‘The NHS has been wrecked’: Streeting publicizes unbiased investigation into efficiency – UK politics dwell

Nigel Farage began his stint in parliament with a self-deprecating reference to those that “have tried many times over the years to get here” earlier than veering into an assault on former speaker John Bercow, however my colleague Jennifer Rankin as we speak writes that in Westminster he won’t be able to get away with the sort of rudeness he made routine within the European parliament.

Learn extra right here: Nigel Farage is not going to be allowed to repeat his EU parliament rudeness as an MP

Scotland’s deputy first minister Kate Forbes appeared on BBC Radio Scotland’s Good Morning Scotland programme earlier, and mentioned it was “early days” for the SNP to attract conclusions from its efficiency within the normal election, however some issues have been “obvious”.

The social gathering misplaced 38 seats and its place as third largest social gathering within the Home of Commons, returning simply 9 SNP MPs to Westminster.

Forbes instructed listeners:

It’s early days, however I feel there’s just a few issues which are fairly apparent. The primary is that this was an election for change, and due to this fact it’s incumbent on us to have a look at how we have to change as effectively.

Secondly, this was round regaining and incomes, once more, the belief of the Scottish individuals. So we have to take a look at why and the way we didn’t encourage the variety of voters to vote for us as we would have favored.

I do suppose it’s a change in guaranteeing our coverage agenda matches the general public’s priorities.

I feel it’s permitting John Swinney – who was solely in put up two weeks earlier than the election was known as, I feel I used to be in put up ten days earlier than it was known as – permitting him to set out and ship on his agenda of tackling poverty, of financial development, of guaranteeing our public companies are sturdy and resilient.

After which maybe the third one is, I’m a democrat and the key poll by no means lies, and due to this fact we have to tackle board the message that the general public have despatched us in preparation for 2026.

The SNP chief in Westminster, Stephen Flynn, made a joking reference to the variety of seats the social gathering misplaced when the Commons sat on Tuesday to elect the speaker, saying “I wish to begin by welcoming all new members to the Chamber, in particular those from Scottish constituencies. There are probably a few more new members from Scottish constituencies than I would have liked.”

The ready listing for routine hospital therapy in England has risen for the second month in a row, PA Media studies.

Underneath Rishi Sunak’s authorities an estimated 7.60 million therapies have been ready to be carried out on the finish of Might, relating to six.38 million sufferers – up barely from 7.57 million therapies and 6.33 million sufferers on the finish of April, NHS England mentioned.

Well being is devolved.

The Home of Commons is open once more for MPs to be sworn in. Common readers will know that when I’m doing the UK politics dwell weblog, even when it isn’t polling day, it takes little or no encouragement for me to incorporate canine. So for those who missed it, I assumed you would possibly take pleasure in this video clip of Steve Darling, the brand new MP for Torbay, being sworn in yesterday alongside his trustworthy information canine Jennie. Jennie didn’t need to take an oath.

Tory MP Chris Philp has additionally chipped in to say that GDP development of 0.4% in Might exhibits that the “new government inherits a strong economic legacy – any claim they may try to make to the contrary is nonsense.”

Shadow chief secretary to the Treasury Laura Trott has additionally commented on the information that the UK financial system returned to development in Might within the final weeks of Rishi Sunak’s authorities.

PA Media report Trott mentioned:

As we speak’s figures present that the steps we put in place while in authorities have strengthened the financial system.

These figures additionally show Labour are inheriting an financial system turning a nook, after the numerous troublesome selections we took in authorities.

We’ll hold Labour to the guarantees made within the marketing campaign to not elevate taxes on working individuals. As Rachel Reeves, the brand new Chancellor, herself recognised, the books have been open.

A part of the Conservative’s election marketing campaign was a press convention the place Trott produced a file about so-called “Labour tax traps”, suggesting the social gathering had “18 secret taxes” deliberate if it got here to energy.

In the event you fancy one thing in your ears, I can advocate senior political reporter Peter Walker and Kiran Stacey, the Guardian’s political correspondent speaking to Helen Pidd concerning the Tory management battle.

Hear right here: As we speak in Focus – The Conservative social gathering: rows, resignations … and a tilt proper?

An unbiased investigation will likely be held into the efficiency of the NHS, well being secretary Wes Streeting has introduced in an article within the Solar.

He wrote:

It’s clear to anybody who works in or makes use of the NHS that it’s damaged. Not like the final authorities, we’re not in search of excuses. I’m definitely not going in charge NHS workers, who bust a intestine for his or her sufferers.

This authorities goes to be sincere concerning the challenges going through us, and severe about fixing them.

Honesty is the very best coverage, and this report will present sufferers, workers and myself with a full and frank evaluation of the state of the NHS, warts and all.

Streeting mentioned the investigation could be led by the previous well being minister Lord Ara Darzi, who served beneath Gordon Brown between 2007 and 2009.

