Elton John: Labour are ‘absolute losers'
From Runcorn to Durham, Labour is losing their core vote everywhere. Now, even the luvvies are turning on them. It was less than a year ago that Elton John headlined a celebrity rally, held in the final week of the general election campaign. 'Let's get behind Labour to win on July 4!' the singer declared. But, nine months on, it seems that the Tiny Dancer star has now changed his tune…
Appearing on the BBC's flagship politics show this morning, John launched a savage attack at ministers over its plans to regulate AI. Describing the government as 'absolute losers', he said he felt 'incredibly betrayed' over plans to exempt technology firms from copyright laws. He told Laura Kuenssberg that if Peter Kyle, the Science Secretary, goes ahead with plans to allow AI firms to use artists' content without paying then he would be enabling 'theft, thievery on a high scale.'
It comes after ministers this week rejected an amendment to the Data Bill to force companies to notify copyright holders if their work is used to train generative AI models.
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The Guardian
26 minutes ago
- The Guardian
The radio debut of the House of Commons: ‘there could be a long-running series here' – archive, 1975
Permanent radio broadcasts from the House of Commons began on 3 April 1978, and from the House of Lords on 4 April. Television broadcasts began on 21 November 1989. 10 June 1975 Ed Boyle, the commercial radio commentator for the first broadcast of parliament, yesterday spent two hours cooped up in a tiny glass box at a temperature of nearly 90 degrees, wearing a jacket, tie, and buttoned up collar, suffering from a particularly ferocious type of dysentery which has already brought his weight down to eight stone. Just to add a touch of challenge to the job, he was operating a new type of microphone kindly supplied by the BBC with operating instructions entirely in Japanese. In spite of this, Mr Boyle and his BBC colleague, David Holmes, who were trapped together in the same tiny glass box, managed somehow to give composed and informative account of the proceedings. Mr Holmes admitted afterwards that the heat had been so great that at times he had thought he would not be able to carry on, and though listeners may have noticed his voice fading occasionally, he always remained strikingly coherent and apparently in command. Mr Boyle now intends to make a few swift changes to make life slightly more bearable. Apart from sartorial changes to Bermuda shorts, for himself, he plans to make commentating easier by fading out some members when the discussion gets too technical. 'Some of the questions are really on very minor and erudite issues, and I guess the MPs won't mind if we turn them down occasionally so as to explain to the listeners what is happening.' Yesterday the two broadcasters were blessed by a good chunk of pungent topical debates, with Tony Benn using industry questions as the chance to prove himself a good Euro-democrat, and with splendid quotations like: 'If the opposition wants any head on a charger, the leader of the Conservative party will have to be a lot more seductive as a Salome than she has been so far.' At the same time, there were highly complex questions about, for example, the funding of the new pod for the stretched version of the Rolls-Royce RB 211 – a matter of great importance, but one which cannot be explained in the few seconds between question and answer. Both commentators had to trim down their remarks to within a second or so either way: Mr Holmes reckoned that if he did not spot immediately whether the speaker was calling an MP for a supplementary or for the next question on the order paper, he would lose two of the four or five vital seconds of explaining time. Time was so tight that Mr Boyle had to make a definite policy decision to give the first name of each MP as well as his surname and party. Often their time was so limited they could only say: 'This is a question about Europe' or, 'This is about British Leyland.' Mr Holmes hopes to grab a few more seconds of talking time while MPs are laughing and cheering between answers. But both men were pleased with the way things had gone, and came out of the box easier in mind if not in body than they had been when they went in. 'What's encouraging is that it looks as if we can do a proper job without the house having to change its way of going about business or even the tempo of its debates, so no one need feel that we are interfering in any way,' said Mr Holmes. The commercial company plans to use more material than the BBC will use, with prime minister's questions live every Tuesday and Thursday, plus special debates. It will also have an hour of extracts and highlights each morning – twice as long as the BBC – with an instant feedback service from a panel of MPs who took part in the debate; and possibly a Saturday morning edition giving chunks of the week's committees. Val Arnold-Forster, our radio critic, adds: It was a lucky day for broadcasters, according to David Holmes at the end of the transmission – audibly breathing a sigh of relief. It was too, it was a well or luckily chosen parliamentary day. At first, both Holmes and his opposite number, Ed Boyle of IRN, seemed to feel a trifle defensive about parliament. Well they might, for BBC listeners anyway missed not only some of Woman's Hour and a play, but since political events always seem to invade children's entertainment, they also