Labour leadership hustings: Starmer, Nandy, Long-Bailey and Thornberry debate on BBC Newsnight – as it happened

That’s all from us for this evening. Here’s a wrap-up of tonight’s hustings from my colleague, Heather Stewart:

And here’s a comprehensive summary of the day’s earlier events.

Here’s a little reaction from Labour figures to this evening’s hustings:

Closing, Thornberry says the fight is going to be long and the next Labour leader needs to be campaigner with stamina. And she says the party needs to offer hope if it’s going to form the next government

Long Bailey says she was devastated by the defeat because she knew what it would do to Labour communities and says the party should focus on the green new deal and its industrial strategy in order to help those communities.

Starmer says he came into politics to change lives and that it’s impossible to do so in opposition. He says he will bring the party together because if it continues to direct its fire inward, it will enver win.

Nandy says the election result was a long time coming and that Labour must stop facing “both ways on the biggest issues of the day”, adding: “No more promises we know we can’t keep.”

On the issue of transphobia, Long Bailey says she is a firm believer in self-identification. But she steadfastly refuses to say whether or not someone who was unwilling to say a person can identify their own gender.

Thornberry believes that hate needs to be removed from the debate and that trans men are men and trans women are women. Nandy says people who go out of their way to abuse other people should not be in the Labour party and cites the example of one of her own constituents she says she wants to protect. Starmer adds that trans rights are human rights, saying they should be protected.

Starmer and Nandy agree that the in-out Brexit debate is over and Labour’s best chance is to work on the basis that the UK will remain outside the European Union, but cooperate closely with the bloc.

It seems Lisa Nandy’s performance is going down well. Or badly, depending on your point of view.

On immigration, each of the candidates commits to welcoming inward immigration, saying the country benefits as a whole.

It’s suggested to the candidates that Boris Johnson has taken their territory with infrastructure investment promises. Which of his policies would Nandy steal? She says she’s glad to see the investment but believes he’s making the decisions in Westminster, whereas she would allow people to make decisions for their own areas.

Is Johnson not doing a good job? Starmer says the prime minister cannot be trusted because he has regularly broken promises in the past.

Long Bailey says there are major regional inequalities within the UK and she would focus on the country’s industrial policy to address the problems they cause.

Thornberry says the promises sound good but that they will prove to be “hot air”, which is when Labour will need to make their case.

All four contenders indicated they remained committed to scrapping university tuition fees and renationalising the water and electricity industries – pledges that were in the 2019 Labour manifesto.

But they jointly rowed back on scrapping private schools and introducing a four day week, two other controversial policies put forward during Corbyn’s leadership.

Thornberry has claimed Long Bailey failed to push for tougher action on antisemitism in the Labour party.

During a tense moment in a Labour leadership debate, Thonrberry said she and Starmer had called for the shadow cabinet to be more involved in tackling the party’s antisemitism problem.

But Thornberry claimed she did not remember Long-Bailey doing the same. Thornberry said:

I think it would be right to say that the record shows that I have regularly called out antisemitism in my party. It also should be said that Keir and I were both in the shadow cabinet and would regularly, the two of us, call for regular reports to the shadow cabinet.

Asked whether she was saying Long Bailey didn’t demand such a role for leader Corbyn’s top team, Thornberry added: “No, I don’t think Rebecca did, but Keir and I did.” In a terse exchange, Long-Bailey responded: “I did, I think you’ll find.” But Thorberry added: “Sorry, I don’t remember.”

Long Bailey said she would sign up to the 10 pledges on tackling antisemitism that had been set by the Board of Deputies of British Jews if she becomes leader.

As leader I will be signing up to the 10 pledges. I would expect my shadow cabinet and all those within it, all our members and MPs within Parliament to follow my lead on that.

Starmer added:

If you’re not prepared to fight anti-Semitism, you shouldn’t be in the shadow cabinet.

Nandy, the only backbencher left in the race, said there should be “no one in the Labour Party that doesn’t defend the right of Israel to exist”.

