Latest updates: Rayner speaks out about Labour’s performance and Starmer’s leadership following botched frontbench reshuffle
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Boris Johnson has urged the Israelis and Palestinians to “step back from the brink” in the light of the escalating conflict in the region. He has just posted this on Twitter.
I am urging Israel and the Palestinians to step back from the brink and for both sides to show restraint. The UK is deeply concerned by the growing violence and civilian casualties and we want to see an urgent de-escalation of tensions.
Good morning. There is no PMQs today – there is never one straight after the state opening of parliament – but Boris Johnson will be in the Commons at lunchtime giving MPs a statement on coronavirus. Much of it will replicate what he told the nation on Monday at his press conference, but ITV’s Robert Peston says that he wants to settle the terms of the Covid inquiry quickly and that we might even get an announcement about that today.
In the meantime, the Labour party’s post-election post mortem continues, and overnight we’ve had reports or write-ups of three interviews given by Angela Rayner, the deputy leader who emerged from the weekend’s botched reshuffle with an enhanced job. Being able to give an interview ostensibly highly supportive of your leader, while also making harsh criticisms, is quite a skill, but Rayner pulled it off very successfully. Here are some of the things that she said about Labour’s performance to date.
Keir’s done a very good job of being a constructive opposition. And he’s tried to do that. And the challenge that we face now is about what do we stand for? And what we put forward? And that’s what I heard on the doorstep. It was, ‘Well, okay, Keir Starmer is not Jeremy Corbyn, the party’s on the new leadership, what do you stand for?’
I’ve talked about the patronising tone that we have sometimes, and I’ve felt that as a working class girl. We don’t want people to do things for us, or tell us what to do we want the empowerment to do things for ourselves … I think at times we’ve had the tone wrong, yea.
We’ve got to offer something that speaks to our voters post-pandemic that focuses on jobs and security, and looking out for our area and being proud of it.
We failed to be able to articulate that in those areas we had austerity and significant cuts and the Government has delivered piecemeal investment, little bits here and there, but taken it out of the areas where the greatest need is …
We propose a £30 billion green infrastructure plan, absolutely we should be doing that.
We should be bolder, of course we should be bolder.
Related: Coronavirus live news: India variant found in 44 countries – WHO; Taiwan faces new outbreak
