JD Vance expected to host Robert Jenrick during UK trip – but not Tory leader
A Conservative spokesman said the party leader's team had spoken to Mr Vance's but that 'scheduling' had proved difficult.
Both sides have played down the notion of a snub, the Telegraph reported.
Former leadership contender Mr Jenrick has strayed well beyond his justice brief in recent months, building a prominent social media presence with campaigns on a range of issues, from the impact of immigration on housing to tackling fare-dodgers on the London Underground.
He and the vice-president have voiced similar concerns about the erosion of freedom of speech, as well as opposition to equality, diversity and inclusion initiatives.
It comes after Mr Vance joined David Lammy at Chevening, the Foreign Secretary's grace-and-favour country estate in Kent, last week.
The vice-president, who has also been tipped for a future leadership bid, described the Labour Cabinet minister as his 'good friend' but said there were 'disagreements' between the US and the UK governments on how best to respond to the humanitarian crisis and war in Gaza.
A Liberal Democrat source claimed Mrs Badenoch was 'losing out to her leadership rival' while 'she messes up her efforts to mimic Nigel Farage and drag the Conservative Party ever further to the right'.
'Bungling Badenoch strikes again – JD Vance has apparently joined the electorate in giving Kemi the cold shoulder,' they said.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mirror
38 minutes ago
- Daily Mirror
JD Vance strikes up unlikely friendship with The Apprentice star Thomas Skinner
JD Vance was told he was "not welcome" in the Cotswolds by a group of protesters who had gathered to wave signs, banners and placards in anger at the US politician's visit US Vice-President JD Vance was lauded as "a proper gent" - by The Apprentice star Thomas Skinner after the pair had a barbecue last night during his UK visit. The amicable scenes contrasted hugely to the protests earlier in the week in the Cotswolds near the politician's holiday residence. Locals there blasted Mr Vance's heavy security - seemingly a mix of police and US Secret Service agents - as "a bit over the top" and vented their anger at the visit altogether. But last night, Mr Vance, 41, continued his unlikely friendship with Mr Skinner, a charismatic Essex trader who has become a social media star since appearing on The Apprentice in 2019. Mr Vance invited the 34-year-old TV personality to a barbecue at the Cotswolds holiday residence, along with Cambridge Academic James Orr and Conservative MP Danny Kruger. The encounter came after lawmakers both here and in the US expressed concern for Donald Trump's mental state. Writing on social media, dad-of-three Mr Skinner said: "Here is a pic of Me and Vice President JD Vance towards the end of the night after a few beers. I'm overdressed in my suit, but when the VP invites you to a BBQ, you don't risk turning up in shorts an flip-flops. Cracking night in the beautiful English countryside with JD, his friends and family. Once in a lifetime. Bosh." In another reply, he added: "When the Vice President of the USA invites ya for a BBQ an beers, you say yes. Unreal night with JD and his friends n family. He was a proper gent. Lots of laughs and some fantastic food. A brilliant night, one to tell the grand kids about mate. Bosh." Mr Skinner shared photographs of him posing alongside Mr Vance, who had visited Chevening House in Kent where he and his family stayed with Foreign Secretary David Lammy for two days last week. He today will meet Nigel Farage - although the Reform UK leader did not meet with President Trump when he visited the UK last month. It is unclear if Mr Skinner, a pillow salesperson, and Mr Vance had ever met before but their friendship has blossomed through social media. The Apprentice star suggested he was delighted to accept the invite to the barbecue in Dean, Oxfordshire, a picturesque hamlet flooded with police and security this week. Among those who gathered in and around Dean to protest recently was Sue Moon, a 54-yearold therapist who said she didn't recognise the purpose of Mr Vance's trip. She added: "The Cotswolds is the home of ordinary people who are not comfortable with JD Vance coming here. What is happening in America regarding reproductive rights is appalling. "It's also very hard to welcome somebody who said that Britain is a random country. I am not sure what is the purpose of his visit and on a local level it has caused a lot of disruption and roads on our area have been closed."
