Newslinks for Thursday 31st July 2025

GPs threaten Streeting with winter strike

“Family doctors are threatening winter strikes over Wes Streeting’s plan to save the NHS. Leaders of the British Medical Association’s (BMA) GP committee have warned the Health Secretary they will consider re-entering a dispute this autumn if their demands are not met. Family doctors want to lead new “community hubs” announced as part of Mr Streeting’s 10-year health plan, as well as a new funding agreement for practices. They could be joined on the picket lines by other doctors and NHS staff this autumn, with resident doctors – formerly junior doctors – consultants, nurses, and other healthcare workers all eyeing ballots later this year.” – Daily Telegraph

• Junior doctors ‘squandered goodwill’ in strikes, says Streeting – The Times

Comment

• Work with us: if you go to war with us, you’ll lose – Wes Streeting, Guardian
• Streeting’s divide and rule tactics may have won against the doctors – but more strikes are coming – Polly Smythe, Guardian

Former Tory MP joins Reform in latest defection

“A former Conservative whip has become the latest senior Tory to defect to Reform UK. Adam Holloway, who was an MP from 2005 until losing his seat last year, announced he had switched allegiances on July 30. Mr Holloway served in the Army before entering politics and was the MP for Gravesham. He spent time as a government whip and also served on the Commons defence, foreign and home affairs committees. He follows Lee Anderson, the MP for Ashfield, and Dame Andrea Jenkyns, the Greater Lincolnshire Mayor, in defecting to Reform over the past 18 months. Nigel Farage’s party has also welcomed former Tory MP Marco Longhi and Conservative commentator Tim Montgomerie.” – Daily Telegraph

Comment

• Labour’s smears against Farage are unwarranted – Editorial, Daily Telegraph

>Yesterday:

• Comment: Ted Newson: I’m from Nigel Farage’s constituency – this is why Reform’s pivot left is a bad idea
• Huw Davies: The Welsh Tories just lost our first MS to Reform UK – and our leader must take responsibility

Palestine pledge could break the law, top lawyers warn Starmer

“Some of Britain’s most prominent lawyers have warned Sir Keir Starmer that his government’s pledge to recognise a Palestinian state risks breaking international law. Their intervention, signed by 40 members of the House of Lords, said a Palestinian state would not meet the criteria for recognition as set out under the Montevideo Convention, a treaty signed in 1933. The letter, seen by The Times, was sent to Lord Hermer, the attorney-general and the government’s top legal adviser. The signatories point out that Starmer’s pledge risked undermining the government’s commitment that international law goes “absolutely to the heart” of its foreign policy.” – The Times

• Starmer ‘using Gaza hostages as bargaining chip’, families claim – The Times
• Labour MPs turn on PM over plans to recognise a Palestinian state – Daily Mail
• Canada to recognise Palestinian state, says Carney – Daily Telegraph
• And Canada to recognise Palestine at UN general assembly – Guardian
• Palestine Action wins permission to appeal against ban – FT

Comment

• Starmer has chosen to reward the terrorists – Kemi Badenoch, The Times
• It is time for Israel to build a stable future – Juliet Samuel, The Times

>Today:

• ToryDiary: The group of Tory MPs ahead of Starmer on Palestinian statehood

Holidaymakers face travel chaos after air traffic control radar failure

“Summer holidaymakers are facing days of travel chaos after an air traffic control failure grounded flights across the UK. Airspace across Britain was closed on Wednesday afternoon because of a radar issue that disrupted hundreds of flights. While the breakdown was fixed within the hour, the knock-on effects from hundreds of delays and diversions – as well as at least 155 cancellations – are expected to last for days.” – Daily Telegraph

• Ryanair calls for air traffic control chief to resign after latest failure – Daily Telegraph
• Calls for UK air traffic control boss to resign as new glitch disrupts flights – Guardian
• Fury as thousands stranded – Daily Mail
• Brits face days of travel chaos – The Sun
• Heathrow to announce third runway plans as PM unveils airport expansion – The Times

Chancellor ‘set to smash pensioners’ with £500 retirement tax

“Rachel Reeves is set to impose a £500-a-year retirement tax on pensioners, Conservatives warn today. A freeze on income tax thresholds means the state pension will become eligible for income tax for the first time. Even people solely dependent on the state pension with no other income will be taxed on it. April 6 2027 is the date that the tax grab is expected to come into effect. With Rachel Reeves widely expected to extend the income tax threshold freeze, and as the triple lock ensures that the new state pension continues to increase by at least 2.5%, this is the date that the new state pension will breach the personal allowance threshold for the first time in history.” – Daily Express

Powell warns Trump against meddling with the Fed

“Jerome Powell has warned Donald Trump against meddling with the Federal Reserve as the central bank once again defied pressure from the US president to lower interest rates. The Fed chairman said the independence of central banks was “very important” and warned that political influence over decision-making would prompt abuse. Mr Powell said: “Governments all over the advanced economy world have chosen to put a little bit of distance between direct political control of those decisions and the decision makers. “If you were not to have that, there would be a great temptation, of course, to use interest rates to affect elections, for example.” – Daily Telegraph

Starmer told: Stop threatening US tech companies’ free speech

“The White House has warned Sir Keir Starmer to stop threatening American tech companies amid mounting backlash over Britain’s online safety law. Members of Donald Trump’s administration are monitoring the Online Safety Act with “great interest and concern” after key allies said it was censoring free speech and imposing unfair burdens on US businesses. The law, which regulates online speech, allows the British government to levy massive fines on companies like Apple, Truth Social, and X if it finds that rules on hate speech have been broken. Those in the president’s inner circle see the potential penalties as an unwarranted foreign intervention into American free speech.” – Daily Telegraph

Labour pays £2m to settle claims over leaked antisemitism dossier

“Labour has settled claims brought by 20 people, mainly former staffers, who featured in a leaked internal document about antisemitism in the party, with the costs estimated to be close to £2m. The settlements include a payout to Labour’s former elections chief Patrick Heneghan, who was falsely accused in the dossier of having tried to sabotage Jeremy Corbyn’s chances of winning the 2017 general election. It is understood the payouts will total just under £1m, but with Labour paying both sides’ legal fees the cost to the party will be near to £2m.” – Guardian

Other political news and comment

• Robinson arrives in Tenerife as UK police investigate alleged assault – Guardian
• Tory councillor’s wife jailed for racist Southport tweet to be released from prison within weeks – The Sun
• Osborne to share in £147m payout from investment bank – Daily Telegraph
• Labour says firms will be penalised for late payments to suppliers – Guardian
• Tax rises in autumn would force our prices up, retailers tell Reeves – Guardian
• Badenoch should not touch Milei’s Argentina with a bargepole – Ambrose Evans-Pritchard, Daily Telegraph
• Net migration fuels second-biggest population rise in 75 years – The Times
• Population growth of 700,000 is not acceptable. The Tories must disown Johnson – William Atkinson, Daily Telegraph
• Britain’s population growth is now unsustainable – Editorial, Daily Telegraph
• Civil service numbers at 20-year high despite pledge to cut costs – The Times
• Starmer is waking up to the reality of Labour’s North Sea retreat – Jeremy Warner, Daily Telegraph

>Yesterday:

• Comment: Benjamin Ko: The immigration crisis no one talks about

News in Brief

• Why I left the Conservatives – and joined Reform – Adam Holloway, The Spectator
• The Nigel principle – Editorial, The Critic
• Labour need to stop dithering on defence – James Cartlidge, CapX
• Starmer’s performative diplomacy – Giles Fraser, UnHerd
• Why I am sticking with Labour – Clive Lewis, New Statesman

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