Russia has been attempting to meddle with western democracy for years, but successive governments led by Boris Johnson and others have insisted that the UK’s electoral system can withstand its influence. That argument was recently blown apart by the conviction of former Reform politician Nathan Gill, jailed for 10 years for accepting bribes to advance Russian arguments. And now Steve Reed, the cabinet minister responsible for elections, has admitted there are worries that the UK’s “firewall” against foreign interference may not be strong enough as he ordered an independent review.…
Tag: Reform UK
Jenrick rules out defecting to Reform as Farage denies report of election pact with Tories – UK politics live
From 30m ago Jenrick rules out defecting to Reform UK Some senior Reform UK figures think Nigel Farage should get Robert Jenrick to defect from the Tories, offering him the post of Reform’s candidate for chancellor, Steven Swinford from the Times reports. He also says Tory figures believe that Jenrick is unhappy because Kemi Badenoch is in a stronger position than she was, meaning that Jenrick’s chances of replacing her are fading a bit. Jenrick himself does not sound keen to go. Asked on Times Radio this morning about the…
Starmer refuses to rule out freezing tax thresholds as Badenoch criticises budget plans – UK politics live
From 51m ago Starmer refuses to rule out freezing tax thresholds in budget Badenoch asks Starmer to confirm he won’t break another promise by freezing thresholds. Starmer does not answer that, saying the budget is next week. But Labour won’t return to austerity, he says. Share <gu-island name="KeyEventsCarousel" priority="feature" deferuntil="visible" props="{"keyEvents":[{"id":"691db7368f082fb6e8672411","elements":[{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement","html":" Lee Anderson (Reform UK) accuses Labour of “dog whistle politics”. That generates laughter from MPs. Reform is cracking on with the day job, he says. He says Reform councils are working, he says. He asks Starmer to confirm the…
MPs warned to avoid China-linked agents trying to contact them on LinkedIn – UK politics live
From 18m ago MPs warned to avoid China-linked agents trying to contact them on LinkedIn, ahead of statement by security minister Dan Jarvis, the security minister, will soon make a statement to MPs about spying by China. (See 11.41am.) Ahead of that, MPs and peers have just been sent an email from the parliamentary authorities highlighting an espionage alert sent by MI5. It says: This alert highlights how the Chinese Ministry of State Security (MSS) is actively reaching out to individuals in our community. Their aim is to collect information…
Minister insists government will get asylum seekers out of hotels and expects progress ‘within weeks’ – UK politics live
From 4h ago Minister says government committed to getting all asylum seekers out of hotels after report says system ‘chaotic’ Good morning. When Jimmy Carter was US president, he gave a famous address in 1979 saying the country was suffering a crisis of confidence. It became known as the malaise speech, and now it is widely regarded as a mistake, because it was unduly pessimistic and because, in the presidential election the following year, voters turned to the much more upbeat Ronald Reagaan. Yesterday Wes Streeting, the health secretary, had…
No 10 says talks happening ‘at pace’ across government to lift ban on Maccabi Tel Aviv fans attending Aston Villa match – live
From 2h ago No 10 says talks happening ‘at pace’ across government to get Maccabi fans ban lifted Downing Street has said that discussions are happening “at pace, across government” to resolve the ban on Maccabi Tel Aviv fans attending the Europa League match in Birmingham. At the morning lobby briefing, a No 10 spokesperson told reporters: Conversations began on this last night. You will have seen the West Midlands police and crime commissioner has asked police and Birmingham’s safety advisory group to immediately review the decision. Culture secretary Lisa…
Starmer only read China spy witness statements this morning, No 10 says, as Cleverly accuses PM of misquoting him – as it happened
From 17h ago Starmer only read China spy case witness statements this morning, No 10 says Here are the main lines from the NO 10 post-PMQs lobby briefing. The PM’s spokesperson explained why the government was publishing its China spy case witness statements now, when yesterday officials were saying the CPS were opposed to this. The spokesperson said: Prior to last night, the CPS had made clear that witnesses have an expectation that their evidence will not be publicly discussed in those circumstances. The CPS had also advised that to…
Starmer to face MPs amid continued pressure over collapse of China spying trial – UK politics live
Parenting advice on social media is often poor quality, says Phillipson Parents who turn to TikTok influencers and Instagram gurus for advice on everything from potty training to childhood vaccination are at risk of falling victim to misleading and poor quality information, Bridget Phillipson, the education secretary, has warned. Sally Weale has the story. Share In the Commons yesterday Kemi Badenoch quoted Mark Elliott, a public law professor at the University of Cambridge, as one of the many experts who have queried the government’s account of why the China spy…
Richard Tice confirms Reform abandoning firm commitment to most of the £90bn tax cuts in its 2024 manifesto – UK politics live
From 1h ago Richard Tice confirms Reform abandoning firm commitment to most of £90bn tax cuts in 2024 manifesto Richard Tice, the Reform UK deputy leader, has confirmed that the party has dropped its commitment to most of the £90bn tax cuts it was promising in its election manifesto last year. In a significant change of tack, the party is now saying that it will not implement tax cuts until it has cut government spending first. Tice and Nigel Farage, the Reform UK leader, still believe that colossal cuts in…
Tories would abolish stamp duty, Badenoch tells party conference – UK politics live
From 2h ago Badenoch says next Tory government will abolish stamp duty Badenoch says, because of all the savings she has promised, she can afford one more announcement. As the Conservative party, we know who our people are. They are people who work hard, they are the people who plauy hard, they are the people who understand the importance of putting down roots. They are the people who make sacrifices today for a better life. They are also people who want to own their own home, she says. But there…