Labour has been ‘played by its union paymasters’ over train driver pay, James Cleverly says – as it happened

4.00pm BST

Summary of the day …

• Shadow home secretary and candidate for the Conservative leadership James Cleverly has said “the Labour government has been played by its union paymasters” after Aslef announced 22 days of strikes on LNER routes in a dispute over working conditions. Labour says rail strikes under Rishi Sunak ’s government cost over £800m in lost revenue. Chris Philp , shadow leader of the House of Commons, claimed “it has taken Labour barely a month to lose control of state sector pay”

• The move came a day after Aslef seemed poised to accept a new national pay deal over three years. Shadow transport minister Kieran Mullan said the new strike announcement was “a taste of what is to come”. Labour’s paymaster general Nick Thomas-Symonds defended Labour’s handling of the long-running dispute pay dispute, saying “We promised we would sit down and find solutions … The last government’s rail minister didn’t even meet the trade union leaders from January of 2023. We always said we would engage, and we have”

• The government has said that 460 people arrested in connection with violent disorder earlier this month have appeared in court and at least 99 have already been sentenced

• After the publication of A-level, T-level and BTec results in England, Wales and Northern Ireland yesterday, a total of 388,630 UK-based applicants have now been accepted on university courses . The figures also show that 51,850 international students have now been accepted on courses, down very slightly on 52,120 at this point last year

• Ipsos has published its monthly issues index, where it interviews people about what they think the major issues facing the country are. Immigration, healthcare and the economy head the list

• Conservative leadership candidate Priti Patel has defended the previous government’s record on migration, saying it was “lazy” to suggest net migration was too high

• Retail sales volumes rose by 0.5% in July , the Office for National Statistics reported. That follows a fall of 0.9% in June when households cut back amid poor weather, and election uncertainty

• Poplar and Limehouse MP Apsana Begum and former shadow chancellor John McDonnell are among those who have expressed support online today for members of the RMT union working in the Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) who are striking today

• Business secretary Jonathan Reynolds has announced there will be a consultation on how to deal with the ticket tout trade in the autumn in a video heavily laced with references to Taylor Swift

• Sadiq Khan is set to close London’s ultra-low emission zone (Ulez) scrappage scheme in three weeks

• People have been remembering the 205th anniversary of the Peterloo massacre

• Four of the candidates for the leadership of the Scottish Conservatives – Murdo Fraser , Brian Whittle , Liam Kerr and Jamie Greene – have issued a joint statement today expressing “deep concern” at the alleged conduct of the current party leader Douglas Ross . The statement comes in the wake of an overnight report in the Telegraph which claimed “Ross plotted to quit as Scottish Tory leader more than a year ago and install the current favourite – Russell Findlay – to replace him as his successor”

That is it from me today, thank you for reading, I will see you soon.

3.05pm BST

Conservative shadow transport minister Kieran Mullan has said the Aslef decision to call strikes on LNER routes was “a taste of what is to come” under the new Labour government.

Attempting to conflate the LNER dispute over working practices with the national pay dispute that lasted for two years under the Tory administration and which is estimated by Labour ministers to have cost the railways over £800m in lost revenue, Mullan said:

After a no-strings-attached offer to throw cash at a Labour-backing union, it should shock nobody that more strikes are on the cards. It’s a taste of what is to come: a nationalised train service seeing Labour-backing unions staging walkouts despite a bumper pay deal. All Labour are doing is encouraging the unions into more of this anti-passenger action, putting our rail network at the beck and call of unions whilst passengers pay the price.

Earlier paymaster general Nick Thomas-Symonds defended Labour’s handling of the long-running dispute pay dispute, saying “We promised we would sit down and find solutions, and people expressed scepticism about that, but actually that is precisely what we have done in government.”

Speaking during the morning media round, Thomas-Symonds added “The last government’s rail minister didn’t even meet the trade union leaders from January of 2023. We always said we would engage, and we have.”

Yesterday, transport secretary Louise Haigh said the Conservative government had deliberately provoked and prolonged the dispute. Shadow home secretary and candidate for the Conservative leadership James Cleverly said Labour had been “played by its union paymasters”.

The LNER route on the east coast mainline was taken into state ownership when Conservative Chris Grayling was transport secretary . He appointed the “operator of last resort” – a group led by the firm Arup and under government control – to run the service, rather than allow Stagecoach and Virgin to continue their franchise under fresh terms.

