Politics latest: Chancellor admits growth figures are 'disappointing' - but defends economic handling (2025)

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Earlier, Downing Street denied there had been a change when it came to government promises about energy bills.

The dispute was over whether bills would be £300 lower by 2030 or whether they “could” be lower by up to £300.

Asked whether there had been a change of language, a Number 10 spokesperson said: "No.

"I mean obviously I can’t speak to the period beforehand but the recent advice as I say from Neso (National Energy System Operator) confirms that the cost of electricity can be lower with (the) 2030 clean power system, contrary to every claim from critics."

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The mother of the last remaining British hostage being held by Hamas in Gaza, Emily Damari, has accused Sir Keir Starmer of putting "another nail in her coffin".

Mandy Damari hit out at the prime minister directly in a post on X, saying he told her just last week that the UK "would not support a ceasefire without the release of Emily and the hostages".

But she said that this week, the UK voted at the United Nations General Assembly in favour of an "unconditional ceasefire".

She said it is a "message to Hamas that they can kill Emily", adding: "Another nail in her coffin. I am devastated."

The Foreign Office has been contacted for comment.

The UK voted in favour of two resolutions at the UN this week.

The first expressed unconditional support for UNRWA - the main agency that delivers aid to Palestinians in Gaza.

The vote came as Israel works to stop the agency operating in Israel and Gaza following accusations that some of its staff are also members of Hamas (nine staff members were fired earlier this yearan investigation found they may have been involved in Hamas's 7 October attack).

That resolution contained no reference to a ceasefire or the Israeli hostages still being held in Gaza.

The second resolution demanded an "unconditional ceasefire" and Israel's withdrawal from Gaza. It also "further reiterate[d]" the General Assembly's "demand for the immediate andunconditional release of all hostages".

Kemi Badenoch sparked something of a controversy yesterday with some comments she made in an interview.

Causing controversy is not exactly unusual for the new Tory leader, but she caused a stir nonetheless with her views on lunch, of all things.

She declared that "lunch is for wimps", and that sandwiches are "not real food". The PM then got involved, declaring sandwiches a "great British institution", and the pair traded barbs(more here).

She has addressed the apparently controversial view once again today, telling the PA news agency: "I think it is fascinating how interested people are in politicians' lunch choices, and it's all very light-hearted.

"I was asked a question about what I like to eat, and I always answer questions – Keir Starmer doesn't answer questions, but I always answer questions.

"You know you will always get the truth from me."

Asked whether she would be eating a turkey sandwich on Boxing Day, Mrs Badenoch said: "Maybe a turkey pie on Boxing Day."

The Tory party leader Kemi Badenoch is out on a visit to small businesses in Essex, and she spoke to media while she was there.

Of the news that the UK economy contracted by 0.1% in October for the second month running, the Tory lead told the PA news agency: "I think it shows that the prime minister and the chancellor have been making the wrong choices.

"They inherited an economy that was growing, and now it is shrinking.

"Their budget is crashing the economy, and they need to reverse this."

The "crashing the economy" refrain is, of course, one the Labour Party has used repeatedly against the Tories following the disastrous Liz Truss mini-budget in September 2022.

By Jenness Mitchell, Scotland reporter

The Scottish parliament has launched an inquiry into the financial implications of leaving an abusive relationship.

The Social Justice and Social Security Committee has issued a call for views as it seeks to explore economic abuse - a form of coercive control where an abuser restricts a person's ability to get, use and keep money or other financial resources.

The inquiry will investigate what support women leaving abusive relationships can access, how public sector and social security rules and practices take account of financial issues in these circumstances, and how much information and advice women have access to.

Since 2018-19, Police Scotland has recorded more than 60,000 incidents of domestic abuse each year.

However, research from Scottish Women's Aid suggests the real figure could be much higher, with many incidents going unreported to police.

If a week is a long time in politics, then five years is an age - and no one will be feeling that more acutely today than Boris Johnson.

Exactly five years ago today, the then sitting prime minister returned to Downing Street after winning the general election the previous day, having achieved the Conservative Party's biggest majority since 1992.

