7 h. ago Starmer’s fury over Afghan data breach as he warns Tories ‘have questions to answer’

On a dramatic day in Westminster, questions have been asked over why nobody was sacked for the data breach and why the information commissioner is not planning to investigate

Events

9 h. ago Keir Starmer removes Labour whip from four ‘persistent rebel’ MPs

Rachael Maskell, Neil Duncan-Jordan, Brian Leishman and Chris Hinchliff pushed out and three trade envoys lose rolesUK politics live – latest updatesKeir Starmer has removed the Labour whip from four MPs for repeatedly breaching discipline and stripped three further Labour MPs of their trade envoy roles in an effort to assert his control over the party.The Guardian understands that the four MPs who have lost the whip are Rachael Maskell, Neil Duncan-Jordan, Brian Leishman and Chris Hinchliff. They were informed on Wednesday afternoon and told their positions would be kept under review. Continue reading...

Politics

10 h. ago Keir Starmer to remove Labour whip from at least four ‘persistent rebel’ MPs

Rachael Maskell, Neil Duncan-Jordan, Brian Leishman and Chris Hinchliff to be pushed out as PM takes actionUK politics live – latest updatesKeir Starmer is to remove the whip from MPs for persistent rebellions, starting with at least four of them on Wednesday afternoon.The Guardian understands that four MPs set to lose the whip are Rachael Maskell, Neil Duncan-Jordan, Brian Leishman, and Chris Hinchliff. Continue reading...

Politics

12 h. ago UK politics live: ‘Angry’ Starmer says Tories have questions to answer over Afghanistan data breach

Email blunder triggered the evacuation of thousands of Afghans who were brought to the UK under a secret resettlement scheme

Politics

13 h. ago Starmer says Labour ‘inherited Tories’ failings’ from Afghan data leak, must answer ‘serious questions’

Sir Keir Starmer has said that the Conservatives have “serious questions to answer” over the Afghan data breach that put nearly 100,000 Afghans at risk of being killed by the Taliban.

Events

13 h. ago UK politics live: Starmer says Tories have ‘serious questions’ to answer over Afghanistan data breach

Email blunder triggered the evacuation of thousands of Afghans who were brought to the UK under a secret resettlement scheme

Politics

13 h. ago PM: Tories have questions to answer over Afghan data breach and superinjunction

Sir Keir Starmer raised the issue of the Afghan data breach at Prime Minsiter’s Questions.

Politics

14 h. ago Starmer says Tories have ‘serious questions to answer’ over Afghan data breach

Sir Keir Starmer has said that the Conservatives have “serious questions to answer” over the Afghan data breach that put nearly 100,000 Afghans at risk of being killed by the Taliban.

Politics

14 h. ago PMQs live: Starmer says Tories have ‘serious questions’ to answer over Afghanistan data breach

Email blunder triggered the evacuation of thousands of Afghans who were brought to the UK under a secret resettlement scheme

Politics

36 h. ago MoD data breach latest: MPs vow to investigate Afghan leak ‘mess’ after defence secretary apologises

An unprecedented gagging order prevented details of the government breach being revealed for more than 600 days

Events

36 h. ago Revealed: Secret scheme to relocate thousands from Afghanistan after massive personal details leak blunder

Defence Secretary John Healey offers ‘sincere apology’ for the breach which sparked a secret Afghan relocation scheme - and an unprecedented legal cover-up

Society

37 h. ago Defence Secretary admits MoD ‘serious departmental error’ put thousands of Afghans at risk

Defence secretary John Healey has admitted a “serious departmental error” within the Ministry of Defence put hundreds of thousands of Afghans at risk.

Events

37 h. ago Thousands offered UK asylum in secret scheme after personal data of Afghans who helped British forces leaked by mistake – live

Dataset containing details of thousands of Afghans who applied for relocation to UK released ‘in error’ in 2022Helen Miller is taking over as director of the Insitute for Fiscal Studies thinktank this week, taking over from Paul Johnson, who established himself as the nation’s leading budget commentator.Budget commentary tends to focus on the Treasury’s fiscal rules, on how much “headroom” is available to Rachel Reeves (spare cash in the budget – based on spending plans and anticipated tax revenue, based on the OBR’s growth assumptions), and whether tax or spending plans need to change because the OBR’s forecasts have shifted.Labour came to office with the promise of a ‘mission-driven’ government – a commitment to long-term thinking and systemic reform. The ambition that we should be ‘raising our sights as a nation’ and finding ways to tackle the big challenges we face is the right one.Despite this, we continue to limp from fiscal event to fiscal event, obsessed with whether run of ...

