Summary of the day …
Rachel Reeves is rethinking parts of Labour’s crackdown on non-dom tax status over concerns that the plans will not raise any money. The chancellor is reassessing the government’s manifesto promise to close loopholes in the non-domiciled tax regime
Russell Findlay, the newly elected leader of the Scottish Conservatives, has said his party faces a significant threat from Reform UK in Scotland. Of the 4,155 Scottish Tory members who voted, 2,565 backed Findlay in the first round, with 1,187 votes going to his closest rival, Murdo Fraser
Polling by Savanta suggests that a third of Conservative voters in the 2024 general election believe the party lost because it wasn’t right-wing enough
Systemic failures in the way police deal with stalkers are leaving victims at “serious risk” with some given wrong and “potentially dangerous” advice, a damning report by police chiefs in England and Wales has found
A man who was the first person in the UK to be convicted of a charge of riot after widespread disorder this summer has been jailed for four years and four months
Two Just Stop Oil activists have been jailed for throwing tomato soup over Van Gogh’s Sunflowers
Thank you for reading and all your comments. Andrew Sparrow will be back on Monday, and I will see you here again sometime soon.
We reported earlier that DWP figures released today show the government received about 74,400 pension credit claims in the eight weeks since 29 July, when chancellor Rachel Reeves announced the winter fuel payment would be means-tested.
PA Media is now carrying a government spokesperson statement about the figures:
We are committed to supporting pensioners, with millions set to see their state pension rise by £1,700 this parliament through our commitment to the triple lock.
Given the dire state of the public finances we have inherited, it’s right we target support to those who need it most.
Over a million pensioners will still receive the winter fuel payment, and our drive to boost pension credit take-up has already seen a 152% increase in claims.
Many others will also benefit from the £150 warm home discount to help with energy bills over winter while our extension of the household support fund will help with the cost of food, heating and bills.
Updated