Thornberry says she believes those members of the UK’s Jewish community who felt they would be unsafe under a Labour government were wrong but says the fact they did feel that way was an indictment of everyone in the party.

Nandy says the party made promises the public did not believe it would keep at the last election, saying voters are more savvy than Labour has given them credit for.

One of the things we did in the last election was we made promises we simply couldn’t keep.

We cannot go round as a party making promises to nationalise everything, to slash or get rid of tuition fees but we hadn’t got a clue how we would do it and how we would pay for it.

People are smarter than that. We have to be honest with them.

Starmer says the party leadership came up on doorsteps prior to the election, as did the issue of Labour antisemitism. He says there were numerous causes and Jeremy Corbyn cannot be held responsible for four consecutive election defeats.

Long Bailey acknowledges Labour has not tackled antisemitism adequately and cannot stop apologising for it. She also blames Brexit for causing trust issues and says other problems, such as infighting, contributed.

Kicking off the debate, the presenter asks which of the contenders saw the election defeat coming. Emily Thornberry and Lisa Nandy say they did. The former says she warned the outgoing leader, Jeremy Corbyn, the Tories had a carefully crafted plan and would win.

Rebecca Long Bailey says voters were preoccupied by Brexit and Labour was not listening to those who thought the party was betraying the Brexit referendum. Keir Starmer says no one saw the scale of the defeat coming.

Lisa Nandy claims MPs people in seats such as hers saw their base crumbling in successive elections and that the party’s response has been to narrow its debate to issues such as how to go into or not go into hypothetical wars in future, rather than on matters that have more direct day-to-day effects on people in the UK.

We’ll be covering the Labour leadership hustings when they start in about five minutes. Keir Starmer, Lisa Nandy, Rebecca Long Bailey and Emily Thornberry debate each other on BBC Newsnight at 10.30pm.

Here is the Guardian’s latest Politics Weekly podcast. Heather Stewart is joined by Anand Menon, Ailbhe Rea and Paul Harrison to discuss what to expect from tomorrow’s cabinet reshuffle. Plus, Rory Carroll tells us what’s next for Irish politics after Sinn Féin’s shock domination, and Gwyn Topham gives us the latest on HS2.

There are two long articles out today about the favourites in the Labour leadership contest. Both are worth reading.

• Rebecca Long-Bailey tells HuffPost’s Paul Waugh, among other things in a wide-ranging interview, how she came to join the Labour party.

Although she was political in her youth, Long-Bailey didn’t join Labour until 2010 when she was in her 30s. Labour’s defeat prompted her to join, as it is prompting many following the 2019 defeat.

But she reveals that the real spur was more close to home. “My mum had retired, and she was driving my dad around the bend at home because she didn’t have any hobbies and because she’s only ever been into politics and watching the news, she didn’t do like knitting or like crafts and things like that.

“So I said to her, ‘We’ve got to get you a hobby. Why don’t we both join the Labour party and I’ll come to some meetings with you?’ I was living near my mum and dad at the time. And I said, ‘I’ll go and then when you’ve made friends I’ll leave you to it.’

“And we went to that first meeting, and I remember there was one member there, who said how he thought it was a really good idea to means-test hospital meals. And a few other people in the meeting went, ‘Yeah, that’s really good, if you can afford to pay you should afford to pay.’ And I could feel the anger building up inside [me].

“This is how far we’ve come in five years you see. I remember driving back from the meeting and saying to my mum, ‘I know I said I was gonna leave you to it, but unless I get involved and sort this out then we’re all doomed.’”

• Emily Ashton has profiled Sir Keir Starmer in a long and detail-rich article for BuzzFeed that features contributions from people who have known him for years. One theme that emerges is his work ethic. Ashton says:

[Charlie] Falconer, then a commercial barrister, said Starmer was a “very intense, committed, slightly isolated figure” when they first met. “He’s not a particularly clubbable figure; he is a man alone,” he said. “He is the real deal — every time you would speak to Keir, he would be engaged in a particular cause. He was completely motivated in all he did in the law by politics.”