Society

37 h. ago Watch live: Defence secretary addresses MPs over secret Afghan evacuation after superinjunction lifted

Watch live as defence secretary John Healey addresses MPs after it was revealed the Ministry of Defence used a gagging order to cover up a major data breach that put the lives of nearly 100,000 Afghans at risk of being killed by the Taliban.

Society

38 h. ago Catastrophic MoD data breach that put up to 100,000 lives at risk finally revealed as superinjunction lifted

More than 16,000 Afghans were secretly brought to the UK in largest covert peacetime evacuation after MoD put them in danger of being targeted by the Taliban. Social affairs correspondent Holly Bancroft reports

Events

58 h. ago Heatwaves have caused 10,000 excess deaths in England in past four years, says Miliband – UK politics live

Energy secretary addresses MPs, telling them the UK is getting hotter and wetter with three times the number of days above 30 degreesAs Rowena Mason revealed recently, No 10 has issued guidance that in effect bans civil servants from any level of speaking at events where journalists are present.Today the Times has published a letter signed by almost 30 experts – including former senior officials, thinktank leaders, academics and union leader – saying this policy is a mistake because it is having “a chilling effect on public discussion” and that it should be withdrawn. They say:The government’s new guidance that prevents public officials from participating properly in public or stakeholder events is a mistake. Effective government relies on public servants, whose salaries are paid by the taxpayer, hearing directly from businesses, charities, academics and citizens to help them make better policy. They should be able to explain government activity to those same groups. Continue readin...

Politics

59 h. ago Streeting says BMA ‘shockingly irresponsible’ over tactics for doctors’ strikes – UK politics live

Health secretary welcomes talks with union but says members have been told not to inform trusts if they are going to take actionAs Rowena Mason revealed recently, No 10 has issued guidance that in effect bans civil servants from any level of speaking at events where journalists are present.Today the Times has published a letter signed by almost 30 experts – including former senior officials, thinktank leaders, academics and union leader – saying this policy is a mistake because it is having “a chilling effect on public discussion” and that it should be withdrawn. They say:The government’s new guidance that prevents public officials from participating properly in public or stakeholder events is a mistake. Effective government relies on public servants, whose salaries are paid by the taxpayer, hearing directly from businesses, charities, academics and citizens to help them make better policy. They should be able to explain government activity to those same groups. Continue reading...

Events

61 h. ago Starmer to meet Trump in Scotland this month as demonstrations planned against state visit – UK politics live

PM to meet US president during private visit in July as Stop Trump Coalition announces protest planned for SeptemberAs Rowena Mason revealed recently, No 10 has issued guidance that in effect bans civil servants from any level of speaking at events where journalists are present.Today the Times has published a letter signed by almost 30 experts – including former senior officials, thinktank leaders, academics and union leader – saying this policy is a mistake because it is having “a chilling effect on public discussion” and that it should be withdrawn. They say:The government’s new guidance that prevents public officials from participating properly in public or stakeholder events is a mistake. Effective government relies on public servants, whose salaries are paid by the taxpayer, hearing directly from businesses, charities, academics and citizens to help them make better policy. They should be able to explain government activity to those same groups. Continue reading...

Politics

64 h. ago Treasury minister says ‘headline’ rate of income tax won’t go up, in hint thresholds might be frozen in budget – UK politics live

Darren Jones also declines to rule out wealth tax when questioned about government plansRecord-breaking extreme weather is the new norm in the UK, a report by the Met Office says. Damian Carrington has the story.Here is the Met Office summary. And here is the full report.The number of days with temperatures 5°C above the 1961-1990 average has doubled for the most recent decade 2015-2024 compared to 1961-1990. For 8°C above average the number has trebled and for 10°C it has quadrupled. This shows how the hottest days we experience in the UK have increased in frequency dramatically in just a few decades. Continue reading...

Politics

5 d. ago Mixed reaction to Starmer’s migrant deal as charities add to calls for clarity

Some welcome a plan for a legal route to the UK but others worry about how people will be selected for deportationUK politics live – latest updatesKeir Starmer’s migrant return deal is under scrutiny after charities called for more clarity on how people will be chosen for deportation and the EU said it was still assessing the agreement.No 10 said on Friday it was confident in the legality of the deal to return about 50 people a week to France in return for accepting the same number through a safe and legal route. Continue reading...

Economics