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Politics latest: Starmer says 拢14.2bn for new nuclear power station 'a really big day'

The government has committed more than 拢14bn to build a new nuclear plant, Sizewell C, in Suffolk, to improve Britain's energy security.

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Reform UK confirms Dr David Bull as the new chairman, following resignation debacle

 Away from the speeches by the chancellor and the PM, Nigel Farage has also been speaking.

The Reform UK leader has been unveiling the party's new chairman after Zia Yusuf walked out last Thursday over a row about banning the burka, only to rejoin the party two days later in a different role. 

Speaking at the press conference today, Yusuf said he is "hugely fortunate" and feels "very blessed to be back amongst this amazing team".

It's now been revealed that Dr David Bull will be the new chairman of Reform.

Yusuf said Bull will do "an incredible job".

Reform also announced that the role of chairman has now been re-imagined, after Yusuf was said to have left due to "exhaustion".

Farage explained that the party has divided the role of chairman to ensure there is less office work for Bull, following Yusuf's departure.

He explained: "David's job is not to get involved in the admin,  is not to get involved with the tech.  

"It's to give leadership, and above all, it's to give leadership to that volunteer army out there, of people, of 450 branches. They're going to be seeing an awful lot of Dr David Bull over the coming years."

Bull said he was "delighted" to take up the role and called Reform the "fastest growing political party this country has ever seen".

The broadcaster and presenter said he would find "skeletons in the closet" of the Conservative Party, as well as Labour. 

Bull previously was a member of the Brexit Party, and claimed Reform UK was founded in his kitchen, serving as deputy leader while Richard Tice was in charge.

He pledged that Reform will "become the governing the party of the United Kingdom", will make Farage PM and ended his speech by quoting Bob the Builder.

"Can we do it? Yes, we can", he said.

Sizewell C nuclear plant announcement 'is a really big day' for students, says PM

Sir Keir Starmer has just been welcomed to the college in Suffolk by engineering students Maliki and Leo.

The PM begins by praising the pair and thanking staff for giving him a tour of the school. 

Starmer links the college to Sizewell C nuclear power station and how the site is already beginning to recruit engineers to work there. 

He says: "For them, for all of you, this is a really big day because this is about good well-paid, secure jobs, skilled jobs, across a range of topics as we go down this road in relation to Sizewell."

The prime minister then explains that the first nuclear power plant was built in the UK in 1956, and that in the following 11 years, another 20 reactors were built. 

"And then it all dropped off", he says. "And the ambition went, and government's dithered and delayed. So, the last reactor was in 1995 - thirty years ago."

He goes on: "So, here to put this down today is really important - it's a change of mindset. No more dither, no more delay, being clear about what we're going to do, a real statement of intent."

Starmer says it's not just about Sizewell C, but about "creating good, well-paid jobs" more widely, while investing in nuclear power.

The PM is now taking questions from students. 

He is asked what his advice is to young people currently studying or carrying out apprenticeships.

He responds: "Don't think anything is not for you."

Starmer explains people can feel like they're not able to do certain jobs. But he says his one piece of advice would be to "knock that voice on the head".

Watch live: Sir Keir Starmer speaks with students ahead of spending review

The prime minister is speaking to students at a college in Suffolk.

It follows the chancellor formally announcing billions of pounds of funding for Sizewell C nuclear power station, which is being built in the county.

Sir Keir Starmer is taking questions from pupils and will also speak to the media. 

It comes ahead of the spending review tomorrow, the much-anticipated speech by Rachel Reeves that will set out funding for each government department.

Watch and follow live here.

Reeves says Labour is 'launching a new era of nuclear power' as she unveils 拢30bn of investment

Rachel Reeves has turned to her focus on growth and pledges that her spending review will deliver investment in every part of the UK. 

The chancellor says the government backs British innovation and formally unveils the funding for Sizewell C nuclear power station in Suffolk, which we've been reporting on earlier today. 

The announcement is met with cheers and clapping. 

Reeves says that together with announcements coming tomorrow in the spending review as well as what has been revealed today, the government is investing 拢30bn in nuclear power in total. 

"This Labour government is launching a new era of nuclear power here in Britain", the chancellor says.

She goes on: "Today's announcements are another step towards that Great British nuclear ambition. To make sure that 70% of its future fleet is made here with homegrown content."

Reeves concludes by saying that Labour promised "a government in the service of working people". 

She says: "A government backing Britain's industry, backing Britain's jobs and backing Britain's workers. 

"Consider that a promise made, and a promise kept."

That's the end of Reeves speech is met by applause among those gathered in the venue in Brighton.

Reeves takes aim at Reform UK, saying Farage is 'tough on workers and soft on Putin'

Rachel Reeves is setting out how her government is helping workers by improving their rights and introducing measures to tackle child poverty, such as extending free school meals.

But now the chancellor turns to tackling on Reform. 

She says that they might tell people they are on the side of working people, but that they actually opposed the worker's rights bill. 

The chancellor also say Nigel Farage's party wants to privatise the NHS, and is "not on the side of the heroic people of Ukraine - they're on Russia's side instead".

She adds: "That's Reform: Tough on workers, tough on patients but soft on Putin."

Watch live: Rachel Reeves speaking following nuclear announcement

The chancellor is now speaking at the GMB union conference, following the unveiling of more than 拢14bn for a new nuclear power plant in England.

