Only Labour could turn victory into defeat | Letters

I despair of Labour’s ability to turn an election victory into a rumbling disaster (Briefing war spotlights relationships between three of Labour’s most senior figures, 12 November).To see the kerfuffle over whether or not Wes Streeting has leadership ambitions and to see that become a huge distraction from everything that should be dominating political thinking is awful. I want everyone who has a role in this government to distinguish themselves from their predecessors. They can do this by showing that they understand their purpose: to act only in the interests of the country. Unless they do this, public confidence in politicians will continue to plummet

Chinese spying amounts to interference in UK democracy, minister says, after MI5 warns MPs – as it happened

Jarvis says MI5 issued an espionage alert earlier today to MPs, peers and parliamentary staff. (See 12.18pm.)He urges all parliamentarians to read it.He says China is trying to contact MPs and peers to get sensitive information about parliament

Tories and Reform spout imaginary numbers as they fight for attention | John Crace

You would think we were in the final three months of a general election campaign, not three and a half years out. Everywhere you look there’s a party leader giving a press conference. Demanding attention from a public that just wants to be given a break.Even the news channels are losing interest. Sending along a reporter more on the off-chance someone says something idiotic, than in any expectation of anyone committing hard news

Starmer pleads for government to unite in fightback after difficult week

Keir Starmer has warned senior ministers and officials to stop briefing against one another and leaking details of the budget as he pleaded for his embattled government to unite.The prime minister told his weekly cabinet meeting that last week’s political turmoil had distracted from voters’ priorities, and ministers needed to work together and start delivering rather than talking about the government itself.His warning came after a turbulent week during which his government was engulfed by accusations of briefing against the health secretary, Wes Streeting, and reports of a major pre-budget U-turn.The prime minister’s spokesperson said on Tuesday: “He said distractions meant our focus shifted from where it mattered most, working every day in the service of the British people.“The prime minister said next week’s budget would prioritise rebuilding the economy, showing what the government stands for

‘Deeply shocking’: Nigel Farage faces fresh claims of racism and antisemitism at school

It is the hectoring tone, the “jeering quality”, in Nigel Farage’s voice today that brings it all back for Peter Ettedgui. “He would sidle up to me and growl: ‘Hitler was right,’ or ‘Gas them,’ sometimes adding a long hiss to simulate the sound of the gas showers,” Ettedgui says of his experience of being in a class with Farage at Dulwich college in south London.Ettedgui, 61, is a Bafta- and Emmy-winning director and producer whose credits include Kinky Boots, McQueen and Super/Man: the Christopher Reeve Story.Back then he was a 13-year-old boy at a loss as to how to handle what he describes as a sudden and inexplicable intrusion of antisemitism in his life.This is the first time Ettedgui has spoken in such detail of his alleged experiences, but he is not the only one

Most Reform UK voters would back wealth tax on very rich, poll suggests

Most potential Reform UK voters would back a one-off wealth tax on the very rich, polling suggests, with about three-quarters supporting windfall taxes on energy companies and banks.The figures, compiled by the Best for Britain thinktank ahead of next week’s budget, indicate that Nigel Farage might be out of step with many of his supporters.Farage has consistently pushed back against the idea of a wealth tax, arguing that higher earners and other rich people should not be targeted in case it makes them more likely to leave the UK.And while Farage is often critical of big business, the only plan for a windfall tax set out by Reform so far involves targeting renewable energy companies.According to a survey of more than 3,000 people who are considering voting for Reform, carried out by YouGov, 61% would support a one-off tax on UK households with net wealth above £10m