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Ahead of what is widely expected to be a difficult Autumn Budget on the 26th November, Chancellor Rachel Reeves faced some bad news last week when she came under fire for renting out her family home without the required licence. In addition to being a challenging subject for Reeves – who has been criticised for an expected tax raise in her upcoming fiscal statement – this was also a significant embarrassment for the Prime Minister’s government. 

Although Prime Minister Keir Starmer chose not to open a full investigation against Reeves, calling the situation “clearly regrettable”, the revelation of the Chancellor’s error comes mere months after former Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner was found in breach of the ministerial code for a similar housing income issue. With Parliament heading into recess this week, there will be one last Prime Minister’s Questions ahead of the six-day absence and no doubt Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch will use Reeves’ error as a shot to fire at the government, building on her previous comments that the Chancellor must be sacked if she has broken any laws. 

Alongside the Chancellor’s housing error, the leading topic of conversation in SW1 over the past few days has been the removal of Andrew Windsor’s royal title. Windsor, formerly known as Prince Andrew, was stripped of his princely title at the end of last week – following the removal of his other royal titles earlier in October. Discussing the announcement Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy praised the “brave and important” step by King Charles, with the Conservative and Liberal Democrats similarly backing the move by the monarch. 

The Prime Minister’s office has not confirmed the role it played in achieving the outcome, although the government is understood to have consulted on and made clear its support for the removal of Windsor’s title. The conversation in Parliament surrounding the former prince isn’t likely to die down, however, as the Public Accounts Select Committee outlines its intention to continue its enquiry into Windsor’s “peppercorn” rent at the Royal Lodge, saying there is still potential for him to be summoned to appear before the committee. 

This week, politicians from all sides will inevitably be talking about knife crime and public safety, in the UK, in the wake of the weekend’s tragic stabbing attack on a train in Huntingdon. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood is expected to give a statement on the incident in the House of Commons this afternoon and Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander is on the morning media round today. From the Opposition, Kemi Badenoch said “there is clearly something wrong with our society right now” and called for all politicians to have further discussions about law and order. 

Alongside commentary about public safety, this weekend’s incident is also likely to reignite conversations about the impact of social media during emergency situations – including the pressure felt by police forces to swiftly confirm the ethnicity of suspects to combat misinformation online, in the wake of the recent attack in Southport and subsequent protests by the far-right. The political fallout from this weekend’s incident will be one to watch as the week continues – particularly the wedge it puts between the left and right.

Headlines

What’s on in Parliament

Monday 3rd November  

House of Commons  

  • Oral questions: Defence  

  • Adjournment: Government support for care leavers 

  • Westminster Hall Debate: e-petition 702074 relating to consumer law and videogames 

House of Lords 

  • Oral questions: Financial support for London boroughs  

  • Oral questions: AI training in the UK’s existing workforce  

  • Legislation: Planning and Infrastructure Bill – report stage (day 5) 

  • Legislation: Tobacco and Vapes Bill – committee stage (day 3) 

Tuesday 4th November  

House of Commons 

  • Oral questions: Treasury  

  • Ten Minute Rule Motion: Fertility Treatment (Right to Time Off) 

  • Westminster Hall Debate: Cross-border healthcare 

  • Westminster Hall Debate: Planning consent for houses in multiple occupation  

House of Lords 

  • Oral questions: Safeguarding individuals who exhibit signs of suicidal ideation or other mental health emergencies while messaging generative AI chatbots 

  • Debate: Industry and Regulators Committee: 'Power struggle: Delivering Great Britain’s electricity grid infrastructure' 

Wednesday 5th November  

House of Commons 

  • Oral questions: Women and Equalities  

  • Prime Minister’s Question Time 

  • Adjournment: Drug-related deaths  

  • Westminster Hall Debate: Government support for housebuilding in London 

House of Lords 

  • Legislation: Progress made by law enforcement agencies in pursuing perpetrators of online hate and racism 

The House of Commons and House of Lords is in recess from Thursday 6th November and will next sit on Tuesday 11th November. 

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