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Business secretary defends move, saying it ‘puts to bed myth that Rwanda is not a safe place’Kemi Badenoch, who is minister for women and equalities as well as business and trade secretary, is launching a move to root out “bad guidance” on access to single-sex spaces. The initiative seems intended to restrict the extent to which trans women use these facilities.She said:Single-sex spaces are...

Taoiseach wants to reduce arrivals through Northern Ireland amid concern that Sunak’s Rwanda plan is driving people to IrelandIreland plans to return asylum seekers to the UK under new emergency laws, in an effort to stem arrivals through Northern Ireland.The taoiseach, Simon Harris, wants the proposals brought to cabinet next week amid concern that Rishi Sunak’s Rwanda plan was rerouting asylum seekers from the...

Rumours of an early election, despite Labour’s lead in opinion polls, being used to keep unruly Conservative MPs in checkSenior Tories believe the threat of a summer general election is being used by Downing Street to deter a rebellion against Rishi Sunak’s leadership, before a perilous set of local elections this week.Westminster has been abuzz with rumours of an early election, despite the persistent...

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...

Claire O’Neill, a former climate minister, says PM’s move was to ‘try and create political division and dividing lines’The UK government’s decision to weaken some of its climate commitments was a “retrograde step” that will set back vital cross-party action to cut carbon emissions, Claire O’Neill, a former Conservative climate minister has said.O’Neill, who was known as Claire Perry when she served as a...

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...

Prime minister says not getting people into work is ‘irresponsible burden’ as he says ‘next parliament, a Conservative government’ will enact reformsRishi Sunak is arguing that not getting people into work is an “irresponsible burden” on future generations and taxpayers. He says:We risk not only letting those people down [the people who are long-term sickness benefits], but creating a deep sense of unfairness amongst...

PM launches consultation on personal independence payment amid ‘spiralling’ disability welfare billRishi Sunak has announced fresh curbs on disability benefits, saying he wants to explore whether some cash payments to claimants suffering from mental health conditions could be replaced by treatment or access to services.In a speech on welfare, the prime minister said he was launching a consultation on the personal independence payment (Pip),...

Peers pass four amendments inserting safeguards into bill, including exempting migrants who helped British troopsDavid Cameron, the foreign secretary, has said that Israel is gearing up to retaliate after the mass Iranian drone and missile attack launched on Saturday night.Speaking to reporters in Jerusalem this morning, where he has meetings scheduled with senior figures including Benjamin Netanyahu, the prime minister, Cameron said:It’s right to...

Concerns that vicious circle of party ill-discipline is undermining the PM’s ability to restore orderSenior Tories fear Rishi Sunak is facing a vicious circle of party ill-discipline, amid concerns that attacks from Boris Johnson, Liz Truss and Suella Braverman will signal his inability to restore authority in the months before the general election.A rebellion this week over his plans to ban smoking is set...

Meeting to discuss PM’s key policy overshadowed by reports of lack of housing for deportees or airline to remove them from UKRishi Sunak has welcomed the Rwandan president to Downing Street amid signs that ministers are struggling to find an airline or housing in Kigali to carry out their flagship deportation plan.The meeting on Tuesday was overshadowed by the former home secretary Suella Braverman’s...

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...

Anneliese Dodds says the honour for Mohamed Mansour appears clearly tied to his £5m donation to the ToriesRishi Sunak’s decision to hand a knighthood to a businessman and former Egyptian government minister who donated £5m to the Conservative party is the sign of a prime minister who “simply believes he’s on the way out”, Labour has said.Mohamed Mansour, a senior treasurer of the Tory...

Latest estimate from ONS says GDP declined by 0.3% in final quarter of 2023Business live – latest updatesOfficial figures have confirmed that the UK economy went into recession at the end of last year, after the latest estimate found it contracted in the last two quarters of 2023.In a blow to the government’s economic standing, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said the economy,...

Business secretary dismisses reports of plot and rejects calls for her party to return donations from Frank HesterReports of Conservative plots against Rishi Sunak are the work of just “one or two” MPs, and the party needs to unite before May’s local elections, Kemi Badenoch, the business secretary has argued.In a sometimes combative media round, Badenoch also said the Tories did not need to...

In today’s newsletter: As the chancellor presents a plan aimed at satisfying the Tory faithful, we look at what he will do and what it will mean for you• Sign up here for our daily newsletter, First EditionGood morning, and strap on your Homer Simpson secret nap spectacles: it’s budget day. Coming into this one, the big question about Jeremy Hunt is this: is...

Peers, including senior Tories, vote by margins of about 100 votes for changes to legislation, which will have to go back to CommonsRishi Sunak has suffered his heaviest defeat in the House of Lords after the archbishop of Canterbury and former Conservative ministers joined forces with the opposition to force through five amendments to the Rwandan deportation bill.The string of government setbacks, most passed...

Organiser suggests PM consider own MPs’ behaviour after speech about rise in ‘extremist disruption’Pro-Palestine protests are to continue across the UK on Saturday after Rishi Sunak’s warning that democracy was being targeted by “extremists”.In an address to the nation on Friday, the prime minister spoke about “forces here at home trying to tear us apart”, in the aftermath of the 7 October attacks by...

The investment to improve parliamentarians’ security will include a dedicated police contact to liaise with over safety concernsSir Lindsay Hoyle, the Commons speaker, has welcomed today’s announcement about extra security for MPs. (See 9.13am.) He said:I warmly welcome the government’s announcement of additional funding to protect our elected representatives and our democracy. It will enable us to build on the improvements we have made...

In today’s newsletter: As suspended backbencher Lee Anderson launches a fresh attack, a former Tory MEP explains how the party got here• Sign up here for our daily newsletter, First EditionGood morning. Your 7am Lee Anderson update: still not apologised. The reason, he said yesterday, is that “when you think you are right you should never apologise, because to do so would be a...

Rishi Sunak gave interviews to local stations in Yorkshire where he is chairing his cabinet meeting this morningRishi Sunak is now on BBC Radio Lincolnshire. Scott Dalton is interviewing him, and asks why it is taking so long for the HS2 money to go to transport projects in the north.Sunak says he thinks the money has been redirected quite quickly.I believe racism or prejudice...

Henry Staunton has memo showing Post Office was told to ‘hobble’ into electionGood morning. After the former Post Office chair, Henry Staunton, gave an interview at the weekend making various allegations about the government’s response to the Horizon scandal, including claiming that he was told by a senior official to delay compensation payments, Kemi Badenoch, the businesss secretary, hit back. Whereas politicians in these...

As fresh party infighting erupts after two byelection losses, the right are targeting public service funding to pay for tax cuts while others urge restraintRishi Sunak is being warned he risks taking his party further towards disaster by sanctioning a new public spending squeeze in a desperate pursuit of pre-election tax cuts, as more Tories said they feared an election wipeout.With more infighting erupting...