No job for Tom Tugendhat in Kemi Badenoch’s shadow cabinet as Chris Philp appointed shadow home secretary
Tom Tugendhat is not serving in Kemi Badenoch’s shadow cabinet, it has been revealed – as the new Tory leader continued her appointments today.
Former Home Office minister Chris Philp has been awarded the job of shadow home secretary, the last of the key posts to be announced.
A Conservative source told Sky News Mr Tugendhat was offered a job and turned it down.
Unveiling a host of appointments today, Ms Badenoch, who was elected leader of the Conservative Party last weekend, confirmed that Ed Argar would be the shadow health secretary, while James Cartlidge will take on the role of shadow defence secretary.
Politics latest: Government drops plans to ban smoking in pub gardens
Former business minister Kevin Hollinrake will shadow Angela Rayner on the housing brief, while Victoria Atkins will take on the role of shadow environment secretary.
Claire Coutinho, who was the energy secretary under Rishi Sunak, will continue in the opposition version of the role.
Helen Whately has been appointed shadow work and pensions secretary and Andrew Griffith, the former economic secretary to the Treasury, is the new shadow business and trade secretary.
Ms Badenoch, who became Conservative leader on Saturday, started officially appointing her shadow cabinet on Sunday evening.
Yesterday Dame Priti Patel made a comeback to frontline politics after the new Conservative leader appointed her as shadow foreign secretary.
Former shadow work and pensions secretary Mel Stride, who ran in the Tory leadership race and is considered more of a moderate than Ms Badenoch, was also made shadow chancellor.
The move has been interpreted as Ms Badenoch making an effort to unite the party following its bruising election defeat, which saw it reduced to just 121 seats.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Badenoch: ‘It is time to renew’
Robert Jenrick, who lost out to Ms Badenoch in the Tory leadership race, is the new shadow justice secretary, while Laura Trott, who previously served as chief secretary to the Treasury, was appointed shadow education secretary.
Now the Conservatives are in opposition, the shadow cabinet’s role is to scrutinise the policies and actions of the government and offer alternative policies.
Other roles that have been confirmed today include Stuart Andrew as shadow culture secretary, Gareth Bacon as shadow transport secretary, Andrew Bowie as shadow Scotland secretary, Alex Burghart as shadow Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Shadow Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and Mims Davies as shadow Wales secretary and shadow minister for women.
Former transport minister Jesse Norman has been appointed as shadow leader of the Commons while Richard Fuller is the new shadow chief secretary to the Treasury and Alan Mak is the new shadow science secretary.
Read more:
Who’s who in Kemi Badenoch’s new shadow cabinet?
University tuition fee rise branded ‘morally wrong’
During the Conservative Party leadership race, Ms Badenoch suggested that all six MPs who ran against her for the top job – Mr Jenrick, Mr Tugendhat, Mr Stride, Ms Patel and James Cleverly – would be offered a job in her shadow cabinet.
Mr Cleverly, who came third in the leadership race, said on Friday he would not be joining Ms Badenoch’s top team.
It is understood Ms Badenoch will appoint the remainder of the team later in the week and on a rolling basis.
A district administration in India digitized more than 700,000 land records, securing them on Avalanche blockchain to ensure transparency and prevent tampering.
Politics
Anger over ‘two-tier sentencing’ as Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood rejects new guidelines
There’s been angry reaction to new guidelines – described by some as “two-tier sentencing” – which recommend judges consider whether a criminal is from a ethnic, cultural or faith minority before issuing a punishment.
The Sentencing Council, which sets out recommendations to courts in England and Wales, has issued fresh advice about how certain offenders should be processed.
But its updated guidance, which is due to come into force from April, has been described as enshrining a “double standard” by the shadow justice secretary Robert Jenrick.
He accused the council of setting rules which make “a custodial sentence less likely for those from an ethnic minority, cultural minority, and/or faith minority community”.
The independent body is now advising that a pre-sentence report (PSR) “will normally be considered necessary” before sentencing a criminal from an ethnic, cultural or faith minority.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Number of people recalled to prison on the rise
A PSR assessment would also be expected for people from the transgender community and certain other groups, such as young adults aged 18 to 25, women and pregnant women.
Posting on X, Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood said: “I will be writing to the Sentencing Council to register my displeasure and to recommend reversing this change to guidance.
“There will never be a two-tier sentencing approach under my watch.”
In setting out the changes, Lord Justice William Davis said the reforms reflect evidence of disparities in sentencing outcomes, disadvantages faced within the criminal justice system and complexities in the circumstances of individual offenders.
The chair of the Sentencing Council for England and Wales said: “PSRs provide the court with information about the offender; they are not an indication of sentence. Sentences are decided by the independent judiciary”.
He added that a punishment tailored to the offender had the “greatest likelihood” of being effective.
According to the most recent government statistics, since 2018 white defendants are more likely to have a shorter jail sentence than any other ethnic group.
Read more from Sky News:
Released prisoners left homeless
Prisoners fear being sent back to jail
Early release scheme Scotland begins
The Sentencing Council is also advising judges and magistrates to consider rehabilitative sentences, or community sentences. It points out they can be more effective in reducing re-offending than a short term behind bars.
Among the fresh guidance is also a recommendation for courts to “avoid” sending pregnant women or mothers of babies to prison.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Kate praises prison’s care for new mothers
Janey Starling, co-director of feminist campaign group Level Up called the changes a “huge milestone”.
Meanwhile Liz Forrester, from No Births Behind Bars, said it finally recognises the “deadly impact” of prison on babies and pregnant women.
Pregnancy, childbirth and post-natal care had already been introduced in April 2024 as a new mitigating factor in England and Wales.
" title="
As Trump seeks to turn the US into a crypto haven, the EU’s MiCA regulation provides a robust framework that could secure Europe’s leadership in the crypto space.
-
Sports2 years ago‘Storybook stuff’: Inside the night Bryce Harper sent the Phillies to the World Series
-
Sports11 months agoStory injured on diving stop, exits Red Sox game
-
Sports1 year agoGame 1 of WS least-watched in recorded history
-
Sports2 years agoMLB Rank 2023: Ranking baseball’s top 100 players
-
Sports3 years ago
Team Europe easily wins 4th straight Laver Cup
-
Environment2 years agoJapan and South Korea have a lot at stake in a free and open South China Sea
-
Environment2 years agoGame-changing Lectric XPedition launched as affordable electric cargo bike
-
Business2 years agoBank of England’s extraordinary response to government policy is almost unthinkable | Ed Conway