That work ethic comes up repeatedly in interviews with those who know Starmer well. Georgia Gould, Labour leader of Camden council where Starmer is now the local MP, told BuzzFeed News: “I say to him, ‘It’s alright. I can do this one. You can have a day off.’ I don’t know when he sleeps. He hates being late — he’ll say to me, ‘Georgia, we’re gonna be late. We can’t be late.’”

Some MPs think Starmer’s dedication to his work will make him a dangerous opponent for laidback Johnson, while others dismiss him as lacking in personality and charm. (His team points out that his complicated, detail-heavy Brexit brief has made it difficult for him to show much personality.) He gets mixed reviews from Tory MPs.

One cabinet minister told us: “He is by miles the best candidate. A Trot, yes, but a professional, and he’ll be good in parliament.” Another minister described him as the “Michael Howard of the Labour party – a good stopgap”. A new Tory MP in northern England said Starmer wouldn’t connect with his constituents: “He’s almost embarrassed of everything he has achieved – own it, man!” Another Tory MP said bluntly: “Ed Miliband with a knighthood.”

The vote today in the European parliament for its resolution on the UK-EU trade talks (see 11.47am) means there will be no special treatment for the City of London, an MEP has claimed. In a statement after the vote Sven Giegold, economic policy spokesman for the Greens/European Free Alliance group in the parliament, said:

The time for special treatment of the UK is over. The British government’s attempt to give its London financial centre permanent and comprehensive access to the European financial system for decades is audacious. The EU will not let the decision as to which British financial market rules are compatible with European rules be taken out of its hands. Equivalence is not a permanent subscription, but a revocable privilege. What already applies to all countries outside the single market will also apply to Britain. If the United Kingdom deviates from the European rules, it must expect to lose access to the European financial market.

Rebecca Long-Bailey, Angela Rayner and Dawn Butler have backed a new trans rights charter that calls on Labour to expel “transphobic” members and describes campaigns including Woman’s Place UK as “trans-exclusionist hate groups”, my colleague Rowena Mason reports.

From HuffPost’s Paul Waugh

In the Commons on Monday the Labour MP Janet Daby also suggested that it was hypocritical for the government to be deporting people to Jamaica for drug offences when “we have a prime minister who has said that he took cocaine, which is a class A drug”. She went on: “Is it one rule for some and another for others?”

Kevin Foster, the Home Office minister who was responding to an urgent question on the deportations, said:

It is safe to say that possession would not meet the threshold for deportation set in 2007.

The DUP’s Ian Paisley asks the PM to end the witch hunt against police officers in Northern Ireland.

Johnson says he is well aware of this point. He says the government wants to end unjustified prosecutions.

Lee Anderson, a Conservative, asks if the PM agrees that Labour’s PFI schemes, like the ones that build a hospital in Ashfied, were a scandal.

Johnson does agree. He says these show how badly Labour runs the economy.

Seema Malhotra, the Labour MP, asks if the PM regrets cuts to Sure Start.

Johnson says record sums are now going into early years education. Under this government there is “robust, strong dynamic economy” that can fund these measures.

Martin Vickers, a Conservative, says HS2 will not help Cleethorpes. Will Johnson act to ensure Cleethorpes get a direct service to Kings Cross.

Johnson says the voice of Cleethorpes has been heard.

Jacob Young, a Conservative, asks about knife crime in Redcar.

Johnson says the government is putting police more on the streets to address this.

Sir Ed Davey, the Lib Dem acting leader, asks about bereavement support, and children who lost out because their parents were not married. The courts have ruled against this. When will the government respond, so that bereaved children do not lose out.

Johnson says Davey is right to draw attention to this injustice and “we will remedy it.”

Robert Courts, a Conservative, asks Johnson to pay tribute to the professionalism of Public Health England in dealing with coronavirus.

