Politics LIVE: 'Weak, weak, weak!' Tories left raging as 'dangerous' Starmer decision puts UK security at risk

Labour and Cleverly's Chagos Islands surrender under fire as Tom Tugendhat takes aim at Tory rival

Tom Tugendhat has taken a veiled swipe at fellow Tory leadership hopeful James Cleverly over his role in the surrender of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius.

The archipelago - a British Overseas Territory (BOT) - will be handed over to China ally Mauritius alongside a "financial support" package in order to "address wrongs of the past", the Foreign Office said.

Britain will cede sovereignty over the Chagos Archipelago, including Diego Garcia - which plays host to a joint UK-US military base - but it will retain the facility on a 99-year lease.

The surrender has sparked fears over fellow BOTs, the Falkland Islands and Gibraltar - though on the latter, GB News understands that officials are steering clear of the issue, and are confident in the UK Government's ability to deliver on the will of the Rock regardless of how Spain might view the Chagos debacle.

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GCSE pupils should have post-Covid support in exams for three years, Education Secretary says

Pupils taking maths, physics and combined science GCSEs will not need to memorise formulae and equations for their exams for the next three years, the Education Secretary has said.

Bridget Phillipson has asked England’s exams regulator Ofqual to continue providing formulae and equation sheets to GCSE pupils in these subjects in 2025, 2026 and 2027 to recognise pandemic disruption.

Exam aids have been given to GCSE pupils in England in mathematics, physics and combined science since 2022 to limit the impact of Covid-19 on learning.

Last year, the previous Conservative government said formulae and equation sheets would no longer be available to pupils in 2025 as normal exam arrangements would return.

But in a letter to Sir Ian Bauckham, Ofqual’s chief regulator, Phillipson said stakeholders have suggested that removing the exam aids offered to pupils in England in recent years would be “premature”.

Labour source hits back over Chagos outrage - 'legal car crash'

A Labour source said: “Labour inherited a legal car crash that could have left this vital military base in the hands of the courts, damaging the UK and the US’ national security.

"James Cleverly and the Tories tried and failed in 11 rounds of negotiations, putting our national security interests at risk. The new government did the deal to secure the base and shut off a potential illegal migration route.

"You wouldn’t get the US President applauding the deal if it put US interests at risk."

New YouGov poll says Reform UK and Green Party voters most enthusiastic about the party they voted for

Only one in six Conservative voters (18 per cent) and one in seven Labour voters (15 per cent) are very favourable towards the party they backed in July.

On top of this, there are a clear minority who see the party they backed negatively: one in six Tories (17 per cent) and nearly a quarter of Labour voters (23 per cent) have an unfavourable opinion of the party they endorsed only three months ago.

Meanwhile, 67 per cent of Reform UK voters and 46 per cent of Green Party voters have a very favourable view of the party they voted for in July.

The Greens and Reform UK also topped the table for the parties most seen to have a "clear sense of purpose" while also being the least likely to be perceived as "the same as the rest" and most likely to be seen as "distinct."

President Biden welcomes 'historic' Chagos agreement

In a statement, the US President said: "I applaud the historic agreement and conclusion of the negotiations between the Republic of Mauritius and the United Kingdom on the status of the Chagos Archipelago. It is a clear demonstration that through diplomacy and partnership, countries can overcome long-standing historical challenges to reach peaceful and mutually beneficial outcomes.

"This agreement affirms Mauritian sovereignty over the Chagos Archipelago, while granting the United Kingdom the authority to exercise the sovereign rights of Mauritius with respect to Diego Garcia.

"Diego Garcia is the site of a joint US-UK military facility that plays a vital role in national, regional, and global security. It enables the United States to support operations that demonstrate our shared commitment to regional stability, provide rapid response to crises, and counter some of the most challenging security threats we face. The agreement secures the effective operation of the joint facility on Diego Garcia into the next century.

"We look forward to continuing our strong partnership with Mauritius and the United Kingdom in upholding a free and open Indo-Pacific."

Scottish Secretary refuses to say if he will pay back cost of VIP football seats

The Scottish Secretary has refused to say whether he will return the cash that paid for his VIP visit to a Premier League football match.

Ian Murray and Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar were treated to free hospitality at Anfield last week for the Liverpool v Bournemouth game.

The freebie, paid for by Salmon Scotland, comes amid a row over the tens of thousands of pounds’ worth of gifts given to Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and his top team.

On Wednesday, the Labour leader said he would pay back £6,000 worth of donations, including the cost of six Taylor Swift tickets and a designer clothing agreement for his wife.

He said: “It’s really important for the government and the opposition to engage with sectors and engage with businesses.

“Scottish Salmon is the largest exporter of foodstuffs in the whole of the United Kingdom and being able to create those relationships is really, really important.”
He added: “This was a really important engagement to have as one of our key sectors in the economy.”

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader says Tory voters should abandon party following ‘lurch to extremes'

Alex Cole-Hamilton criticised new Scottish Tory leader Russell Findlay for previously backing Liz Truss as prime minister adding many voters feel the party has "moved far away" from the leadership of Ruth Davidson.

He said: "Over the past days, I’ve spoken to many people who had previously voted for the Scottish Conservatives. They now feel that the party has moved so far away from that which was once led by Ruth Davidson.

"People want a politics that reflects our country: caring, sensible and sees the benefit in working together with our neighbours.

"That inclusive approach is now completely absent from the Conservative Party today. Now all that’s left is a party in decline. A party now led in Scotland by someone who cheered on Liz Truss’s economic chaos."

Angela Rayner accepted £836 in FREEBIES when she visited DJ booth on Ibiza holiday

Angela Rayner scooped over £800 worth of hospitality while partying in the DJ booth of an Ibiza superclub.