Aslef drivers are set to walk out for 22 days of action spread over weekends later this year. Mick Whelan , Aslef general secretary, said: “the company has brutally, and repeatedly, broken diagramming and roster agreements, failed to adhere to the agreed bargaining machinery, and totally acted in bad faith. When we make an agreement, we stick to it. This company doesn’t and we are not prepared to put up with their boorish behaviour and bullying tactics.”

“Diagramming” is a statement of work instructing a driver of the routes to be run and other non-driving tasks during a shift, like coupling/decoupling trains, and where a shift starts and ends.

2.47pm BST

With all the excitement of the Conservative leadership contest stretching before us until November, it is easy to forget that there is also a leadership contest going on in the Scottish Conservatives.

Four of the candidates – Murdo Fraser , Brian Whittle , Liam Kerr and Jamie Greene – have issued a joint statement today expressing “deep concern” at the alleged conduct of the current party leader Douglas Ross .

It says:

As candidates for the leadership of the Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party, we are deeply concerned by the disturbing claims reported today about the conduct of Douglas Ross in relation to his seeking candidacy for a number of seats in the recent general election.

The reports also reference his plans and preferences for a replacement leader to take over the party upon his departure which are relevant to the transparency and fairness of the current leadership contest we are participating in.

These allegations raise serious questions for the party which, in our opinion, require to be answered before current leadership election proceeds further.

The statement comes in the wake of an overnight report in the Telegraph which claimed “Ross plotted to quit as Scottish Tory leader more than a year ago and install the current favourite – Russell Findlay – to replace him as his successor.”

2.33pm BST

460 people have appeared in court in connection with recent violent disorder in England and Northern Ireland

The government has said that 460 people arrested in connection with violent disorder earlier this month have appeared in court and at least 99 have already been sentenced.

In a statement, justice secretary Shabana Mahmood said:

We continue to see swift justice being done and more people feeling the full force of the law as a consequence of their actions.

It is thanks to the hard work of people around the country and across the justice system that guilty offenders are being held to account.

The government statement said “The rapid action taken across the justice system by police, prosecutors and those working in courts has led to over 300 of those individuals being remanded into custody. More than 500 prison places are also being brought online to boost capacity over the coming weeks and ensure there are cells ready to receive all those sent to custody.”

The update stated that:

• 480 people had a first hearing scheduled in the magistrates court and 460 have taken place

• 99 were sentenced in either the magistrates court or Crown court

• 185 have been sent to Crown court for sentencing

• 153 have been sent to Crown court for trial

• 69 have received a custodial sentence in the Crown court

Updated at 2.39pm BST

2.28pm BST

Poplar and Limehouse MP Apsana Begum and former shadow chancellor John McDonnell are among those who have expressed support online today for members of the RMT union working in the Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) who are striking today.

The RMT union said members working onboard vessels around the world – including Singapore and Cyprus – took part in further strike action on Friday against low pay.

RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said:

This union has been repeatedly told that the MoD will look to start pay negotiations with vague promises of further meetings but it is clear that they are failing to address our concerns. RMT members remain out of pocket from the current derisory pay settlement and the RFA seem content to kick this issue into the long grass.

Members of Nautilus International also took part in the action. Nautilus director of organising Martyn Gray said:

For too long, the RFA, the Royal Navy and the Ministry of Defence have relied on the goodwill of our members to carry out essential operations. The pay offer for 2023/24 and the real-term pay cut of over 30% since 2010 has made this goodwill no longer tenable.

The key message from our members is simple. They are overworked, underpaid and undervalued. The only way to solve this dispute is with a pay offer that recognises the high rate of inflation and begins a pathway to pay restoration. This strike will make history, but not in a good way for an already crippled RFA.

The union said that it is the first time in the history of the RFA that officers will carry out strike action.

2.20pm BST

The number of UK-based students in clearing who are trying to find higher education courses a day after exam results were released has fallen to its lowest level for three years – though plenty of places are still available, figures show.

By Friday morning, 46,880 UK-domiciled 18-year-old applicants were recorded as being “free to be placed in clearing”, according to the admissions service Ucas, PA Media reports.

A total of 388,630 UK-based applicants have now been accepted on courses. The figures also show that 51,850 international students have now been accepted on courses, down very slightly on 52,120 at this point last year.

