Politics latest: Rayner promises ‘devolution revolution’ as more Tories urge Sunak to stay on – for now

Sir Keir Starmer’s cabinet will meet this morning, ahead of the King’s Speech tomorrow. 

Little has been shared as to the agenda of the meeting, but with the government set to outline as many as 35 bills during the speech, it seems likely that tomorrow will feature. 

Regardless, we’ll bring you the latest lines to come out of the meeting. 

More Conservative MPs have called on Rishi Sunak to stay on as prime minister until at least November. 

Shadow veterans minister Andrew Bowie told Sky News this morning he thought Mr Sunak should stay on for “continuity”.

“I think it’s important that there is some stability at the top of the Conservative Party as we determine how and the length of the leadership election that we’re about to undertake,” he told Sky News. 

“And Rishi gives us that certainty, gives us that continuity, and I hope he finds within himself to carry on whilst we get our house in order and select who is to succeed him and lead us into the next election in four or five years.”

His comments come after shadow foreign secretary Andrew Mitchell said yesterday the former prime minister’s instinct “is almost certainly to go” but more time was needed for potential successors to make their case.

By Deborah Haynes, security and defence editor 

Britain’s armed forces must have the ability to confront a “deadly quartet” of China, Russia, Iran and North Korea, the surprise pick to lead a major review of the UK’s shrunken defences has warned.

Lord Robertson, a former Labour defence secretary and former NATO chief, is being brought back to frontline military policy by Sir Keir Starmer after he led Labour’s last Strategic Defence Review (SDR) more than a quarter of a century ago.

In another novel twist, the government on Tuesday announced two other external experts will work with the peer on crafting the new blueprint for the future shape and size of the armed forces.

They include Fiona Hill, a former foreign policy adviser to the Donald Trump White House who testified against the former president during his impeachment trial.

Her appointment could draw criticism from Mr Trump – who could well be elected back into power later this year – just as the new prime minister and his top team stress the importance of the transatlantic alliance.

Read more from Haynes here. 

The deputy prime minister will today write to local leaders promising to oversee a “devolution revolution”, the government has said. 

Devolution is the transfer of powers and funding from national to local government.

“For too long, Westminster government has tightly gripped control and held back opportunities and potential for towns, cities, and villages across the country,” Angela Rayner will say.

She’s writing to all council leaders of county and unitary councils not currently subject to a devolution deal.

She will discuss meeting with the mayors last week, adding how they had “proper, grown up conversations around economic growth, and how to deliver that through better housing, skills, and jobs for local people”. 

“I want to work with more places to help them use these enhanced powers and role – because I want to drive growth in every part of the country,” she will say. 

“For any area considering it, now is the time to take the plunge and speak to us about how we can work with you to transform your regions.”

Hello and welcome back to the Politics Hub.

We’ll be bringing you the latest news from Westminster and across the UK as Labour prepare for the King’s Speech tomorrow. 

Stay tuned. 

We are handing over to the US now where the Republicans are meeting to confirm Donald Trump as the candidate for the presidential election, just days after an assassination attempt on his life.

Follow all the news from the massive convention in Milwaukee with our colleagues by clicking here.

We will be back tomorrow to bring you all the latest from Westminster. For now though, have a good evening! 

Now to the SNP’s Stephen Gethins, who is calling on the new government to scrap the two-child benefit cap.

The measure was brought in by the Conservatives in 2017, preventing parents claiming Universal Credit or child tax credits for a third child, except in very limited circumstances.

It means families cannot claim about £3,200 a year per extra child, the Resolution Foundation has said.

But scrapping it would be estimated to cost £1.7bn. So how do you pay for it?

“You can increase borrowing,” suggests Mr Gethins. “You could also, like Scotland, have a slightly more progressive taxation system where those with lower wages in Scotland, pay less tax bills and those with higher wages pay more tax.

“We’re not just talking about a Westminster game here. We’re talking about the way in which, you know, kids that will go hungry, how do you heat your house going into the winter time?”

He also points to what the government has already spent money on.

Mr Gethins says: “Let’s put it this into perspective, you know, leaving the EU has already cost us £140bn. A replacement for Trident will cost £200bn. And you’re talking about £1.5bn in terms of child poverty.

“Politics is about choices. It’s about priorities. And we think child poverty should be a priority.” 

Labour MP Dawn Butler says she faced intimidation during the election, and there was “definitely more aggression in the air”.

But she tells Sophy there has been “been a build up of sort of violent talk and rhetoric” for years, pointing back to the days of Brexit.

Ms Butler said in the last campaign there “seemed to be a strategy to film and follow, especially female MPs”, and to abuse them.

“I had somebody following me and being very aggressive and shouting and recording,” she adds. “But that’s with the police so I don’t want to talk too much about that.

“But just today, we had to report somebody to the police who was trying to, you know, advocate violence against me, and so I think social media has a huge role to play with that.” 

Former special adviser James Starkie agreed with the social media issue, as it is “dehumanising”.

“When I walk into Conservative Party conference this year… there’ll be someone screaming in my face ‘you’re scum’ as I walk in,” he said.

“Now, if I walk down the street and someone started screaming in my face… and there was a police officer, that person would be arrested. But they won’t be at conference.

“So there is a kind of weird acceptance that you’re allowed to treat politicians in a way that actually we wouldn’t expect say, a chief executive to be treated.”

Lord Walney has written to the home secretary calling for an inquiry into the intimidation of MPs after what Sophy Ridge calls one of the “ugliest” election campaigns we have seen in the UK – and, of course, after an assassination attempt on former US president Donald Trump.

The peer tells Sophy the incident this weekend was “a shocking reminder of the vulnerability that everyone who puts themselves in the front line to serve ultimately faces”.

He says politicians are “blessed in to be here in the UK where there is not the same gun culture” as across the Atlantic.

But he says the fact the shooter came within “less than an inch” of killing Mr Trump showed all politicians face “some level of threat”. 

Lord Walney adds: “There is no way of reducing that to zero. MPs who go put themselves forward to serve their communities, none of them will accept being sealed away behind bulletproof glass. They they are there to be part of their communities to listen.”

He praises Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, who has announced she is chairing a taskforce to look into the “alarming” intimidation of candidates.

But he said there should be “a much needed review of security around Whitehall”, and different elements, including police and government, need to work together to address the issue. 

It’s time for the Politics Hub with Sophy Ridge, and tonight the guests include the SNP’s Stephen Gethings and Lord Walney, the government’s adviser on political violence.

Our panel is made up of returning Labour MP Dawn Butler and former chief of staff to Priti Patel, James Starkie. 

Make sure you tune in on the video stream above, and we will bring you updates too.