Tory big beast set for frontbench return as Badenoch reshuffles shadow cabinet

Tackle rogue club owners, Nandy tells newly created football regulator

Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy says the "crumbling" foundations of English football will be saved by the independent regulator.

The watchdog for English men's football can finally start putting plans into action today after the bill was passed into law.

It survived a change of government and Premier League opposition after first being conceived by the Conservatives in 2021 in the fallout from the ill-fated attempt by elite clubs to split and start a European Super League.

And the hope is the regulator has more rigorous power to scrutinise the finances of owners – particularly below the Premier League in the EFL.

"We've had a whole series of rogue owners that have put clubs in jeopardy," Nandy told Sky News.

"And I don't think there's anybody, including the Premier League executive, who believes that this situation is sustainable.

"The Premier League is one of the best exports that this country's ever had. It's best in the world. It brings joy to millions of people.

"But beneath that, the foundations of football have been crumbling for some time. That's not good for anybody. And that's why we've devised a light touch regulator who should never need to step in. But if they do, then there is that final protection for fans."

Time for Premier League to 'step up'

The regulator could step in to force an agreement over how much cash from the world's richest league is sent down the pyramid, although the Premier League already hands £1.6bn to the rest of English professional football.

"It's the moment for them to step up and to be able to reach an agreement that has eluded them for several years," Nandy said.

"That would be in the interests of football and we think that would be a preferable approach to the regulator having to step in.

"But make no mistake if the regulator does, they now will."

The Premier League has warned of "unintended consequences" to the appeal and status of the league if the regulator is too interventionist and expands powers.

The Premier League's biggest source of television revenue comes from Comcast companies - Sky Sports and NBC – with shared ownership with Sky News.

The football regulator passed into law on the day the government announced plans to abolish the water regulator.

But Nandy said: "There are now protections in law for fans and for clubs to make sure that we have really fit and proper owners, that there is somebody who can tackle rogue owners when problems arise, that we get a proper financial flow to ensure the sustainability of clubs throughout the football pyramid and to make that fans are put back at the heart of the game where they belong."

Shadow health secretary resigns to 'restore' health

Today's shadow cabinet reshuffle is rumbling on - and we now know the first person leaving the front bench.

Shadow health secretary Ed Argar has confirmed he is leaving the Kemi Badenoch's top team.

He says that he had a "health scare" earlier, and that in conjunction with previous health issues it is "the sensible approach" to step back.

This will help him "complete my recovery and fully restore my health".

Argar says Badenoch continues to have his full support, and he believes the Tories will win the next election with her as prime minister.

The dating of the letter shows Argar offered his resignation on 9 July - but said he was willing to stay on until the end of the parliamentary term (today) if it helped.

Accepting his resignation, Badenoch said she was "very sorry" he was leaving.

She adds that the shadow cabinet will "miss your sage advice and good humour".

Watchdog must fine social media companies that are slow to remove racism - Nandy

The online safety regulator should use powers to fine social media companies that are not quickly removing racism, Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy told Sky News, after concerns were raised by England defender Jess Carter.

Carter has declared herself ready to play in the Women's European Championship semi-final against Italy on Tuesday after speaking out on the hate she has faced online during the tournament.

Players have expressed frustration they are having to use their platform to pressure the tech firms, given how often footballers have had to deal with racist abuse.

Companies can be fined

There is now the Online Safety Act which should be compelling the companies to take action.

"We've introduced new laws so that platforms are under a legal obligation to take down that sort of disgusting content immediately," Nandy told Sky News.

"And they can be pursued through fines, through Ofcom, if they don't do it.

"It's now up to those platforms and up to Ofcom to fulfil those roles that we've given them and make sure that this is stamped out online, that it's dealt with very quickly."

Government borrowing soars to second-highest level on record

Government borrowing rose significantly more than expected last month as debt interest payments soared.

Official figures show the cost of public services and interest payments on government debt rose faster than the increases in income tax and national insurance contributions.

It means government borrowing reached the second-highest level in June since records began in 1993, according to data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

June's borrowing figures - £20.684bn - were second only to the highs seen in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, when many workers were furloughed.

The figure was a surprise, nearly £4bn higher than anticipated by economists polled by Reuters.

State borrowing - the difference between income from things like taxes and expenditure on the likes of public services - was more than £6bn higher than the same month last year.

Badenoch taking party to 'next stage' with reshuffle

We've now heard a bit more on today's reshuffle being carried out by Kemi Badenoch.

A senior Conservative source has said: "The leader of the opposition will be making some changes to her front bench team today. 

"The changes reflect the next stage of the party's policy renewal programme and underline the unity of the party under new leadership. 

"Sir James Cleverly is expected to return in a prominent front bench role to take the fight to this dreadful Labour government."

Is Stride safe?

