Newly-appointed shadow housing secretary James Cleverly says there is no excuse for recent riots but government is making a difficult situation worse
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Newly-appointed shadow housing secretary James Cleverly has criticised the prime minister for a “disconnect from reality” when it comes to housing asylum seekers.
Angela Rayner urged the government to acknowledge people’s “real concerns” and flagged high levels of deprivation where the worst riots erupted last summer nearly a year on from the disorder. The deputy prime minister told Cabinet colleagues that immigration and increasing time spent online are having a “profound impact on society”.
Edward Argar has stepped down as shadow health secretary, which he said was on the advice of his doctors after a “health scare” earlier this summer. He will be replaced by Stuart Andrew, a former minister who has been shadow culture minister.
Kevin Hollinrake, who had been shadow housing and communities secretary, will become party chair. He takes over from Nigel Huddleston, who will be the new shadow culture secretary.
Conservative Senedd member Laura Anne Jones has joined Reform UK, becoming the party’s first Member of the Senedd (MS).
The UK government borrowed more than expected in June amid speculation the chancellor, Rachel Reeves, will need to raise taxes at the autumn budget to repair the public finances. Figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed public sector net borrowing rose to £20.7bn, up by £6.6bn from the same month a year earlier to reach the second-highest June borrowing figure since monthly records began in 1993.
Artificial intelligence technology will be trialled to assess disputed ages of asylum seekers who say they are children, the Home Office has said. Ministers hope to roll out facial age estimation for migrants arriving by small boats and lorries over 2026, subject to further testing of the technology to go ahead this year.