Rachel Reeves will formally announce plans to commit 拢14.2bn to build Sizewell C nuclear plant.

It comes ahead of her spending review tomorrow. 

You can watch live in the stream above and of course, we will bring you her comments and all the reaction right here on the Politics Hub.

'We're back to the 1970s' - Kemi Badenoch hits out at Labour as unemployment rises

Kemi Badenoch has reacted to unemployment figures out this morning, showing the number of people out of work has risen.

The Tory leader has firmly placed the blame on the chancellor's strategy, after the ONS data showed unemployment has risen and the number of job vacancies has fallen.

Badenoch said: "Jobs are disappearing. Businesses are closing, blaming Labour's jobs tax and more regulations from the unions. 

"We're back to the 1970s."

The 'jobs tax' refers to Rachel Reeves' decision to hike employers national insurance contributions (NICs) earlier this year.

The former business secretary added: "Remember we still have four more years of Labour to go."

She concluded that only her party "can clean up the mess they're leaving behind".

Unemployment in the three months to April rose to the highest level since July 2021.

A little earlier today, Ed Miliband defended the government's record, telling Sky News that unemployment remains "historically, relatively low".

The energy secretary added that the UK has the fastest growing economy in the G7, while the government is making "big investments... for the future of this country", which is "good for jobs".

We're expecting to hear from Reeves herself in the next half an hour or so.

High salary thresholds to curb immigration could breach ECHR

Increasing salary thresholds for immigrants has been touted in political circles as a way to reduce immigration and make it harder for people to bring their families with them.

But a government-commissioned review has said that could put the UK in direct breach of people鈥檚 human rights.

The Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) has produced a report on family visas, requested by Yvette Cooper, to advise government on setting the income threshold for people in the UK wanting to bring family members over from another country.

The MAC said an income threshold of 拢38,700 鈥� proposed by the Conservatives 鈥� for those on a skilled worker visa to be able to bring a family member to the UK was too high.

The committee argued it could "conflict with international law and obligations", such as Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR): the right to private and family life.

Despite admitting that a higher salary threshold would reduce migration numbers, it instead recommends the threshold ought to be much lower at 拢23,000-拢25,000 - an income it says is achievable by a full-time worker on minimum wage.

It also warns against raising the threshold for families with children, despite them having higher living costs, as this would impact the children in those families.

However, Sky News understands the home secretary is poised to reject the committee鈥檚 recommendations and push ahead with tougher immigration rules regardless.

Reducing migration numbers is one of the key pledges from Labour and with persistent criticism of their Tory predecessors for huge annual migration figures, Yvette Cooper will be aware she will look hypocritical if she fails to make a significant dent in the numbers.

If immigration figures don鈥檛 come down enough to placate voters, Cooper and Sir Keir Starmer will be in the unenviable position the Tories found themselves in - being forced to defend a poor record at the next general election.

Ignoring the MAC鈥檚 advice on salary thresholds may be politically expedient, but if it leads to legal challenges using Article 8,  Starmer - a former human rights lawyer - could be in a very uncomfortable position. 

Tories to introduce bill to block government's 'surrender' deal over the Chagos islands

The Conservatives are set to introduce a bill that would block the government's deal over the Chagos islands. 

Last month, the prime minister announced that a deal had been agreed with Mauritius to give them control of the Chagos Islands. 

In exchange, the UK would be allowed to lease a military base in the territory for the next 99 years for an average of 拢101m a year. 

The whole deal was estimated to cost the UK around 拢3.4bn, though other people have estimated it could cost as much as 拢30bn - something the government disputes. 

Now, Priti Patel will introduce a bill to parliament today, which aims to stop this deal from happening. 

The bill will specify that the Chagos Achipelago falls under British sovereignty and cannot be negotiated away without parliamentary approval. 

It will also seek to prevent any money being given to foreign governments unless authorised by parliament.

The Tories have accused Labour of refusing to grant a debate in the Commons on the deal during the treaty ratification process, which they have called a "desperate attempt to avoid scrutiny and subvert democracy".

The bill is being introduced before the government's own legislation on the deal - and will also require British Chagossians to be consulted. 

The government's deal was briefly held up after Chagossians sought an emergency injunction in the courts, which was later dismissed. 

Currently, the UK has agreed to pay 拢40m a year as part of a Chagos Devlopment Fund, though the Conservatives say this is at Mauritius' discretion. 

Surrender deal has betrayed British Chagossians

The shadow foreign secretary said: "Labour鈥檚 Chagos surrender deal undermines our national security, will cost British taxpayers 拢30bn and has betrayed British Chagossians. 

"Keir Starmer and David Lammy have been too busy cosying up to their left-wing lawyer friends and activists to defend our national interests."

Patel added that "parliament must put a stop" to the deal and "legislate to protect our sovereignty".

Politics at Sam and Anne: Meltdown? Labour goes nuclear

Today's episode of Politics at Sam and Anne's has now dropped. 

Sky News' deputy political editor Sam Coates and Politico's Anne McElvoy discuss the day's agenda. On Tuesday's edition:

Negotiations for the spending review are complete - with reports Chancellor Rachel Reeves has refused to meet Home Secretary Yvette Cooper's demand for extra police funding. We won't have heard the end of this.

Reform UK hold (another!) news conference, and the government announces its intentions to go nuclear - "ushering in a new golden age of nuclear [power]".

You can listen to the episode below or wherever you get your podcasts.