The Deputy Prime Minister declared she received £836 worth of hospitality for a "visit to (a) DJ booth" at nightclub Hi Ibiza in the latest register of MPs’ financial interests.

The visit was paid for by Ayita LLC, which is the agent of DJ Fisher, who she was filmed dancing with in footage of the event on August 29. Footage of the evening was shared on social media.

The MP for Ashton-under-Lyne was filmed jumping and dancing behind DJ decks with Fisher and former The Big Breakfast host Denise Van Outen as smoke cannons erupted at the venue.

Rayner wore a red dress as she danced with the Australian music producer, singing along to a dance remix of Gotye’s 2011 smash hit "Somebody That I Used to Know."

After some criticised the 44-yerar-old over the video, she told Sky News: “I take my job really seriously, and I’m always in parliament doing what needs to be done. You’ve got to have downtime... I’m working class, I like a dance."

Labour capitulates as UK gives up sovereignty of Chagos Islands to Mauritius

Sir Keir Starmer has announced the UK is giving up sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius.

Britain, which has controlled the region since 1814, detached the Chagos islands in 1965 from Mauritius - a former colony that became independent three years later - to create the British Indian Ocean Territory.

The announcement, made in a joint statement by the UK and Mauritian Prime Ministers on Thursday, ends decades of often tense negotiations between the two countries over the islands.

The Government's move has sparked outrage among some MPs.

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EXCLUSIVE: Labour MP Dawn Butler shares video with ‘celebratory collage’ of murderers and rapists

A Labour MP has come under fire for sharing a video that features a collage of black power activists who have been convicted of murder and rape.

Dawn Butler, the MP for Brent East, faced criticism when she shared a video yesterday that appears to be timed to celebrate Black History Month.

In spoken verse, she refers to an unnamed foe as being “the wrong one, the violent one, the weird one,” before saying that she is “the Chosen One, Because I am of the First Ones.”

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​Former Labour MP says many of her colleagues agree with her stance on Israel

When asked how many Labour MPs think as she does, the Independent MP for Coventry South Zarah Sultana told the BBC: “Many do because we are seeing death of 41,000 Palestinians in Gaza. We are seeing death in Lebanon and we know the UK government could take a different route where it prioritised lives, treated them all equally and ended all arms sales.

“I think it’s deeply concerning that people aren’t willing to be public about that because they are scared for their jobs.”

Earlier on the programme, Nick Robinson said the BBC had contacted six sitting Labour MPs who were highly critical of Sir Keir Starmer over his stance on Israel, but added: "None would come on the programme as they said, and I quote one of the MPs we contacted, ‘it would cost us our jobs’."

Amy Lamé to stand down as London 'night czar'

Sadiq Khan’s appointed "night czar" Amy Lamé will stand down from her role at City Hall after eight years in the job. The former comedian will quit at the end of this month, saying she felt it was "the right time" to “move on” but said it had been "a real privilege to serve Londoners."

Questions had also been raised about the size of her salary, which rose this year to £132,846, and whether she had the necessary powers to make a meaningful difference to London’s nightlife, particularly given that licensing decisions remain in the hands of borough councils. It is unknown if she will be replaced.

A City Hall source told the Standard: “The forthcoming London Nightlife Taskforce will examine and address the issues facing the industries. Any decisions on the Night Czar role will be taken once they have completed their work.”

Nigel Farage admits he will praise Labour for ONE policy after slew of attacks

Labour deserve praise for one plan they have made since coming to power, Nigel Farage has said on GB News.

“One thing I will praise this Government for”, he said.

“They have said they will decriminalise those who don’t pay the BBC licence fee.

“Many women have gone to prison over the last couple of decades for non-payment of the BBC licence fee.”

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Labour wants a “Reform-lite” Tory leader claims ex-MP

Former Labour MP Lloyd Russell-Moyle has said a “Reform-lite” Tory leader would benefit Sir Keir Starmer's Government.

Speaking on GB News, Lloyd Russell-Moyle said: “I personally think a moderate makes it harder for Labour - a Cleverly or a Tugendhat.

“I think a kind of Brexit party, Reform Party-lite person actually does exactly what we've heard: it just means that [Conservatives and Reform] person fight each other, but don't really appeal to the electorate.

“And if the electorate really wants the real deal, they'll vote Reform. They're not going to kind of come along and say, ‘oh, the Conservatives are offering half of what Reform is, oh, yes, I quite wanted half of that.’

“They either want it or they don’t want it.”

SNP demands Reeves ditch bedroom tax

Chancellor Rachel Reeves has been urged to scrap the so-called bedroom tax at this month’s Budget.

The SNP has pushed the Government to move on the issue, which sees cash deducted from benefits if the recipient has a spare room in their home.

The Scottish Government has attempted to mitigate the impacts of the initiative north of the border in recent years through discretionary housing payments.

SNP deputy Westminster leader Pete Wishart said: “Thousands of low-income families across Scotland and the UK are being pushed into poverty by punitive Labour Government policies like the bedroom tax.

“Voters in Scotland were promised change but so far all they have seen is Labour Government ministers lining their own pockets with more than £800,000 of freebies, while imposing painful austerity cuts on the rest of us."

BBC gaffe as Boris Johnson interview cancelled after presenter accidentally sends him notes

The BBC has cancelled an interview with Boris Johnson after presenter Laura Kuenssberg accidentally sent the former prime minister her briefing notes.

Kuenssberg, presenter of the BBC’s Sunday political interview show, said she sent Johnson the notes "in a message meant for my team."

The BBC’s political editor between 2015 and 2022 said it was "embarrassing and disappointing", adding the error meant it was "not right for the interview to go ahead."