Ukraine peacekeeping talks reaching ‘military plan’ stage, says Starmer March 20, 2025 Talks on the Ukraine peacekeeping force are reaching the stage of a “military plan” aimed at “keeping the skies safe”, Sir Keir Starmer has said. The Prime Minister has said the “timetable now is coming into focus”, and that if a deal comes to fruition, the so-called ‘coalition of the willing’ needs to be ready [...]
Jonathan Reynolds apologises to Parliament for ‘solicitor’ claim March 13, 2025 Jonathan Reynolds has apologised to the House of Commons and corrected the record over “inadvertently” claiming to have been a solicitor during a speech in 2014. The business and trade secretary said he should have made clear that he was a trainee solicitor when speaking during a debate on high speed rail. The term “solicitor” [...]
Met Police investigating alleged ‘verbal threats’ by Reform MP Rupert Lowe March 11, 2025 A police investigation has been launched into claims of “verbal threats” allegedly made by MP Rupert Lowe. The 67-year-old MP for Great Yarmouth was suspended by Reform UK on Friday amid allegations about his conduct, which he denies. In an interview on right-wing commentator Dan Wootton’s YouTube channel, he suggested he was suspended by Reform [...]
Man climbs Houses of Parliament holding Palestinian flag March 8, 2025 Emergency services have been called to the Palace of Westminster where a man has scaled one of the buildings. Video on social media shows a barefoot man stood on a ledge holding a Palestine flag several metres up Elizabeth Tower, which houses Big Ben. At least nine emergency service vehicles lined Bridge Street in central [...]
Workers rights: Don’t let ‘rogue’ firms undercut good employers, MPs urge March 3, 2025 Changes to the government’s workers’ rights package should be made to ensure “rogue firms” don’t undercut Britain’s best employers, MPs have urged. The Employment Rights Bill, which is currently making its way through Parliament, should have loopholes closed to avoid some companies exploiting work insecurity, the House of Commons Business and Trade Committee (BTC) has [...]
International development minister resigns over cuts to foreign aid February 28, 2025 International development minister Anneliese Dodds has resigned over the Prime Minister’s cuts to the foreign aid budget. Dodds, a former shadow chancellor, has quit her posts in the foreign office and as women and equalities minister, in the wake of Keir Starmer’s move to reduce overseas aid to fund increased defence spending, which she revealed [...]
Defence spending to rise to 2.5 per cent by 2027 via aid cuts, Starmer confirms February 25, 2025 Sir Keir Starmer has announced the “biggest sustained increase in defence spending since the end of the Cold War” as he confirmed the UK would spend 2.5 per cent of GDP [gross domestic product] by 2027. The Prime Minister unveiled the policy in a statement to the House of Commons after reports he was set [...]
Reynolds sorry for calling himself solicitor but denies ‘misrepresentating’ February 25, 2025 Jonathan Reynolds has apologised for describing himself as a solicitor in Parliament, but has insisted he was not “misrepresenting myself professionally”. The business secretary has been accused of claiming to have been a solicitor, despite only ever being a trainee, before becoming an MP, including in a 2014 speech in the House of Commons, on [...]
UK’s audit chief ‘open to learning’ from Elon Musk’s DOGE in US February 5, 2025 The head of the government’s spending watchdog has said he is open to learning from Elon Musk’s US “department of government efficiency”, or DOGE. Gareth Davies, the UK’s chief auditor, gave his annual speech to Parliament on Tuesday, warning that money was being “wasted” and public services “compromised” as he stressed that there was a [...]
‘Where is the Chancellor?’: Rachel Reeves urged to cancel China trip amid gilt turmoil January 9, 2025 Mel Stride has criticised Rachel Reeves for her absence in parliament as the UK government’s borrowing costs soar, asking the commons: “Where is the Chancellor?” The Conservative shadow Chancellor hit out at Reeves, who is coming under pressure to cancel a long-planned trip to China and Davos, during an urgent question in the Commons. It [...]