.
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EXC: Environmental and planning rules would be pared back to drive the building of giant artificial intelligence data centres under plans being considered by ministers
New AI bill being drawn up where applications automatically approved unless ministers object
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Also understand Carys Roberts, former IPPR boss, is among those leaving No10 in this big shake-up of the policy unit
John Bachelor, former Treasury civil servant, has joined the unit
With a couple of exceptions, No 10's policy unit has now been almost comprehensively cleared out – some concern aired internally that long-serving women politically aligned with the PM are being replaced by external experts without the same political experience.
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Breaking: Understand that @ucuatdurham members have voted to accept Durham University's offer, so the marking boycott will not go ahead as planned
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EXC: Women will no longer face prosecution for having an abortion under a change in the law set to be passed by MPs next week
- Free vote on amendment to crime and policing bill by Tonia Antoniazzi
- Survey has 70% of MPs in favour
- Abortion providers criticise rival amendment
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Exclusive: Kemi Badenoch may be unable to stand in a future Conservative leadership contest because of delays in sending out postal votes in her constituency
If Badenoch wins her North West Essex seat by a small margin, Labour have said they would consider a legal challenge
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Delighted to be shortlisted for the @pressgazette British Journalism Awards in the new journalist of the year category, alongside such excellent company
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NEW: Weekly YouGov voting intention poll for The Times/Sky News
RefUK 26% (=)
LAB 24% (=)
CON 16% (-1)
LDEM 15% (-1)
GRN 11% (+1)
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Exclusive: Reform candidate standing in Kemi Badenoch's constituency says he will resign after comments emerged in which he called on people to vote for BNP thetimes.com/uk/politics/art…
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Exclusive with @breeallegretti @Steven_Swinford
Biggest survey of MPs yet on assisted dying
For 264
Against 215
Abstain 26
Unknown 145
Campaign to change the law is now "reasonably confident" of success on Friday... But the unknowns mean it could still go either way ⬇️
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Exclusive: Biggest overhaul of local government in over 50 years
- Dozens of councils abolished to make more "efficient" large authorities with populations of 500k+
- First wave of restructuring includes Essex, Kent, Surrey, Hertfordshire, Norfolk and Suffolk
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Exc: Surrey county council and its 11 districts to be abolished, ministers will announce today.
The council, which has existed since 1888 and covers 1.2m+ people, will be split into East and West Surrey unitaries.
Elections next year but councillors will not start until 2027.
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Exc: Rachel Reeves should stop relying so heavily on the OBR because its forecasts are not a “crystal ball”, the Red Wall caucus of 40+ Labour MPs has said
thetimes.com/article/878cc7c…
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Exclusive: Dozens of Labour councils say they won't be able to hit Angela Rayner's housebuilding targets
A taste of the frustration here. Milan Radulovic, Labour leader of Broxtowe council, said: "This is the sort of nonsense that government ministers spout in a glib answer to..
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Lilley is set to win almost 20 per cent of the vote in the Labour battleground seat of Southend East & Rochford. He made the threats on the official Facebook account he uses to run his local campaign
thetimes.com/uk/politics/art…
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A reminder that Ant Middleton is also one of the most high-profile Reform UK backers who has vowed to stand against Sir Sadiq Khan for London mayor...
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To give you a sense of how far beyond the "usual suspects" the welfare amendment list goes, three of No10's favourite "mission champions" have signed it too - Alison Hume, Jen Craft and Kirith Entwistle
CUT-OUT-AND-KEEP GUIDE TO NO 10’S FAVOURITES:
Ellie Reeves, Labour chair, has just emailed PLP to reveal that 27 MPs have been made “mission champions”
“They will work across departments, working with ministers… to help deliver our long-term plan for national renewal.”
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Exc: Ed Davey will call on millions of One Nation Conservatives to "come and join us" in his speech at the Lib Dem conference this afternoon
He will call on "Conservative friends" who "reject the divisive politics of Badenoch and Farage" to "help us save our country".
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The deal also covers full dental care, free contraception, a free eye test, lenses, and frames up to £60 a year
Read full details here
thetimes.co.uk/article/24947…
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Scooplet for readers of the Times politics newsletter this morning: Labour is hiring more spads
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Exclusive: Henry Tufnell becomes the third Labour MP to come out against inheritance tax changes in the budget
He says he's "not alone" - there's many more disgruntled backbenchers pushing Rachel Reeves for concessions behind the scenes
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Incredible to see our front page exclusive yesterday make The Times front page today!
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Exclusive on today's front page: Most people die while waiting for NHS care. Estimates based on data provided to The Times under freedom of information laws put the figure at 60% of all deaths in England, up from 48% in 2018.
