Conservative leader suggests making a deal amid scandals surrounding Farage’s party could derail the reputational clean-up of her own party Tim Shipman has written about what will be coming up at the Labour conference next week in his cover story for the Spectator. He says: Labour special advisers summoned last week to the pillared state room on the first floor of No. 10 to hear the plan for conference from Burnham’s political secretary, Hayden Munro, left in no doubt that the PM wants to be a transformational figure. The conference ‘narrative’ these advisers were urged to push includes the telling line: ‘This Labour government will bring forward the biggest change to Britain in 40 years, with a new political and economic model.’ On the specifics, Burnham will pledge: ‘We will make the choices that are needed to end rough sleeping, solve the social care crisis and get more young people into work.’ Burnham will pledge to run a ‘cost-of-living government’ with further ‘immediate action’ to ‘provide the breathing space people need’, as well as outline plans to devolve power ‘out of Whitehall’, ‘reindustrialise Britain’ and take back public control of ‘the essentials in life – such as energy, water and housing’ to ‘make them affordable again’. Ultimately, the election choice is Burnham’s. ‘If you knew what Keir’s aides thought, you knew what he would do,’ says a ministerial aide. ‘But Andy has political opinions of his own.’ Burnham may go for it. But those closest to him doubt it. ‘He likes risk, but he has stuff he wants to get done,’ says one close confidant. While outsiders think his ambitions require an election, Burnham thinks he can transform Britain without one. ‘Andy really cares about the devolution stuff,’ the ministerial aide observes. ‘Most of Westminster roll their eyes but he thinks that will change the country. He thinks doing that will make him a great prime minister.’ And those who think none of that will deal with Britain’s economic problems seize on another clue. A Labour adviser concludes: ‘Ultimately I think Burnham and his team will do what they often do with difficult decisions, and not make one.’ What I imagine is that some schools will offer some of these subjects where their local labour market demands, and this is where our mayors and our local leaders are really helping to shape that in their area. So I wouldn’t expect a school to offer all of these, as they don’t offer all GCSEs at the moment. They will specialise in particular areas. If you’re trying to do engineering or construction, for example, you know that involves a lot of problem solving, a lot of maths, a lot of thinking, as well as the hands-on skills that’s required. So it’s not dumbing down, it’s the opposite of that, actually, because this is about raising the standards and the rigour and regulating these qualifications. Continue reading...

When a former Labour deputy leader joins a firm built on surveillance and military targeting, it deepens public cynicism – and democracy depends on trust Whatever is said about Tom Watson, the former deputy leader of the Labour party has a knack for landing headlines. In the past he did it at the expense of the rich and powerful – from News International, over phone hacking , to the Home Office, over its mass surveillance of our data . But his latest headline – that he has joined Palantir as a senior vice-president – has been at the expense of public confidence in the political class. His new appointment is more than just a private career choice. It sends yet another signal to a weary public about just how far the rot in our democracy has spread. Clive Lewis is the Labour MP for Norwich South Continue reading...

[Daily Trust] Sokoto State Governor, Ahmed Aliyu, has approved the constitution of a committee to verify and facilitate the payment of salaries to 3,100 newly recruited civil servants in the state.

[Premium Times] The CBG said a recent industry study the bank conducted found that many banks employ foreigners.

[Liberian Observer] Liberia is stepping up its drive to expand electricity access, attract private investment and reduce power costs, with Finance and Development Planning Minister Augustine Kpehe Ngafuan using the 81st United Nations General Assembly to outline a target of reaching 75 percent electricity access by 2029-2030.

[Capital FM] Nairobi -- Kenya and Iraq are exploring new opportunities for Kenyan professionals to work in Iraq, with President William Ruto saying the two countries are looking at greater labour mobility, particularly for Kenyan educators.