Tories hit with second defection humiliation in just days as ANOTHER 'major player' joins Reform UK

Labour gearing up to reverse Thatcher decision and RENATIONALISE British Steel

Labour is considering plans to renationalise British Steel amid a growing row with Chinese owners over dwindling UK investment.

Margaret Thatcher's administration had privatised the firm back in 1988 - but as Sir Keir Starmer's team begins taking various industries back into the Government's hands, taking either a part or the whole of the company into state ownership is understood to be on the table, The Telegraph reports.

A Whitehall source described by the newspaper as familiar with plans confirmed that nationalisation was an option being considered - but said other outcomes were preferred.

The source said: "It is one of several options being looked at. We would have been negligent not to look at it.

"But it is the least attractive option. We would be talking substantial sums of money to buy not very much."

Shadow Energy Secretary Claire Coutinho reacted with fury to the news, saying: "Labour can't expect the British taxpayer to pick up the bill for every industry they make uncompetitive."

A Department for Business and Trade spokesman declined to rule out renationalisation - but said the Government has no "plans" to follow through with the move.

Labour 'has written off the Jewish population' says Farage after meeting British Hamas hostage's mother

Labour has "written off" Britain's Jewish population and "can and must do more" to bring Hamas's British hostage Emily Damari home, Nigel Farage has said.

Emily, 28, is still being held hostage by the terror group over a year after its October 7 atrocities - and her mother Mandy is piling pressure on politicians to secure her safe return.

After meeting Sir Keir Starmer, David Lammy and Qatar's Prime Minister, Mandy spoke to the Reform UK leader in the Commons today - who has since pleaded with Labour to bring Emily home.

WATCH FARAGE'S REMARKS HERE

Chopper reacts to latest Tory defection: 'This could be BIG'

GB News' Political Editor Christopher Hope has said Tim Montgomerie's defection to Reform UK is a "big moment" given his outsized voice in the Conservative world.

Reacting to the announcement, he said: "This could be a big moment. A lot of Conservatives take their lead from Tim Montgomerie."

Nervous Tories react to 'historic' electoral reform vote - which could see party handed even LARGER wipeout than 2024

A proposed law change for proportional representation at British elections has cleared its first hurdle in the Commons today - sparking fear from Tories who could face an uncertain electoral future under PR.

MPs voted by a wafer-thin 138-136 majority to allow the Liberal Democrats' Elections (proportional representation) Bill to be introduced to the House of Commons for further consideration.

Parties like Reform UK and the Lib Dems would have seen a higher turnout in Parliament at this year's General Election if it had been conducted under PR, with the two parties taking home 89 and five more seats respectively.

But Conservative MP Lewis Cocking called for the current first past the post system to stay, claiming: "It cannot be denied that voters would be confronted with a far more complicated system if any type of proportional representation were to be introduced."

The Lib Dems' Sarah Olney said in response to the vote: "This is an historic day in the fight for fairer votes and I am grateful to all the MPs who backed it."

Labour to publish social housing nationality breakdown for first time EVER after Reform UK push - 'Progress!'

Labour will release data on the nationality of those in social housing after a long-running push by Reform UK, the Ministry of Housing has said.

The party's Great Yarmouth MP Rupert Lowe had tabled a question to the department in late October asking how many non-UK citizens are on waiting lists for social and council housing throughout the UK.

And Labour has now confirmed it will make the figures public in just two days' time - having not collected the data in the past.

"Bit by bit, we are making progress," Lowe said in reaction.

This isn't the only probe that Reform UK has launched in Labour's direction - last week, the populist party had promised that a "data drop" of illegal migrant crime rates was to be made public within days.

But as of December 3, Labour have failed to make the figures available - sparking furious accusations of "misleading Parliament" in response.

Britons urged to stay away from South Korea chaos as Foreign Office monitors 'developing' martial law declaration

The Foreign Office has urged Britons in South Korea to "avoid political demonstrations" amid a night of unrest in capital Seoul after the country's president declared martial law.

