What are the key problems in Rishi Sunak’s in-tray as MPs return to Westminster?

Published

2 years ago

September 4, 2023

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Rishi Sunak will be under increased pressure as MPs return to Westminster on Monday after their summer recess.

The prime minister has been accused of presiding over a “zombie parliament” – not just by Labour, as would be expected, but in a parting shot by Nadine Dorries, who has finally vacated her seat of Mid Bedfordshire – triggering another by-election in a safe Tory seat.

It comes as a new crisis has unfolded in England’s schools, with more than 100 being told they would either be forced to shut or partially close over fears about the type of concrete used in their buildings.

On top of that, Saturday saw the highest number of migrant Channel crossings so far this year.

The timing could not be worse for Mr Sunak, whose director of communications, Amber de Botton, resigned on Friday after less than a year in the role and with a general election looming around the corner.

The prime minister is under more pressure to make progress on his five pledges or else risk his backbenchers becoming increasingly agitated.

He faces pressure, too, from the opposition benches, with Labour accusing the government of being “unable to deliver its own agenda”.

The government’s Online Safety Bill had been “drastically watered down”, according to the opposition, who accused the prime minister of being “too weak” to pass the original legislation.

Labour says several pledges including reform of the Mental Health Act and of the audit system could be left out of the upcoming King’s Speech entirely.

Here, Sky News takes a look at the key problems in the prime minister’s in-tray.

Concrete crisis

After years of disruption caused by the COVID pandemic and more recently teacher strikes, parents are braced for yet more home-schooling after the Department for Education announced more than 100 schools would either have to close or partially close due to the use of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete, known as RAAC.

Around 104 schools or “settings” will be disrupted on top of 50 that have already been affected this year.

The department said the vast majority of schools and colleges “will be unaffected” – but Labour criticised the move as a “staggering display of Tory incompetence”.

And in an interview on Sky News’ new politics show, Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips, Chancellor Jeremy Hunt admitted more schools and other public buildings with structural problems could come to light as the government carries out its “exhaustive” programme into the problem.

“Obviously we might find new information in the weeks or months ahead and we will act on it, but in terms of the information we have today we have acted immediately, we will continue to act, we will continue to invest,” he said.

Record boat numbers

One of Mr Sunak’s five pledges – to stop migrant boat crossings in the Channel – is also under serious doubt after a summer of setbacks.

The prime minister has already had to contend with the fact that more than 100,000 people have made the crossing since records began in 2018 – a milestone he certainly does not want to be associated with.

A bad situation was made worse when the latest round of Home Office figures showed 872 people were detected crossing the Channel in small boats yesterday – the highest number on a single day so far this year.

The Saturday figure has taken the total to arrive so far this year to 20,973.

It prompted Labour to accuse Mr Sunak of having “badly broken his promise on small boats”.

Rising cost of living

The most consistent problem Mr Sunak has had to contend with is the cost of living crisis, where high inflation is eroding people’s pay packets.

Mr Sunak has pledged to halve inflation, which currently stands at 6.8%, by the end of the year – which some in his party feel has made him a hostage to fortune.

While the government has been buoyed by figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) which showed the UK’s economy was 0.6% larger than pre-pandemic levels by the fourth quarter of 2021, there are no signs yet the pressure has eased up on people’s pockets.

Energy watchdog Ofgem has warned that while the energy price cap is going to fall in October, families are “absolutely going to struggle” with their bills this winter as its boss urged the government to bring back support for families.

A typical household paying by direct debit for gas and electricity will face an annual charge of £1,923 from October to December, a fall of about £150.

Despite that, millions of households could end up paying more because government support with bills – worth £66 a month – has now been withdrawn.

Reflecting the tough economic situation is the fact that junior doctors and consultants have agreed to go on strike for the first time in NHS over four days across September and October – coinciding with Mr Sunak’s first Tory conference as leader and prime minister.

Tata talks

Sky News revealed this week the government is in advanced talks with Britain’s biggest steel producer to hand over a £500m aid package aimed at securing the long-term future of steelmaking in South Wales.

Whitehall officials and Tata Steel are close to agreeing a deal that would commit more than £1bn to the future of its Port Talbot steelworks – but which could ultimately result in thousands of job losses.

Under the plans currently envisaged, the government would commit approximately £500m of public funding to the company, while Tata Steel’s Indian parent would sign off £700m of capital expenditure over a multi-year period.

Port Talbot employs about 4,000 people – roughly half of Tata Steel’s overall UK workforce of approximately 8,000.

Industry sources close to the discussions said the company had indicated that over the long term, as many as 3,000 of its British-based staff were likely to lose their jobs.

Mr Hunt was challenged about the package by Trevor Phillips on Sunday, who asked whether the government was propping up an industry the government knows can’t compete with China.

Mr Hunt hit back by arguing the UK “can certainly compete with China”.

He said: “We are the world’s second-largest colleagues offshore wind producer and when it comes to high-end manufacturing, as opposed to the very low-cost manufacturing, we have four of the world’s top 10 universities, amazing research and development happening here.

