39 h. ago Labour byelection win shows ‘SNP’s balloon has burst’, says Anas Sarwar

Scottish Labour leader accuses SNP of misinformation in its campaign and attacks Reform’s ‘dirty’ tacticsUK politics live – latest updatesScottish Labour’s surprise byelection win proves “the SNP’s balloon has burst”, a jubilant Anas Sarwar has said, after the popular local candidate Davy Russell defied predictions to beat the incumbent Scottish National party and fight off Reform UK’s “racist” campaigning in the central Scotland seat of Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse.Sarwar told a victory rally in Hamilton town centre on Friday morning that Labour had proved everyone wrong following speculation that Reform UK might push it into third place, as the rightwing populist party gained ground in Scotland for the first time. Continue reading...

Politics

42 h. ago Badenoch claims ECHR being used ‘to attack democratic decisions’ – UK politics live

Tory leader says rulings by European court of human rights are ‘damaging our security and prosperity’As Jessica Elgot and Amelia Gentleman report, Downing Street is exploring new proposals for a digital ID card to crack down on illegal migration, rogue landlords and exploitative work, set out in a policy paper authored by a centre-left thinktank.Steve Reed, the environment secretary, was the government voice on the media this morning and he confirmed that the government is interested in this idea. He told Times Radio:It’s absolutely something that we are looking at, and that we should be looking at.We know we need to look at all the actions we can take to stop the levels of illegal migration that we were seeing particularly under the last government. Continue reading...

Politics

44 h. ago Starmer hails Labour victory after surprise win in Hamilton byelection for Scottish parliament – UK politics live

PM congratulates Davy Russell but Reform also performed strongly, gaining third place with 26% of the voteScottish Labour win pivotal Holyrood byelectionHere is an extract from the full statement John Swinney, the SNP leader and Scottish first minister, issued after the byelection result was announced. He said it showed the need for the SNP to offer “a vision of hope and optimism”.Labour won by an absolute landslide in this area less than a year ago - we came much closer tonight but the people of Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse have made clear that we still have work to do. Over the next few days we will take time to consider the result fully. When I became leader of the SNP last year I made clear my intention to bring the party together and focus more than ever on standing up for the people of Scotland. During this campaign we heard a lot of anger about the cost of living - and it is clearer than ever that Westminster control is making Scotland poorer, whether that is the damage ...

Politics

5 d. ago Strategic defence review live: Starmer says UK moving to ‘war

PM outlines new measures to put nation on war footing

Events

5 d. ago Strategic defence review live: Starmer warns of Russia threat as he launches plan to ready UK for war

Britain ‘cannot ignore the threat’ of Russia, PM warns

Events

5 d. ago UK politics live: Labour reveals new nuclear programme and submarines ahead of Starmer defence review

UK will build up to 12 new nuclear-powered attack submarines and invest £15 billion in its warhead programme

Politics

9 d. ago Keir Starmer says Nigel Farage is ‘Liz Truss all over again’ – UK politics live

Prime minister says ‘you cannot trust Farage with your future and your jobs’ as he gives speech in north-west EnglandStarmer to say Reform’s spending plans would cause Truss-style meltdownWhen “something sounds too good to be true, it’s because it is too good to be true”, water minister Emma Hardy has said, reports the PA news agency.Asked about the “threat” which Reform UK poses to Labour, Hardy told GB News:I think it’s really important that any political party is held to account for the promises that they’ve made and we know – gosh, don’t we just know – what happened when [former prime minister] Liz Truss made her £45bn of unfunded tax cuts: the economy tanked, mortgages went up, rents went up, bills went up.When something sounds too good to be true, it’s because it is too good to be true. If [Farage] wants to be taken seriously as a political party, then he needs to come up with some serious policies and he needs to be held to account.Now, had I come on your programme and said, ...

Politics

1 week ago UK politics live: minister defends Labour’s justice record after warnings of threat to public safety

Housing minister says previous government left prison system in state of ‘criminal neglect’ amid warnings over early release plan The government is seeking to give a boost to smaller developers with faster planning decisions and financial backing to speed up building new homes.It will set out the detail of proposals to cut red tape and for planning decisions to be shifted away from councillors and towards expert officers as part of efforts to meet Labour’s pledge to build 1.5m homes by 2029-30.We’ve inherited, as you know, a housing system that’s not building enough homes part of the reason it is broken is that we’re overly reliant on a small number of large volume housebuilders. So we’ve got to diversify the housing market and get smaller housebuilders back in the game.In the 1980s they used to produce about 40% of all homes. Today it’s less than 10%, and so the package we’re announcing today allocating land specifically to SME housebuilders, providing them with more financial supp...

