Former Labour minister Margaret Hodge says it"s "bit daft" for Streeting to suggest assisted dying law would cost NHS Margaret Hodge, the former Labour minister who now sits in the House of Lords, has criticised Wes Streeting, the health secretary, for speaking out too much against the assisted dying bill. Echoing the line taken by Kim Leadbeater (see 12.32pm), Hodge told the BBC’s Politics Live: I’m a great Wes Streeting fan but I think on this issue he should do what the cabinet secretary said and just hold fire a little bit. Hodge, who was chair of the Commons public accounts committee for five years, also said she thought it was “a bit daft” for Streeting to suggest that an assisted dying law would put a significant financial burden on the NHS. If you look at the NHS budget, most of it goes on the last six months of life … to argue that this is going to cost extra sounds to me a bit daft. Afternoon summary Wes Streeting, the health secretary, has been criticised by Labour colleagues for his comments yesterday suggesting the assisted dying bill would create a cost for the NHS. The Labour MP promoting the bill, Kim Leadbeater, and Margaret Hodge, a former Labour minister, have both suggested he has breached the rule saying ministers are meant to be neutral on this issue and should not be trying to sway the public debate. (See 12.32pm and 3.38pm.) More than 250 unpaid carers risk criminal prosecution after falling foul of draconian benefit rules in the past six months, official figures reveal. Income fell on almost all farm types in England last year, as extreme weather hit yields and the government cut subsidies. The UK government has promised to introduce tougher enforcement action against airlines that fail to protect customers from losses caused by flight disruption after an inquiry into last August’s air traffic meltdown, which led to more than 700,000 people facing delays and cancellations. MPs have supported extending measures designed to increase representation of women bishops in the House of Lords, PA Media reports. The Lords Spiritual (Women) Act 2015 (extension) bill continues for a further five years the policy of filling any vacancies that appear on the bishop’s benches in the unelected house with female bishops. It received an unopposed second reading in the Commons this afternoon and will undergo further scrutiny at a later date. Six Labour MPs appointed as parliamentary private secretaries Six Labour MPs have been appointed parliamentary private secretaries. As ministerial aides, they don’t get a salary, but they are deemed part of the “payroll vote” and being a PPS is normally the first step to becoming a minister. They are: Matthew Patrick – Department for Culture, Media and Sport / Department for Science, Innovation, and Technology Josh Simons– Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Lucy Rigby – Ministry of Justice Gordon McKee – Department for Work and Pensions Claire Hughes – Department for Business and Trade Julie Minns – Department for Transport UK one of many countries with record immigration in 2023, says OECD, saying high arrival numbers "can be well managed" The Conservative party and Reform UK have both issued statements triggered by the findings in a 384-page report out today from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) about migration trends in 2023. The Tories use the report to attack Labour, for dropping some of their policies, and Reform UK use it to attack the last Conservative government, for allowing immigration to risen massively. The OECD itself, which acts as a thinktank for its 38 member countries, has a very different take; it says the UK is far from alone in having record immigration, and it says internationally “migration is at record levels but not beyond control”. Referring to the situation for all OECD countries, it says: Up by 10% compared to 2022, permanent-type migration to OECD countries set a new record in 2023 with 6.5 million new permanent immigrants, 28% above 2019 levels. Most of the 2023 increase was driven by family migration (including family accompanying workers), but humanitarian migration was also on the rise. By contrast, labour migration within free mobility areas was stable in 2023. About a third of OECD countries experienced record immigration levels in 2023, including Canada, France, Japan, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. Another third recorded a drop in inflows, including Denmark, Estonia, Israel, Italy, Lithuania and New Zealand. The report says that in the UK permanent-type migration has risen since 2015 at a much higher rate than in most other OECD countries. But it also says that, when permanent-type migration is considered as a proportion of the total population, the UK is much closer to the OECD average. In his introduction to the report, Stefano Scarpetta, the OECD’s director for employment, labour and social affairs, said high levels of migration create “widespread concern”. But he says the problems can be managed, and migration also creates opportunities. These high flows have fuelled widespread concern about migrants’ impact on receiving countries’ economies and societies, putting migration management and border control at the top of political agendas and the centre of voters’ interests in 2024 elections. Reflecting structural trends rather than temporary blips, these increasing migration flows raise legitimate concern, but they also point to major opportunities. Evidence from OECD countries suggests that these high flows can be well managed with appropriate policy. But