Minister denies Labour ‘governing by social media’ after new grooming gangs evaluate ordered – UK politics reside

A ban on UK employers using non-disclosure agreements to hush up cases of sexual misconduct and harassment is being considered as part of the government’s overhaul of employment rights.

After a slew of high-profile cases and years of campaigning by activists, it is understood that ministers are prepared to back a change in the law to prohibit the misuse of gagging clauses.

Labour’s flagship employment rights bill does not contain provisions on NDAs but Justin Madders, the workers’ rights minister, has indicated the government is ready to amend the legislation in the coming months.

A change to the bill proposed by the Liberal Democrat MP Layla Moran was rejected this week but the minister told a parliamentary committee that the government wanted to “look more closely at what we can do in this area”.

Madders said: “I have met some of the interested parties and there are other proposals to deal with this issue that might be slightly more workable than those in the new clause proposed by the Liberal Democrat spokesperson.”

Read more of Daniel Boffey’s report here: Labour considering ban on use of NDAs to hush up sexual misconduct at work

The House of Commons is sitting today, but as it is a Friday the items down to be debated are all private members’ bills. Included on the list are Labour MP Sarah Owen’s attempt to amend legislation around fireworks in Great Britain, and Conservative MP Christopher Chope’s bill to privatise the BBC.

Throughout her interview on the BBC Radio 4 Immediately programme this morning, tradition secretary Lisa Nandy robustly defended prime minister Keir Starmer’s feedback about politicians amplifying the far-right over grooming and rape gangs.

In a terse change, presenter Nick Robinson stated to her “Keir Starmer originally said no need for any inquiries. In fact, he insulted the people who were calling for them”.”

Nandy replied “I really reject the idea that the Prime Minister insulted people who were calling for inquiries. He was making a very specific point about people who were jumping on bandwagons and reacting to noise on social media rather than putting victims first. And I utterly stand by him on that.”

She continued, with reference to Conservative opposition leader Kemi Badenoch in particular, saying:

The very fact is that in case you, say for eight years, you don’t increase as soon as the difficulty of a nationwide inquiry, and really you’re a part of a authorities that welcomes the Prof Alexis Jay inquiry, that claims that that’s ample, after which just a few months later, if you’re in opposition, change your thoughts due to issues which might be taking place on social media, I might say that’s opportunist, and I don’t assume it’s placing the victims first.

As a reminder, Starmer’s precise phrases have been:

What I received’t tolerate is politicians leaping on the bandwagon merely to get consideration, when these politicians sat in authorities for 14 lengthy years, tweeting, speaking, however not doing something about it. Now, so determined for consideration that they’re amplifying what the far-right is saying.

Lisa Nandy has stated authorities ministers are contemplating a “whole range of alternatives” to the BBC licence charge, criticising it as “regressive” but in addition saying it raises “insufficient money to support the BBC.”

Talking on BBC Breakfast, Nandy appeared to rule out elevating cash for the BBC from normal taxation. She stated the licence charge was “not only insufficient, it’s raising insufficient money to support the BBC, but it also is deeply regressive.”

The tradition secretary continued:

We’ve seen far too many ladies prosecuted over latest years for being unable to pay it, and it’s a flat charge that signifies that poorer individuals pay proportionately greater than anyone else. I feel that doesn’t assist the BBC, it doesn’t assist the federal government, and it doesn’t assist individuals on this nation.

PA Media stories Nandy stated she has “already started initial discussions with the BBC leadership about the charter review”, that she hopes will “future proof our national broadcaster until well into the latter half of this century. I think the one that has been speculated about is general taxation. That’s not something that we are considering.”

The BBC has said that the BBC’s whole revenue from the licence charge in 2023 was £3.74bn, which accounted for about 65% of the a complete revenue of £5.73bn.

Rowena Mason

Rowena Mason is the Guardian’s Whitehall editor

Rachel Reeves has stated she just isn’t going to let her critics get her down after a bruising week of hypothesis about whether or not she may very well be ousted as chancellor.

Reeves stated she is certified for the job and has the concepts to show issues round, amid worries about falling enterprise confidence and the rising price of presidency borrowing.

“I haven’t taken it personally this week. It’s political,” she stated on the BBC’s Political Pondering with Nick Robinson. “Some people don’t want me to succeed. Some people don’t want this government to succeed. That’s fair enough. That’s their prerogative. But I’m not going to let them get me down. I’m not going to let them stop me from doing what this government has got a mandate to do, and that is to grow the economy, to make working people better off.

“People have been through a tough time the last few years. The cost of living crisis has taken its toll. Our economy has not been competitive enough. People’s wages have stagnated. We’ve got a lot of work to do.”

Learn extra of Rowena Mason’s report right here: I received’t let critics get to me, says Reeves after hypothesis about her future

Tradition secretary Lisa Nandy this morning stated the federal government would settle for a “majority” of the suggestions set out by Prof Alexis Jay aimed toward stopping future baby sexual abuse, however said that “There are a few where we looking at whether at the way in which we implement them.”

Ministers have beforehand asserted that the federal government was planning to implement the 20 suggestions “in full.”

Lisa Nandy has claimed “we’re not a government that governs by social media” regardless of it showing that dwelling secretary Yvette Cooper yesterday introduced an pressing nationwide evaluate of the size of grooming gangs after stress on web platforms pushed by US-based tech billionaire Elon Musk.

Talking on BBC Breakfast, the tradition secretary stated:

We’re not a authorities that governs by social media. We govern for the true world.

Victims have been warning time and again, telling the identical story in regards to the programs that have been supposed to guard them, defending themselves, and younger ladies who weren’t believed as a result of they have been younger, they have been feminine, and so they have been working-class.

We all know what must be finished, and as a authorities we’re losing no time in getting on and ensuring that we ship for these younger ladies.

Nandy stated there was “far too much heat on social media [and] not enough light,” including “I don’t agree for a moment that this government is being driven by what happens on social media.”

On Thursday, Cooper stated Louise Casey, who produced a report into sexual abuse in Rotherham, would lead a three-month evaluate into what was recognized in regards to the scale and extent of grooming gangs.

Cooper stated Casey would look at information not accessible to the preliminary nationwide inquiry into gangs led by Prof Alexis Jay, and would look into the ethnicity and demographics of abusers and victims, in addition to “the cultural and societal drivers for this type of offending, including amongst different ethnic groups”.

Good morning, and welcome to our rolling protection of UK politics. Listed here are your headlines.

• Tradition secretary Lisa Nandy has defended the federal government resolution to name a three-month evaluate into what was recognized in regards to the scale and extent of grooming and rape gangs, and stated “We’re not a government that governs by social media”

• On the BBC’s Political Pondering with Nick Robinson podcast the chancellor Rachel Reeves has stated she just isn’t going to let her critics get her down

• Opposition Conservative chief Kemi Badenoch, who has criticised the Labour authorities resolution to take away the winter gasoline fee in favour of a means-tested profit, has stated the Tories will think about means testing the triple-lock on pensions

• Retailers in Nice Britain skilled a shock fall in gross sales final month, as supermarkets and meals shops had their worst Christmas since 2013, in line with official figures

Prime minister Keir Starmer is anticipated to be in Poland. Former enterprise secretary and now Conservative peer Alok Sharma is showing on the Covid inquiry.

It’s Martin Belam with you right now. You’ll be able to attain me on e mail at martin.belam@theguardian.com.