The Independent
2 hours ago
- The Independent
Treasury considers inheritance tax reforms to fill £50bn spending gap in budget
Rachel Reeves is looking to raise more money by tightening the rules around inheritance tax in the autumn budget, it's been reported. Amid growing pressure regarding the state of the UK's finances ahead of the autumn budget, the chancellor is looking to address a blackhole left by Labour U-turns, higher borrowing and sluggish economic growth. Economists have warned Ms Reeves that she must raise taxes or tear up her flagship borrowing rules to fill the shortfall in public finances. According to a report in The Guardian, the Treasury is now looking at options on inheritance tax like changing rules to restrict the gifting of money and assets Under current rules, unlimited amounts of money and assets can be gifted to relatives and friends which avoids inheritance tax, provided that it is gifted at least seven years before the benefactor dies. Money given less than three years before is taxed at the full inheritance tax rate of 40 per cent, while gifts given between seven and three years has a 'taper relief' tax, which is between eight and 32 per cent. The Guardian reports that the Treasury is considering a lifetime cap to limit the amount of money an individual can donate outside of inheritance tax, as well as reviewing rules around the taper rate. 'With so much wealth stored in assets like houses that have shot up in value, we have to find ways to better tap into the inheritances of those who can afford to contribute more,' a source told the newspaper. 'It's hard to make sure these taxes don't end up with loopholes that undermine their purpose. But we are trying to work out what revenue might be raised and how to ensure it's a fair approach.' However, it has been reported that no substantive talks at a senior level have occurred about inheritance tax, and no decisions have been made. Reeves has already ruled out increases to income tax, national insurance and VAT, while inheritance tax brought in a record £6.7bn in 2022-2023. However, recent analysis that showed wealthy investors are leaving the UK because of measures such as the abolition of non-dom status has caused nervousness. A Treasury spokesperson said: 'As set out in the plan for change, the best way to strengthen public finances is by growing the economy – which is our focus. Changes to tax and spend policy are not the only ways of doing this, as seen with our planning reforms, which are expected to grow the economy by £6.8bn and cut borrowing by £3.4bn. 'We are committed to keeping taxes for working people as low as possible, which is why at last autumn's budget we protected working people's payslips and kept our promise not to raise the basic, higher or additional rates of income tax, employee national insurance or VAT.'
Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Daily Mail
More than HALF of women say they do not feel safe in their local area - as Labour minister admits there are not enough police on the streets
More than half of women are now concerned for their personal safety in their local area, new polling for Reform UK has revealed. Some 60 per cent of women fear for their safety when out shopping or going for a walk and 51 per cent are worried about being harassed or sexually assaulted. Reform leader Nigel Farage described it as the 'next big issue in British politics' and said Labour and the Tories have 'prioritised the interests of illegal migrants over the safety of women and girls'. It comes as the party launched a new drive to tackle violence and sex assaults against women and girls as Reform's only female MP blamed migrants with 'medieval views' for a decline in public safety. Meanwhile a Labour minister admitted that 'there aren't enough police officers on our streets' while Kemi Badenoch said women have stopped jogging in the park because of 'men lurking in bushes'. Polling shared exclusively with the Daily Mail shows that 60 per cent of women are concerned about their safety in public - with a quarter saying they are 'very concerned'. Even amongst men, some 38 per cent say they are now concerned for their safety in public and 12 per cent are very concerned. Over half of women are worried about the risk of sexual assault or harassment and this is felt more amongst younger people, with 63 per cent of 25-34 year olds concerned about the risk, the poll by Survation found. Damian Lyons Lowe, chief executive of the pollster, said the findings shows a 'stark gender divide in perceptions of safety'. He added: 'These perceptions feed into a wider public mood that favours tougher sentencing, with strong majority support for life sentences without parole for the most serious crimes.' The representative poll of 2,131 UK adults found that Britons resoundingly support minimum sentences of 10 years or life imprisonment for physical, violent, and sexual crimes. A large majority are in favour of convicted criminals never having the chance to be released early while 72 per cent back life sentences without parole for serious crimes such as murder or terrorism. And by far the most popular punishment for repeat offenders of minor crimes such as shoplifting is longer prison sentences of a year or more, with 42 per cent backing this compared to 15 per cent who were in favour of electronic tagging. When it comes to which party the public trusts to reduce crime in the UK, Reform has a nine-point lead over Labour with 35 per cent backing the party to best tackle crime. However a significant proportion - some 27 per cent - chose neither when asked which party they trusted most to bring crime levels down in Britain. It comes as former home secretary Baroness Jacqui Smith said she 'shares the concerns' of Reform about women feeling safe in this country and admitted that 'there aren't enough police officers on our streets'. The Labour women and equalities minister told Times Radio: 'I think what it says about the state of the country is that the last government undermined our neighbourhood policing so that it's not surprising that people in communities aren't feeling the confidence that we would want them to feel.' But on Reform's criticism Baroness Smith said that the party had voted against legislation to keep women safe, adding: 'They're very good at pointing at problems, slightly less good at actually getting behind the solutions.' It came as Kemi Badenoch said that women have 'stopped jogging in the park because there are men lurking in bushes'. Referring to her visit to Epping on Monday, the Conservative leader told reporters: 'Mothers told me that they're worried about their daughters going to school. They're getting harassed. They stopped jogging in the park because there are men lurking in bushes. 'Communities shouldn't have to be paying for this. And what I saw in Epping really, really upset me. I can see why many of those people are protesting.'
