“,”elementId”:”3afc3564-7470-417e-8465-37c8d91de917″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”
The Home Office minister and MP for Birmingham Yardley told Times Radio this morning:
“,”elementId”:”b22df6d3-3eb2-4aa4-b5bc-ac97dec8dfe3″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.BlockquoteBlockElement”,”html”:”
\n
The prime minister has lived entirely by the rules that have governed every single member of parliament, certainly since I’ve been there – he received gifts and things, and he declared them. Let me tell you, it feels like he’s breathing down my neck to make sure that we’re doing things right in my department.
\n
We get invited to theatre performances and things, and you go along and you support the arts, and people want you to go to their things because they want it supported.
\n
So if you can find me a politician who has never done anything like that, has never ever, you know, gone to their local theatre to watch something then, well, I think they’re lying to you.
\n
“,”elementId”:”1abf647a-1dd3-4504-b32a-ddcba43deb62″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”
Asked whether she would accept similar gifts to the prime minister, Phillips rather jokingly replied “I don’t like the Arsenal.”
“,”elementId”:”5cc6766b-c750-4144-94c1-af920356a633″}],”attributes”:{“pinned”:false,”keyEvent”:true,”summary”:false},”blockCreatedOn”:1726822205000,”blockCreatedOnDisplay”:”04.50 EDT”,”blockLastUpdated”:1726822944000,”blockLastUpdatedDisplay”:”05.02 EDT”,”blockFirstPublished”:1726822944000,”blockFirstPublishedDisplay”:”05.02 EDT”,”blockFirstPublishedDisplayNoTimezone”:”05.02″,”title”:”Jess Phillips: Starmer lives by the rules and takes people by the scruff of the neck like everyone else does”,”contributors”:[],”primaryDateLine”:”Friday, September 20, 2024 05:02 EDT”,”secondaryDateLine”:”First Published Friday, September 20, 2024 04:50 EDT”},{“id”:”66ed30738f08098f3f163083″,”elements”:[{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”
Jess Phillips has suggested that Serco could face “penalties” for delays in fitting some offenders with electronic tags after they have been released from prison.
“,”elementId”:”535511eb-a59b-4503-8018-9eb84255fdb4″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”
PA media reports she told LBC News radio “It’s not the Government who has made the backlog in tags, it is a contract signed with Serco in May this year.”
“,”elementId”:”c7bba63b-f2d4-433a-8c8a-ede46de3a572″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”
Yesterday it was reported that prisoners freed early to ease overcrowding in jails have not been fitted with electronic tags despite it being a condition of their release, prompting criticism from a parliamentary watchdog.
“,”elementId”:”04c7c640-2f02-460a-bd6f-aa2799a7717a”},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”
Phillips said:
“,”elementId”:”9e933bc7-5444-4703-bbb2-842a54d5e020″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.BlockquoteBlockElement”,”html”:”
\n
I have been in meetings with regard to ensuring that … any perpetrators of domestic abuse, are put to the top of the list, to ensure that they are being fitted with those tags.
\n
The prisons minister, I believe, has had some pretty robust meetings, and is meeting with Serco today, but the contract certainly has in it the allowances for there to be penalties.
\n
I’m almost certain that in this case, that unless something massively improves very, very quickly, that all of those things will be considered.
\n
“,”elementId”:”09c8b8ca-8800-4078-9a07-99eb7d7514ab”},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”
Officials have declined to say how many of the 1,700 prisoners in England and Wales who were allowed out after serving 40% of their sentences last week were not given tracking devices. It is understood to be “hundreds” rather than “dozens”, a source told the Guardian.
“,”elementId”:”933009cf-834b-4a70-b162-cdc6adb58a75″}],”attributes”:{“pinned”:false,”keyEvent”:true,”summary”:false},”blockCreatedOn”:1726822205000,”blockCreatedOnDisplay”:”04.50 EDT”,”blockLastUpdated”:1726822211000,”blockLastUpdatedDisplay”:”04.50 EDT”,”blockFirstPublished”:1726822211000,”blockFirstPublishedDisplay”:”04.50 EDT”,”blockFirstPublishedDisplayNoTimezone”:”04.50″,”title”:”Minister: Serco could be 'fined' if work to tag released criminals is delayed”,”contributors”:[],”primaryDateLine”:”Friday, September 20, 2024 05:02 EDT”,”secondaryDateLine”:”First Published Friday, September 20, 2024 04:50 EDT”},{“id”:”66ec29aa8f089e4a13dfa6e0″,”elements”:[{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”
Good morning, welcome to our live UK politics coverage for Friday. Here are your headlines …
“,”elementId”:”c5955535-0cb5-4c06-a5e2-dab04c8e3cef”},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”
- \n
- \n
Jess Phillips has said Serco may face penalties over the failure to put electronic tags on early release offenders
- \n
Ministers and union leaders are to hold crunch talks over Labour’s workers’ rights plans
- \n
Senior ministers have said that “appalling” rows over Sue Gray must stop
- \n
Richard Tice has said Reform UK can learn from the Lib Dem’s ground campaigning operation
- \n
UK consumer confidence has falled sharply amid fears of a forthcoming “painful” budget
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
“,”elementId”:”4c122eae-6db0-42a9-9fce-8d14f491ea1f”},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”
The main “on diary” event today is the Reform UK conference in Birmingham. The party had the third-highest vote share in July’s general election, and all five of its MPs are expected to speak today. Events will begin shortly after midday and run until around 5pm.