With @katlay
thetimes.co.uk/article/nhs-w……
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Exc: Tulip Siddiq's properties could be investigated by Britain's top crime agency as part of international hunt for billions allegedly stolen by her aunt’s regime
Source close to probe said her properties “could well be in scope” of Bangladeshi crackdown, being supported by NCA
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As Rishi Sunak cancels answering questions from reporters today, yesterday afternoon's event in Wiltshire gives some indication why
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Unusually for rebellions so far, many in the group are young, ambitious Starmerites
Almost all are in rural areas. They want tweaks to the policy to soften effect on family farms
But say they're met with a "wall of arrogance" and are threatening to "show our muscle"
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Exclusive: Nicola Sturgeon refused to use a government-issued phone throughout her more than eight years as first minister - despite officials saying it was more secure
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NEW: Weekly YouGov voting intention poll for The Times/Sky News
RefUK 27% (=)
LAB 23% (-1)
CON 17% (=)
LDEM 16% (+1)
GRN 10% (=)
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NEW: Weekly YouGov voting intention poll for The Times/Sky News
RefUK 27% (-1)
LAB 23% (+1)
CON 17% (=)
LDEM 15% (-1)
GRN 11% (-1)
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Delighted to be featured, and in such illustrious company!
Congratulations to this year's #30ToWatch Journalism Award winners in the Politics category:
🏆@JasmineCC_95, @itvnews
🏆@MaxKendix, @thetimes
🏆@DominicPenna, @Telegraph
Thanks to our category judges - @Annemariealex, @ITV and @ClaireEllicott1, @DailyMail.
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So three tiers
- Old claimants (including reassessed post-Nov 26) = old criteria, old descriptors
- New claimants post-Nov 26 but pre-Timms = new criteria, old descriptors
- New claimants post-Timms = new criteria, new descriptors
(2nd category becomes 3rd on reassessment)
DWP say Kendall mis-spoke. Did not mean this. They say Pip claimants will be reassessed under current rules - more here - theguardian.com/politics/liv…
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We've smashed our record of 13 nominations last year, and I'm very lucky to nab three shortlist entries (Best Reporter, Best News Story with @DanielHodgson03 and Sarah Matthews, and Outstanding Commitment with the marvellous @TDoneganCross)
A fantastic evening for the team, 24 nominations! Incredibly proud of everyone involved. Thank you so much @SPAJournalism and congratulations to all the other nominees, looking forward to seeing everyone in Sheffield.
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After three extensions from DfT, the department has finally given the huge infrastructure project the green light. It will take at least eight years to build
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"Kemi Badenoch doing a job of uniting Labour benches that whips could only dream of" is the review from a Labour rebel at the moment
Kemi Badenoch actually going with the line that everything would have been brilliant about the Conservative government's record on welfare and the economy, if it weren't for Covid, and insists the country was lucky they were in charge when the pandemic hit
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Some members very angry about Kemi Badenoch last-minute cancelling a key Q&A hustings with the Conservative Policy Forum. The other three candidates had each done their half-hour slot.
She also appears to have pulled out of a fringe event on social housing earlier in the day
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Thrilled to have another piece in @Telegraph on Saturday, this time with @camillahmturner. That makes it at least five expulsions this year from Durham, for racism, sexual misconduct and Covid.
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Exclusive: Foreign graduates could be forced to leave the UK unless they get a job in a high-paying career under plans to cut Britain’s record levels of immigration
Currently a quarter of graduates switching to a work visa get a job earning less than £24k
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Thank you SPA! Fun evening and a record number of national awards for Palatinate
Newsdesks everywhere should be keeping their eyes on our winners, and they are @MaxKendix, Sarah Matthews, and @DanielHodgson03 from @PalatinateUK for 'Fygone: the story of the failed start-up' #SPANC22 @durham_uni @durhamSU
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Significant concessions agreed on welfare which most rebels agree will change their vote and avoid government defeat on Tuesday
Another big U-turn for Starmer, fiscally it's the same size as winter fuel reversal. Full details of the changes coming up @thetimes
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Adding to this, Burnham has just told me a simple "yes" to the question - is Keir Starmer the right man to be Labour leader and prime minister?
Andy Burnham appears to make a temporary retreat
Says he can’t launch a leadership campaign because he’s not an MP
Says he’d rather by mayor of Manchester than PM
Says the never called for £40 billion more borrowing in an interview
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EXC: A man who was freed from prison under Labour’s early release scheme has been charged with murder
thetimes.com/uk/crime/articl…
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Great to speak to @HartleyAndrew on BBC Look North today about Covid cases in Durham City. The report used pictures from the wonderful @PalatinateTV as well. And shout out to @PaddyStephens5 for our reporting on this topic. Available for 24 hours here bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0070g1…
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Nice present for the final day! Thanks to the whole team
…and the winner of our Outstanding Commitment award in the North is Max Kendix, hailing from @PalatinateUK - well done on everything you’ve achieved this year!
#SPARC22
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15 minute cities: how did this urban planning idea become a conspiracy theory?
The inventor of the concept puts some of the blame on Oxfordshire County Council. Others say the WEF did itself no favours. Full article here for @thetimes @Times__Earth
thetimes.co.uk/article/what-…
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