Politics latest: Rayner 'not happy with pace' of remediation work after Grenfell fire (2024)

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They examine the fallout over Priti Patel’s unsuccessful bid to become the next Conservative leader and what it means for the other candidates.

Jack and Sam also dive into the government’s plans to do something about the sewage in our waterways, with proposals being set out to tackle the problem through legislation.

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Angela Rayner was also asked about a video which circulated last week of the deputy prime minister dancing at a club in Ibiza - with DJ FISHER.

Asked about the subsequent criticism, Ms Rayner points out she was simply on holiday for a few days on the Spanish island.

"People like to look at that element," she says. "Yes, I'm working class. I like a dance, I like dance music.

"I got criticised for going to the opera, if you remember.

"I wasn't allowed to. I was a champagne socialist for going to the theatre."

Ms Rayner also reveals that she has been a friend of Australian DJ FISHER for "a number of years".

"You've got to have downtime as well," she says.

"Everybody has to have downtime.

"But I do take my job really seriously."

Angela Rayner, the deputy prime minister, has said the right-to-buy scheme does not "serve taxpayers" in its current iteration, as Labour reviews increased discounts introduced a decade ago.

She told Sky News: "The current scheme as it stands, I don't think it necessarily serves the taxpayers who invest in social housing and making sure we've got the right balance.

"People should have the right to buy their home, but I also think it has to be balance because we've got to make sure we've got the social housing the country desperately needs.

"Far too many families at the moment are in temporary accommodation because we don't have social housing."

Kay Burley points out that Ms Rayner benefited from right-to-buy in the past, having purchased her own council home in 2007.

"I benefited from the previous scheme before 2012," the deputy prime minister says.

"We're looking at consulting on what the fair and reasonableness of people's ability to buy that home.

"But equally making sure that the taxpayers can then replenish that stock. And we've got the value for that as well."

Angela Rayner, the deputy prime minister, has condemned the "systemic failures" which led to the Grenfell Tower tragedy seven years ago.

The fire, which killed 72 people, ripped through the building in west London in June 2017, and a report released yesterday condemned "systematic dishonesty" from cladding and insulation companies.

The report also claimed the government was "well aware" of the deadly risks posed by combustible cladding and insulation a year before the disaster.

Asked about the report, Ms Rayner said: "The failures were systemic, absolutely everybody - whether it's the regulator, whether it's those who had the materials, whether it's the government, whether it was the council, the tenant management - every single layer failed to recognise and to protect those residents at Grenfell.

"It is absolutely shocking to see that. This government has got to make sure that we accelerate remediation.

"I've looked at it, and I'm not happy with the pace of it at the moment."

Ms Rayner told Sky News that the government will consider the 58 recommendations made in the report, and "make sure that we do everything that we can to meet those, and go beyond so that people are confident".

She added: "One of the things that was really striking to me was that greed and regulation had been put before safety.

"That's what needs to change."

Ministers will begin the process of removing hereditary peers from the House of Lords today, as the government introduces legislation to reform the upper chamber.

Abolishing the 92 seats reserved for hereditary peers was one of Labour's manifesto commitments, and is expected to be followed by the imposition of a retirement age of 80 on members of the Lords.

Officials have previously described the continued presence of hereditary peers in the Lords as "outdated and indefensible", with reform "long overdue and essential".

But Conservative critics have called the move a "vendetta" and "political vandalism".

Nick Thomas-Symonds, minister for the constitution, said the legislation was a "landmark reform to our constitution".

He said: "The hereditary principle in law-making has lasted for too long and is out of step with modern Britain.

"The second chamber plays a vital role in our constitution and people should not be voting on our laws in Parliament by an accident of birth.

"This bill shows this government's commitment to delivering on our manifesto and is an important part of putting politics in the service of working people."

The last Labour government removed most hereditary peers from the Lords in 1999, but allowed 92 to remain in what was initially intended to be a short-term compromise to get the legislation through.

About half of those still in the chamber are Conservatives, with the rest mainly independent crossbenchers and a small number of Labour and Liberal Democrat peers.

By Alexandra Rogers, politics reporter

A man who has spent 12 years in prison for stealing a mobile phone has had to defer his parole board hearing because of the deterioration of his mental health, his family has said.

Thomas White, 40, is one of thousands of prisoners who remain stuck in jail on a controversial indefinite prison sentence that was abolished more than a decade ago.