Events

1 week ago Reform UK’s income tax plans ‘to cost up to £80bn’ warns IFS – UK politics live

Research institute says costs of plan to exclude those earning less than £20k from the tax will dwarf those of party’s winter fuel and two-child benefit changesThe co-leader of the Green party of England and Wales, Adrian Ramsay, has renewed his call for Russia to face greater sanctions. Posting to social media, the MP for Waveney Valley said “Putin has stepped up attacks on Ukrainian civilians because he thinks he’ll face no consequences. Much tougher sanctions are urgently needed to bring him into serious peace talks to end this horrific war.”As well as appearing on the media round today, shadow chancellor Mel Stride has written for the Daily Mail, saying that the Conservatives continue to back the two-child benefit cap. Continue reading...

Economics

1 week ago Labour turns fire on Farage ahead of Reform UK leader’s speech – UK politics live

Chair Ellie Reeves says Farage driven by personal ambition as he is expected to label Starmer ‘unpatriotic’ in speechEducation secretary Bridget Phillipson has announced new foundation apprenticeships, which she claimed “will make a really big difference to the lives of young people.”Speaking on BBC Breakfast, she told viewers:I’m announcing today a big step change that is really good news for young people across our country. 120,000 new opportunities to get on into trades like construction. So announcing foundation apprenticeships that are an earlier step in the career for young people.But we know we’ve got to go further, because I hear from apprentices how amazing that opportunity is, how optimistic they are about their future. I met with some bricklaying apprentices recently, really optimistic, wanting to start their own business, get on in construction.I back parents to make decisions about what’s right for them. For some parents that will involve sending their child to a privat...

Politics

1 week ago UK politics live: Badenoch blasts Starmer and Farage in benefits row as Rayner gives winter fuel U

Angela Rayner has suggested details on when winter fuel payments could be restored to more pensioners could be announced within a few weeks

Politics

3 w. ago UK politics live: Labour sounds ‘more like Reform than Reform’ on immigration, new MP claims

PM has faced backlash for the language he used in the speech setting out plans to crack down on legal migration

Politics

3 w. ago Labour MP says Starmer’s ‘island of strangers’ warning over immigration mimics scaremongering of far right – UK politics live

PM unveils new policies meant to drive down net migration by end of this parliamentQ: If you want to grow the economy, won’t these plans make it harder because it will be more difficult for people to get UK citizenship?Starmer says he does not accept the argument that high immigration is always good for growth. The last government had high immigration but stagnant growth.I promise that [net migration] will fall significantly, and I do want to get it down by the end of this parliament, significantly. Continue reading...

Events

3 w. ago Keir Starmer claims soaring immigration has done ‘incalculable’ damage to UK, economically and politically – UK politics live

PM unveils new policies meant to drive down net migration by end of this parliamentQ: If you want to grow the economy, won’t these plans make it harder because it will be more difficult for people to get UK citizenship?Starmer says he does not accept the argument that high immigration is always good for growth. The last government had high immigration but stagnant growth.I promise that [net migration] will fall significantly, and I do want to get it down by the end of this parliament, significantly. Continue reading...

Politics

3 w. ago Keir Starmer promises net migration will fall ‘significantly’ by end of this parliament – UK politics live

PM says policies will ‘take back control’ of migration as promised, but not delivered, by Tory BrexitersWhat change in rules means for migrants and employersQ: If you want to grow the economy, won’t these plans make it harder because it will be more difficult for people to get UK citizenship?Starmer says he does not accept the argument that high immigration is always good for growth. The last government had high immigration but stagnant growth.I promise that [net migration] will fall significantly, and I do want to get it down by the end of this parliament, significantly. Continue reading...

Politics

3 w. ago Keir Starmer to announce new measures to ‘tighten up’ immigration system – UK politics live

Prime minster to unveil immigration white paper that he claimes will be ‘clean break from past’What change in rules means for migrants and employersThe Conservatives have rejected suggestions that Keir Starmer is being tough on immigration. In a statement released overnight in response to the briefing about the white paper plans, Chris Philp, the shadow home secretary, said:Keir Starmer pretends to be tough, but just weeks ago his MPs voted against our 10-year residency and economic contribution test for indefinite leave to remain. Now he says that immigrants who make no contribution should still be allowed to stay.He is trying to take steal credit for recent substantial reductions in visa numbers that resulted from Conservative reforms in April 2024.International recruitment is a lifeline for the homecare sector, enabling us to provide vital support to older and disabled people in their own homes. Care providers are already struggling to recruit within the UK. We are deeply concern...

Politics

4 w. ago Labour ‘throwing trans people under the bus’ says transgender councillor

Dylan Tippetts of Plymouth resigns from party ‘that does not support my fundamental rights’UK politics live – latest updatesOne of Labour’s only transgender councillors has resigned from the party, accusing it of “throwing trans people under the bus”.In a post on X on Friday morning, Dylan Tippetts, who has represented Compton ward on Plymouth city council since 2022, wrote: “I cannot continue to represent a party that does not support my fundamental rights. I cannot as a trans person continue to support the Labour party.” Continue reading...

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