UK politics - live: Barclay says ‘risk’ patients dying unnecessarily due to NHS delays

A union boss later accused the health secretary of saying ‘frankly pretty dishonest stuff’

Related video: Rishi Sunak meets President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv

Health secretary Steve Barclay has admitted there is a “material risk” NHS patients are dying unnecessarily due to long ambulance delays,

Mr Barclay was also accused of “frankly pretty dishonest stuff” by the leader of the GMB union largest unions as he defended the actions ministers are taking on the health service.

Asked if people were dying because of ambulance delays, Mr Barclay told the BBC’s Laura Kuenessberg: “If there is a delay in an ambulance getting to someone in terms of unmet need, then obviously that is a material risk”.

During his Sunday media round this morning, the former Brexit minister also claimed he did not recognise a report in The Sunday Times that Britain will seek a Swiss-style deal with the European Union.

It follows reports that senior figures in Rishi Sunak’s government were considering moving Britain towards such relationship with the bloc in pursuing frictionless trade amid the soaring cost-of-living crisis.

He told the Sophy Ridge on Sunday programme on Sky News: “We’ve got a prime minister who himself supported Brexit. I myself did and was Brexit secretary, and worked very hard to maximise our control of our laws, our borders and our money.

Key Points

• Health secretary rejects reports UK seeking Swiss-style deal with EU
• Barclay fesses up to Brexit ‘difficulties'
• Rishi Sunak’s government ‘considering Swiss-style relationship with EU’
• Keir Starmer pledges to ‘abolish the House of Lords’ as prime minister

[20 November 2022 09:54 · Emily Atkinson]

Asylum seekers ‘can’t afford clothes or toiletries’ on £8 a week government support

Asylum seekers say they cannot afford the clothes and toiletries they need, or to leave their accommodation, as they survive on as little as £8 a week as living costs continue to soar.

People who have fled their countries say they are struggling to get by on their government allowance - and are unable to do anything about it while banned from working.

One man says he is spending “much of his life indoors” in his asylum hotel shared with hundreds as he cannot afford to do much else. Others said they felt “isolated” and “mentally suffering” due to being stuck in similar situations.

Zoe Tidman reports:

[20 November 2022 09:38 · Emily Atkinson]

Dominic Raab facing calls for third probe amid claims of ‘obscene’ language in Commons

Embattled deputy prime minister Dominic Raab is under growing pressure amid calls for a third probe into his alleged behaviour.

The justice secretary faces fresh accusations that he used “obscene” language in the chamber of the House of Commons.

The row centres on claims Mr Raab mouthed the word “w***er” at the Labour leader during Prime Minister’s Questions (PMQs) 10 days ago.

Our Whithall editor Kate Devlin has more:

[20 November 2022 09:24 · Emily Atkinson]

Labour would not propose a return to single market, says Ashworth

Labour does not want the UK to rejoin the EU single market, shadow work and pensions secretary Jonathan Ashworth has said.

He added that Labour would not adopt a Swiss-style relationship with the EU, which the Ggvernment is reportedly looking at.

Speaking to the Sophy Ridge on Sunday programme on Sky News, Mr Ashworth said: “We’re not proposing returning to the single market or the customs union, or anything like that.

“But we do want to negotiate a bespoke deal for the United Kingdom, so that our businesses can export, so that we can get those agreements on agriculture, so we can work together on security issues.

“But we’re not proposing that we just simply adopt the Swiss proposal, which the government now are apparently looking at.

“Of course, we need to fix this deal. Of course, we need to make Brexit work, because this oven-ready deal that we were promised, this great deal, has not worked out in the way in which Rishi Sunak and Boris Johnson told the British people that it would do.”

[20 November 2022 09:19 · Emily Atkinson]

Cabinet minister warns he would not support closer Swiss-style relationship with the EU

A cabinet minister has warned he would not support a closer Swiss-style relationship with the European Union following reports the government is considering putting the UK on such a path.