His family believe that the nature of his sentence and the lack of clarity over his release date have contributed to the deterioration of his mental health - which has seen Thomas suffer from psychosis and religious hallucinations.

Speaking exclusively to Sky News, Thomas's sister Clara said: "I feel for my little brother that he has lost all memories of the outside world and can't even verbally stand up for himself in a parole hearing as he has lost the capacity to do so."

Water company bosses could face up to two years in prison and be banned from taking bonuses under the new government's first major proposals to crack down on England's sewage, chemical and manure infested waterways.

The new Water (Special Measures) Bill is designed to beef up feeble regulators so they can take on water companies releasing sewage into rivers, lakes and seas and appease public fury.

Although many topline measures had already been announced, the new details have been cautiously welcomed by green groups as an "important first step" towards cleaning up the country's filthy rivers, lakes and seas.

But they say there is a long way to go given many other problems with the waterways, and the government acknowledged the need for "wider reform".

What would the new water bill do?

The bill, which could come into effect in the new year, would increase fines and could see water executives who fail to cooperate or obstruct investigations, such as being slow to provide data, thrown in jail for up to two years.

Existing legislation does already allow bosses to face prison for other offences, but none have been successfully prosecuted despite "widespread illegality", according to the government.

Environment Secretary Steve Reed said: "Under this government, water executives will no longer line their own pockets whilst pumping out this filth."

Ofwat will also be allowed to ban water bosses' bonuses if they breach standards on the environment, their consumers and company finances - although the system is yet to be designed.

The Conservative leadership competition is heating up.

After the first round of voting by Tory MPs, the former home secretary Dame Priti Patel has been voted out (read more here).

Here's a reminder of who's left vying for Rishi Sunak's job:

James Cleverly

Mr Cleverlybecame the first to officially enter the contestwith a post on social media, saying he wanted to "re-establish our reputation as the party who, in government, helps grow the economy".

The Essex MP, who was home secretary until the last election, is one of the Tories' most experienced former cabinet ministers, having also been foreign secretary, education secretary and party chairman.

Tom Tugendhat

Mr Tugendhat was the second Tory to put himself forward, just moments after nominations opened.

The former security minister is regarded highly among the One Nation group of moderate Tory MPs.

Robert Jenrick

The former immigration minister was the third to announce he was running after Mr Cleverly and Mr Tugendhat.

Mr Jenrick held several ministerial roles, including communities secretary - a position he lost in one of Mr Johnson's reshuffles.

Mel Stride

Mr Stride became the fourth Tory to enter the race, telling Sky News there was a "huge job to do".

A long-standing ally of Mr Sunak, he was dubbed "the minister for the morning round" during the general election campaign, facing the media more than any of his colleagues.

Kemi Badenoch

Ms Badenoch, the ex-business secretary, was the final Tory to announce she was standing.

She is seen as a darling of the right and has impressed some in the party with her no-nonsense approach.

What happens next?

Another person will be knocked out before the party's conference later this month.

A hustings will be held during the conference later, when MPs will vote again to narrow the field to two candidates.

The party's wider membership will then vote with the winner announced on 2 November.

By Jennifer Scott, politics reporter

All eyes have been on the music industry this week after the scramble to secure Oasis tickets saw a huge surge in prices.

Labour has promised to look at so-called dynamic pricing as part of a consultation to create a fairer system, pledging to "put fans back at the heart of music".

But people across the sector are hoping they don't stop there and the new government takes a keener interest in an industry that, according to UK Music, contributes £6.7bn to the economy and employs more than 210,000 people.

We speak to a range of industry figures about the challenges they are facing and what they want to see now Labour are in power.

Welcome back to the Politics Hub.

It looks like there's a busy day ahead in the House of Commons, with the government due to introduce the Water (Special Measures) Bill to crack down on companies polluting rivers, lakes and seas.

As well as this, Energy Secretary Ed Miliband will bring the Great British Energy Bill to parliament for its second reading later on Thursday.

Reaction will also continue after the Grenfell Tower Inquiry published its final report yesterday, which claimed the government was "well aware" of the deadly risks posed by combustible cladding and insulation a year before the fire.

Joining Sky News this morning will be Angela Rayner, the deputy prime minister, at 7.15am, and shadow energy secretary Claire Coutinho at 8.15am.

Stay with us throughout the day to keep up with the latest political news.