~theguardian-world | Bookmarks (78)

Allies of Scottish first minister say he ‘will come out fighting’ after Greens say they would back no-confidence motionUK politics – latest updatesScotland’s first minister, Humza Yousaf, has cancelled a speech he was due to give in Glasgow amid speculation over his political future.Yousaf had been due to speak about the labour strategy in an independent Scotland, take part in a Q&A session and...

First minister cancels event as Strathclyde University as he faces no confidence voteStephen Flynn is viewed by some people as the most talented politician in the SNP and, in his interview on the Today programme, he was asked if he would stand for the leadership if Humza Yousaf were to resign. He replied:I have been asked this question previously the last time there was...

Co-leader of party says Humza Yousaf can ‘no longer be trusted’ as first minister reportedly plans to run minority administrationHumza Yousaf, the SNP leader and Scottish first minister, is holding a press conference now.He says he has been in the post for little more than a year.We are investing record [sums in the NHS], ensuring it can employ record numbers of staff delivering the...

Tributes paid to former Labour minister and welfare campaigner Frank Field, who has died at the age of 81Keir Starmer has said the death of Frank Field is “a profound loss to politics and to our nation”. In a tribute to the former minister, Starmer went on:Frank dedicated his life to being a voice for the most vulnerable and marginalised people in the country.Frank...

Long-serving MP dedicated Westminster career to tackling social issues including child poverty and modern slaveryTributes from across the political spectrum have been paid to the former Labour minister and welfare campaigner Frank Field, who has died at the age of 81.Lord Field, who dedicated his career in Westminster to tackling social issues, including child poverty and modern slavery, served as an MP for 40...

International concern over new law increases as UN high commissioner for refugees says it marks ‘step away from UK’s tradition of providing refuge’Three men, a woman and a child were killed attempting to cross the Channel in the early hours of this morning, according to a French coastguard statement.Enver Solomon, the Refugee Council’s chief executive, said this was “another devastating human tragedy” that should...

PM to publicly warn peers to back down but treatment of Afghans remains a concern for the LordsSky News has broadcast a clip of Rishi Sunak addressing a meeting of the government’s illegal migration operations committee in the cabinet room at No 10 this morning. It is almost certainly a preview of what he will say at the press conference, which is due to...

There are signs Labour’s polling lead is a bit soft. But with the Tories trailing in leadership and economy, experts aren’t sure it will matterUK general election opinion polls tracker: Labour leading as election loomsUK politics – latest updatesAs 2014 came to a close, it seemed Ed Miliband would be the next prime minister, with the Labour party leading David Cameron’s Conservatives as the...

Rating of -59 is record low for a prime minister in modern times – matching John Major’s score in August 1994, according to IpsosRishi Sunak’s approval rating is at a record low for a prime minister in modern times, according to the polling company Ipsos.In its latest Political Monitor report it says net satisfaction with Sunak (% satisfied with how he is doing his...

Party hopes to attend meetings of EU foreign affairs council should it win UK electionDavid Lammy: Labour’s foreign policy will be realistic about us as a nation, not nostalgic about what we used to beLabour wants to draw closer to Europe on key foreign and security issues by frequently attending meetings of the monthly EU foreign affairs council.The move, which is likely to trigger...

PM’s plan to prevent those under 16 ever being able to buy tobacco should pass due to Labour support, but many of his own MPs could abstain or vote againstIn another interview this morning, Laura Farris, minister for victims, told GB News that she thought Liz Truss, the former PM, was wrong to call for the supreme court to be abolished. Asked about the...

Foreign secretary talks up party’s prospects – and his ‘very good boss’ Rishi Sunak – on morning broadcast round Conservative party members are more dissatisfied than ever with Rishi Sunak, a survey for ConservativeHome suggests. In its latest monthly survey, ConHome found that Sunak had a net satisfaction rating of -27.7 (total satisfied with how he’s doing minus total dissatisfied). Only Michael Tomlinson, the...