Well being is devolved. It was unclear from Streeting’s article within the Solar whether or not he was solely referring to England, or whether or not it was to be an over-arching evaluation that will bear in mind well being outcomes and spending in Scotland, Wales and Northern Eire.

These of you with a eager curiosity in media possession would possibly discover this value studying, as Jane Martinson writes an evaluation piece on the forthcoming second public sale of Telegraph Media Group.

On water payments, shopper council for Water chief govt Mike Keil has mentioned:

Tens of millions of individuals will really feel upset and anxious on the prospect of those water invoice rises and query the equity of them given some water corporations’ monitor report of failure and poor service.

Over the summer season we’ll be finishing up analysis with prospects of each water firm to gauge whether or not they really feel the regulator’s proposals are reasonably priced and ship what individuals need. We count on Ofwat to hear and act on what prospects inform us.

Steve Reed, Labour’s new secretary of state for setting, meals and rural affairs, is because of meet water bosses as we speak.

Ofwat chief David Black was on Sky Information earlier, and he claimed the regulator had pushed again on firm plans, and that there could be vital funding. He mentioned:

We sit up for working with the federal government. The Surroundings Company has legal energy to take motion in opposition to corporations. We predict there’s a powerful case for extending that to firm senior management. We sit up for working with the federal government as they work by way of their particular measures package deal.

Nonetheless he warned that authorized motion was not “a magic bullet”. He mentioned “We need to see the investment. We need to see companies own the problem. We need to see them taking action. That’s what we’re focused on.”

The Labour authorities is telling privatised water corporations in England and Wales that they need to ringfence funding for infrastructure upgrades, and cease diverting cash to bonuses, dividends or wage will increase.

In an announcement, the brand new secretary of state for setting, meals and rural affairs, Steve Reed says:

We’ll by no means look the opposite approach whereas water corporations pump sewage into our rivers, lakes and seas. This unacceptable destruction of our waterways ought to by no means have been allowed, however change has now begun so it could by no means occur once more.

As we speak I’ve introduced vital steps to wash up the water business to chop sewage air pollution, shield prospects and appeal to funding to improve its crumbling infrastructure. That change will take time. Over the approaching weeks and months, this Authorities will define additional steps to reform the water sector and restore our rivers, lakes and seas to good well being.

The federal government bulletins says Reed has written to water corporations to inform them “to make sure funding for vital infrastructure investment is ringfenced and can only be spent on upgrades benefiting customers and the environment”. He additionally instructed Ofwat “to ensure that when money for investment is not spent, companies refund customers, with money never allowed to be diverted for bonuses, dividends or salary increases.”

The federal government is proposing that non-public water corporations “change their ‘articles of association’ to make the interests of customers and the environment a primary objective.”

The complete assertion will be learn right here. Reed promoted it on social media with the message “Change has begun”.

Safety minister Dan Jarvis mentioned it was vital that privatised water corporations in England and Wales invested cash in infrastructure and never in bonuses for executives.

He instructed Sky Information viewers:

I feel there’s a really robust sense, and I do know this from speaking to individuals all through the course of the election, that our water corporations haven’t supplied the extent of service that we count on.

Payments are too excessive. There are enormous considerations concerning the unlawful dumping on waterways.

There’s a weight of political stress to make sure that payments are saved to an absolute minimal, and the place there may be cash that’s obtainable to be invested, that must be centered on investing in our infrastructure, not on bonuses for chief executives.

In England and Wales the water and sewerage business was privatised in 1989 beneath Margaret Thatcher’s authorities.

Liberal Democrat setting spokesperson Tim Farron MP has reacted to the water invoice rises in England and Wales, saying:

Any insulting value hikes by water corporations have to be blocked. It’s a nationwide scandal that these disgraced corporations are demanding more cash from households and pensioners in a value of residing disaster, all while dumping uncooked sewage into our rivers.

After years of Conservative ministers letting these shameful polluters get away with it, we now want robust motion, beginning with a ban on bonuses and a block on massive invoice hikes.

Communities spoke loudly on the election, demanding an finish to the sewage scandal and water corporations stuffing their pockets with bonuses and dividends. The federal government and regulator should take heed to the nation.

The Liberal Democrats made water a key plank of their election marketing campaign, with Ed Davey’s infamous stunt of falling into water whereas paddleboarding simply one of many methods they tried to attract consideration to their insurance policies on it. In the course of the marketing campaign the social gathering known as for Ofwat to be abolished and a brand new water regulator established with better powers.

Water payments in England and Wales will rise by a median of £94 over the subsequent 5 years, in plans set out by the regulator, as under-fire water corporations cost prospects to pay for funding to cease sewage spills and repair leaky pipes.

The sum is a 3rd lower than the will increase requested by corporations, and quantities to an increase in payments of about £19 annually over the interval.