He had a mandate to implement his "oven-ready" Brexit deal - an issue over which parliament had been paralysed.

Labour crashed to its worst defeat since 1935, and in the wake of the loss, Jeremy Corbyn resigned as party leader.

It seemed as though Mr Johnson would be in power for a decade after his resounding win.

But just five years later, Mr Corbyn's successor, Sir Keir Starmer, has taken up residence in Downing Street, while Mr Johnson is not even an MP any more.

Mr Johnson's three years in power were eventful, to say the least, with the ex-PM having faced the COVID pandemic just months after being returned to Downing Street.

Events during the pandemic - namely "parties" in Downing Street in breach of the government's own COVID restrictions - led to public outrage, and anger from MPs across the Commons.

His backing of then Tory MP Owen Paterson, who was facing suspension from the Commons after being found to have abused his position after undertaking paid lobbying, triggered a rebellion in his own party, and before a new vote could take place, Mr Paterson resigned.

But the straw that broke the camel's back came some months later, in June 2022, when his deputy chief whip resigned after being accused of sexually assaulting two men.

It quickly emerged that the MP in question, Chris Pincher, had previously been found to have engaged in misconduct - and that Mr Johnson was fully aware when he appointed him to government.

After ministers resigned from the government en masse just days after the Pincher scandal emerged, Mr Johnson eventually announced his own resignation as PM on 7 July - completing his spectacular fall from grace.

We've just had an update from the Home Office on small boat crossings, and after days of none recorded, there was an influx yesterday.

A total of 609 migrants were detected crossing the English Channel on nine small boats, the department says.

That means there was an average of around 67 people per boat.

Over 20,000 migrants have crossed the Channel since Labour took office in July.

The party has vowed to "smash the gangs", and a Home Office spokesperson said in a statement: "We all want to end dangerous small boat crossings, which threaten lives and undermine our border security.

"The people-smuggling gangs do not care if the vulnerable people they exploit live or die, as long as they pay. We will stop at nothing to dismantle their business models and bring them to justice."

It might be tempting, given how much coverage has focused on it recently, to assume the forthcoming changes to the inheritance tax regime are the single biggest issue facing farmers these days.

But the reality is these tax changes come at a moment of extraordinary pressure, with farmers having to contend with a swathe of unsettling issues, many of which could prove existential for their livelihoods.

Put them all together and you realise that for many of those marching in the streets in London, inheritance tax isn't the only problem - it's more like the last straw.

Why does this matter for the rest of us? In part because there's a deeper story here.

Our economics and data editor Ed Conwayexplains below...

Reform UK could replace the Conservatives as the second largest party at the next election, Baroness Harman has predicted.

The Labour peer and former deputy leader said Nigel Farage's party "seem to have an argument and they seem to know what it is".

Speaking toBeth Rigbyon theElectoral Dysfunction podcast, Baroness Harman said that while she often believed that talk of party splits and decline were exaggerated, she did think this was the case with regard to Reform.

"I feel quite conflicted about this because I don't want to talk up Reform," she said.

"But I actually think that Reform are going to replace the Conservatives at the next election because they seem to have an argument and they seem to know what that argument is."

Her words highlight the increasingly bitter battle between the Tories and Reform following the general election, which saw Mr Farage elected to parliament for the first time.

Ms Harman acknowledged that Reform also posed a threat to her party, but said Labour was aided by the fact it was now in government "and we can do things".

At the election Reform came second in 98 seats, 89 of which are held by Labour.

"When you're in opposition you can only talk about them and at the moment [Reform] are talking a good talk and Kemi is not talking at all," she said.

"So I think it's in the opposition position that the changeover will happen.

"Yes, we have to actually deliver for the people who otherwise will turn to Reform because they feel that democracy is not meeting their needs and the government is not meeting their needs.

"But actually - and I don't like making this prediction - I actually think the Conservatives are going to be finished and Reform is going to take over."

Listen to the full podcast below - or click here to listen on your podcast app.

Email us at electoraldysfunction@sky.uk, post on X to @BethRigby, or send a WhatsApp voice note on 07934 200 444.