that is not the line picked up by the Tories and Reform UK in their comments on the report. For the Conservatives, Chris Philp, the shadow home secretary, highlighted the fact that the report confirms changes to visa policies announced by the last government will reduce net migration. “Labour now places all of that at risk with an ideologically driven push to can that legacy, which would open the doors to migration and undo all the progress we made,” he said. For Reform UK, Richard Tice, the deputy leader, said: For 14 years the Tories promised us action on immigration and instead all we were left with was the highest numbers on record. This latest report is a damning indictment of fourteen years of Tory rule. Mass immigration has made us all poorer and has damaged social cohesion. Scotland"s health secretary Neil Gray apologises for acting "more as fan than minister" in taking official cars to matches Scotland’s health secretary – and Dons fan – Neil Gray has apologised for appearing to act “more as a fan than a minister” when he took ministerial cars to Aberdeen games on three occasions in six months. In response to mounting criticism from opposition parties at Holyrood, and on the day that his planned reforms to social care were delayed yet again, Gray told MSPs: What I have reflected upon and what I apologise for is the appearance that I have been acting more as a fan, not getting the balance right, by attending Aberdeen games and attending others. But he insisted that he had not broken any rules and that all the matches were recorded as official government business, with summaries of the discussions that took place to be published. He revealed that he’d attended a total of six matches accompanied by family members and guests in the chauffeur-driven limousines, the three Aberdeen ones mentioned in a report at the weekend, but also other matches including a Scotland game. With the Scottish Conservatives demanding further investigation, this will be a real test of John Swinney’s commitment in Programme for Government to strengthen the ministerial code, and to let independent advisers decide unilaterally whether something is worth investigating as a breach. Former Labour minister Margaret Hodge says it"s "bit daft" for Streeting to suggest assisted dying law would cost NHS Margaret Hodge, the former Labour minister who now sits in the House of Lords, has criticised Wes Streeting, the health secretary, for speaking out too much against the assisted dying bill. Echoing the line taken by Kim Leadbeater (see 12.32pm), Hodge told the BBC’s Politics Live: I’m a great Wes Streeting fan but I think on this issue he should do what the cabinet secretary said and just hold fire a little bit. Hodge, who was chair of the Commons public accounts committee for five years, also said she thought it was “a bit daft” for Streeting to suggest that an assisted dying law would put a significant financial burden on the NHS. If you look at the NHS budget, most of it goes on the last six months of life … to argue that this is going to cost extra sounds to me a bit daft. The Home Office has issued a statement responding to the claim made by Sir Mark Rowley, the commissioner of the Metropolitan police, about his force facing “eye-watering cuts”. (See 9.22am.) A spokesperson said: The budget delivers real increases in funding for policing. The Metropolitan police will receive up to £3.5bn in funding in 2024-25. This is in addition to £37.4m provided for the 2024-25 pay award which has been allocated outside of the police funding settlement. George Osborne praises Labour for raising tuition fees, saying it was "pretty stupid" for Tories to freeze them George Osborne, the former Conservative chancellor, has praised the Labour government for raising university tuition fees. Speaking on his Political Currency podcast, which he co-hosts with Ed Balls, Osborne said that the last Conservative government was wrong to freeze them. And he said he hoped this meant Labour had now abandoned all hope of wanting to get rid of them. He said: I think the decision of the Tory governments after me to freeze tuition fees was pretty stupid because it starved the sector of money. But it is a very unusual decision, isn’t it, from a Labour education secretary, because for much of the period in opposition, Labour was saying, ‘We’re actually going to get rid of these tuition fees’ even though they were originally introduced by Tony Blair’s government … I think it’s good what Bridget Phillipson has done. Is this now the death of this romantic idea that various oppositions have flirted with, first the Conservatives, before 2010, then the Labour oppositions under the Tories, that somehow we’re going to get rid of this tuition fee regime? Osborne joked: I mean, a cut in the winter fuel payment, an increase in tuition fees. I’m beginning to like this government quite a lot. If the assisted dying bill passed at second reading, a public bill committee will be set up to consider the bill line by line before it returns to the floor of the Commons for its report stage and third reading votes. During business questions Lucy Powell, the leader of the Commons, was asked for an assurance that the public bill committee would reflect the balance of opinion in the Commons as a whole, for an against the bill. For government bills, these committees just have to reflect the party balance in the Commons as a whole, because MPs vote along party lines. But the procedure is different for private members’ bills. Powell said the committee would reflect a fair