If this is a coup, what will Trump do next?
EXCLUSIVE OFFER: Get The New European for just £1 for the first month. Head to theneweuropean.co.uk/2matts
The Matts are joined by Bloomberg's Parmy Olson – author of Supremacy: AI, ChatGPT and the race that will change the world. Parmy leads us through the development of Artificial Intelligence, the extraordinary story of the two men leading the race towards AGI (don't worry, all will be explained) and the enormous opportunities and challenges […]
Is the leader of the opposition 'Bad Enoch' or just 'bad enough'? Are there no red lines for the UK when facing Trump? And do journalists pale in comparison to the Black Country Bard himself, Mr Adrian Chiles? Find out in our latest instalment of our weekly Q&A. Enjoy! Get a FREE bottle of tequila […]
The Matts are dumbfounded by Donald Trump's plan to take ownership of Gaza and turn it into a Mediterranean riviera – or, more accurately, force the displacement of millions of Palestinians and totally demolish any chance of progress toward a two-state solution. This lunatic approach to international policy is an entirely new and terrifying form […]
The Matts are joined by Damian Collins – the former Tory minister who launched a national inquiry into fake news and election interference. How can we protect society from online harm? How can governments hope to contain the whims of a man like Elon Musk? And what does he make of Kemi Badenoch's first months […]
Have we already lost more cash post-Brexit than the entire time we were in the EU? Should we have been harder on Peter Hyman? Will the UK buy Greenland? These questions and more are answered in today's bonus episode. Plus: is Adrian Chiles the new T. S. Eliot? Enjoy!
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
North Wales Chronicle
2 hours ago
- North Wales Chronicle
Starmer ditches Pip benefit reforms in face of Labour revolt
In a late climbdown as MPs prepared to vote, the Government shelved plans to restrict eligibility for the personal independence payment (Pip), with any changes now only coming after a review of the benefit. The move will cause a headache for Chancellor Rachel Reeves, who has seen a forecast £4.8 billion saving from the welfare budget whittled away through a series of concessions, leaving her to seek extra money through spending cuts, tax hikes or borrowing to balance the books. The Resolution Foundation's chief executive Ruth Curtice said the concessions meant the reforms would now make no 'net savings' in 2029/30 – a key year for Ms Reeves's fiscal targets – even if they did reduce costs in the longer term. The decision to remove the Pip changes from the Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill was announced just 90 minutes before MPs voted on Tuesday night. The legislation cleared its first hurdle by 335 votes to 260, majority 75. Despite the late concession, there were 49 Labour rebels, the largest revolt so far of Sir Keir's premiership. Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall insisted the Labour Party was '100%' behind the Prime Minister, but acknowledged there were 'lessons to be learned' after the rebellion. She also appeared to express regret over the handling of the issue, saying: 'I wish we had got to this point in a different way.' But Ms Kendall also insisted it was 'really important we passed this Bill', saying: 'We need to make changes, because too many people have been written off, are left to a life on benefits, when being in good work is so important.' The decision to remove key parts of the Bill is remarkable for a Government with a working majority of 165 and after just under a year in office. Tory leader Kemi Badenoch accused ministers of 'utter capitulation' and said the legislation was now 'pointless'. She said: 'They should bin it, do their homework, and come back with something serious. Starmer cannot govern.' Earlier, a Labour rebel attempt to halt the legislation was defeated by 179 votes. A total of 44 Labour MPs including two tellers backed the bid by rebel ringleader Rachael Maskell, who described the Bill as 'unravelling' and 'a complete farce'. A previous effort to kill the Bill had attracted more than 120 Labour supporters, but was dropped after the first partial U-turn on the legislation last week, which restricted the Pip changes to new claimants from November 2026. That date has now been abandoned in the latest climbdown, with any changes now only coming after disability minister Sir Stephen Timms' review of the Pip assessment process. Sir Stephen announced the climbdown in the middle of the debate on the legislation. He acknowledged 'concerns that the changes to Pip are coming ahead of the conclusions of the review of the assessment that I will be leading'. He said the Government would now 'only make changes to Pip eligibility activities and descriptors following that review', which is due to conclude in the autumn of 2026. The concession came after frantic behind-the-scenes negotiations in Westminster involving the Prime Minister, his Cabinet and wavering Labour MPs. Charlotte Gill, head of campaigns and public affairs at the MS Society, said: 'We thought last week's so-called concessions were last minute. But these panicked 11th hour changes still don't fix a rushed, poorly thought-out Bill.' But Jon Sparkes, chief executive of learning disability charity Mencap, said: 'The last-minute change relating to the review Sir Stephen Timms is leading sounds positive and we are pleased that the Government has listened.' He added: 'Disabled people should not have to pay to fix black holes in the public finances.' The Government's concessions have gutted the reforms, leaving only parts of the current Bill still on the table. Proposals to cut the health element of universal credit by almost 50% for most new claimants from April 2026 remain in place, along with an above-inflation increase in the benefit's standard allowance. In an earlier climbdown, Work and Pensions Secretary Ms Kendall said existing recipients of the health element of universal credit, and new claimants with the most severe conditions, would have their incomes 'fully protected in real terms'.
