Politics latest: Cameron resigns as Sunak names shadow cabinet; Labour MPs assemble for group photo (2024)

Sky News' deputy political editor Sam Coates and Politico's Jack Blanchard are back in your podcast feeds.

On this episode, they discuss how the prime minister is tackling his first full week and his government’s approach to home and foreign affairs.

And how will the Conservative Party choose a new leader?

All that more below:

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Email Jack and Sam: jackandsam@sky.uk

With the change of government, the Conservatives' controversial Rwanda migration scheme has been scrapped.

Rishi Sunak had pledged to get planes carrying asylum seekers off the tarmac by the spring, and then shifted his target date to July should he have won the general election.

Sir Keir Starmer is now in the top job, and has stressed the Rwanda scheme was "dead" on day one of his government.

We've now heard from the Rwandan government, which has reiterated it "upheld its side of the agreement, including with regard to finances".

Kigali said it "takes note" of the UK government's intention to "terminate" the agreement.

It added: "This partnership was initiated by the government of the UK in order to address the crisis of irregular migration affecting the UK — a problem of the UK, not Rwanda.

"Rwanda has fully upheld its side of the agreement, including with regard to finances, and remains committed to finding solutions to the global migration crisis, including providing safety, dignity, and opportunity to refugees and migrants who come to our country."

Sir Keir Starmer heads to Washington for a NATO summit tomorrow, and we've just had confirmation his visit will include face-to-face talks with US President Joe Biden.

The White House said Mr Biden would host the new prime minister on Wednesday.

It comes after the pair spoke on the phone on Friday evening - a clip of which was released by Number 10.

We'll continue to have updates through the night right here.

And you can scroll down the page for all the latest from the Politics Hub.

Sam Coates, our deputy political editor, has given his thoughts on the Tory shadow cabinet reshuffle which just took place (see 19.12 post).

He says it appears to come from a place of "low energy" from Rishi Sunak, who has confirmed he will shortly resign as leader.

Sam adds: "I certainly think the Tories are going to spend some time struggling to adjust to a new political tempo.

"That's what this reshuffle Rishi Sunak has just done this evening says.

"Looking at some of the heavyweights backing out like Lord Cameron, you do wonder just how much some of them are up for the fight."

But the appointment of Kemi Badenoch is one to watch.

She is now shadowing deputy prime minister Angela Rayner on the levelling-up brief - moving from business.

"That looks like a promotion - it puts her up against one of the biggest figures in the government," Sam says.

"It's the reshuffle that Rishi Sunak has essentially had to do because he has so few cards to play," he adds, as the former PM only has 121 MPs to choose from.

Peter Kyle, the science and technology secretary, is then asked if Labour has started a war on the NIMBY - which stands for "not in my backyard".

Chancellor Rachel Reeves today promised to get Britain building, with more houses and wind farms on Labour's agenda - and asking councils to review greenbelt land.

Mr Kyle says this is simply central government "using its power assertively, but respectfully, to get things moving".

"We made pledges in the election campaign and already today you're seeing them being honoured," he says.

He adds Labour wants to ensure the UK is breaking down "barriers to investment, not putting them up" as he says the previous government did.

Government an 'assertive partner' for local authorities

He disputes the suggestion central and local government "are in conflict".

"What we want to do is make sure that these are partnerships," he adds.

"There are some local authorities who want to build things but have been prevented from doing so - including onshore windfarms."

Mr Kyle says Labour will lift this block, saying the government will be an "assertive partner" helping to "get things done".

He is then asked specifically if the government would overrule local interests.

"There are powers that central government has that other parts of government don't have - and we will use those powers when it is in the national interest."

Peter Kyle, the new science and technology secretary, is now joining Sophy Ridge on the Politics Hub.

She asks if the election win - and his appointment - have sunk in yet.

Mr Kyle says it "has sunk in" in the sense "we're so deep already" - working through the weekend on a "programme for government" and "making sure we can get the right things cracking from day one".

On the other hand, he admits he "wakes up every morning thinking the previous day was a dream".

'Loving every second'

"It was just so special and so remarkable," Mr Kyle adds.

"The privilege we've been given, and I've been given, by the public and by the prime minister, is something that I take incredibly seriously.

"I am loving every second."

Rishi Sunak has announced his Conservative shadow cabinet - the first the party's had for more than 14 years.

Most of the former cabinet shadow their old roles - like James Cleverly being shadow home secretary, and Jeremy Hunt as shadow chancellor.

But there's no Lord Cameron - instead Andrew Mitchell has been appointed shadow foreign secretary.

He had been the deputy foreign secretary in the last parliament.

Richard Holden is also out as the party chairman.

And Kemi Badenoch has been moved from the business brief, instead shadowing Angela Rayner on housing and levelling up.

But it isn't clear how long these appointments will be in place, as Rishi Sunak confirmed last Friday that he will shortly resign.

The process for appointing a new Tory leader will be decided by the executive of the 1922 Committee, assisted by CCHQ.

A new chair will be elected as soon as this week, our chief political correspondent Jon Craig says.

Our economics and data editor Ed Conway is giving Sophy his view on the chancellor's speech - and one word comes to mind: boring.

He says: "It one sense it was desperately boring because the topic it covers, planning, is boring and perhaps it was intentionally boring.

"I was thinking back to 1997 when Gordon Brown, straight after the election, in that same room, announced that the Bank of England was going to be made independent.

"That was his 'big bang' moment."

However, Ed says that, this time around there is no space for this.

"This time around, I think there's an acknowledgement that it's not like you can do 'big bang' things - you need to do this kind of hard work, of execution and making things happen," he says.

"And planning is the ultimate example of that, you don't just press a button and sort it out."

Watch Ed's full analysis below:

Well, they're not hanging about, are they?

A full cabinet, a flurry of policy announcements, a speech from the chancellor and a tour of all four nations by the prime minister.

No time to sit in a dark room, pour a stiff drink and recover after the general election campaign.

And to be honest, you can see why.The incoming Labour government has built almost their entire economic strategy around one thing: growth.

If you ask them how they can possibly improve public services without putting up taxes or breaking their fiscal rules, this is the answer they give.

No growth? Big problem

The problem is it's quite hard to get growth. You can't just click your fingers and it comes.

And it's unpredictable - you can do all the right things, but a big international event, or a national crisis, changes everything.

So you can see why Labour aren't hanging around. Today, Rachel Reeves is pulling out all the stops to try to get growth back into the economy.

She's bringing back housebuilding targets, overhauling the planning system, and ending the ban on onshore wind farms.

And Labour need it to work. Without growth, they've got a big hole in their economic plans.