2.08pm BST

A second riot charge has been brought by police in South Tyneside as violent disorder suspects across the country await news on whether they will be accused of the more serious offence, which can carry a prison sentence of up to ten years.

PA Media report a 32-year-old man has become the second person charged with rioting, after a 15-year-old boy was charged with the more serious offence having already pleaded guilty to a lesser charge.

At Birmingham crown court, a rapper arrested after posting an allegedly “menacing” video mentioning Tommy Robinson will face trial in January next year after pleading not guilty. Omar Abdirizak, known as Twista Cheese, denied an allegation of sending a grossly offensive or menacing message via a public communications network.

In Hull , a man who looted cosmetics chain Lush during riots in the city is due to be sentenced for violent disorder, burglary and racially aggravated criminal damage. The sentencing hearing was previously adjourned after claims the man asked a prison probation officer “if he wanted his autograph as he is famous and is all over social media”.

2.05pm BST

Business secretary Jonathan Reynolds trying to shoehorn as many Taylor Swift references as possible into a video about government plans to tackle ticket touting is surely not what any of us expected when we woke up this morning. Culture secretary Lisa Nandy shared it with the message “I tried to stop him. I really did. I’m sorry, Taylor.”

The actual serious core of the message is that the government is rather boldly promising to “put a stop to ticket touting to protect consumers, businesses and the artists and sports players who work so hard”, and will be opening a consultation on its plans in the autumn.

1.41pm BST

With parliament in recess, the Conservative party leadership campaign – which doesn’t conclude until November – is one of the few things getting politicians out and about making speeches this week.

Priti Patel ’s campaign is making a push on her credentials with rural voters today, after she spoke with the Conservative Rural Forum.

In her comments, Patel said:

I know our farmers and food producers are keen to innovate and farm in ways that are environmentally sensitive. To do that we need to work with them to reduce the burdens and regulations they face and look at changes to the system of taxes and reliefs that can benefit them.

For our rural communities, we need to continue to champion the importance of broadband, 5G and digital infrastructure being installed. We must continue to press for the protection of cash and the rollout of banking hubs in areas where bank branches have been lost.

We also have to promote and champion British food. Labour’s planning reforms pose a serious threat to that. While we all want to see more homes and more renewable energy production, this cannot be at the expense of domestic food production.

Local communities are best-placed to identify the most appropriate sites for housing and business growth that are sensitive to local landscapes, rural areas and which can provide appropriate new infrastructure and public services.’

Patel, who has been an MP since 2010, and who was formerly secretary of state for international development, and home secretary, said “We’ve been here before when we were last in opposition. If I am elected Party Leader, I will work to develop compelling policies that will earn back the trust of rural Britain.”

1.17pm BST

Cleverly: Labour has been 'played by its union paymasters' over train driver pay

Shadow home secretary and candidate for the Conservative leadership James Cleverly has added to opposition criticism of Labour’s handling of the long-running pay dispute with train drivers it inherited from the previous government.

After Aslef announced 22 days of planned strikes on LNER routes in a dispute over working conditions, Cleverly said:

The Labour government has been played by its union paymasters. This latest wave of strikes will be devastating for families who rely on train travel to see their loved ones. Offering a no-strings pay deal to militant strikers whilst stripping millions of pensions of their winter fuel payment is nothing short of a national embarrassment.

Train drivers had not had a pay increase for five years, despite Rishi Sunak’s government presiding over a sharp increase in inflation during that period. Aslef members are to vote on a proposed three year pay deal, which is entirely separate from the dispute with LNER, which Aslef’s Mick Whelan said was over “broken diagramming and roster agreements, and failing to adhere to the agreed bargaining machinery.”

Paymaster general Nick Thomas-Symonds earlier defended Labour’s handling of the long-running dispute, saying “We promised we would sit down and find solutions, and people expressed scepticism about that, but actually that is precisely what we have done in government.”

Speaking during the morning media round, Thomas-Symonds added “The last government’s rail minister didn’t even meet the trade union leaders from January of 2023. We always said we would engage, and we have.”

Yesterday, transport secretary Louise Haigh said the Conservative government had deliberately provoked and prolonged the dispute.

Updated at 2.11pm BST

1.10pm BST

Regular readers know when I am at the helm that whacking into the blog gratuitous shots of infrastructure is never far away, and Conservative MP for South Suffolk James Cartlidge has handed me today’s opportunity, as he is having a moan about pylons on social media.

He has listed several places where underground transmission methods are being considered, but asks why this never seems to be the case in his area. He has handily provided a photo of himself standing in a field near some pylons, which is too good to resist including.

1.00pm BST

An LNER spokesperson has responded to the news that Aslef members are planning a series of strikes over working conditions. [ See 11.33 BST ]

PA Media report the company said in a statement:

Our priority focus will be on minimising disruption to customers during the forthcoming Aslef strikes, which sadly will continue to cause disruption and delays.

We are surprised and disappointed to hear this news following recent constructive conversations. We will continue to work with Aslef to find a way to end this long running dispute which only damages the rail industry.

Related: Aslef announces 22 days of strike action on east coast mainline

12.26pm BST

Ipsos has published its monthly issues index, where it interviews people about what they think the major issues facing the country are. Immigration, healthcare and the economy head the list:

• Immigration/immigrants 34%

• NHS/hospitals/healthcare 30%

• Economy 29%

• Crime/law and order 25%

• Inflation/prices 20%

• Housing 15%

• Poverty/inequality 13%

• Race relations 11%

• Education/schools 10%

• Pollution/environment/climate change 9%

Mike Clemence at Ipsos suggests “The impact of the recent riots across the UK is clear in this month’s data”. He states “Immigration has returned as the top issue for the country for the first time since 2016, while the level of concern about crime and race relations has also surged to recent highs.”

That figure for “immigration/immigrants” being the top concern compares with a peak of 56% which was recorded in September 2015, with the lowest rating in recent years being at 5% in April 2020.

The survey interviews a representative sample of 1,000 people each month by telephone.

12.15pm BST

With the summer recess in full swing, a lot of MPs have been posting about their constituency work and visits today rather than making any politics news. Museums, coffee shops, food banks and the odd spot of leafleting were all on the agenda …

11.49am BST

A UK government offer of £15,000 compensation to some victims of the infected blood scandal has been described as a “kick in the teeth” by one of those affected. My colleague Caroline Davies has more on that here .

On the BBC Radio 4 Today programme this morning paymaster general Nick Thomas-Symonds was at pains to stress that the £15,000 was only a component of what he described as a “comprehensive” package of compensation. Payments are due to start later this year , after many, many years of delay by the previous Tory administration.

Liberal Democrats Cabinet Office spokesperson Christine Jardine said “Governments of all stripes over decades owe them all a sincere apology for this delayed justice. This announcement is welcome and it is critical that the government pays full and fair compensation to the victims and their families as quickly as possible. Our thoughts are with those whose lives have been torn apart by this disaster. This scandal has cruelly cost too many people their lives.”

11.45am BST

PA Media reports a 28-year-old man who threw bricks, stones and wood at police in Hartlepool has been jailed for two years and eight months. A police spokesperson said he “played a significant role” in the rioting, “demonstrated aggressive behaviour” and “at one point was in possession of a police-style baton – lashing out at the officers to attempt to assault them.”

11.33am BST

Train drivers on LNER are to stage a series of strikes, claiming a breakdown in industrial relations and breaking of agreements.

The dispute is separate from the one related to pay. Members of Aslef are set to walk out every Saturday between 31 August and 9 November and every Sunday from 1 September to 10 November, a total of 22 days.

PA Media reports Mick Whelan , Aslef general secretary, said: “the company has brutally, and repeatedly, broken diagramming and roster agreements, failed to adhere to the agreed bargaining machinery, and totally acted in bad faith. When we make an agreement, we stick to it. This company doesn’t and we are not prepared to put up with their boorish behaviour and bullying tactics.”

Updated at 11.33am BST

11.21am BST

London’s mayor Sadiq Khan has published a video showing him meeting with community leaders and police, and explaining that extra funding is being provided to protect mosques in the capital after the recent far-right led violence against immigrants and ehtnic minorities.

In the video, Khan says “The targeting of Muslims and minority ethnic communities has left many communities fearing for their safety, which is simply not right. We’re providing additional support for security at our mosque during this difficult time. This funding will deliver practical advice from experts to mosque leaders on how to keep their congregations and premises safe.”

At a meeting that includes members of the Metropolitan police and representatives of the government, Khan is seen saying “there is no room in our city for racism, for Islamophobia, antisemitism, or for any forms of hatred.”

10.51am BST

Libby Brooks is the Guardian’s Scotland correspondent

Angela Rayner has denied that UK government decisions are forcing spending cuts in Scotland, as John Swinney challenged her over the means testing of winter fuel payments.

The deputy prime minister was in Edinburgh yesterday evening to take the salute at the Military Tattoo, but denied that budget cuts at Westminster were forcing tough decisions at Holyrood as she held talks with Swinney at Bute House, adding “We’re getting on and governing and working collaboratively.”

Swinney said that “tens of thousands” of pensioners in Scotland would be impacted after the UK government’s decision to only award the winter fuel payment to pensioners in receipt of certain benefits. Ministers at Holyrood said the loss of £160m cash as a result meant their replacement for the benefit – the pension age winter heating payment – would also have to be means tested.

After the talks, Swinney he had “expressed concern at the UK government’s decision to cut spending for the winter fuel payment for pensioners without any consultation with the Scottish government”.

This issue has been the first serious test of Labour’s promised “reset” of relations between Westminster and Holyrood, after years of conflict between the Tories and the SNP.

On Wednesday, Shona Robison , Scotland’s finance secretary, accused the UK government of preparing for austerity by stealth after she ordered civil servants to cut back on all non-essential spending.

Robison is preparing a statement at Holyrood to set out other spending cuts and freezes once the Treasury provides updated figures on how the chancellor’s revised budgets will affect Scotland’s allocation from the UK.

10.06am BST

Two men have been charged in Sunderland with offences relating to far-right led disorder that spread across England and Northern Ireland in recent weeks. A 32-year-old has been charged with riot, while a 58-year-old has been charged with a racially aggravated public order offence. Over 390 people have now been charged with offences taking pace during the disorder.

9.14am BST

Conservative leadership candidate Mel Stride is continuing the Tory strategy of using recent economic data to suggest that the country was doing well under Rishi Sunak’s government. He has posted to social media to say:

Our growth remains the strongest in the G7. Yet Rachel Reeves continues to lay the ground for damaging tax rises. Labour cannot keep concocting excuses – the facts speak for themselves. If they raise taxes it is not out of necessity, it’s because they always planned to do it.

Yesterday Labour’s chief secretary to the Treasury, Darren Jones , said “The last Conservative government left this new Labour government with the highest tax burden since the 1940s, the highest debt burden for over 60 years and a huge cost for just paying the interest on that debt every single month.”

9.12am BST

Rebecca Long-Bailey , who was elected in July as a Labour MP but is currently suspended having voted for an SNP amendment to the king’s speech , has reminded everybody that today is the 205th anniversary of the Peterloo massacre . Me typing this all for you today is one very long distant consequence of that .

9.10am BST

Sadiq Khan is set to close London’s ultra-low emission zone (Ulez) scrappage scheme in three weeks.

PA Media reports the mayor said it will close on 7 September. The scheme allowed those who own a vehicle that does not meet minimum emissions standards to apply for cash – or a combination of cash and a public transport pass – to have them scrapped.

A total of more than £186 million has been committed to nearly 54,000 applicants to the scrappage scheme since it opened in January last year.

9.07am BST

Priti Patel: 'lazy' to make sweeping generalisation that net migration was too high under Tories

Overnight Conservative leadership candidate Priti Patel has defended the previous government’s record on migration, saying it was “lazy” to suggest net migration was too high.

Speaking on GB News , she said:

During the pandemic our borders were effectively closed. There was no travel. What about all those international students they came in after the pandemic? Are we saying that they should not have come into the country?

What did the government choose to do? I think this is the right thing to do. We absolutely made sure we gave the NHS the support that it needed through health and social care visas.

Are we going to say that was the wrong thing to do? I mean, knock on doors and ask your listeners, your viewers. Would they say we should not have had more doctors and nurses? I think they would not. A lot of these people are also high-rate taxpayers. So that context matters.

If you don’t want so many people to come in to work in our country, then there’s a wider discussion to be had there about having a labour market strategy

9.01am BST

Retail sales return to growth across Great Britain

Retail sales volumes rose by 0.5% in July, the Office for National Statistics reports this morning. That follows a fall of 0.9% in June when households cut back amid poor weather, and election uncertainty.

Department stores and sports equipment stores reported a boost in sales “following summer discounts and sporting events” last month, the ONS says.

Sales volumes were 1.4% higher compared with July 2023, when bad weather hit the high streets. But, volumes are still 0.8% lower than pre-pandemic levels.

Related: Retail sales return to growth across Great Britain, boosted by Euro 2024 and discounts – business live

8.57am BST

Paymaster general Nick Thomas-Symonds also appeared on Times Radio this morning, where he said he did not think it was fair to characterise public sector workers as queueing up to make large pay demands after the government attempted to settle long-running disputes with junior doctors and train drivers.

He told listeners:

I think that’s an unfair characterisation. I think what is absolutely crucial here is we are a government again that is sticking to the promises we made in opposition. We promised we would sit down and find solutions, and people expressed scepticism about that, but actually that is precisely what we have done in Government.

Thomas-Symonds also disputed a claim that Labour was not seeking productivity improvements or reform of the railways, saying “We are absolutely looking to deliver a better service for passengers and, frankly, it’s a low bar given the state the railways have been in recent years.”

8.56am BST

Labour: public sector pay deals are settling disputes that were costing the economy millions

The paymaster general has defended pay offers to public sector workers from the new Labour government, saying they are “settling disputes, the continuation of which is costing the economy hundreds of millions of pounds”.

Responding on the BBC Radio 4 programme to criticism that the chancellor could not square the party’s willingness to meet pay demands square with “the difficult economic inheritance the new government keep telling us about”, Nick Thomas-Symonds said:

It squares because we are settling disputes, the continuation of which is costing the economy hundreds of millions of pounds.

He said he hoped Aslef would accept a proposed pay deal for train drivers, saying:

The dispute isn’t settled, by the way. An offer has been made that is over the three year period from 2022 to 2025 that will now be put by Aslef to its membership. I sincerely hope that it is approved and that that is accepted,

We want to move forward with a better passenger experience on the railways and better value, frankly, for taxpayers, because we’ve seen the estimates the disruption since 2022 of up to £850m of lost revenue on our railways. We can’t continue like that.

The last government’s rail minister didn’t even meet the trade union leaders from January of 2023. We always said we would engage, and we have.

Attempting to highlight a different tone from the last administration, he continued:

I came on programmess like this when I was an opposition spokesperson, and often said that Labour in government would sit down, get around the table, do that hard work of finding in each individual area where the common ground was to find a solution. And that’s exactly what the government has done, whether its junior doctors [or] Aslef.

Allowing these disputes to continue is damaging the economy. That’s what the Conservatives did. This government takes a different approach. We engage. We work hard. We find that common ground. And doing that means the disruption doesn’t continue.

8.56am BST

Conservative shadow minister: Labour has already lost control of state sector pay

Conservative MPs have been continuing to attack the new Labour government over public sector pay settlements.

Chris Philp , shadow leader of the House of Commons, has claimed “it has taken Labour barely a month to lose control of state sector pay.”

He posted to social media to say “they will all now demand double digit rises. None of the increases come with commitments to reform or improve. All the public gets is a much bigger tax bill – or cut winter fuel allowances for 10 million pensioners”.

Kevin Hollinrake , the shadow business secretary, while conceding “of course it’s true that there is a ‘direct cost to the economy’ if workers go on strike” said “there’s a much bigger cost of capitulating to the unions. 40 years after Thatcher sorted them out, the unions are now back in charge and the country will pay the price”.

About 6.25 million people in the UK out of a workforce of about 33 million are members of a trade union.

8.55am BST

Welcome and opening summary …

Welcome to our rolling coverage of UK politics for Friday. Here are your headlines …

• Paymaster general Nick Thomas-Symond s has defended public sector pay settlements , saying the Labour government is ending long-running disputes and disruption that had been costing the country millions

• Conservative shadow minister Chris Philp accused the government of already losing control of state sector pay

• Angela Rayner has been told Labour’s new towns plan risks missing England housing targets

• The UK government has said contaminated blood scandal payouts are to start by the end of year

• Retail sales volumes rose by 0.5% in July, the Office for National Statistics reports this morning. That follows a fall of 0.9% in June when households cut back amid poor weather, and election uncertainty.

• The UK’s National Crime Agency says it is “not scared” of PPE Medpro’s lawyers

It is Martin Belam with you today. Do email me if you spot typos, errors or omissions – martin.belam@theguardian.com .