It got here in a evaluation by Ofwat, which examined the spending plans of English and Welsh water corporations for 2025-30. The plans have been submitted final October, and Thursday’s report represents Ofwat’s draft view, with a remaining choice scheduled for December.

The largest invoice improve Ofwat allowed have been from Southern Water, with a £183 rise to £603, Dŵr Cymru in Wales, which is able to improve payments by £137 to £603, and Hafren Dyfrdwy, rising by £128 to £524. Southern and Thames will likely be allowed so as to add an additional £16 and £5 to payments respectively if their plans meet sure standards with Ofwat.

Payments will rise for purchasers of all water corporations in England and Wales, other than these of Wessex Water and Sutton and East Surrey Water.

Learn extra right here: Water payments to rise by £94 over subsequent 5 years in England and Wales

Gareth Davies has been doing the media spherical for the Conservatives this morning. He doesn’t haven’t have a shadow cupboard position but, however the MP for Grantham and Bourne was beforehand a treasury secretary within the final authorities. He mentioned the GDP figures have been excellent news.

He mentioned they “exceeded expectations” and confirmed the federal government he was a part of have been proper to say that beneath them the financial system had “turned a corner”.

Put to his that the figures advised it was a mistake for Rishi Sunak to have known as an election when good financial information was across the nook, he mentioned “the economy is just one factor”. He mentioned it was “other people to reflect and assess” whether or not it had been the proper choice, including “it was going to be this year at some point, wasn’t it?”

The brand new chancellor Rachel Reeves has responded to the GDP figures, which confirmed the UK headed again to development in Might through the closing final days of Rishi Sunak’s authorities. She mentioned:

Delivering financial development is our nationwide mission, and we don’t have a minute to waste.

That’s the reason this week I’ve already taken the pressing motion crucial to repair the foundations of our financial system to rebuild Britain and make each a part of Britain higher off.

A decade of nationwide renewal has begun, and we’re simply getting began.

My colleague Julia Kollewe has our enterprise dwell weblog as we speak, which will likely be following response to these figures carefully …

Talking on LBC this morning, safety minister Dan Jarvis has mentioned criticism of Keir Starmer’s defence spending plans have been “unfair”.

Starmer was accused of hypocrisy after urgent Nato allies to up their spending commitments, when his new authorities haven’t put a date on when spending will rise to 2.5% of GDP within the UK.

Jarvis mentioned:

The prime minister has made a cast-iron assure that we are going to get to the purpose the place we’re spending 2.5% on GDP on our defence capabilities, however we predict that this stuff ought to be performed correctly.

I personally suppose it’s inconceivable that the [size of the] British military would go down, however that’s exactly why you want a correct course of at work to have a look at the capabilities that you’ve.

Safety minister Dan Jarvis has accused the previous Conservative authorities of hollowing out the nation’s armed forces whereas reiterating that the brand new Labour administration would perform an armed companies evaluation “very quickly”.

Saying “there is nothing that we take more seriously than our national security”, he instructed Sky Information viewers:

The prime minister and my colleague, defence secretary John Healey, have made a dedication {that a} evaluation will likely be initiated in a short time. It’s vital that we comply with the method and look rigorously on the nature of the risk our nation faces, and the assets that will likely be required to be put in place.

It is a vital course of and it’ll take a interval of months. The British military is now smaller than any level because the Napoleonic battle. We have to do that correctly. Our armed forces have been hollowed out in current instances.

Challenged that present plans recommend it’d take a 12 months to get a evaluation in place, when military management says it may very well be performed in a matter of weeks, Jarvis mentioned “We’re not in the business of cutting corners. We need to look at the complex nature of the threat that we face.”

Jarvis added:

Name me quaint, however I consider in course of. I consider in doing issues correctly. And that’s what this authorities will do. We’ll do issues correctly. There will likely be a complete means of evaluation, after which we are going to be sure that the right useful resource is allotted to fulfill the findings of that evaluation.

Good morning, and one week after the nation voted for a change of presidency within the normal election, new MPs will proceed to be sworn into the Home of Commons as we speak. Listed below are your headlines …

The Home will meet at 9.30am for swearing in, with the Desk Workplace saying as we speak is “likely to be the best opportunity for new members who have not already done so to take the oath or affirm”. The Lords aren’t sitting.

The Scottish parliament is in recess from 29 June to 1 September. The Windsor framework democratic scrutiny committee is sitting in Stormont. A cross-party group on Hospice and Palliative Care has a gathering within the Senedd. The Publish Workplace Horizon IT inquiry is just not sitting as we speak.

It’s Martin Belam with you for the subsequent few hours. The easiest way to get my consideration is through electronic mail, particularly for those who spot typos, errors or omission. You possibly can attain me at martin.belam@theguardian.com.