South Wales Guardian
2 hours ago
- South Wales Guardian
Starmer ditches Pip benefit reforms in face of Labour revolt
In a late climbdown as MPs prepared to vote, the Government shelved plans to restrict eligibility for the personal independence payment (Pip), with any changes now only coming after a review of the benefit. The move will cause a headache for Chancellor Rachel Reeves, who has seen a forecast £4.8 billion saving from the welfare budget whittled away through a series of concessions, leaving her to seek extra money through spending cuts, tax hikes or borrowing to balance the books. The Resolution Foundation's chief executive Ruth Curtice said the concessions meant the reforms would now make no 'net savings' in 2029/30 – a key year for Ms Reeves's fiscal targets – even if they did reduce costs in the longer term. The decision to remove the Pip changes from the Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill was announced just 90 minutes before MPs voted on Tuesday night. The legislation cleared its first hurdle by 335 votes to 260, majority 75. Despite the late concession, there were 49 Labour rebels, the largest revolt so far of Sir Keir's premiership. Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall insisted the Labour Party was '100%' behind the Prime Minister, but acknowledged there were 'lessons to be learned' after the rebellion. She also appeared to express regret over the handling of the issue, saying: 'I wish we had got to this point in a different way.' But Ms Kendall also insisted it was 'really important we passed this Bill', saying: 'We need to make changes, because too many people have been written off, are left to a life on benefits, when being in good work is so important.' The decision to remove key parts of the Bill is remarkable for a Government with a working majority of 165 and after just under a year in office. Tory leader Kemi Badenoch accused ministers of 'utter capitulation' and said the legislation was now 'pointless'. She said: 'They should bin it, do their homework, and come back with something serious. Starmer cannot govern.' Earlier, a Labour rebel attempt to halt the legislation was defeated by 179 votes. A total of 44 Labour MPs including two tellers backed the bid by rebel ringleader Rachael Maskell, who described the Bill as 'unravelling' and 'a complete farce'. A previous effort to kill the Bill had attracted more than 120 Labour supporters, but was dropped after the first partial U-turn on the legislation last week, which restricted the Pip changes to new claimants from November 2026. That date has now been abandoned in the latest climbdown, with any changes now only coming after disability minister Sir Stephen Timms' review of the Pip assessment process. Sir Stephen announced the climbdown in the middle of the debate on the legislation. He acknowledged 'concerns that the changes to Pip are coming ahead of the conclusions of the review of the assessment that I will be leading'. He said the Government would now 'only make changes to Pip eligibility activities and descriptors following that review', which is due to conclude in the autumn of 2026. The concession came after frantic behind-the-scenes negotiations in Westminster involving the Prime Minister, his Cabinet and wavering Labour MPs. Charlotte Gill, head of campaigns and public affairs at the MS Society, said: 'We thought last week's so-called concessions were last minute. But these panicked 11th hour changes still don't fix a rushed, poorly thought-out Bill.' But Jon Sparkes, chief executive of learning disability charity Mencap, said: 'The last-minute change relating to the review Sir Stephen Timms is leading sounds positive and we are pleased that the Government has listened.' He added: 'Disabled people should not have to pay to fix black holes in the public finances.' The Government's concessions have gutted the reforms, leaving only parts of the current Bill still on the table. Proposals to cut the health element of universal credit by almost 50% for most new claimants from April 2026 remain in place, along with an above-inflation increase in the benefit's standard allowance. In an earlier climbdown, Work and Pensions Secretary Ms Kendall said existing recipients of the health element of universal credit, and new claimants with the most severe conditions, would have their incomes 'fully protected in real terms'.
Sky News
3 hours ago
- Sky News
Donald Trump's 'big, beautiful bill' has sparked ugly debate - so why is it so controversial?
It is certainly big - 940 pages long - but on the question of beauty, Congress is divided. Donald Trump's"big, beautiful bill" has sparked ugly debate - both for its ambitious scope and for the political manoeuvring that's gone on around it. Elon Musk branded it "political suicide" for Republicans and threatened to fund challenges against those who back it in next year's midterm elections. But the president hit back, suggesting he would consider cutting Musk's lucrative government contracts or even deporting him back to South Africa. The "big, beautiful bill", or HR 1 to give the proposed legislation its proper title, is Mr Trump's signature spending and tax policy. It extends tax cuts he secured in 2017 and bankrolls his second-term agenda in the White House. 1:34 • Permanent tax cuts: Extending relief from the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act • Small business support: Doubling the small business expensing limit to $2.5m (£1.8m) to help businesses expand and hire staff • Child tax credit: Expanding the child tax credit and making it permanent, benefiting 40 million families • Making housing affordable: Expanding the low-income housing tax credit to kickstart construction of affordable homes • Defence and border security: Allocating $170bn (£123bn) for border security alone, including $46bn (£33bn) for completing the border wall • Made-in-America incentives: Providing tax breaks and incentives for domestic manufacturing to promote US industry • Healthcare and social welfare: Implementing restrictions on Medicaid, which provides healthcare for millions of Americans, and reducing funding for certain healthcare and nutrition programmes. Clash over 'monster' debt bill Musk, Mr Trump's former ally and the man who established the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), claimed the bill "raises the debt ceiling by $5trn, the biggest increase in history." "DOGE is the monster that might have to go back and eat Elon," was President Trump's response. The national debt currently stands at $37trn (£27trn) and the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates that the bill could add $2.4trn (£1.7trn) to that over the next decade. 1:25 Bill splits Republican ranks Republican Senator Thom Tillis voted against the bill and, following criticism from the president, announced he would not seek re-election in North Carolina. He said he couldn't support it due to his concerns about the impact cuts to Medicaid would have on people in his state. Democrats in the Senate forced a full reading of all 940 pages and then a vote-a-rama, a series of marathon voting sessions. In the House of Representatives, it passed by a single vote, 215-214. In the Senate, Vice President JD Vance, had to cast the deciding vote to break a tie (50-50). Legislatively, the progress of the bill has been a case study in the complexities of American law-making. Strategically, it represents a mammoth effort to consolidate the president's policy agenda and secure his legacy.