South Korea's military has said activities by parliament and political parties would be banned, and that media and publishers would be under the thumb of Yoon's martial law declaration.

The FCDO statement reads: "We are aware of the developing situation following a declaration of martial law in South Korea. Follow the advice of local authorities and avoid political demonstrations."

SOUTH KOREA IN TURMOIL - READ THE FULL STORY HERE

Welsh Tory leader Andrew RT Davies resigns amid Reform SURGE: 'My position is consequently untenable'

Earlier, GB News reported on Andrew RT Davies's resignation as leader of the Welsh Conservatives, saying his position had become "untenable".

In a letter to Bernard Gentry, the chairman of the Welsh Conservative Party, Davies said he did so with regret after some of his Members of the Senedd (MSs) had threatened to resign last week if he did not quit.

Davies has been leader of the Tories in the Senedd for most of the past 13 years.

In a letter to Gentry he said: "I write to inform you of my resignation as Leader of the Welsh Conservative Group in the Senedd, once a successor is elected. I do so with regret."

"Last week, a group of Senedd members approached me, threatening to resign their positions in shadow cabinet if I did not agree to step down as leader.

"I therefore requested a motion of confidence in my leadership to be held at a meeting this morning. This vote has now taken place. It was clear from the result that a substantial minority of the Group do not support our approach, despite it being the only viable strategy available While I would have been honoured to continue as leader, my position is consequently untenable."

Davies has twice led the Tories in Wales, from 2011 to 2018 and then again from 2021.

However, his leadership has come under scrutiny in recent months, especially after the Tories were wiped out in Wales in the General Election in July, going from 14 Welsh MPs in 2019, their best for almost 30 years, to none.

A poll earlier this week put the Welsh Tories in fourth place behind Plaid, Labour and Reform UK when people were asked who they would vote for at the next Senedd elections in 2026.

Reeves REFUSES to rule out tax rises - despite telling City bosses 'never again' just days earlier

Rachel Reeves has failed to repeat her pledge that there will be no more borrowing or tax rises following her first Budget.

The Chancellor last week sought to reassure business leaders there would be no repeat of the £40billion tax hikes announced in her Budget, saying: "I’m really clear, I’m not coming back with more borrowing or more taxes."

On Tuesday at Treasury questions, Conservative MP Nick Timothy (West Suffolk) told the Commons: "Last week the Chancellor told the CBI conference that she wouldn’t ‘come back with more borrowing or taxes’.

Last Wednesday the Prime Minister hung her out to dry and refused to repeat those words.

"So will she repeat them today and rule out any more borrowing or any more taxes, yes or no?"

Reeves replied: "At the Budget in October we had to fill the £22 billion black hole left by the previous government. We will never have to repeat a Budget like that because we won’t ever have to clear up the mess of the previous government ever again."

Opposition parties team up to BLOCK Labour's employers' National Insurance increase

MPs are set to vote later today on the second reading of the national insurance contributions (secondary class 1 contributions) Bill, the legislation implementing the big rise in employers’ national insurance announced in the budget.

However, there has been pushback from all the opposition parties, with the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats tabling separate amendments opposing the bill. A third amendment that would block it has been tabled jointly by the SNP and Plaid Cymru, and signed by the Green Party.

Lib Dem Treasury spokeswoman Daisy Cooper said: "This government rightly says that its big economic mission is to drive up growth but this tax rise will undermine growth not unleash it. Small businesses are the engine of growth but these taxes will make it more expensive for them to employ people and harder to expand.

"Health and wealth are two sides of the same coin but for community health providers like pharmacies, GPs and our care sector, it will pile on the cost pressure, leaving patients to suffer.

"There is no doubt the Conservatives left an enormous mess but this is not the way to fix it. We have said time and again that the government should have looked to the big banks and social media giants to fund our NHS and other vital public services."