Alan Cook, former managing director, says he ‘regrets’ that he ‘didn’t pick up earlier’ that Post Office could initiate prosecutionsAll our UK politics newsAlan Cook, who was the managing director of Post Office, has just told the Post Office Horizon IT inquiry that he was not aware until late in his tenure that the Post Office was the prosecuting authority in many of these...

Speaking on LBC this morning the prime minister also defended his handling of William Wragg sexting scandalAll our UK politics newsPushed on LBC this morning about the timing of the next general election, prime minister Rishi Sunak refused to be drawn, and suggested the country should have its focus on the “substance” of issues instead.He told listeners:When I got this job we’d been through...

Former subpostmaster and subject of ITV drama arrives to speak to inquiry in LondonAll our UK politics newsShadow chancellor Rachel Reeves also repeatedly attacked Conservative plans over non-dom tax status. Having defended the status against calls for abolition for years, in March Rishi Sunak and Jeremy Hunt announced it would adopt Labour’s policy and scrap the status. However, the way they are planning to...

Shadow chancellor says Labour would ‘ramp up’ number of HMRC staff to close gap between what is owed and paidUK politics – latest updatesThe shadow chancellor, Rachel Reeves, has said proposals to close the tax gap to fill a hole in her spending plans is not “rocket science”.Reeves was forced to respond after Jeremy Hunt used his budget to adopt some of Labour’s revenue-raising...

Kevin Hollinrake has said in his view ‘people should be prosecuted’All our UK politics newsI mentioned in the introduction that Reform UK are giving a press briefing that they have billed as being about “Labour’s betrayal of the working class”. That will be starting in a few minutes and I will bring you any key lines that emerge …John Harris writes for us today,...

Treasury minister Gareth Davies says William Wragg will remain Tory MP while there is an investigationAll our UK politics newsLabour in Scotland have also been on the attack over taxes, with an ad taking a swipe at the SNP and Conservatives.In comments release to the media, Labour’s leader in Scotland Anas Sarwar criticised what he said was “SNP and Tory mismanagement”, saying:[First minister] Humza...

National Education Union leader says morale among teachers is at ‘an all time low’ in radio interview There is widespread agreement in the UK and the US that Israel has “gone too far” in its war against Hamas, Darren Jones, a Labour Treasury spokesperson, said this morning.In an interview with ITV’s Good Morning Britain, Jones said:I think what we’ve seen from President Biden, from...

Resolution Foundation study suggests lowest earners are £6,000 a year better off due to policyThe minimum wage has driven up the pay of millions of Britain’s lowest earners by £6,000 a year, making it the single most successful economic policy in a generation, according to a leading thinktank.Since its introduction in 1999 by Tony Blair’s first Labour administration the policy has secured cross-party agreement,...

Footage of people panicking, designed to attack the London mayor’s record on crime, was filmed in a New York subway stationThe Conservatives have deleted an online video that used scenes of a panicked crowd at a New York subway station to criticise Sadiq Khan’s record on crime in London.The attack ad, posted on X in support of Susan Hall – Khan’s rival for the...

Minister says ‘labelling ups and downs of life as medical conditions holds people back and drives up benefit bill’ as report comes out into women’s pensionsQ; Are you feeling sorry for the Princess of Wales at the moment?Yes, says Starmer. We should leave her alone. Continue reading...

Shadow chancellor to deliver prestigious Mais lecture and will announce plans to rewire the TreasuryTribune, the long-established paper (now a magazine and website) for the Labour left, is not impressed by Rachel Reeves’ suggestion that Margaret Thatcher delivered a decade of renewal.Rachel Reeves’ claim that Margaret Thatcher ‘delivered a decade of national renewal’ is the latest attempt to justify the suffering caused by her...

Shadow ministers step up preparations by holding informal meals to pick the brains of senior political figuresSenior members of Keir Starmer’s shadow cabinet have been meeting with top Whitehall mandarins and former cabinet ministers as part of the party’s growing preparations for government, the Observer has learned.Patrick Vallance, the former chief scientific adviser who helped guide the government through the pandemic, as well as former...