Iain watson, is in westminster. iain, what s mr zahawi hoping to achieve and what s been the response to this trip? certainly the treasury are saying he is in the united states because he needs to find longer term solutions to the cost of living crisis, there needs to be international cooperation, it is notjust about short term fixes but other things that might be necessary to try to get the living costs down in the future and to prove what they call economic resilience. but labour unsurprisingly not buying that explanation. they are suggesting he is on a taxpayer funded junket, as they put it, and having an international chinwag when he should be talking to people here about the pressures they are facing on their energy bills. the treasury would say it is not an either or, he is also going to be bequeathing the next prime minster a range of options to help people in the short term with those soaring bills. and a week today in fact, he could be
Of right wing of the party. but also i think rishi sunak has done a good job, as well. - so i think you need - to go in with an open mind to the hustings. these votes need to connect with absolutely everybody, not just ourselves. the fierce rivalry between the two candidates for number 10 promises plenty of heated debate about what the conservatives want from their leader, and the course they should set to govern the uk. jonathan blake, bbc news. let s speak now to our political correspondent iain watson, who s in westminster. iain, two very different candidates now vying to become the next leader. they now have to show the differences are a good thing. yes. they now have to show the differences are a good thing. yes, a difficult task differences are a good thing. yes, a difficult task to differences are a good thing. yes, a difficult task to show differences are a good thing. yes, a difficult task to show how differences are a good thing. yes, a difficult task to show how different l difficult task to show how different they are from each other but also claim they can unite the party at the end of the process. the process now of course because of that of the conservative party membership, and while rishi sunak topped a popularity poll among his fellow
Watching closely, as i am sure you | watching closely, as i am sure you will be, too, iain. thanks very much. dozens of families are dealing with the aftermath of losing their homes in wildfires that started during the record breaking heatwave. 15 areas around the uk declared a major incident when blazes broke out. laura tra nt reports. what looks like scenes from a hollywood movie are real life horror stories. across the country, communities, including here in dagenham, are coming to terms with the destruction of the wild fires. gutted. my daughter was born there. i ve been there for 27 years. it s first house i ve actually sat down and settled in. i m just totally gobsmacked. i don t know what i m going to do now. down the road in wennington on the eastern edge of london, families are having to cope with the fire damage and having to explain to children about losing their homes.
Whether further sanctions should apply. two former conservative ministers have written to the chief whip calling for a policy of zero tolerance when any allegations of sexual misconduct are made and ensure a thorough investigation. they added, anyone being investigated should not be allowed to sit as a conservative mp. you can see why the prime minister might not want chris pincher to resign. his party lost the wakefield by election to labour a week ago following the improvement of the previous conservative mp for sexual assault. and in tiverton the conservative mp resigned after viewing pornography in the house of commons. the prime minister has returned to another growing political storm at westminster. iain joins us live now. and iain, this has added significance because chris pincher has been a very close ally of the prime minister. how much pressure is borisjohnson
Iain, that announcement, we cannot carry on as business as usual, says the co chairman of the conservative party, tell us about what happened in wakefield. let party, tell us about what happened in wakefield- party, tell us about what happened in wakefield. let me ust pick up on that oliver dowden in wakefield. let me just pick up on that oliver dowden letter. - in wakefield. let me just pick up on that oliver dowden letter. in - in wakefield. let me just pick up on that oliver dowden letter. in the . that 0liver dowden letter. in the wording that 0liver dowden letter. in the wording that he used he talked about, wording that he used he talked about, as wording that he used he talked about, as you said, cannot go on as business about, as you said, cannot go on as business as about, as you said, cannot go on as business as usual and he says that somebody business as usual and he says that somebody needs to take responsibility. in a sense he has because responsibility. in a sense he has because he responsibility. in a sense he has because he has resigned, but i also expect because he has resigned, but i also expect he because he has resigned, but i also expect he has somebody else in mind in downing expect he has somebody else in mind in downing street. he is not absolutely explicit but the feeling was that absolutely explicit but the feeling was that these by election defeats for the was that these by election defeats for the conservatives were priced in, for the conservatives were priced in. there for the conservatives were priced in, there would be no more pressure reapplied in, there would be no more pressure reapplied to in, there would be no more pressure reapplied to the prime minister having reapplied to the prime minister having won the confidence vote among his own having won the confidence vote among his own mps recently. it is the scale his own mps recently. it is the scale of his own mps recently. it is the scale of the defeats which has concentrated minds, notjust in tiverton concentrated minds, notjust in tiverton but here in wakefield. you would tiverton but here in wakefield. you would expect labour to win this seat back because it is against the backdrop back because it is against the backdrop of a cost of living crisis, the previous conservative mp has