missed Listen with Mother. Before the actual live broadcast started, both political editors showed us round like keen members of a parent-teachers association displaying their school: eager to tell us about the hallowed tradition, the problems that the whole institution had in a changing society, and the usefulness of the work done. The leader of the house, Edward Short, appeared on both channels in his headmasterly capacity to say that this was a particularly noisy House of Commons, but he hoped that the MPs would be on their best behaviour. A bit unruly, he thought, and not only the MPs either. There would have been more room, said Mr Short, in the tiny broadcaster's box if IRN and BBC had done the decent thing and agreed to a joint transmission. Nobody need have worried: from the moment question time started we were in capable hands. Both David Holmes and Ed Boyle chipped into the debate sotto voce, to identify and give party allegiances and explanations. Both tried valiantly to feed the listener with the details that make the House of Commons come alive. 'Mr Bidwell, chairman of the Tribune Group … Mr Denis Skinner, always a lively performer … Mr Benn is smiling to himself.' But they need not really have bothered: the proceedings were jolly enough. For those of us used to hearing politicians debating cautiously in front of untried audiences or answering laboured questions and phone-ins, it was an entertaining experience to hear such skilful parliamentary technicians as Harold Wilson and Tony Benn, parrying questions, riposting, joking, and scolding. The jokes were not always very good, but that's true of other radio comedians. Perhaps the laughter and applause sometimes seemed excessive but the barbed retorts were well placed and, as in other radio shows, what seemed like impromptu repartee must have been rehearsed, if only in the bath. 'I do not require lessons in political morality from an honourable member who regularly signs the oath of allegiance and snipes continually at the royal family,' snapped Tony Benn to Willie Hamilton. The uproar which worried Edward Short was cheerful mostly. The general cosiness, which came through strikingly as everyone complimented everyone else on performances in the referendum debate, seemed as easy to grasp as the Archers: we could become as familiar with William Whitelaw's idiosyncrasies as Walter Gabriel's. Final verdict: early days yet, but there could be a compulsive, long-running series here.
Scotsman
an hour ago
- Scotsman
Chancellor Rachel Reeves told to abandon 'austerity' welfare cuts in spending review by the SNP
The SNP says Labour must 'abandon plans to impose more austerity cuts' Sign up to our Politics newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... The chancellor is being told to 'scrap the Labour Party's devastating cuts to disabled people' in her spending review later this week. The SNP has written to Rachel Reeves ahead of her statement on Wednesday, urging her to 'abandon plans to impose more austerity cuts' and ensure there are no cuts to affordable housing, policing or the Scottish Government's budget. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves delivers a speech during a visit to Mellor Bus in Rochdale on June 4, 2025, to announce investments in regional transport (Photo: PETER BYRNE/POOL/AFP via Getty Images) |Scottish Finance Secretary Shona Robison also told the chancellor to 'change course' and abandon her self-imposed fiscal rules. Yesterday, UK Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Peter Kyle was asked if he could guarantee there would be no cuts to affordable housing and police officer numbers. In response, Mr Kyle said: 'The whole details of the spending review will come out on Wednesday.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Dave Doogan MP, the SNP's economy spokesman, has now written to the chancellor calling on her to 'immediately and fully reverse Labour's austerity cuts to disabled people, pensioners and families, and deliver the investment needed to end child poverty, boost public services and grow the economy - instead of swinging the Westminster austerity axe again'. In his letter he also said the chancellor must 'deliver long-overdue funding for Scottish energy projects - including fully and immediately funding the Acorn Scottish carbon capture project, which has faced years of Westminster delays'. Mr Doogan also said Ms Reeves should match the Scottish Government's plan to scrap the two-child benefit cap and the bedroom tax, and introduce a UK-wide version of the Scottish child payment. 'It's safe to say 2025 has got off to a frantic and varied start. "It is a welcome antidote to get back to the constituency to meet businesses and organisations achieving so much for local people and local economies, in stark contrast to the chaos at Westminster.' He added: 'Instead of choosing more austerity cuts, the Labour government should be choosing to boost economic growth and make fairer choices to help families and properly fund public services. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'At the UK spending review on Wednesday, I urge you to scrap the Labour Party's devastating cuts to disabled people and abandon plans to impose more austerity cuts to public services, including affordable housing and policing, which would hit the most vulnerable and squeeze Scotland's budget.' Over the weekend Mr Kyle said police must 'do their bit' to 'embrace change' as the Home Office and Treasury continue negotiations ahead of the spending review. It is understood Home Office ministers do not believe there is enough cash to recruit the additional police officers Labour promised in its manifesto. He said 'every part of society was struggling' and the chancellor is facing pressure from all sectors - last week Ms Reeves also warned that not every government department will 'get everything they want' and said there were 'good things I've had to say no to'. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Peter Kyle | Jonathan Brady/Press Association However Mr Kyle did confirm there would be a boost to spending on schools and scientific research. Over the weekend Ms Robison said the UK and Scottish governments must work together to support shared economic growth and end spending that bypasses devolution. She has called on the chancellor to relax her fiscal rules to enable investment in public services, to fully fund employer National Insurance contribution increases in the Scottish public sector, abandon welfare cuts, and fund the Acorn carbon capture project. Ms Robison said: 'The UK spending review is an opportunity for the UK Government to abandon some of its damaging policies such as cuts to welfare support for disabled people, to scrap the two-child benefit cap and to reinstate a universal winter fuel payment.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad She also said she hopes the chancellor will use the spending review to fully fund the increase in employers' National Insurance contributions in the Scottish public sector. Ms Robison added: 'The UK Government should also use the spending review to empower the devolved administrations with more flexible fiscal rules that can enable investment in public services and we need an end to spending that bypasses devolution so we can direct funds to best meet local needs. Finance Secretary Shona Robison presents the Scottish Government's budget at Holyrood | Getty Images 'We called on UK ministers to involve us at an early stage of this process, but since they've refused to provide us with any clarity on their spending priorities it's clear that it's business as usual for Westminster. 'We continue to call on the Treasury to use the spending review to change course, providing the funding we need to deliver for the people of Scotland.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Ms Reeves's spending review on Wednesday will confirm how much taxpayers' money will be spent on public services such as the NHS, and how much money the UK Government will be investing in new projects. The chancellor set out department budgets for 2025/26 back in her autumn statement - this week's spending review will see her confirm the departmental spending allocations for the next three to four years. Government borrowing grew to £20.2 billion in April, which is £1bn higher than the same month in 2024 and more than economists had been expecting. Tax revenues also increased due to increases to employer National Insurance contributions - spending also increased due to increases to pensions and other benefits. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The UK Government has already previewed some of its spending decisions, such as raising defence spending to 2.5 per cent of GDP by 2027 and cutting the overseas aid budget. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has also vowed to reverse the Labour Party's cuts to universal winter fuel payments, but has yet to set out the details on what this will look like.
Sky News
an hour ago
- Sky News
Farage to pledge to reopen blast furnaces in Port Talbot
Nigel Farage will pledge to reopen Port Talbot's steel blast furnaces if in power in Wales, as his Reform UK party sets its sights on being the government in the Senedd next year. In a speech in Port Talbot later, Mr Farage will outline how next year's Welsh parliament elections will be the primary focus of his party. The MP for Clacton has already ruled out standing at the Senedd elections next year. It is unclear who will lead the Reform party in Wales. Reindustrialising Wales will be at the centre of his speech. Acknowledging the task at hand won't be quick or easy, Mr Farage is also expected to suggest a return to coal mining, if suitable, as part of Reform's "long-term ambition to reopen Port Talbot steel". A Reform source told Sky News: "We have said and say again that we think it's better to use British coal for British steel than imported coal." Port Talbot was the largest steelmaking plant in the UK until the two blast furnaces were switched off in September 2024, which saw the loss of 2,800 jobs as part of the transition to greener production methods. Electric arc furnaces are replacing both blast furnaces and are set to be operational by early 2028. 2:30 Wales is set to head to the polls in May next year and Reform hopes to end the 26-year Labour government reign in Wales. The Reform source said Mr Farage's speech "will tap into the hearts and minds of a deeply patriotic nation that feels betrayed and forgotten about by Labour". Recent polling by Barn Cymru saw the Labour vote share in Wales collapse to 18%, with Reform second in the polls on 25% behind Plaid Cymru on 30%, whereas the Conservatives who are currently the opposition in the Senedd are on 13%. Reform believes the performance of their party in Scotland confirms they can win in Wales next year. The source told Sky News: "We are the main challenger to Labour in Wales. A vote for the Conservatives is a vote for Labour."
