Boris Johnson news latest: Labour to call confidence motion today in bid to oust PM

Throwing his backing behind Jeremy Hunt, Tory MP Anthony Mangnall has instructed Sky News that the previous well being secretary “doesn’t need a shiny video with music in the background to get his point across”.

He insisted Mr Hunt’s marketing campaign “is doing very well”, including: “He’s a dignified candidate, he’s someone who I think has a great deal of respect from across the party and across the membership and across the whole of the country, and I think we’ve got the numbers to make a really good showing.”

With simply hours left for Tory management hopefuls to safe sufficient backing to attain the poll, Nadhim Zahawi has insisted that he has the requisite help of 20 colleagues.

“We’ve got them and we will be putting a nomination in later,” the brand new chancellor instructed BBC Breakfast.

A operating rely in The Spectator journal locations his help at 13.

Securing the help of 20 fellow MPs to make it onto the Conservative management poll “isn’t going to be an easy task”, Nusrat Ghani has stated.

The 1922 Committee vice-chair stated at one level she thought there is likely to be some 16 contenders.

Asked what number of candidates may recover from the primary hurdle of getting 20 backers, she instructed the Today programme: “I’m wishing good luck to every candidate. There was a point where I think a number of us were getting incoming calls and I thought for a moment ‘gosh, we might even have 16’.

“But who knows, who knows? Securing the support of 20 backers isn’t going to be an easy task. At the moment, I believe there are 11, there could be 12. Let’s see by 10pm tonight who’s been able to get the nomination.”

She stated the committee “will do everything we can” to be certain the method is as “efficient and as swift” as potential, including that the manager won’t be publicly declaring who they’re supporting in the management race “to make sure we’re doing everything we can appropriately without fear or favour”.

Grant Shapps has pledged to enhance defence spending by 3 per cent of gross home product, warning that the UK “can’t afford not to”.

Writing in The Times, the transport secretary stated: “Freedom is not free. That is why, as prime minister, I will raise defence spending to 3 per cent of GDP, in contrast to Nato’s recommended minimum of 2 per cent.”

Jeremy Hunt has made the identical pledge – increased than the two.5 per cent rise by the tip of the last decade not too long ago dedicated to by Boris Johnson after a Cabinet row over the problem. But this isn’t sufficient to stop Britain from falling behind different Nato international locations, together with Poland and Lithuania, which have elevated their army budgets following Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, in accordance to Mr Hunt.

Mr Shapps pointed to the equipment limitations of the Navy and the RAF, including: “The Army is shrinking in manpower, artillery and armour. Quality is vital, but quantity has a quality all of its own.

“We have had to wait a decade to replace the venerable Nimrod subhunter with the new Poseidon aircraft. The Vanguard-class boats carrying the Trident nuclear deterrent are based on the Clyde, and they are nearing the end of their lives.

“The extra money I am proposing will help to bring forward the modernisation of the deterrent with new Dreadnought-class boats. We will accelerate the in-service dates for programmes that have been ‘shifted to the right’ to ease budgetary pressure.

“The defence of the realm is the first duty of Her Majesty’s Government. Can we afford to spend more money on this core responsibility? The answer is, we can’t afford not to.”

Penny Mordaunt and Kemi Badenoch are the favourites to turn out to be the brand new Tory chief among the many get together devoted, a brand new ballot has indicated.

Conservative Home – a news and evaluation weblog widespread with grassroots activists – carried out a survey of its readers and the highest candidate to exchange Boris Johnson is Ms Mordaunt.

The worldwide commerce minister, who was beforehand on the Cabinet Office, received 19.6 per cent, with Kemi Badenoch, the previous equalities minister coming an in depth second with 18.7 per cent.

Former chancellor Rishi Sunak, who at present has probably the most MPs backing him at 37, got here in third place with 12.1 per cent.

My colleague Joe Middleton reviews:

Tory management contender Tom Tugendhat has stated tax cuts can’t be the “only round in the magazine” in stimulating financial progress.

In a speech on Tuesday, the chairman of the Commons Foreign Affairs Committee will set out his 10-year plan for progress to tackle the UK’s lagging productiveness.

Like the opposite contenders – aside from Rishi Sunak – Mr Tugendhat is promising rapid tax cuts, however he can even argue for funding in expertise and infrastructure as effectively tax breaks for analysis and growth.

Read the small print in this report:

Boris Johnson has refused to converse in regards to the mass exodus of his ministers that led to his resignation final week and stated throwing his weight behind one of many candidates to succeed him might “damage” their probabilities.

Following the accusation in his resignation speech that his tormentors had succumbed to a “herd mentality”, he was requested whether or not he felt betrayed throughout a go to to the Francis Crick Institute in London.

Mr Johnson stated: “I don’t want to say any more about all that.

“There’s a contest under way and it’s happened, and, you know, I wouldn’t want to damage anybody’s chances by offering my support.

“I just have to get on and, in the last few days or weeks of the job, the constitutional function of the prime minister in this situation is to discharge the mandate, to continue to discharge the mandate, and that’s what I’m doing.”

Sixty-one faculties will probably be rebuilt or refurbished via a £1 billion fund, the Government has introduced.

In James Cleverly’s first announcement as Education Secretary, he stated the colleges would both obtain “state of the art” rebuilds or refurbishments.

The funding to present trendy school rooms for 1000’s of pupils types a part of the Government’s flagship School Rebuilding Programme, with work on the rebuilds beginning instantly.

Buildings will probably be up to date and modernised, whereas new sports activities halls, music rooms, science laboratories and eating areas will probably be included as a part of the scheme.

Read extra in this report:

Sajid Javid exploited a tax loophole to profit from non-dom perks whereas working in the Treasury as a ministerial aide, The Independent understands.

The Conservative management hopeful, who on Monday referred to as for better scrutiny of candidates as he launched his marketing campaign, would say solely that he gave up the controversial tax standing “before entering public life” and refused to reply additional questions on his tax affairs.

But in accordance to sources aware of Mr Javid’s tax planning, whereas the previous well being secretary gave up non-dom standing in 2009, he preserved among the tax advantages via an offshore belief till 2012.

Read extra in this unique from my colleague Anna Isaac:

Cinemas have changed on-line subscriptions on individuals’s checklist of priorities, as greater than 9 in 10 stated they’re anxious in regards to the influence rising payments are having on their private funds.

Data from Barclaycard revealed that 91 per cent of customers have been final month involved in regards to the influence rising family payments are having on their private funds, in contrast to 88 per cent in May.

Spending on utilities witnessed the steepest rise. Many are slicing again on their vitality and water consumption due to a 39.6 per cent year-on-year enhance in the price of family necessities.