“And we have a British economy that is a global leader when it comes to life sciences, technology or arts manufacturing.”

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Government accused of ‘stark’ contradiction over position on Gaza genocide allegations

Published

5 hours ago

June 30, 2025

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Government accused of 'stark' contradiction over position on Gaza genocide allegations

The government has won a long-running legal challenge about its decision to continue allowing the sale of spare parts for F-35 fighter jets to Israel, while suspending other arms licences over concerns about international humanitarian law in Gaza.

But a key part of its case has highlighted mixed messaging about its position on the risk of genocide in Gaza – and intensified calls for ministers to publish their own assessment on the issue.

PM braced for pivotal vote – politics latest

Lawyers acting for the government told judges “the evidence available does not support a finding of genocide” and “the government assessment was that…there was no serious risk of genocide occurring”.

Therefore, they argued, continuing to supply the F-35 components did not put the UK at risk of breaching the Genocide Convention.

This assessment has never been published or justified by ministers in parliament, despite numerous questions on the issue.

Some MPs argue its very existence contrasts with the position repeatedly expressed by ministers in parliament – that the UK is unable to give a view on allegations of genocide in Gaza, because the question is one for the international courts.

For example, just last week Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner told PMQs “it is a long-standing principle that genocide is determined by competent international courts and not by governments”.

‘The UK cannot sit on our hands’

Green MP Ellie Chowns said: “The government insists only an international court can judge whether genocide is occurring in Gaza, yet have somehow also concluded there is ‘no serious risk of genocide’ in Gaza – and despite my urging, refuse to publish the risk assessments which lead to this decision.

“Full transparency on these risk assessments should not be optional; it is essential for holding the government to account and stopping further atrocity.

“While Labour tie themselves in knots contradicting each other, families are starving, hospitals lie in ruins, and children are dying.

“The UK cannot sit on our hands waiting for an international court verdict when our legal duty under the Genocide Convention compels us to prevent genocide from occurring, not merely seek justice after the fact.”

‘Why are these assessments being made?’

“This contradiction at the heart of the government’s position is stark,” said Zarah Sultana MP, an outspoken critic of Labour’s approach to the conflict in Gaza, who now sits as an independent after losing the party whip last summer.

“Ministers say it’s not for them to determine genocide, that only international courts can do so. Yet internal ‘genocide assessments’ have clearly been made and used to justify continuing arms exports to Israel.

“If they have no view, why are these assessments being made? And if they do, why refuse to share them with parliament? This Labour government, in opposition, demanded the Tories publish their assessments. Now in office, they’ve refused to do the same.”

Judges at the High Court ultimately ruled the case was over such a “sensitive and political issue” it should be a matter for the government, “which is democratically accountable to parliament and ultimately to the electorate, not the court”.

Dearbhla Minogue, a senior lawyer at the Global Legal Action Network, and a solicitor for Al-Haq, the Palestinian human rights group which brought the case, said: “This should not be interpreted as an endorsement of the government, but rather a restrained approach to the separation of powers.

“The government’s disgraceful assessment that there is no risk of genocide has therefore evaded scrutiny in the courts, and as far as we know it still stands.”

What is the government’s position?

Government lawyers argued the decision not to ban the export of F-35 parts was due to advice from Defence Secretary John Healey, who said a suspension would impact the whole F-35 programme and have a “profound impact on international peace and security”.

The UK supplies F-35 component parts as a member of an international defence programme which produces and maintains the fighter jets. As a customer of that programme, Israel can order from the pool of spare parts.

Labour MP Richard Burgon said the ruling puts the government under pressure to clarify its position.

“This court ruling is very clear: only the government and parliament can decide if F-35 fighter jet parts – that can end up in Israel – should be sold,” he said.

“So the government can no longer pass the buck: it can stop these exports, or it can be complicit in Israel’s genocide in Gaza.

“On many issues they say it’s not for the government to decide, but it’s one for the international courts. This washing of hands will no longer work.”

Israel has consistently rejected any allegations of genocide.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu branded a recent UN report on the issue biased and antisemitic.

“Instead of focusing on the crimes against humanity and war crimes committed by the Hamas terrorist organisation… the United Nations once again chooses to attack the state of Israel with false accusations,” he said in a statement.

The UK government has not responded to requests for comment over its contrasting messaging to parliament and the courts over allegations of genocide.

But in response to the judgement, a spokesperson said: “The court has upheld this government’s thorough and lawful decision-making on this matter.

“This shows that the UK operates one of the most robust export control regimes in the world. We will continue to keep our defence export licensing under careful and continual review.

“On day one of this Government, the foreign secretary ordered a review into Israel’s compliance with international humanitarian law (IHL).

“The review concluded that there was a clear risk that UK exports for the IDF (Israel Defence Forces) in the Gaza conflict might be used to commit or facilitate serious violations of IHL.

“In contrast to the last government, we took decisive action, stopping exports to the Israeli Defence Forces that might be used to commit or facilitate serious violations of international humanitarian law in Gaza.”