Johnson agrees. He says the NHS has done an outstanding job.

Asked about the Heathrow third runway, Johnson says he waits to see whether the various legal cases under way allow the promoters of the scheme to show that they can meet their obligations on air quality and noise pollution.

The SNP’s Richard Thomson asks about the intelligence and security committee report into Russia. Johnson says it will be published when the ISC is reconvened. But those of a suspicious frame of mind will be disappointed, he says.

Asked about the flooding in the Calder Valley, Johnson pays tribute to the work of the emergency services and he agrees to visit the constituency.

Labour’s Gareth Thomas says his local hospital has not met its four-hour A&E target since 2014.

Johnson says the highest number of people ever attended A&E last month, 2 million. The demand is exceptional. The government is responding with a record investment, he says.

The SNP’s Deidre Block says a minister said last week that substandard food would be allowed into the UK from the US.

Johnson says the UK has and will continue to have the highest standards for food.

Labour’s Alex Norris asks about violence against shopworkers.

Johnson says he will agree to meet victims. We should not tolerate violence, he says. And so it is “paradoxical” that Corbyn opposes the deportation of serious offenders, he claims.

Ian Levy, a Conservative, asks if the PM will visit Blyth to see how suitable it would be for a freeport.

Johnson says Levy has made his point, but the allocation of freeports will be made in a fair way.

Labour’s Sharon Hodgson asks about plans to build a gasification plant in Sunderland. As a frequent visitor to Sunderland, Johnson must share her concerns, she jokes.

Johnson says he will look into this.

Labour’s Vicky Foxcroft says the youth violent commission will shortly publish a report saying short-term solutions do not work. Will the PM attend the launch?

Johnson says you need to do both (ie, address short-term and long-term solutions). He says he is putting 20.000 more police on the streets. Labour opposes giving the police extra powers, he says.

Ian Blackford, the SNP leader at Westminster, says in Syria refugee children are literally freezing to death.

Johnson says the UK leads the world in supporting humanitarian relief efforts in Syria. It has spent £3.2bn on this.

Blackford says he asked about children. He says the government has accepted President Assad’s rule in Syria. Is Johnson saying the UK government is washing its hands of the Syrian people.

Johnson says Blackford should consult his memory. The British government has continually called for Assad to stand down.

Paul Howell, a Conservative, asks about the government’s plans to put Ofcom in charge of regulating the internet.

Johnson says he wants to make the UK the safest place to be online.

Corbyn says the extradition relationship with the US is not balanced. Will Johnson make it so?

Johnson says Corbyn has a point. That is worth looking at. But he says this is not relevant to the Anne Sacoolas case.

Corbyn says the extradition treaty is relevant. He turns to Julian Assange, and says he is facing deportation to the US for exposing war crimes. Should this deportation be opposed?

Johnson says he won’t comment on any individual case. But he does support upholding the rights of journalists and whisteblowers.

Corbyn asks if Anne Sacoolas is being protected because she worked for the CIA.

Johnson says the government wants Sacoolas to return to the UK.

Corbyn asks if Johnson will sack the foreign secretary for protecting her.

Johnson says the government was not notified about Sacooolas’ role.

Jeremy Corbyn also expresses his sympathy for flood victims.

And he expresses sympathy for coronavirus vicitims. He says Chinese people are suffering appalling levels of racism.

Does the PM think someone who came to the UK at the age of five, who was made to carry drugs, and who was released five years ago deserves to be deported.

Johnson says he will not comment on individual cases, but foreign offenders should be removed, he says.

Corbyn says Johnson has leant nothing from Windrush. He quotes a case of a black boy who came to this country at five and got involved in drugs. What would happen if it were a white boy, with blond hair, who later took drugs and conspired to have a journalist beaten up, would he feel the same way?

Johnson says Corbyn demeans himself. He says Corbyn has no right to compared those being deported to the Windrush victims.