It is still not clear past Cleverly what changes will be made - although more announcements are expected as late as this afternoon. 

Sky News has heard that sources in Mel Stride's camp believe the shadow chancellor is safe in his role opposing Rachel Reeves.

Elsewhere, some reports have suggested Kevin Hollinrake could move to be party chair - potentially freeing up the shadow housing role opposite Angela Rayner.

All eyes will be on whether shadow justice secretary Robert Jenrick is shuffled around, and if this gives any indication of whether Badenoch thinks he is a threat.

Is the Kemi reshuffle a Cleverly move?

We couldn’t get to recess without a reshuffle after all. 

Standby for movements on the Conservative frontbench today.

It sounds like James Cleverly is on his way back to shadow cabinet.

Sam and Anne discuss how Kemi Badenoch will feel about the optics of that return. 

 Also, on the day MPs leave Westminster for summer, the chancellor faces the Treasury Committee after an eventful couple of weeks. 

UK looking at taking further action against Israel if no ceasefire happens

Foreign Secretary David Lammy is speaking to Sky News this morning.

Most of the interview is taken up by a discussion around the situation in the Middle East.

Lammy again will not say whether a genocide is taking place in Gaza.

And he says he has already said there is a "clear risk" that international law has been breached.

He is asked - after his strong comments about the situation in Gaza yesterday - whether he will take further action against Israel.

Hoping for August ceasefire

Lammy says: "We will consider other acts with partners in the coming weeks if we do not see the ceasefire that we want to see.

"But it is my judgement that after the Knesset rises on the 28 July, we are likely to see an acceleration to that ceasefire and so I hope and pray that there will be a ceasefire in August."

He highlights his previous action includes sanctioning Israeli ministers, ending free trade talks and restoring funding to UNWRA.

The foreign secretary repeats his calls for Hamas to release the hostages it has taken.

Former Tory leadership hopeful set for frontbench return

Sir James Cleverly has agreed to serve in Kemi Badenoch's shadow cabinet, as the Conservative leader reorganises her frontbench for the first time, Sky News understands.

It marks a return for the "big beast", who many thought would lead the Tories after last year's election rout - but failed to make the final two.

Badenoch is carrying out her reshuffle just as MPs are set to leave Westminster for their summer recess.

Cleverly was previously home and foreign secretary in government.

Sky News political correspondent Mhari Aurora says she has been told that Cleverly will not be getting the shadow chancellor gig - although this does not necessarily mean Mel Stride is safe.

However, for such a big figure in the party, it is fair to assume he'd get a pretty sizeable role in the shadow cabinet.

Asked yesterday about the possibility of a reshuffle, Badenoch told broadcasters: "I have a great team, sometimes changes occur from time to time, that's perfectly normal in the course of politics."

She refused to comment on when the changes would happen.

The wealth tax options Reeves could take to ease her fiscal bind

Faced with a challenging set of numbers, the chancellor is having to make difficult choices with political consequences.

Tax rises and spending cuts are a hard sell.

Now, some in her party are calling for a different approach: target the wealthy.

Economic growth is disappointing and spending pressures are mounting. The government was already examining ways to raise revenue when, earlier this month, Labour backbenchers forced the government to abandon welfare cuts and reinstate winter fuel payments - blowing a £6bn hole in the budget.

The numbers are not adding up for Rachel Reeves, who is steadfastly committed to her fiscal rules. Short of more spending cuts, her only option is to raise taxes - taxes that are already at a generational high.

For some in her party - including Lord Kinnock, the former Labour leader, the solution is simple: introduce a new tax.

They say a flat wealth tax, targeting those with assets above £10m, could raise £12bn for the public purse.

Yet, the government is reportedly reluctant to pursue such a path. It is not convinced that wealth taxes will work. The evidence base is shaky and the debate over the efficacy of these types of taxes has divided the economics community.

President Bush determined to 'rid world of evil-doer Saddam Hussein', new records reveal

It would have been "politically impossible" to stop President Bush from invading Iraq, as he believed he was on a "crusade against evil", new records show.

Newly declassified UK government files show Sir Tony Blair was warned by his US ambassador that George W Bush was determined to overthrow dictator Saddam Hussein, in the months before the invasion of Iraq.

Sir Tony, who was prime minister at the time, was trying to encourage the US president to use diplomatic means to change the situation in the Middle Eastern country, and flew to Camp David in January 2003 to make the case, just two months before the joint US-UK invasion.

The UK government was also hoping the United Nations Security Council would agree a new resolution specifically authorising the use of military force against Iraq.

But the files, made public for the first time, show that Sir Tony's ambassador, Sir Christopher Meyer, warned him it would be "politically impossible" to sway Mr Bush away from an invasion unless Hussein surrendered.

-SKY NEWS