Starmer to chair cabinet meeting as McSweeney takes up role in bid to end Labour chaos – Live updates

Labour peer Lord Alli came under scrutiny following allegations that he played a key role in shaping Labour’s first 100 in office, alongside controversy over gifts given to Sir Keir Starmer.

The revelations prompted the prime minister to return £6,000 in freebies.

But speaking to Sky News, transport secretary Louise Haigh pushed back on claims about Lord Alli’s influence, adding: “I don’t recognise these allegations.”

Ms Haigh claimed that while she hasn’t worked directly with the Labour donor, she emphasised his longstanding political involvement.

She said: “He’s not just a donor, but he is a Labour peer who has donated to the Labour Party over many years.

“But I can’t personally tell you exactly what decisions he’s been involved in.”

Boris Johnson has defended the government’s handling of personal protective equipment (PPE) contracts during the pandemic.

Speaking to LBC, he admitted some were questionable but insisted urgent action was needed.

The former prime minister admitted the “dubious nature” of certain deals but stressed that “our country was desperate” for PPE and speed was the priority.

Mr Johnson’s comments come after Transparency International UK flagged over 130 pandemic contracts as potentially corrupt, with many allegedly awarded to inexperienced suppliers linked to Conservative figures.

Defending the rush to secure PPE, he said: “I’m sorry about that but we needed that stuff as fast as possible.”

The former prime minister has launched a sharp critique of Sir Keir Starmer, labelling the Labour leader’s acceptance of gifts as “greedy”.

In a candida interview with LBC, Mr Johnson, who is promoting his memoir Unleashed, questioned why Sir Keir would accept lavish gifts when “he must be worth a bob or two”.

He said: “I want you to know, I have no donors paying for my suits. Or spectacles. Who pays for your spectacles? You pay for your spectacles, don’t you? It’s unbelievable.

“I mean, the guy (Sir Keir), he’s a silk, right? I mean, he must be worth a bob or two. Why has he got some guy paying for his spectacles?”

He added: “You know, that looks greedy, right? But if you then give the guy a pass to Number 10, that looks corrupt. And so I just don’t get it. I don’t know why he’s still wearing those spectacles.

“Well apart from the fact he can’t see. He can’t see what a mess he’s making of things.”

Transport secretary Louise Haigh has weighted in on Sue Gray’s departure as Keir Starmer’s chief of staff.

Speaking to Kay Burley on the media morning round, Ms Haigh expressed both regret and optimism over Ms Gray’s move, which was officially confirmed on Sunday.

The former partygate investigator will now take a key role as envoy to the nations and regions.

When asked how Ms Gray’s contribution will be remembered, Ms Haigh was quick to praise her, adding: “Sue Gray is an exceptional public servant and she worked really hard for us in opposition in helping prepare our manifesto.”

Her new position, however, raises questions about whether she should have stepped aside from her previous role.

The minister told Sky News: “I understand why she did.”

She added that while she was “sorry to see her go” as chief of staff, she remains “delighted” that Ms Gray will continue serving the partying hernia capacity.”

“I’m really grateful for the work that she did, both in opposition and in our first hundred days.

“But as I say, I’m really pleased that I will continue to work with her and the prime minister will, as the chair of the Council of Regions and Nations,” she added.

Welcome back to the politics live blog.

Former prime minister Boris Johnson has denied mocking the public over their compliance with Covid lockdowns in an interview with broadcasters.

Big changes are afoot in the Conservative Party. The final four leadership hopefuls, James Cleverly, Tom Tugendhat, Robert Jenrick and Kemi Badenoch, will be whittled down to three.

The next round of voting is set for Wednesday, aiming to finalise the two candidates who will battle it out to replace Rishi Sunak.

Meanwhile, Sir Keir Starmer is holding his first cabinet meeting since bringing in Morgan McSweeney on board as his new chief of staff. He replaced Sue Gray after her departure over the weekend.

Follow us for the latest updated throughout the day.

Good news. The House of Commons is back in session, and the coming weeks will provide ample opportunities for your parliamentarians to opine, shine, and, of course, whine for personal and party advantage, as well as for the betterment of the British people.

In a still-new parliament with a record turnover of members, all among them, from the new-ish prime minister to the new leader of the opposition, will have much to prove and still more to keep them busy…

Sean O’Grady offers a preview of the highlights to look out for over the coming weeks:

David Lammy sought to reassure MPs that the deal with Mauritius “does not signal any change in policy to Britain’s other overseas territories”.

The Foreign Secretary told the Commons: “I want to reassure the House and all members of the UK family worldwide that this agreement does not signal any change in policy to Britain’s other overseas territories.

“British sovereignty on the Falkland Islands, Gibraltar and the sovereign base areas, is not up for negotiation. The situations are not comparable.

“This has been acknowledged across our overseas territories. Fabian Picardo, chief minister for Gibraltar, vocally supported this agreement, stating that there is no possible read across to Gibraltar on the issues of sovereignty.

“And similarly, the governor of the Falklands has confirmed that the historic context of the Chagos islands and Falklands are very different.

“The Government remains firmly committed to modern partnerships with our overseas territories based on mutual consent.

“After Mauritius’ elections, the Government will move towards treaty signature, and it is then our intention to pursue ratification in 2025 by submitting the treaty and the Bill to this House for scrutiny.

“This is a historic moment, a victory for diplomacy. We saved the base. We secured Britain’s national interest for the long term.”

In a carefully crafted statement in the Commons to commemorate the 7 October atrocity, which sparked war in the Middle East, Sir Keir’s message to MPs was that the ayatollahs who rule Iran must be held to account and forced to take responsibility for the humanitarian crisis unfolding in the region.

He said his government “will never stop selling weapons to Israel” despite calls from French President Emmanuel Macron for a full arms embargo.

James Cleverly‘s hopes of becoming Tory leader have received a major boost ahead of another crucial vote by Conservative MPs today as a former rival endorsed his candidacy.

Mel Stride, who was eliminated in the last round, has come out in support of the former home and foreign secretary as momentum continues to build for him to succeed Mr Sunak.

In a message on X (formerly Twitter), Mr Stride said: “The Conservative Party needs to rebuild trust on economic competence, cutting migration and reforming public services. Strong, clear and measured. James has what it takes. “

Momentum for Mr Cleverly appears to have been building since his speech on the last day of the Tory conference energised the audience with his call for Conservatives to start “being normal again”.