balance taking into account views on the bill. She explained: Should the house agree to second reading after a debate for the [assisted dying bill] at the end of November, it would then be for the sponsoring member to choose the members of that committee. The guidance that surrounds this is absolutely clear about nominating members. They must reflect the party balance in the house and reflect a balance of views as outlined in the bill at second reading as well. And I know that the member for Spen Valley [Kim Leadbeater] is very, very keen indeed to follow this guidance and ensure that there is a balanced committee. UPDATE: This post originally said public bill committees normally just reflect party balance. That is the case for government bills. But for private members’ bills the rules are different (as the Powell quote says) and committee membership must reflect the balance of views in the Commons too. I have changed the wording to clarify this. Commons leader Lucy Powell rejects claim not enough time being set aside for MPs to debate assisted dying bill At PMQs yesterday Keir Starmer declined an invitation to promise that extra time would be made available for MPs to debate the assisted dying bill so that all its provisions can be properly scrutinised. But during business questions in the Commons today Lucy Powell, the leader of the Commons, implied that plenty of time would be available anyway without two more days being allocated for the debate, as the Tory Alec Shelbrooke suggested in his question to Starmer. Powell said: As it’ll be the first item of business on November 29, it is highly likely that the second reading debate will last for the full five hours. This is comparable or longer to any other bill, perhaps longer. Should the house agree to second reading it would then be considered in committee for likely several weeks. The whole house will then also have further opportunities to debate and vote on these matters both at report stage and again at third reading, which won’t be until April at the earliest. Powell also said that, if the bill did get a second reading, the government would work with Kim Leadbeater, the MP who has tabled it, to ensure it was “workable”. She said: The government has a duty to make sure that any bill that passes through parliament is effective and can be enforced. No 10 rejects suggestions Streeting"s assisted dying interventions have breached government neutrality rule At the Downing Street lobby briefing this morning the prime minister’s spokesperson rejected suggestions that Wes Streeting, the health secretary, is ignoring the instruction that ministers should not try to influence the public debate on the assisted dying bill. (See 12.32pm.) Asked if Keir Starmer was confident that ministers were respecting the guidance from the cabinet secretary on this matter, the spokesperson replied: Yes. Ultimately, this is a case where the PM has said it is a free vote for MPs. Government will respect the will of parliament. Cabinet ministers have made very clear that the whole of government will respect the will of parliament on this deeply emotive issue. Asked specifically about the intevention yesterday from Streeting, which led to Kim Leadbeater, the Labour MP who has tabled the bill, suggesting he was ignoring the advice for ministers, the spokesperson said: I point you back to what the health secretary himself has said, which is that his department, the whole of government, will respect the will of parliament on this issue. Asked about claims that, by implying that an assisted dying law would take money from other parts of the NHS Streeting was intervening in the debate, the spokesperson said it was “common practice for government to examine implications of possible legislative proposals, including private members’ bills”. The spokesperson also declined to say whether Starmer himself would or would not definitely vote in the debate a fortnight tomorrow. Starmer says small boat crossings will become "much more difficult" if supply of boats disrupted Keir Starmer has given an interview to broadcasters following the news that a joint Dutch/Belgian/British investigation has led to an arrest in Amsterdam of a man suspected of playing a key role in supplying small boats. (See 1.19pm.) After the new government abandoned the Tories’ Rwanda policy, Starmer has been keen to show that his policy, which involves a beefed-up focus on breaking up people-smuggling gangs, provides a viable alternative. He said this arrest showed that international law enforcement cooperation can deliver results. He said: The entire focus until we had the election was on a gimmick, the Rwanda gimmick, and not enough attention was on taking down the gangs that are running this vile trade. I’ve long said that there is a serious issue in people-smuggling and that the only way to deal with it is to take down the gangs, the groups that are running this vile trade … This is a significant arrest, and it follows careful work by the National Crime Agency – some of which I went to look at myself not so many weeks ago – intelligence gathering work, collaboration, co-operating across borders, exactly the serious response that we need to a very serious problem. Explaining why arrests like this would make a difference, Starmer said: I don’t accept the proposition that none of this is worth doing because somebody else pops up. We are taking down the gangs. It’s a step. It’s an important step. Of course, there are going to be other steps that are necessary … If the boats and the engines aren’t available, it