7 h. ago Immigration debate live: Labour’s Mike Tapp accuses Reform’s Zia Yusuf of ‘feeding racism’ in fiery exchange

Debate grows fiery as Sir Keir Starmer faces growing calls to sack Lord Mandelson over links with Jeffrey Epstein

Events

8 h. ago Immigration debate live: Labour and Reform set to clash over record small boat crossings and asylum protests

The debate takes place after Sir Keir Starmer has faced growing calls to sack Lord Mandelson over his links with Jeffrey Epstein

Events

10 h. ago Starmer faces growing Labour revolt amid claim Mandelson dealt with Epstein after conviction: UK politics live

PM refuses to say whether he was aware of Lord Mandelson’s relationship with Epstein before appointment

Politics

12 h. ago Brick hurled through Falkirk asylum hotel window after weeks of protests

Police Scotland said officers are investigating the broken window.

Events

13 h. ago Falkirk asylum hotel: Brick thrown through window following protests outside Scots asylum hotel

Officers say enquiries are ongoing into the incident.

Events

15 h. ago Starmer says he has confidence in Peter Mandelson despite resurfaced ties to Jeffrey Epstein – UK politics live

PM was grilled by Kemi Badenoch on suitability of Mandelson for job as US ambassador Helena Horton is a Guardian environment reporter.Emma Reynolds, the new environment secretary, had a difficult job this morning: meeting a group of farmers after Labour caused fury in the rural community by introducing a new inheritance tax.The Treasury reserve, designed to be used for “genuinely unforeseen, unaffordable and unavoidable pressures” has recently been used to fund higher public sector pay and compensation payouts.In a letter to ministers, the chancellor said Treasury would only consider providing reserve funds to departments that have already maximised their savings Continue reading...

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15 h. ago Reform press conference with Braverman and Frost fuels talk of Tory defections

Former home secretary Suella Braverman and Lord Frost, the former Brexit negotiator, are set to appear alongside Reform’s deputy leader on Thursday.

Politics

17 h. ago Two children among three dead in small boat disaster: Tragedy after 38 migrants attempted to cross English Channel to the UK in one dinghy

Two children are among three people to have died in the English Channel overnight in a small boat tragedy, French authorities report.

Events

17 h. ago Keir Starmer will meet Israeli president Isaac Herzog as MPs express ‘grave concern’ at the visit – UK politics live

The visit is seen as highly contentious amid the war in Gaza and Israel’s bombing of Qatar in a targeted strike aimed at Hamas officialsPeter Mandelson, the British ambassador to the US, has spoken at length about how he regrets “very, very deeply indeed” his past friendship with the billionaire paedophile sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.After new evidence about the extent of that friendship came to light yesterday, Mandelson gave an interview to the Sun’s editor-at-large in the US, Harry Cole, accepting that the disclosures were “very embarrassing to see and to read”.I just feel two things now – one, I feel a tremendous sense, a profound sense of sympathy for those people, those women, who suffered as a result of his behaviour and his illegal criminal activities.Secondly, I regret very, very deeply indeed carrying on that association with him for far longer than I should have done I just would say this during all the time I was an associate of his, I never saw the wrongdoing. I neve...

Politics

20 h. ago Rachel Reeves urged to ditch Labour pledge not to raise taxes: UK politics live

The CBI chief said that ‘geopolitics and global markets have shifted’ and Labour should rethink its policy not to raise tax

Politics

21 h. ago What is the endgame in this toxic immigration debate: is it friends and neighbours thrown out of the country? | Jonthan Liew

The notion of remigration was abstract, but the right is dragging it towards respectability. If the goal is homogeneous whiteness, they should say itDo they come for you at dawn or dusk? In the dead of night, or at family dinnertime? Will they come with masks and shields, or will they be kindly and sheepishly apologetic? Will they accept a cup of tea and a biscuit if offered? Will there will be bags already packed by the door, protocols prepped and drilled, a list of numbers to call? Will you go quietly and with dignity, or in a mess of curse words and screaming limbs?Perhaps right now this all feels a little fantastical and far-fetched. Perhaps it feels hard to imagine the great wave of remigration lapping up on the pristine middle-class doorsteps of Stroud or Stoke Newington. We can still have a chuckle about it. Maybe there’ll be a nice fat relocation cheque. A free one-way holiday on the British government. Always wanted to visit China at this time of year, and so on.Jonathan Li...