Julian Lewis, a Conservative, says the last combined security and defence review was bound by fiscal neutrality. That meant every extra pound for cyber security took money from conventional defence. Will the PM ensure that does not happen again?

Johnson says the integrated review he is holding will be the deepest since the war. Defence and security will be amply provided for, he says.

Boris Johnson starts by expressing sympathy for those affected by the weekend flooding.

Shami Chakrabarti, the shadow attorney general, has criticised the idea floated by Geoffrey Cox for MPs and peers to interview candidates for the supreme court, the Mirror’s Dan Bloom reports.

A public inquiry is being launched into the death of Jermaine Baker, who was shot by a police marksman during an attempt to free a prisoner, the home secretary, Priti Patel, has announced in a written statement. As the Press Association reports, Baker, 28, from Tottenham, north London, died from a single gunshot wound as the Metropolitan Police foiled a break-out attempt near Wood Green Crown Court on December 11 2015.

Here is my colleague Alex Hern’s story about the government’s plan to put Ofcom in charge of regulating the internet.

Yesterday the European parliament debated a lengthy resolution about the UK-EU trade talks saying that, if the UK wants a free trade deal, it should sign up to robust level playing field commitments. Although the debate was yesterday, the vote took place this morning. As the BBC’s Adam Fleming reports, it passed.

The resolution, which runs to 103 paragraphs, is here. My colleague Jennifer Rankin summarised it in a story last week. Here is an extract from what the resolution says:

For an FTA to truly promote the EU’s interests, the following objectives should be included in the negotiating directives:

(i) a level playing field is to be guaranteed through robust commitments and enforceable provisions on competition and state aid, relevant tax matters (including the fight against tax evasion, avoidance and money laundering), full respect of the social and labour standards (including equivalent levels of protection and safeguards against social dumping), environmental protection and climate change related standards, promotion of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, a high-level protection of consumers and sustainable development; the provisions should ensure that standards are not lowered, while empowering both parties to modify commitments over time to lay down higher standards or include additional areas; commitments and provisions should be enforceable by autonomous interim measures, a solid dispute settlement mechanism and remedies, with a view to dynamic alignment.

And here Fleming’s summary of the resolution.

The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport has confirmed that it is minded to put Ofcom in charge of policing online platforms. Here is the news release it has just issued, and here is the full document (a response to the consultation on the online harms white paper).

And here is my colleague Kevin Rawlinson’s overnight preview story.

Cox says the government has no intention of subjecting judges to US-style confirmation hearings, or making them political appointments.

Q: Do you think you should have opposition figures on the proposed constitutional commission?

Cox says the last time something similar happened was when Tony Blair was PM. He does not remember much consultation on those changes.

But he says he does favour public consultation.

The commission will be looking at specific changes, he says. It will not range broadly.

The government has a mandate, he says. But he says it should consult.

Q: Are you worried that the terrorist offenders (restriction of early release) bill being debated today sets a worrying precedent, because it will retrospectively alter the way sentences apply?

Cox says he fully supports the bill. He says it is legal. He says it does not violate the Human Rights Act.

There is a “plain public interest” in this change being made, he says.

Q: Have cuts to the justice system gone to far?

Cox says he does not think he can say this. He says cuts to the justice system were part of an overall economic policy that he thought was necessary.

But he says the time has come now where the cuts have got to stop. He thinks that is happening. The largest ever settlement given to the Crown Prosecution Service was given to it last year.

Q: Would it concern you if you lost your job because of your refusal to do party politics?

Cox says it is up to the PM to choose his team. But if he were to lose his job, he does not think that that would be the reason.

Q: The Conservative manifesto says you want to curtail judicial review. But if someone wins a judicial review case, does that not show that it is justified?

Cox says there will be “no headlong rush” to curtail judicial review. But there is a concern that courts are increasingly taking decisions that should be taken by politicians.

He says Lord Sumption, the former supreme court justice, has recently made this argument.

He says it will be difficult getting this balance right. That is what the constitutional commission being set up by the government will look at.