John Prescott dies aged 86 after battle with Alzheimer’s

“Former deputy prime minister John Prescott has died following a battle with Alzheimer’s, his family has announced. The former trade union activist and ex-merchant seaman died ‘peacefully’ and surrounded by relatives at his care home on Wednesday. Lord Prescott was a key figure of Sir Tony Blair’s New Labour project, seen by many as custodian of the party’s traditional values in the face of a modernising leadership. His family said he had ‘spent his life trying to improve the lives of others, fighting for social justice and protecting the environment’. Sir Keir Starmer said he will be remembered for ‘his conviction, courage, and strength of character.’ “ – Daily Mail

• John Prescott, former deputy prime minister, dies aged 86 – Telegraph
• Former UK deputy prime minister John Prescott dies – FT
• John Prescott, former Labour deputy prime minister, dies aged 86 – The Times
• John Prescott dead at 86 after battle with Alzheimer’s – Daily Express
• John Prescott, British former deputy prime minister, dies aged 86 – Guardian
• John Prescott, former deputy prime minister, dies aged 86 – The i

Ukraine fires British Storm Shadow missiles into Russia as UK announces defence cuts

“Ukraine has fired British-made Storm Shadow missiles at military targets within Russia for the first time, heralding a marked intensification of the UK’s involvement in the war. Twelve of the long-range missiles were fired into Kursk, a borderland­region partially held by Ukrainian forces, at about 3pm local time on Wednesday, according to Russian channels. Photographs showing fragments of metal with the words “Storm Shadow” stencilled on them were published on Telegram by Russian military bloggers, who claimed they were found by residents in the village of Marino. Ukrainian media reported that the ­missiles may have targeted an underground command post manned by North Korean and Russian officers. A British government source confirmed the missiles had been fired into Russia, although would not provide further details.” – The Times

• Government slashes £500m from defence as Storm Shadows hit Russia – Telegraph
• Putin ‘to unleash new Frontier missiles on Ukraine’ in revenge for US and UK rockets striking Russian soil: 3,600mile-range weapons could strike anywhere in Europe with three times the payload of traditional Kremlin bombs – Daily Mail
• Watch dramatic moment ‘Brit-supplied Storm Shadow missile blitzes target in Russia for first time’ after ATACMS strike – The Sun
• Ministers scrap six defence projects to save £500m – The Times
• Storm Shadows ‘fired into Russia by Ukraine’ as UK joins US in defying Putin – The i
• Russia threatens to strike Kyiv with ‘massive’ new missile – Telegraph
• Fury as five warships and 70 military aircraft to be SCRAPPED in ‘savage’ cuts despite threats from Russia – The Sun
• Get resilient like Sweden to prepare for war, says military chief – The Times
• Ukraine fires UK-made missiles into Russia for first time – Guardian
• Can Storm Shadow missiles slow Russia’s march on Ukraine? – The Times

COMMENT

Labour is scaling back our defence while our enemies do the opposite – Ben Wallace Telegraph

I’m terrified we’re on the brink of nuclear war and this hopeless Government is provoking Putin into pushing the button – Stephen Glover Daily Mail

Labour’s cuts are going to hurt our armed forces – Eliot Wilson Spectator

How might Russia respond to UK and US letting Ukraine hit it with their missiles? – Guardian

Sustained mayhem: How Putin could retaliate after Storm Shadow strikes – The Times

How Trump’s ‘madman’ approach could scare Putin into a Ukraine peace deal – The i

BBC fact checkers accused of bias over inheritance tax rise for farmers

“The BBC’s ‘truth checking’ unit was under scrutiny last night after it quietly deleted a statement backing ministers’ claims in their tax-grab battle with farmers. BBC Verify, a service set up to root out ‘misinformation’, wrote that the government’s figures were ‘likely’ to be right concerning the number of farms affected by the inheritance tax raid.But after under-fire Keir Starmer trumpeted the BBC’s finding, triggering a political row about bias, the corporation quietly removed it from its website. The PM is facing a growing backlash from farmers, celebrities and his own MPs over Labour’s decision to impose 20 per cent inheritance tax on farms worth more than £1m” – Daily Mail

• BBC Verify used Labour activist to back Government’s claims on farm inheritance tax – Telegraph 
• Rural Labour MPs lobby Reeves over ‘farm tax’ – The i
• How the Government is downplaying the impact of inheritance tax on farmers – Telegraph

COMMENT

The BBC’s appalling bias is clear to see in farmers v Government row – but don’t expect any kind of apology – Rod Liddle The Sun

Labour is taking revenge on farmers – just like it did with pensioners and private schools – Michael Deacon Telegraph

Jeremy Clarkson: populist tribune Labour should fear his instinctive Toryism – Unherd

Inflation rise sparks further criticism of Rachel Reeves’ Budget, from retailers

“The departing head of John Lewis has described changes to employers’ national insurance and a lack of early reform in business rates in last month’s Budget as a “two-handed grab” from UK businesses. Nish Kankiwala, who is nearing the end of his two-year tenure as chief executive of the department store chain and Waitrose, said the group faces “tens of millions” in additional costs from next year following the Budget. John Lewis was taken by surprise by some of the measures announced by Chancellor Rachel Reeves, such as the lowered earnings threshold at which businesses start paying NI contributions, although it acknowledged that the government faced difficult decisions, Kankiwala said.” – FT

• Retailers were blindsided by Reeves’s tax raid, says Lidl chief – Telegraph
• Millions hit with mortgage blow due to bigger-than-expected rise in inflation – crushing hops of interest rate cut – Daily Mail
• ‘Labour will cripple our family business – despite us paying £11m in taxes last year’ – Telegraph
• Labour’s new public bodies are likely to come at a high cost, thinktank finds – Guardian

COMMENT

Welcome to Rachel Reeves’s world of post-truth politics – Robert Jenrick Telegraph

How rising inflation, interest rates & job losses mean warning lights for economy are flashing after 138 days of Labour – Ashley Armstrong The Sun

Just how financially illiterate is the Labour Party? – CapX

Rachel Reeves, it’s not CV ‘lies’ that will be your undoing – Robert Taylor Daily Express

TODAY

Our survey: Badenoch tops our new Shadow Cabinet League Table – and Jenrick is in second place

Labour has opened more migrant hotels than it has closed, admits minister

“Labour has opened more hotels for asylum seekers than it has closed since coming to power, despite pledging to end their use. Dame Angela Eagle, the border security minister, said the number of hotels being used to house asylum seekers had increased from 213 to 220 in the four months since the election. While seven have closed since July, 14 have opened, giving a net rise of seven. Tory MPs accused Sir Keir Starmer of breaching his manifesto pledge to “end asylum hotels, saving the taxpayer billions of pounds”. There are currently about 30,000 migrants in hotels at a cost of more than £4.2 million a day to the taxpayer.”  – Telegraph

COMMENT

Something has gone very wrong with “human rights”.  When the “rights” of foreign sex criminals are being prioritised above the safety of Britons, we need change – The Critic

Scholz faces a “Biden moment” as rivals eye his job ahead of elections

“Olaf Scholz is facing a “Biden moment” amid growing pressure from his own party to abandon his bid for a second term as German chancellor and make way for the more popular defence minister. Scholz has the backing of the Social Democratic leadership, which so far supports his bid to lead the party in its campaign for next February’s snap election. But a growing number of SPD members are expressing concern about his low approval ratings, fearing he could drag down a party already languishing at 15 per cent in the polls, behind the right-of-centre Christian Democratic Union and the far-right Alternative for Germany. The rebellion favours Boris Pistorius, the defence minister, who is the country’s most popular politician.” – FT 

TODAY

“Snap” elections give Germany the instability it needs

News in Brief

Britain must not be a spectator at this carnage – Jeremy Hunt CapX

What on earth is Jaguar thinking? – Spectator

Burn down the Church Machine. Only radical reform will do – Unherd

The state Will Hutton is in – The Critic

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