Events

23 h. ago Former Falkirk MP 'appalled' at asylum hotel protests and pleads for locals to remember town motto

EXCLUSIVE: Dennis Canavan spoke out after several demonstrations were held at the Falkirk town centre venue.

Events

30 h. ago Woman dies trying to cross Channel on small boat after 'catastrophic deflation'

The dinghy suffered what authorities have described as a 'catastrophic deflation' 10 miles off the coast of Dover at around 12.30pm on Tuesday.

Events

38 h. ago Lucy Powell to stand for Labour deputy leadership after reshuffle sacking – UK politics live

Former leader of the Commons joins Emily Thornberry, Bridget Phillipson and Bell Ribeiro-Addy in raceKemi Badenoch has just delivered a speech offering to help Labour with legislationg for welfare cuts. I will post key points soon.She is now taking questions. Continue reading...

Politics

41 h. ago Emily Thornberry joins deputy Labour leader race and says Gaza and wealth tax among her priorities – UK politics live

Thornberry joins Bridget Phillipson and Bell Ribeiro-Addy in having said she will standEmily Thornberry, the chair of the Commons foreign affairs committee, has confirmed that she is standing to be Labour’s deputy leader.In a statement on social media, she says:I’m running for Deputy Leader of the Labour Party.We fought hard for a Labour government. But we’ve made mistakes and must listen.We do have to accept that we have to have a discussion about what members don’t like and what voters don’t like, and what’s gone wrong.It’s very important to note that a load of Labour members and voters are unhappy about the handling of the situation in Gaza, the winter fuel allowance, the welfare cuts.The Labour party is a broad church and, actually, when we are able to have debates, when we are able to bring forward different views, it actually makes us better. It makes us more appealing to the electorate and, more importantly, it’s what the Labour membership wants to see.One homogenous view is ...

Politics

42 h. ago First cabinet minister enters race to become deputy Labour leader – UK politics live

Bridget Phillipson describes herself as ‘a proud working-class woman’ in statement announcing her bid to replace Angela RaynerWes Streeting, the health secretary, hasn’t just been on the Today programme this morning; he has been doing a media round, promoting the new NHS league tables for England, and in other interviews he has revealed more about why he is not committing to backing Bridget Phillipson for deputy leader at this point. (See 8.35am.)In an interview with Times Radio, Streeting said he would “certainly prefer the next deputy leader to be a woman”.[Phillipson] would definitely be a great deputy leader if she was chosen. There are other women in the race who I think would also be great deputy leaders. So I’m not endorsing anyone at this stage.Without being disrespectful to some brilliant women in London who are standing, like Emily Thornberry [whom] I’ve got a lot of respect for, I can well understand why lots of my colleagues are saying we should have a deputy leader from...

Politics

43 h. ago Labour deputy leadership live: Bridget Phillipson confirms plans plus all the latest candidates

Keir Starmer faces the prospect of weeks of manoeuvring to fill Angela Rayner's role as the race to replace her is set to stretch into October

Politics

50 h. ago Now Labour is revising its plans 'for migrants to live on military bases'

Labour is poised to revive plans to house migrants on ex-military bases less than a year after they were abandoned on cost grounds.

Events

60 h. ago Countries that fail to ‘play ball’ on migrant returns could lose UK visas, warns home secretary

Threat by Shabana Mahmood is latest effort by Labour government to tackle small-boat crossings

Events

61 h. ago New home secretary Shabana Mahmood says she will not run for deputy leader after Labour accused of ‘stitch

Candidates will need backing of 80 MPs by 5pm on Thursday if they wish to standPaul Nowak, the TUC general secretary, used his speech to conference this morning to say that the TUC expected the government to deliver its workers’ rights bill “in full”. He said employment rights were “overwhelmingly popular with voters across the political spectrum”.And he condemned Reform UK for its stance on employment rights. After saying that Nigel Farage claimed to represent working class people, he went on:Here’s the truth – there is a world of difference between what Nigel says and what Nigel does.Every single Reform MP, including Mr Farage, voted against outlawing fire and rehire, against banning zero hours contracts and against day one rights for millions of workers.Ask yourself this fundamental question. Do you believe in your gut that that Nigel Farage really cares about the people of Clacton when he’s off collecting his speaker’s fees in the United States?Do you believe that Richard Tice r...

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