obviously makes it much more difficult for these crossings to be made and we’re dealing with gangs and groups that are making a huge amount of money from this vile trade. And so it is really important that we take these vital steps against them in relation to disrupting their pattern and the way that they do their business. So that’s why it’s very significant that this arrest has taken place today. This is a significant piece of the jigsaw. I’m not pretending it’s the silver bullet. There are other steps that are going to be necessary, but this is a very important step. Starmer welcomes arrest following joint Dutch/Belgian/British investigation into supply of small boats Keir Starmer has said the arrest of a 44-year-old Turkish man suspected of being a supplier of small boats was a “significant piece of the jigsaw” in tackling Channel migrant crossings but “I’m not pretending it’s the silver bullet”, PA Media says. PA reports: The suspect was detained at Schipol Airport in Amsterdam on Wednesday after a joint investigation by Dutch and Belgian authorities and the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA). He is suspected of shipping dinghies and engines from Turkey and storing them in Germany, before they are moved to northern France for crossings. The man is facing extradition to Belgium over charges of human smuggling, the spokesman added. The prime minister has put international co-operation with law enforcement agencies in Europe at the heart of his efforts to cut small boat crossings. So far this year more than 32,000 people have arrived in the UK having made the journey across the English Channel by boat, according to Home Office figures. John Swinney criticised after Scottish government again delays plan for national care service John Swinney has come under fire from Tories, Labour and Lib Dems at FMQs over two key health issues this week – the row about health secretary Neil Gray taking ministerial cars to travel to football games, and the ongoing “shambles” of Scottish government attempts to create a national care service. At first minister’s questions in Holyrood, Scottish Tory leader Russell Findlay told Swinney that the SNP government had “a reckless disregard for taxpayer’s money”. He went on: Health secretary Neil Gray takes limos to the football. John Swinney wastes cash on the national care service that everybody knows is not going to work. Later this afternoon Gray will make a statement to the chamber to explain why he needed the chauffeur-driven cars to take him to his favourite football team, Aberdeen’s, matches at Hampden three times in six months. And earlier today the Scottish government insisted that plans to centralise adult social care currently delivered by local authorities into a single body accountable to the Scottish government had not been ditched but delayed again, with a revised timetable worked out in the new year. Scottish Lib Dem leader Alex Cole-Hamilton said that Swinney had “wasted £30m and three years on the wrong solution” and that the plans have been significantly delayed because of uncertainty over costs and the withdrawal of support by key unions. Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar said the plans were “opposed by care users, unions and experts and nothing more than an expensive power grab that would do nothing to improve the lives of care users”. But Swinney insisted that disabled people’s organisations, carers and service users have all pressed for a national service and that the revised timetable would allow for time to put in place arrangements to tackle the current postcode lottery. Kim Leadbeater criticises Streeting over assisted dying bill comments, implying he"s ignoring ministerial neutrality policy Kim Leadbeater, the Labour MP who has tabled the private member’s bill on assisted dying that will be debated two weeks tomorrow, has said she is “disappointed” by Wes Streeting, the health secretary, saying the new law could cut funding for other NHS services. Streeting made the claim yesterday, in an interview that implies he is increasingly keen to ensure that MPs vote down the terminally ill adults (end of life) bill at second reading. Asked about Streeting’s comments, Leadbeater told PoliticsHome: I’m disappointed that the health secretary came out to speak about the bill before he had even seen the bill, and a couple of comments that were made on the media … would suggest he hasn’t read the bill. So, that is disappointing. She also implied that Streeting was in breach of an instruction to ministers that they should not take part in the public debate on the bill. She said: The important thing is that this debate happens, and everybody is absolutely entitled to their different views on the issue. But I have found it disappointing that some members of the cabinet have spoken out very vocally on the issue, and others have done as instructed and not expressed their views. So, I’ve found that quite disappointing and quite upsetting. Last month Simon Case, the cabinet secretary, distributed a letter to cabinet ministers telling them that the government was neutral on the bill. He said that in interviews they could confirm their previously stated views on the issue, but he said they “should exercise discretion and should not take part in the public debate”. Minister pledges better protection for UK airline passengers Airline passengers will benefit from tougher enforcement of consumer protection laws following an inquiry into the August 2023 air traffic control meltdown, transport secretary Louise Haigh has said.