Winter fuel backlash and union heat shows Starmer’s honeymoon is well and truly over
If you want a sense of the “change” government, Sir Keir Starmer becoming the first prime minister in 15 years to address the Trade Union Congress is it.
The Tories out and Labour in is what the trade union movement has yearned for. This has been a patient base, waiting for a new deal.
But in the conference hall in Brighton, the mood was far from euphoric.
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Delegates seemed subdued. Yes, they welcomed the Labour prime minister’s pledge to overturn restrictive union laws and improve workers’ rights.
But the biggest cheer in the hall wasn’t for the leader on the stage, but the delegate who asked Sir Keir what he was going to do to alleviate child poverty, given he is not scrapping the two-child benefit cap.
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Afterwards, when I spoke to union bosses Sharon Graham of Unite and Mick Lynch of the RMT, the message was similar – think again on cutting winter fuel allowance for most pensioners.
This might be a Labour prime minister, but his message about improving union power or workers’ rights is being drowned out by warnings over “tough decisions” around future public sector pay settlements and spending cuts.
Downing Street is not backing down. There will be no reversal over the winter fuel decision.
The only slight chink I noted on Tuesday was when one senior insider told me there was “no plans” for mitigation measures amid the backlash. That is not, in my book, a firm no.
But if you ask loyal cabinet ministers, they tell me the “first line on the first page of the manifesto is our commitment to economic stability”, adding: “We are all really clear economic trust was a key reason we won.”
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Starmer: ‘Labour knew there would be new problems’
However, many in the Labour movement – like Mr Lynch and Ms Graham – heard another pledge from Labour too: there will be no return to austerity.
“They told us they would end austerity and wouldn’t bring in these measures,” said Mr Lynch. “And the first measure they seem to have done, which has hit the headlines, is an austerity step.
“So he’s going to have to think about that and get back onside with the rest of the Labour movement.”
Ms Graham simply said that Sir Keir had picked the pockets of pensioners instead of the wealthy, “and that was the wrong choice to make”.
The tension between “economic stability and tough choices” versus austerity is only going to grow as we head into the budget and beyond.
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Government ‘picking the pockets of pensioners’
Sir Keir won the vote on withdrawing winter fuel allowance, but 52 MPs abstained. That tells you all you need to know – that these divisions are opening up so soon after that massive landslide.
Number 10 does not appear to want to fan the flames any further, with dozens of MPs slipped – sources in government are keen to stress there were but a dozen unauthorised abstentions – to avoid the vote entirely.
A “change government”, beset by infighting from the off, is not the impression this prime minister wants to give the country.
But this week’s TUC and winter fuel rebellion is a reminder the honeymoon for what was already a loveless landslide is well and truly over.
All Sir Keir can hope for is that the country will give him the benefit of the doubt, even if his base might not.
UK
‘It was agony’: Survivors of rape and sexual assault waiting years for cases to be heard in court, charity says
Delays in the court system are leading to survivors of sexual violence experiencing suicidal thoughts and being diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, a new report has found.
The Criminal Bar Association says the backlog of criminal cases is on track to reach 80,000 by March 2025.
Survivors of rape and sexual violence are among those waiting the longest for their cases to be heard. On average, it takes them two years to get to trial from the moment of charge, according to the Criminal Bar Association.
Exactly half of the cases analysed by the charity Victim Support for their new report waited three years or more from the point of reporting to the police to the first court date.
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The delay is prolonging distress for survivors, some of who have made suicide attempts whilst going through the court process.
But even once given a trial date, there’s no guarantee it will go ahead, with survivors telling Sky News often they would only find out the day before – or even on the day – that it was not going to be heard.
The charity found 47% of cases it assessed were adjourned, often with no explanation.
‘I ended up crying for four solid hours’
Emmy Hemmins had to wait five years and 11 months for her case to go to trial.
It was postponed eight times. She says the wait was traumatic.
“It was agony,” Ms Hemmins told Sky News. “It just got to the point where I kept saying to my court therapist, ‘I don’t want to do this anymore’ – and she kept saying, ‘give it a week and see if you still feel that way’.
“Leading up to each trial date, I’d be very anxious, constantly feeling nauseous, I wouldn’t have an appetite, I wouldn’t be sleeping very well and sometimes multiple times a day, I’d have panic attacks.”
The build-up of going back and forth to court took its toll on Ms Hemmins physically and mentally.
“On the days I thought it was going ahead, I’d really gotten ready for it, tried to hype myself up.
“I had all this adrenaline going, and then because it wouldn’t happen, it didn’t have anywhere else to go but turn into an anxiety attack, and I would just cry.
“I think it was the fifth time it was postponed – three days later, I had to go to the dentist and I ended up crying for a solid four hours without stopping because a few days beforehand it was meant to happen, but it didn’t.
“That was probably the longest I’ve ever cried. It was non-stop.”
‘I had all this adrenaline going, and then because it wouldn’t happen… I would just cry.’
Ms Hemmins credits her “patient and understanding” mother for the reason she didn’t give up on her case.
Her mother, the officer in her case and her court therapist stuck by her: “They always made the time to try and be positive for me because I felt like I couldn’t.”
Many survivors do walk away from prosecutions because of the delays.
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‘Distressing and inordinate delay’
Ms Hemmins’ trial eventually went ahead at the beginning of the year. The accused was found not guilty.
Soon after, Ms Hemmins unusually received a letter from the judge in her case who acknowledged the prolonged wait for justice.
The letter, seen by Sky News, admits she “had to suffer [an] emotionally distressing and inordinate delay.”
