Politics latest: Chancellor to face down Labour winter fuel rebels amid pressure from unions (2024)

Paul Nowak, the general secretary of the Trades Union Congress, is addressing the group's annual conference.

Mr Nowak and other union leaders have signalled their displeasure with Labour's plan to remove the winter fuel payment from 10 million pensioners.

While the union chief doesn't explicitly mention the change, he does tell the auditorium: "Let me say up front, we won't always agree with the new government on every issue.

"But we know Keir Starmer and this government have the interests of working people at heart in a way that the conservatives never did and never will."

Mr Nowak does give the new government his support - and mocks Conservative politicians for losing their seats in the election.

He says the TUC will "work with the new government to rebuild our public services".

Attacks on 'Putin apologist' Farage

Mr Nowak moves on to attack Reform UK and its leader Nigel Farage.

The TUC general secretary says: "Nigel Farage isn't a friend of the working class.

"He's a fraud.

"A public school educated, private equity loving, NHS privatising, Putin apologist fraud."

But he does tell the hall that he doesn't"believe for one moment that most of those who voted Reform at the last election are racist".

A "bus revolution" will save vital routes and put passengers first, the government has said, as it unveiled new measures which include plans to further support franchising.

The legislation, which will be laid out before parliament on Monday, will give all local transport authorities new powers to run their own bus services.

Only metro mayors at the moment can control services in this way.

It will be presented in the form of a statutory instrument, meaning it does not need to be passed by parliament.

The government has also launched a consultation on simplified guidance hoping to speed up processes and reduce costs for local leaders looking to bring services into public control.

Known as bus franchising, this model involves local authorities granting private companies the right to operate in a specific area but keeping control over key aspects.

This could include routes, timetables and fares.

According to the Department for Transport, the annual total distance travelled by buses in England has fallen by nearly 300 million miles since 2010.

The department plans to present a Buses Bill later in this parliamentary session to further support franchising.

We've been hearing a bit more from the knife crime summit in Downing Street.

Actor Idris Elba spoke to the group, which includes the family of victims as well as activists and politicians.

He told them that "we aren't going to end knife crime - we can't, that's not realistic".

But he says the group can make a difference for future generations.

"We can tackle the attributes towards it.

"At the centre of it is obviously young people – my son's 10, and I'm hoping the work that we do annually, keep pushing, [can] help him by the time he's 16.

"There are kids right now that are 16-24, they're in that cycle right now that we might not be able to help, but with our joined-up thinking we can help future generations."

The prime minister told the same group that he wanted them to be honest with him, and push him at the meetings to develop good policies to tackle the issue.

Sir Keir Starmer said: "Before the election, I made commitments to people around this table and others in relation to a determination to deal with knife crime.

"And it is a determination."

He added: "Now I want to double down on that commitment. It wasn't a commitment said before the election that's then forgotten the other side of the election – I think many people are far too familiar with that kind of politics."

Sky chief political correspondent Jon Craig is in Brighton for the Trades Union Congress.

This summit brings together the leaders from the union movement to discuss and vote on their policy positions.

With a Labour government in power, the conference also gets a visit from the prime minister - with Sir Keir to speak tomorrow.

But as Jon says, it's "boxing gloves on" at the TUC over the winter fuel payment cut.

Paul Nowak, the TUC general secretary, has told Jon that he favours an increase to capital gains tax to fill the "black hole" Labour claims to have found in the public finances.

Sharon Graham, the general secretary of Unite, laid out her support for a wealth tax to Jon.

And Mick Lynch, the chief of the RMT union, has told Jon he wants something "radical" from the government.

"The winter fuel allowance really has - I wouldn't say set this conference alight - but it's certainly boiling up to a pretty high temperature," Jon says.

Mr Nowak is speaking later today - and one of his teams has told Jon the speech will be "punchy".

"So boxing gloves on," Jon says.

As well as the winter fuel cuts, wages and workers' rights are also topics the TUC will discuss.

By Alix Culbertson, political reporter

Prisoners set to be released early tomorrow have been trawled through in an attempt to not let domestic abusers go, the policing minister said.

