Jenny Cork
BBC Sheffield news

The Labour leadership contender is in South Yorkshire today, outlining his proposals if he's to win the top job in Labour.

He's said he wants to focus on fairness and justice and promises to give UK workers 'the best rights in the world'.

Here are some of Mr Smith's key promises so far today, under a Labour government, should he win the leadership contest: 

• Create a 'modern' Equal Pay Act
• Abolish the Department of Work and Pensions to create a 'muscular' Ministry of Labour
• Public sector pay freeze would end
• Scrap zero-hour contracts in favour of minimum-hour contracts
• Big businesses 'must pay fair taxes'
• Re-open libraries, boost hospitals and reduce class sizes
• Promises an extra 4% spending on the NHS
• 50% tax to earners over £150,000
• £200bn of public spending to invest in services and infrastructure funded through government bonds 

The Leave campaign lied during the EU referendum campaign, says Owen Smith.

"Let's see the truth of what this Brexit is going to look like," he argues. After negotiations on leaving are concluded, the people should be asked again what they want "either in a second referendum or in a general election".

He says he believes "we are better off in Europe and I'm going to fight for it".

In a swipe at Jeremy Corbyn, Owen Smith says he doesn't propose a "rosey-eyed socialist nirvana" but "a cold-eyed, practical, socialist revolution".

He is asked what he thinks of John McDonnell's claim that he is echoing the shadow chancellor's own policy of having a minister of labour.

Mr Smith jokes that, if Mr McDonnell made such a proposal, "I think it passed the country by", suggesting it "must have been a very sotto voce" announcement.

He goes on to argue that this is part of Labour's current problems. "We haven't been strong enough in taking the fight to the Tories. We've been a weak opposition over the last nine months."

He claims that "not once" had Mr McDonnell proposed a minister of labour in shadow cabinet meetings.

Owen Smith backs HS2 and calls for an "HS3 across the Pennines". Resources are concentrated in London, he argues, and there should be "mini Londons" across the country.

"It is vital we concentrate new capital expenditure on a housing programme," he says, promising a "new deal" to build 300,000 new homes.

He tells his audience he has "radical... but credible policies. These are not pie in the sky." Other countries have invested their way out of the financial crisis, he adds.

"Wherever you are born, you can live a decent, good life," in your community, he says.

Owen Smith proposes guaranteed places for workers on remuneration committees in companies. He says he would repeal the government's Trade Union Act.

The "wealthiest in our society and big businesses" should contribute "a much fairer share of taxation", he says.

He attacks Leave campaigner Michael Gove's dismissal of experts in the referendum campaign and argues that "experts are quite important" - and "the experts say" the NHS needs a 4% per year rise in funding. He pledges to "fix" the NHS by increasing its funding by that amount. 

Public spending increases would be funded by restoring a 50p rate of income tax for those earning more than £150,000 per year.

"I will reverse the Tory cuts to inheritance tax and capital gains tax," Mr Smith adds, and introduce a "wealth tax" on the richest 1%.

Labour leadership candidate Owen Smith says unequal pay for women is "ethically unacceptable and economically unsustainable". He proposes a "modern Equal Pay Act".

Mr Smith attacks Theresa May for "seeking to steal" Labour language on workers' rights.

He says he fears a split in Labour, which would allow the Conservatives "to continue to flood into that space" - but in the Tories' case, "it is just rhetoric".

He says a Labour government led by him would end the public sector pay freeze and get rid of zero hours contracts in favour of "minimum hours contracts".

Owen Smith says he wants Britain to be "the envy of the world" when it comes to workers' rights.

He would replace the Department for Work and Pensions with a Ministry of Labour.

There would be wages councils for hotel workers and shop workers, and to "deal with underpay in the care sector".

Owen Smith says people are frustrated with the services they receive, citing a range of things included trains.

"Behind all these frustrations, friends, there is one cause: austerity," he says.

He says the Conservatives have been "privatising public debt" and creating "a smaller, meaner state".

He says that a Labour government led by him would "smash austerity".

Owen Smith says he is standing for Labour leader because "the Labour Party needs to take a new course".

Speaking in Orgreave, South Yorkshire, he says that "people feel the system is rigged against them and they are angry about it".

He says that people are right to be angry that they are still paying for the financial crisis, which he argues was caused by greed and incompetence, not public spending under Labour.

In a press release, the Jeremy for Labour campaign said: “We welcome Owen’s focus on equality of outcome, reindustrialisation and workers' rights - and his support for policies announced in recent months by Jeremy Corbyn and John McDonnell.

"We are delighted that he has echoed John McDonnell’s call for the reinstatement of a Ministry of Labour, made last month at the Institute of Employment Rights, and Jeremy Corbyn's call for a ban on exclusive workforce recruitment from abroad, made during the referendum campaign, among other policies.

"Owen’s speech today shows the leadership that Jeremy Corbyn has demonstrated in placing economic justice and fairness back at the heart of Labour politics. Under Jeremy, Labour has put restoring dignity and pride in our communities worst hit by decades of neglect at the core of our politics."

Victoria Derbyshire

BBC political correspondent Chris Mason says Labour leadership challenger Owen Smith places "a real focus on arguing he can offer real red meat, socialist solutions but do so competently".

Mr Smith thinks rival Jeremy Corbyn is "good at 'sloganising', as he puts it, but not much more than that", Chris tells the Victoria Derbyshire programme.

Image source, AFP

European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker has appointed veteran French politician and former EU commissioner Michel Barnier to lead the negotiations with the UK on its exit from the EU.

Mr Barnier is expected to take up his position in October and will report directly to the president.

Mr Juncker said: "I wanted an experienced politician for this difficult job. Michel is a skilled negotiator with rich experience in major policy areas relevant to the negotiations, namely as minister for foreign affairs and for agriculture, and as a member of the Commission...

"He has an extensive network of contacts in the capitals of all EU member states and in the European Parliament, which I consider a valuable asset for this function. Michel will have access to all Commission resources necessary to perform his tasks."

In line with the principle of "no negotiation without notification", the task of the chief negotiator in the coming months will be to prepare the ground internally for the work ahead. Once the Article 50 process to leave the EU is triggered, he will undertake the necessary contacts with the UK authorities, EU bodies and other member states.

The Office for National Statistics, external said the higher rate of growth in the second quarter of 2016 was helped by the services sector and by the biggest upturn in industrial production since 1999.

Second-quarter gross domestic product grew by 0.6%, up from 0.4% in the first three months of the year.

The Bank of England had estimated growth would be about 0.5%.

The figures to do not take into account the impact of the vote to leave the EU, which will be reflected in the figures for subsequent quarters.

On an annual basis, economic growth was 2.2%.

David Rhodes
BBC Yorkshire

How do you boost workers' pay, while at the same time generating economic growth?

It is an issue currently vexing politicians and economists all over the world.

Over the past five years, the typical worker in England has seen a 6% rise in gross annual earnings, according to the Office for National Statistics.

However, there are pockets of the country where instead of growth, employees have seen wages fall.

Read more