Starmer ally Lord Alli faces interests probe, as Cleverly asks Tories ‘be normal’ – UK politics live

Labour peer Lord Alli is under investigation over “alleged non-registration of interests” leading to a possible breach of the members’ code of conduct.

The fashion mogul, who has been at the centre of a row over donations accepted by Sir Keir Starmer, is being probed by the Lord’s commissioners.

In the first controversy to hit Sir Keir’s new government, questions have been raised over Lord Alli – the business executive who has donated some £700,000 to the party over the past two decades – being handed a Downing Street pass.

According to an update published on Parliament’s website on Wednesday, Lord Alli is being investigated by the Lords’ commissioner for “alleged non-registration of interests leading to potential breaches of paragraphs 14(a) and 17 of the thirteenth edition of the code of conduct”.

These rules relate to making clear what the interests are that might be reasonably thought to influence a member’s parliamentary actions and ensuring entries are up to date.

Tory leadership contender James Cleverly refused three times to disown the economic chaos which took place under Liz Truss’ leadership after his plan to scrap stamp duty on house sales was likened to policies introduced by the former prime minister.

The pledge, which he said would cost £10 billion, was compared in a radio interview to the disastrous tax cuts introduced by Ms Truss’ government.

Our political correspondent Millie Cooke has the full story:

This year’s Conservative Party conference in Birmingham provides a pivotal moment for reflection and debate.

It stands in stark contrast to the 2023 gathering, when Rishi Sunak’s government made a series of last-minute policy announcements, including offshoring prisoners, cutting civil servants, and controversially scrapping HS2.

David Davis has backed Tory leader wannabe Kemi Badenoch following her speech at the Conservative Party conference.

The former cabinet minister and leadership contender said the party needs a leader who can “overpower the weak and ineffective Keir Starmer” and deliver a “real prospect of victory at the next election”.

Mr Davis added: “In terms of intellectual capacity, idealism, common sense and courage, I think Kemi offers our Party and our country the very best chance for the future, and I will be voting for her to lead us into the next election.”

Kemi Badenoch has made it clear she wants to clamp down on migration to the UK, claiming that many use Britain as “a sponge”.

The former favourite for the Tory leadership contest has seen her challenge drop off in recent days, with ex-immigration minister Robert Jenrick appearing to be in the driving seat during the Tory conference in Birmingham.

Our political editor David Maddox has the full story below:

Kemi Badenoch refused to take questions from the media after her speech, Millie Cooke reports from the conference.

While the three other candidates all spoke to journalists after their conference addresses, Ms Badenoch instead sent out four of her supporting MPs to take questions from the press.

Asked repeatedly where the former business secretary was, and why she wasn’t speaking to the press, Badenoch-backer Chris Philp said she had already done “lots of interviews with journalists”.

The Tory leadership contender was mobbed by reporters as she left the conference centre but still refused to answer questions.

Sir Keir Starmer said he wanted to put the UK-EU relationship back on a “stable, positive footing” as he met European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen in Brussels.

The Prime Minister said: “I firmly believe that the British public want to return to pragmatic, sensible leadership when it comes to dealing with our closest neighbours, to make Brexit work and to deliver in their interests, to find ways to boost economic growth, strengthen our security and tackle shared challenges like irregular migration and climate change.”

He added that “in dangerous times we have a duty to work together to preserve stability and security,” referring to the crisis in the Middle East and the war in Ukraine.

Sir Keir said: “We are determined to put this relationship back on a stable, positive footing that I think we all want to see.”