Steve Barclay, the health secretary, instead suggested ministers should focus on maximising what he said were the opportunities of Brexit.

Asked about reports that plans for more frictionless trade with Europe requires moving to a Swiss model over the next decade, Mr Barclay said: “I don’t support that”.

Our Whitehall editor Kate Devlin has this breaking story:

[20 November 2022 09:07 · Emily Atkinson]

Barclay fesses up to Brexit ‘difficulties'

Steve Barclay has admitted that since Brexit there have been “difficulties” with “greater friction” over trade.

Asked on Sky News whether Brexit had had an adverse impact on UK trade, he said: “What I’m saying is you’ve got to look at the issues in terms of Brexit in the round.

“There are areas where there have been difficulties in terms of greater friction and we’re looking to work constructively with EU partners on that.

“But, equally, there are very significant opportunities as a result of Brexit.

“I don’t think we would have done the vaccine rollout in the way that we did had we remained a member of the EU and the significant regulatory opportunities we have, and the autumn statement signalled our determination to take those.”

[20 November 2022 08:59 · Emily Atkinson]

More now from Steve Barclay on reports the government is pursuing a Swiss-style deal with the EU.

The health secretary told the Sophy Ridge on Sunday programme on Sky News: “We’ve got a prime minister who himself supported Brexit. I myself did and was Brexit secretary, and worked very hard to maximise our control of our laws, our borders and our money.

“So, it’s absolutely important, particularly in those high-growth sectors, such as financial services, life sciences and the green industries, that we really use the Brexit freedoms we have.

“So, I don’t recognise this story at all.”

Asked if he could support a Swiss-style relationship, he said: “Well, I didn’t support that. I want to maximise the opportunities that Brexit offers.”

[20 November 2022 08:40 · Emily Atkinson]

Health secretary rejects reports UK seeking Swiss-style deal with EU

Health secretary Steve Barclay has said he does not recognise reports that Britain will seek a Swiss-style deal with the European Union.

Speaking on Sky News’ Sophy Ridge on Sunday, he said he does “not support” adopting such a relationship with the bloc, adding he wants to “maximise opportunities Brexit brings up.”

[20 November 2022 08:14 · Emily Atkinson]

Awaab Ishak: Gove calls for urgent action to improve housing conditions after boy’s death

Michael Gove has called on councils to “urgently assess” their housing conditions following the death of two-year-old Awaab Ishak from prolonged mould exposure.

The Levelling Up Secretary wrote in a letter to council leaders and social housing providers that the case has “rightfully shocked people across the country” and called it “abhorrent that anyone should have to live in such conditions”.

Mr Gove said that councils should pay “particular focus on issues of damp and mould”.

Holly Bancroft has more:

[20 November 2022 07:57 · Emily Atkinson]

John Rentoul: Keir Starmer is looking confident, but here’s how Rishi Sunak can win the next election

The ruling assumption of politics has changed, writes John Rentoul. Keir Starmer has grown in confidence as people expect him to become prime minister. He is tempted to believe that the Conservatives have damaged their reputation for economic competence as fundamentally as they did when John Major’s exchange rate policy collapsed in 1992.

But I understand that privately, as well as publicly, his message is “no complacency”, and that he says he cannot be sure Rishi Sunak is down and out. Starmer is well aware that Labour starts from a much lower base than it did in 1992, when Major had a small majority (which had disappeared by the time of the 1997 election).

[20 November 2022 07:37 · Emily Atkinson]

Keir Starmer pledges to ‘abolish the House of Lords’ as prime minister

Sir Keir Starmer has reportedly vowed to abolish the House of Lords and replace it with an elected chamber if he becomes prime minister.

The Labour leader said he would enact this plan to “restore trust in politics”, according to The Observer.

He told his party’s peers at a meeting last week that he wants to transfer power from politicians to people by allowing them to vote on who to appoint to the upper chamber, the paper reported.

Lamiat Sabin reports: