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The start of the new school term, falling leaves and the return of MPs to Westminster means it must be the start of September.
And a busy week awaits, with Parliament’s return after the summer recess, strategic dialogues on both sides of Russia’s war in Ukraine and the return of the Chartered Institute of Export & International Trade’s Lunchtime Learning webinar series all to come.
Parliament returns from recess
Following a summer break, MPs will return to the House of Commons today (2 September).
This return will be short-lived ahead of party conference season but, before then, we’ll see a Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday in which Sir Keir Starmer could be asked about his plans for the UK’s relationship with the EU. This follows his state visit to Germany last week and the announcement a planned deal to boost business and trade with the country.
There are plenty of other topics likely to be raised, including chancellor Rachel Reeves’ plans to cut the winter fuel allowance for some pensioners and likely tax rises as part of the Autumn Budget, hinted at in Starmer’s Rose Garden speech last week.
Several bills derived from Labour’s election manifesto will also face scrutiny this week, including those implementing renationalisation of the railways and plans for a national energy firm, GB Energy.
Tory leadership contest
The first round of voting for the next Conservative Party leader will begin this week. Six leadership hopefuls from across the party’s political spectrum will be facing votes from fellow MPs. By 11 September, this will see the field reduced to four contenders.
Former business and trade secretary Kemi Badenoch is currently seen as the favourite by bookmakers, ahead of former frontbenchers Robert Jenrick, Tom Tugendhat and James Cleverly.
Former work and pensions secretary Mel Stride and former home secretary Priti Patel are considered the most likely to be cut at this stage.
Cleverly and Badenoch are both launching their campaigns today, while the rest are making their pitches throughout the week.
Russia-Ukraine
US defence secretary Lloyd Austin is due to meet the US-chaired Ukraine Defence Contact Group at Ramstein Air Base in West Germany on Friday.
This follows Russia’s retaliation against Ukraine’s Kursk offensive, with heavy Russian inroads into the strategically significant Ukrainian city of Pokrovsk in recent days.
Meanwhile, Russian leader Vladmir Putin will be holding the ninth Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok this week (3-6 September). Commentators are interested in the event’s ‘international programme’, which could shed light on relations with key allies such as China and North Korea, both of which Putin visited earlier this year.
Lunchtime Learning returns
Our member-exclusive webinar series is back, with the first lunchtime session addressing customs valuation.
Chartered Institute expert Garima Srivastava will be explaining the six methods for valuing your goods and the common pitfalls that traders encounter.
Join us at 12pm on Thursday 5 September to watch the first instalment of this season.
Other dates in the diary
Monday – UK manufacturing PMIs released
Tuesday – Brazil and South Africa Q2 GDP released
Wednesday – Ballot opens in Scottish Conservative Party leadership election
Thursday – Society of Motor Manufacturers & Traders (SMMT) car sales figures
Friday – Deadline for Meta measures to comply with EU data access request
Saturday – Algeria holds presidential election
Sunday – Final day of the 2024 Paralympic Games