Tory territory. and many conservative mps will be looking at their majorities this morning nervously and asking themselves, not for the first time, is boris johnson for the first time, is borisjohnson still the for the first time, is boris johnson still the best person to lead them into the next general election? well, we could march on downing street, what do you think? cheering a big result for the liberal democrats but it also raises big questions about the prime minister s future. nick eardley, bbc news, tiverton. as we heard from nick there, it was a double defeat for the conservatives last night. they also lost the wakefield by election in west yorkshire to labour. the tories had won the constituency at the last general election one of the so called red wall seats. well, our political correspondent iain watson is there. iain. against the backdrop of a cost of living crisis and the fact that four out of ten of borisjohnson s own in these who want him to go, it is not
To say because of inflation. he is expected to say if because of inflation. he is expected to say if we because of inflation. he is expected to say if we give everybody in the public to say if we give everybody in the public sector a pay rise, that would drive public sector a pay rise, that would drive prices public sector a pay rise, that would drive prices up as people spend more drive prices up as people spend more in drive prices up as people spend more. in the past public sector pay has been more. in the past public sector pay has been curbed to keep a leash on inflation has been curbed to keep a leash on inflation. the unions say they understand that but it is not their fault understand that but it is not their fault they understand that but it is not their fault. they have workers who are full-time fault. they have workers who are full time employed and still reliant on food full time employed and still reliant on food banks. that is not good enough on food banks. that is not good enough a on food banks. that is not good enough. a handful of best passengers here, a small picket line gathering passengers here, a small picket line gathering outside, ironically, it won t gathering outside, ironically, it won t be gathering outside, ironically, it won t be at the trains or stations where won t be at the trains or stations where this won t be at the trains or stations where this is felt, but in the shops, where this is felt, but in the shops, restaurants and in schools. if shops, restaurants and in schools. if this shops, restaurants and in schools. if this is shops, restaurants and in schools. if this is what it takes, say the unions, if this is what it takes, say the unions, to if this is what it takes, say the unions, to get a fair deal, then so be it be it. thank you. ahead of a cabinet meeting this morning, the prime minister is expected to condemn the strike, accusing union leaders of harming the very people they claim to be helping . what are the politics of all of this? 0ur political correspondent, iain watson, joins us now from westminster. iain, how are his comments likely
That has already reduced services are significantly. and there is also an unresolved dispute between scotrail and the rmt as well. so, there is definitely a fear of rolling problems on the network through the course of the summer in scotland, and it is a particular issue for the hospitality sector and for tourism, the height of the season, really, onlya for tourism, the height of the season, really, only a few weeks away. let s talk to our political correspondent iain watson, who is in westminster. so, huge potential disruption, iain, and both the government and the opposition being criticised for their positions? opposition being criticised for their positions? well, they are certainly criticising their positions? well, they are certainly criticising each i their positions? well, they arej certainly criticising each other, reeta. labour is saying the government is deliberately sowing division and also saying that ministers should get directly involved and sit around the negotiating table because it is ultimately them, not the companies, who control the purse strings when it comes to pay. for their part, the government are saying labour should be condemning these strikes, they
By sanctions were not forthcoming. by resigning from the tour, they can t be banned, and therefore, i think they re banking on being able to play in the majors for which they re eligible. have we had any reaction from the pga tour? because i suppose everybody listening might think this may end up in the courts somewhere down the line. may end up in the courts somewhere down the line- down the line. yeah, i think litigation down the line. yeah, i think litigation at down the line. yeah, i think litigation at this down the line. yeah, i think litigation at this stage - down the line. yeah, i think. litigation at this stage certainly look like it s inevitable, i think the pga tour are very much of a mind to keep their counsel. no one has resigned as it stands as the moment. we know about the resignation from the pga tour. we haven t heard anything official from either the pga tour. we haven t heard anything officialfrom either of anything official from either of those anything officialfrom either of those bodies. anything official from either of those bodies. anything official from either of those bodies. iain, finally, am i riaht in those bodies. iain, finally, am i right in saying those bodies. iain, finally, am i right in saying that those bodies. iain, finally, am i right in saying that this - those bodies. iain, finally, am i right in saying that this would l those bodies. iain, finally, am i| right in saying that this would be the biggest threat to the current status of men s off? it is