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The delays to Ms Hemmins’ case, prompted the judge to “conduct a proper review of the ‘priority’ listing arrangements” at the local Crown Court.
The Ministry of Justice told us: “The government inherited a crisis in our criminal justice system and a Crown Court backlog at record levels.
“We are committed to addressing the backlog, with a particular focus on how we prioritise fast-tracking rape cases.”
Anyone feeling emotionally distressed or suicidal can call Samaritans for help on 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org in the UK. In the US, call the Samaritans branch in your area or 1 (800) 273-TALK.
UK
Holly Newton murder: Logan MacPhail identified as 15-year-old’s killer after restrictions lifted over Hexham knife attack
The boy who stabbed 15-year-old Holly Newton to death in a frenzied attack in Northumberland has been named as Logan MacPhail.
The 17-year-old followed Holly through Hexham town centre before stabbing her 12 times and slashing her 19 times in just over a minute.
A boy who was with Holly at the time tried to help her and was also stabbed.
MacPhail was found guilty of murder and wounding with intent in August but couldn’t be identified because of his age.
However, a judge has now decided MacPhail – who turns 18 on 9 December – can be named.
It can also be reported that he had been in a relationship with Holly but she didn’t want it to continue.
Prosecutors said during the trial that he was “jealous” she was with a new boy.
Holly had been in a relationship with MacPhail but didn’t want it to continue. Pic: PA
Holly’s mother had been so concerned on the day of her murder, 27 January 2023, that she contacted police and arranged for her daughter to stay in school if MacPhail was hanging around.
Holly also told a friend that he was “basically stalking her”, the trial heard.
MacPhail followed Holly around the town centre for about 45 minutes as she visited shops with friends before attacking her.
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CCTV shows Holly Newton before stabbing
The knife appeared to have snapped in the attack. Pic: Northumbria Police
MacPhail seen leaving a bus in Hexham before killing Holly. Pic: Northumbria Police/PA
When Holly and the 16-year-old she was with went into a pizza shop, MacPhail waited at a bus stop, where he asked to speak to her, then lured her down an alleyway and attacked her.
He inflicted 36 knife wounds, including five “defensive” injuries in the early evening attack. Holly was taken to Newcastle’s Royal Victoria Infirmary but couldn’t be saved.
MacPhail also narrowly avoided killing Holly’s friend as he tried to save her, leaving him with injuries to his shoulder, arm, and thigh which needed surgery.
The killer – who has autism and low IQ – denied murder but admitted manslaughter, saying he couldn’t remember stabbing Holly or her friend.
He claimed his mind went blank that day and he had only intended to take his own life.
MacPhail’s sentencing takes place on 31 October and 1 November.
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At the end of the August trial, Holly’s mother paid tribute to her daughter in a statement in court.
Micala Trussler called her a “funny and happy teenager who would do anything for anyone”, saying she had a “small tight-knit group of friends who were always there for each other”.
“There was nothing that Holly couldn’t do, she loved all types of sport and would give anything a go at least once,” she said.
“From a young age she fell in love with dancing, it gave her the opportunity to express herself and helped her self-confidence enormously, it genuinely made her feel fearless.”
Sir Keir Starmer has refused to rule out increases to national insurance for employers.
A key tenet of the Labour Party’s manifesto was promising to not raise national insurance, VAT and income tax.
But when asked by Conservative leader Rishi Sunak if the commitment on national insurance applies to both employer and employee contributions, Sir Keir dodged the question.
Rishi Sunak pressed Keir Starmer on tax and fiscal rules
During the first Prime Minister’s Questions in four weeks, Sir Keir also refused to answer whether he agreed with Chancellor Rachel Reeves’s comment that she was against changing the fiscal rules.
Asked by Mr Sunak whether national insurance will increase for employers, Sir Keir said: “We made an absolute commitment in relation to not raising tax on working people.”
Not satisfied with the prime minister’s answer, Mr Sunak said he did not think “even Lord Alli is buying any of that nonsense”, in reference to the Labour donor who has given tens of thousands of pounds in donations and gifts to Sir Keir and leading Labour MPs.
The former prime minister asked Sir Keir the same question on national insurance again, but he simply said: “We set out our promises in the manifesto.”
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Could chancellor ‘find’ more money?
National insurance contributions are the UK’s second-largest tax, and are expected to raise just under £170bn in 2024-25 – about a sixth of all tax revenue, according to the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS).
They are paid by employees and the self-employed on their earnings, and by employers on the earnings of those they employ – at a higher rate than employees pay.
National insurance is not paid by employers on pension contributions they make to employees, which is what experts have said could be targeted.
Rachel Reeves said in November she would not ‘fiddle the figures to get different results’. Pic: PA
With the government’s first budget coming up on 30 October, all eyes are on whether Ms Reeves will change the fiscal rules – the restrictions governments put in place to constrain how much they can borrow to fund public spending.
A report by the centre-left Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR), which carries significant influence in the Treasury, has called on Ms Reeves to target “public sector net worth” as her debt measure to unlock up to £57bn for investment.
Read more:
How fiscal rules are impeding investment
Is a Rachel Reeves U-turn coming?
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Mr Sunak asked Sir Keir twice if he agreed with Ms Reeves’ previous comment that she was “not going to fiddle the figures or make something to get different results” when asked if she would consider changing the debt target, set by the Conservatives.
The prime minister would not directly answer as he deflected by criticising the Tory government’s record and saying he would fix the economy as he highlighted investment the Labour government has already secured.
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