50 m. ago Offshore wind auction to attract £3.4bn of private investment, Government says

The investment will go towards building factories, ports and domestic supply chains.

Economics

76 m. ago PM calls on X to comply with UK laws ‘immediately’ amid row over Grok deepfakes

Sir Keir Starmer said free speech ‘is not the freedom to violate consent’.

Politics

98 m. ago Robert Jenrick sacked by Kemi Badenoch over ‘clear evidence he was plotting to defect’ – UK politics live

‘I have sacked Robert Jenrick from the shadow cabinet, removed the whip and suspended his party membership with immediate effect,’ Tory leader saysFull report: Badenoch sacks JenrickNigel Farage, speaking at his press conference in Scotland, has said that “of course” he has had conversations with Robert Jenrick, who was sacked by Kemi Badenoch this morning for planning to defect.UPDATE: Farage said:I have had conversations with a number of very senior conservatives over the course of the last week, the last month. A lot of them realise that for all the talk on 8 May the Conservative Party will cease to be a national party. They will be obliterated in Scotland, Wales, the red wall councils.As far as Mr Jenrick is concerned, of course I have talked to Robert Jenrick. Was I on the verge of signing him up? No. But we have had conversations.This morning I removed the Conservative whip from Robert Jenrick after dismissing him from the shadow cabinet.I was very sorry to be presented with c...

Politics

2 h. ago All the Westminster politicians visiting Scotland today, Keir Starmer, Nigel Farage, Kemi Badenoch

Several Westminster politicians are due to descend on Scotland today.

Politics

2 h. ago Rachel Reeves desperately tries to shore up Keir Starmer amid rising Labour anger

The Chancellor moved to shore up Sir Keir's position in No10 amid rumours of a push by his own backbenchers to oust him if May's local elections go badly.

Politics

3 h. ago Starmer, Farage and Badenoch all head to Scotland four months before election

The Prime Minister will make an announcement on clean energy, while Reform UK is expected to confirm its Scottish leader.

Politics

3 h. ago Can 'embarrassing' Starmer stick to ANY policies? PM 'set for more U

Keir Starmer has cemented his reputation for flip-flopping with two more major concessions in 2026, just a fortnight into the New Year.

Events

3 h. ago Dutch activist is 'barred from Britain' after criticising Sir Keir Starmer: Anti

Tommy Robinson supporter Eva Vlaardingerbroek shared online a Home Office message denying her an electronic travel authorisation (ETA).

Politics

3 h. ago Liz Kendall welcomes new Grok restrictions after outcry over deepfakes

The Technology Secretary said all social media platforms must meet their legal duties and provide a safe and age-appropriate service.

Politics

4 h. ago Musk’s X to block Grok AI tool from creating sexualised images of real people

UK government claims vindication after Keir Starmer criticised earlier decision to keep functionality as ‘horrific’The UK government has claimed “vindication” after Elon Musk’s X announced it had stopped its AI-powered Grok feature from editing pictures of real people to show them in revealing clothes such as bikinis, including for premium subscribers.After a fortnight of public outcry at the tool embedded into X being used to create sexualised images of women and children, the company said it would “geoblock” the ability of users “to generate images of real people in bikinis, underwear, and similar attire via the Grok account and in Grok in X”, in countries where it was illegal. Continue reading...

Politics

5 h. ago Grok deepfake restrictions a ‘vindication’ for Starmer – sources

Elon Musk’s company announced a clampdown following a wave of controversy.

Politics

5 h. ago Ofwat launches probe into South East Water over supply outages

The regulator said it will investigate whether the supplier has complied with its customer service standards obligations.

Politics

8 h. ago Elon Musk’s X restricts Grok photo editing amid concerns about sexualised images

Ofcom had earlier launched an investigation over reports Grok was allowing users to manipulate images of women and children.

Culture

12 h. ago EDEN CONFIDENTIAL: Amid CV row, Labour donor leaves lofty London club

She is the Labour donor who has just been nominated for a peerage by Sir Keir Starmer, but just before Christmas she admitted to being misleading about her qualifications.

Politics

12 h. ago Kemi Badenoch likens Keir Starmer to a 'plastic bag in the wind' after digital ID U

Keir Starmer has been likened to a 'plastic bag in the wind' yesterday - as Downing Street hinted he was considering further U-turns.

Politics

12 h. ago LORD BLUNKETT: We deserve direction and leadership... not two steps forward, one step back, U

The latest volte-face by the government on the introduction of digital ID, ditching the requirement to make it mandatory by 2029 for anyone wishing to work in the UK, has left me bewildered.

Politics

18 h. ago Keir Starmer denies change to digital ID plan is yet another U

No 10 says ditching of key plank of plan is technical tweak after Kemi Badenoch targeted Starmer over issue at PMQsKeir Starmer has rejected the claim that his change of plan over digital IDs represents another U-turn, as the prime minister faced accusations from the Conservatives that his government had “no sense of direction”.Late on Tuesday it emerged that a key plank of the controversial plan for digital IDs was being rolled back, with a proposal to make the document mandatory for people to show their right to work being dropped, with other forms of identification being allowed instead, for example a passport with a digital chip or e-visa. Continue reading...

Politics

18 h. ago X ‘acting to comply with UK law’ after outcry over sexualised images

New polling suggests 58% of Britons think X should be banned in the UK if the social network fails to crack down on nonconsensual imagesElon Musk’s X is understood to have told the government it is acting to comply with UK law, after nearly a fortnight of public outcry at the use of its AI tool Grok to manipulate images of women and children by removing their clothes.Keir Starmer told the House of Commons on Wednesday that photographs generated by Grok had been “disgusting” and “shameful”, but said he had been informed “X is acting to ensure full compliance with UK law”. Continue reading...

Politics

19 h. ago Ian McKellen to star as LS Lowry in documentary revealing trove of unheard tapes

Exclusive: Artist reminisces about his life in film using interviews recorded in last four years of his lifeFifteen years ago, Sir Ian McKellen was among the leading arts figures who criticised the Tate for not showing its collection of paintings by LS Lowry in its London galleries and questioned whether the “matchstick men painter” had been sidelined as too northern and provincial.Now, 50 years after Lowry’s death, McKellen is to star in a BBC documentary that will reveal a trove of previously unheard audio tapes recorded with Lowry in the 1970s during his final four years of life. Continue reading...

Politics

20 h. ago Martin Lewis urges Keir Starmer to treat all scam victims the same amid Grok AI row

'If you're going to do sound bites of generic harm and abuse, then do it for all the victims.'

Events