Tuesday will see about 1,700 prisoners released early in an attempt to alleviate overcrowded prisons in England and Wales.

The government said serious violent criminals, terrorists and domestic abuse perpetrators will not be released as part of the scheme.

However, the domestic abuse commissioner Nicole Jacobs told The Times victims of domestic abuse are having "sleepless nights" over the release as they fear those who have been convicted of crimes such as common assault towards a partner will not be flagged as domestic abusers.

Policing minister Dame Diana Johnson said the government has been trying to ensure that does not happen.

She told Sky News: "There's been a real trawl through to try and identify where their primary offence isn't domestic abuse, we know there's a history and that's where the steps have been put in to protect as best we can.

"Because we know, unfortunately, domestic abuse is so prevalent amongst the offending community."

Actor Idris Elba has entered Downing Street ahead of a meeting with the prime minister.

The Luther star is in Number 10 for the launch of a new anti-knife crime coalition - in what is set to be the first annual summit on the topic.

As an anti-knife crime campaigner, Elba will help bring together community groups and victims' families who have first-hand experience that can be used to change policy.

With the help of the coalition, which will include his Elba Hope Foundation, the government hopes to halve knife crime over the next 10 years.

It is currently in the process of banning ninja swords and strengthening the law on online knife sales.

Dame Diana Johnson, the Home Office minister, is speaking to Sky News this morning.

She was asked about the government's plans to cut the winter fuel payment for millions of pensioners.

Dame Diana says it is a "really tough decision", that "nobody wants to make".

She repeats the government's stance that they have to make the choice because of the "economic inheritance" from the last government.

The frontbencher says she will support the motion in the Commons vote tomorrow.

Dame Diana says: "I think in government, one of the things you have to do is make tough decisions.

"And unfortunately, this is one of the first ones that we're having to deal with.

"But we know that we are also committed to the triple lock on pensions, and we've got the budget coming up in October.

"So I think all the options are being looked at by government as to how to make sure the poorest and most vulnerable do not suffer."

The minister adds that her inbox is "full of emails" about the policy - but it's a decision necessary to "get the finances back on track".

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Sky News' deputy political editor Sam Coates and Politico's Jack Blanchard are back with their daily guide to the day ahead in politics in under 20 minutes.

Today, they explain the government's messaging ahead of Tuesday's controversial vote on scrapping winter fuel allowance for most pensioners.

It's also the TUC Congress in Brighton this week – Jack and Sam explain what to look out for from the union and why the event matters even more this year.

You can now send a WhatsApp to Jack and Sam on 07511 867 633 or email them: jackandsam@sky.uk

👉Tap here to follow Politics at Jack and Sam's wherever you get your podcasts👈

With a vote in the House of Commons on Tuesday over the government's plan to cut the winter fuel payment, it is likely that some Labour MPs will not vote with the government.

Rachael Maskell, the Labour MP for York Central, has led the charge from the backbenches against the government plans.

There are reports that as many as 50 Labour MPs could rebel - although a number such is this is always hard to pin down and should be taken with a pinch of salt.

But on a motion like this, a rebellion might not see MPs actually voting against the government.

Instead, those who want to register their displeasure with the plans may simply not show up or abstain from the vote.

It should be noted, even if Labour loses 50 votes to abstention - and even if the 50 vote against the government - they still have the majority to pass their plans.

But the consequences of voting against the government would be much more severe.

Sir Keir Starmer - and his chief whip, Sir Alan Campbell - showed they are willing to be ruthless with those voting against the government in King's Speech.

Seven MPs, including veteran John McDonnell, had the whip suspended after backing calls to scrap the two-child benefit cap - read about that here.

At the time, a Labour source told Sky News this decision was made to "show that we expect Labour MPs to support the programme we were elected on".

It remains to be seen how the rebellion on Tuesday will take shape, and whether Sir Keir will have to continue his ruthless approach to his backbenches.

All the prime minister would say on Sunday was that it was a "a matter for the chief whip".