“,”elementId”:”362cb1e7-88da-40d3-8621-764a5bfba31d”},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”
It is Martin Belam with you. The best way to get in touch with me, especially if you spot typos, errors and omissions is by email: martin.belam@theguardian.com.
“,”elementId”:”42ffb730-ce4a-4488-a77d-5b3c0e7afca5″}],”attributes”:{“pinned”:false,”keyEvent”:false,”summary”:true},”blockCreatedOn”:1726822205000,”blockCreatedOnDisplay”:”04.50 EDT”,”blockLastUpdated”:1726821629000,”blockLastUpdatedDisplay”: “04.40 EDT”,”blockFirstPublished”:1726822205000,”blockFirstPublishedDisplay”:”04.50 EDT”,”blockFirstPublishedDisplayNoTimezone”:”04.50″,”title”:”Welcome and Opening Summary…”,”contributors”:[],”primaryDateLine”:”Friday, September 20, 2024 05:02 EDT”,”secondaryDateLine”:”First Published Friday, September 20, 2024 04:50 EDT”}],”filterKeyEvents”:false,”id”:”key-events-carousel-mobile”,”absoluteServerTimes”:false}”>
Main Events
Jess Phillips: Starmer lives by the rules and makes sure everyone follows them.
Jess Phillips has defended Chancellor Keir Starmer against accusations that he accepts too many gifts as a politician, saying he lives “totally by the rules” and has his hands on ministers' necks to make sure they do the right thing.
The Home Office Minister and Birmingham Yardley MP told Times Radio this morning:
“Ever since I became an MP, I have fully followed the rules imposed on all MPs – if I received a gift or something, I declared it. To be honest, I feel like the Prime Minister is breathing down my neck to make sure things are done right in my department.
We get invited to plays and other performances to go along and support the arts, and because people want us to support the arts, they want us to be involved in their work too.
So if I find a politician who has never done anything like that, who has never gone to see a movie at their local cinema, I think they are lying.
Asked if he would accept a similar gift for the Prime Minister, Phillips joked: “I don't like Arsenal.”
More news on water company issues Thames WaterAs it fights to survive, some of the company's largest lenders are considering easing repayment terms.
The company says it has enough cash to continue operating until the end of May next year, but said it is seeking new repayment terms.
Thames Water was privatised by Margaret Thatcher's Conservative government in 1989. Despite having debts of more than £14 billion, the company has continued to pay dividends to shareholders in recent years.
Anna Isaac's report on the latest developments can be found here: Thames Water's lenders consider easing repayment terms in a bid to survive
Graham Wearden
The UK government has borrowed more than £6 billion more than expected so far this financial year, following a sharp increase in borrowing last month.
The Office for National Statistics reported that the UK borrowed £13.7 billion in August, £3.3 billion more than in August 2023.
This is the third highest borrowing for the month of August since 1993 and more than £1 billion more than the £12.4 billion that City economists had expected.
Read more in our Business Live blog: UK consumer confidence plummets as households fear 'painful' budget, UK debt hits 100% of GDP – Business Live
PA Media carries further citations about the threat that financial penalties may be imposed. Selco This comes after the New Labour government, which took over from Rishi Sunak in July, failed to electronically tag all prisoners released in England and Wales in a bid to tackle prison overcrowding.
it is, Ministry of Justice A spokesperson said:
We are holding Serco to account to address delays in tagging some offenders and will impose fines on the company if this is not resolved quickly. While this issue is ongoing, we are prioritizing the tagging of domestic violence offenders and ensuring permit conditions, such as staying away from victims, are strictly adhered to.
on the other hand, Selco He said:
Since taking over the electronic monitoring contract in May, we have been working hard to reduce the number of people waiting to be tagged. We are working closely with the Ministry of Justice and the Probation Service to quickly fit tags and prioritise cases based on risk profiles.
If a person is not at home when we visit to install a tag, this may take some time and we will prioritise a return visit to get the tag installed as quickly as possible.
Minister: Serco could be 'fined' for delay in fitting tags to released offenders
Jess Phillips suggested Serco could be “fined” over delays in fitting some offenders with electronic tags after they are released from prison.
“It's not the government that created the tag backlog, it's the contract that was signed with Serco in May this year,” she told LBC News radio, according to a PA Media report.
It was reported yesterday that prisoners released early to ease prison overcrowding were not being fitted with electronic tags, despite it being a condition of their release, sparking criticism from parliamentary watchdog groups.
Mr Phillips said:
I have been in meetings about making sure that perpetrators of domestic violence are put at the top of the list and tagged.
The Prisons Minister has had some pretty tough meetings, and I think is meeting with Serco today, and there are penalties written into the contract.
In this case, I'm almost certain that all of these things will be taken into consideration unless something improves significantly very quickly.
Authorities did not say how many of the 1,700 prisoners in England and Wales who were released last week after serving 40 percent of their sentences were not given tracking devices, although The Guardian's sources said the number was believed to be “hundreds” rather than “dozens”.
Welcome and opening summary…
Good morning and welcome to Friday's live coverage of UK politics. Here are the headlines…
Today's main “Diary” event is Reform Britain The party is holding its conference in Birmingham. The party won the third-highest vote share in July's general election, and all five MPs are due to speak today. The event will start just after noon and run until around 5pm.
This is Martin Bellam. If you spot any errors, mistakes or omissions, please contact me at martin.belam@theguardian.com.
