Kemi Badenoch calls for Conservative councils to launch legal challenges over asylum hotels – UK politics live

Conservative party leader writes letter ‘encouraging’ councils to ‘take the same steps’ as Epping ‘if your legal advice supports it’Kemi Badenoch has called for more Conservative councils to launch legal challenges over hotels housing asylum seekers as the government faces a potential revolt from its own local authorities.In a letter to Tory councils, Badenoch said she was “encouraging” them to “take the same steps” as Epping council “if your legal advice supports it”, reports the PA news agency.The UK government borrowed less than expected in July, official figures show, in a boost to the chancellor, Rachel Reeves, as she faces pressure ahead of her autumn budget. Figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed public sector net borrowing – the difference between public spending and income – fell to £1.1bn, down by £2.3bn from the same month a year earlier.Stella Creasy and Richard Tice are pushing for Labour to allow a Brexit scrutiny committee to be formed in parliament, after the Guardian revealed environmental protections had been eroded since the UK left the EU. The Labour and Reform UK MPs argue that there is no scrutiny or accountability over how Brexit is being implemented.The deputy prime minister, Angela Rayner, has been hit with a legal challenge after she overruled a local council to approve a hyperscale datacentre on green belt land by the M25 in Buckinghamshire. Campaigners bringing the action are complaining that no environmental impact assessment was made for the 90MW datacentre, which was approved as part of the Labour government’s push to turn the UK into an AI powerhouse by trebling computing capacity to meet rising demand amid what it terms “a global race” as AI usage takes off.England will sell off more than eight times as many council homes in 2025-26 as were constructed the previous year, research has found. Right to buy is depleting council housing stock more quickly than public housing can be replaced, forcing people to spend more money on private market rents and obtain less secure tenancies, a report from the thinktank Common Wealth finds. Continue reading...

Comments

World news

Two more homes near collapse as Hurricane Erin waves pound North Carolina

Independent

Vance says it’s up to Europe to provide Ukraine security guarantees with Pentagon confirming U.S. involvement will be ‘minimal’

about 2 hours ago

Reporter says former aide to Eric Adams gave her a potato chip bag filled with cash

Independent

Comments

Similar News

Kemi Badenoch says she no longer sees herself as Nigerian despite upbringing

Kemi Badenoch clashes with Bob Geldof after Live Aid organiser accuses Israel of ‘lying’ over Gaza aid

Kemi Badenoch: Argentinian president Javier Milei would be ‘template’ for my government

Kemi Badenoch’s shadow cabinet reshuffle was deliberately bland

World news

Two more homes near collapse as Hurricane Erin waves pound North Carolina

Meet the village of Polish grannies crocheting the latest hot trend in lingerie

Gaza-Israel war latest: Israel launches Gaza City invasion as Netanyahu ramps up takeover plan

Vance says it’s up to Europe to provide Ukraine security guarantees with Pentagon confirming U.S. involvement will be ‘minimal’

Reporter says former aide to Eric Adams gave her a potato chip bag filled with cash

An unidentified flying object has crashed and exploded in a Polish field

Ukraine expects clarity soon on security guarantees from US and other allies

Passengers see part of Boeing 737 plane wing break off during flight

GCSE gender gap smallest since 2000 but English and maths resits increase

Iran's navy launches country's first military drill since 12-day war with Israel

Inside the Dems' fight to be "the new Iowa" and hold the first 2028 primary

NATO jets scrambled as Vladimir Putin launches £320m hypersonic missile attack

Tourists banned from Costa del Sol sea as deadly 'blue dragons' spotted

Vladimir Putin launches hypersonic attack in worst raid since Alaska summit

Brit gamer watches in shock as friend stabbed to death in horror murder

Calgary man charged with abduction after youth enact 'catch a predator' scheme

This Ontario man raised an illegal wolfpack as pets. Now, they could be put down

Chinese man jailed for 8 years in US for smuggling arms to North Korea

Vance explains how he broke ice with Zelensky after Oval Office showdown

‘World’s nicest judge’ Frank Caprio dies at 88 after pancreatic cancer battle

Boeing plane diverts moments after take off as bright flashes spark in sky

California resident tests positive for plague after camping near Lake Tahoe

Menendez brothers’ parole hearing to begin as duo who killed parents 30 years ago push for prison release: Live

US Navy ship USS New Orleans catches fire while docked in Japan

An entire wooden church is being moved across a city -this is why

I sang at the Royal Opera House hours after a miscarriage

I used to think only clueless boomers got hacked, then it happened to me

The secrets behind England’s Red Roses dominance of women’s rugby

New Zealand soldier sentenced to two years in military prison for attempted espionage

Brazilian police say ex-President Bolsonaro had planned to flee to Argentina seeking asylum

Girl, 8, executed and had eyes gouged out in sinister 'sacrifice' for soon-to-be mother

Delta and United sued for selling 'window seats' without windows

ICC 'deplores' new US sanctions on judges and prosecutors

Frank Caprio: 'Nicest judge in the world' dies aged 88

Soccer Game in Argentina Is Canceled After Violence in Stands

Here’s why NASA wants your photos of hurricane damage

In numbers: Is the UK ready to put boots on the ground in Ukraine?

Hurricane Erin mapped: Tracking areas most likely to see the impacts of storm surge and 20-foot waves

Extremely rare bright orange shark with white eyes discovered in the Caribbean

Obama makes rare political intervention to weigh in on Texas redistricting and back Newsom

Eddington reflects the worst of modern America – it’s hilarious

My mortgage client thought she had enough to buy her first home. Here’s why she didn’t

The careers most likely to be affected if the state pension age rises to 70

In Hostage, Suranne Jones is the Prime Minister – we should be so lucky

The 33 best TV shows to watch this autumn

Tottenham should be sickened by the way Arsenal humiliated them over Eze

Kent barracks and student halls – where asylum seekers could go if hotels are emptied

World first smartphone test for type 2 diabetes launched in UK

The absurdity of supporting Leeds

Trump’s Epstein problem is back with a vengeance

Pacific coast on high alert for massive underwater volcano eruption

Texas House passes redistricting map favoring Republicans

U.S. Navy sailor convicted of spying for China after selling "secrets" for $12,000, DOJ says

New Zealand will buy US helicopters in a $1.6B military aircraft spending package

Ukraine's 'Iron General' forced to deny he's 'quietly preparing to run for president'

'Bear attack victim' was actually killed by son, Japan police say

China's Xi touts unity and development in rare Tibet visit

US Navy sailor convicted of spying for China

Appeals court allows end of protected status for migrants from 3 countries

Brazilian police say ex-President Bolsonaro had planned to flee to Argentina