Plaid Cymru Treasury spokesperson Ben Lake said: "The UK government had the opportunity to explore more progressive and fairer ways to raise revenue – such as equalising capital gains tax with income tax or introducing a wealth tax. Instead, they opted for a path that shifts the burden onto those least able to bear it, at a time of significant financial strain on public services and businesses."

Farage issues warning over migrant 'wave' from Syria amid escalating​ conflict

Nigel Farage has warned that the ongoing conflict in Syria will lead to waves of young male migrants trying to cross the Channel to Britain.

It comes as the Syrian government is attempting to regain control from rebels and Islamist forces who have gained control of at least two cities. The rebels, led by jihadi group Hayat Tahrir al Sham, took over most of Aleppo on Saturday, and also claimed to have entered the city of Hama, reigniting the conflict.

The rebel operation is the biggest advance and the largest challenge to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in years in a civil war where front lines had largely been frozen since 2020.

Now, the Reform UK leader has called for Sir Keir Starmer to leave the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), which he has blamed for stopping migrant deportations.

He told The Telegraph: "We must protect ourselves from the stupidity of the EU and leave the ECHR or face yet more waves of young men coming to the UK."

Since the start of 2014, 1.6 million Syrian asylum seekers have arrived in the European Union, peaking in 2015 and 2016, when 693,175 arrived over the course of two years.

Italian foreign minister and former European Parliament president Antonio Tajani said: “We risk a migratory collapse. If the civil war continues we risk seeing a repeat of what happened a few years ago when millions of Syrians fled the country."

Greek PM Mitsotakis arrives in Downing Street

The Prime Minister has welcomed his Greek counterpart Kyriakos Mitsotakis to Downing Street. It comes as Starmer's official spokesman suggested conversation would not touch upon the contested Elgin Marbles.

The Prime Minister said he hoped to "build on our strong bilateral relationship and to talk about our common issues” and added he was looking forward to working with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.

Mitsotakis said Greece and the UK would build on the two nations’ partnership during "turbulent times."

"We see the United Kingdom as integral in addressing the security challenges that we are facing, not just in Ukraine but also in southeastern Europe and the Middle East," he added.

READ THE FULL STORY HERE

More protection for victims as Labour vows crackdown on stalking

Victims of the “horrendous” crime of stalking are to be given better protection including the right to know the identity of their online stalkers, the Government has said.

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has committed to using “every tool available” to take power from abusers and hand it to victims.

The changes come following a warning earlier this year from a group of watchdogs who said police are failing to protect stalking victims in too many cases.

Around one in seven people aged 16 and over in England and Wales have been a victim of stalking at least once, figures suggest. New “right to know” statutory guidance is aimed at ensuring police can reassure those being stalked that they will be told the identity of an online stalker at the earliest opportunity.

Returning the Elgin Marbles to Greece 'not on the agenda' for Starmer

Downing Street has said returning the Elgin Marbles to Greece is not on the agenda for Sir Keir Starmer as he meets his Greek counterpart.

The Prime Minister will welcome Kyriakos Mitsotakis to No. 10 today, the Greek leader’s first official visit to the UK since a quarrel with the previous government over the ancient marbles, also known as the Parthenon Sculptures.

Greece has long maintained that the Elgin Marbles were illegally removed from their place high atop Athens’ acropolis during a period of foreign occupation. The Government and the British Museum reject this characterisation.

Ahead of the meeting between the two premiers, Starmer's official spokesman suggested conversation would not touch upon the marbles.

The spokesman said: "It’s not going to be on the Prime Minister’s agenda. His focus will be on support for Ukraine, the urgent need for a ceasefire in Gaza...Our position on the ElginMarbles has not changed.

"It remains a matter for the British Museum, and the Government has no plans to change the law to permit a permanent move of the Parthenon Sculptures."

GB NEWS EXCLUSIVE: Labour candidate who gambled on himself losing seat proposes Bill to ban all candidates from political bets

A Labour candidate at the last election who was suspended by the party after admitting placing a bet on himself to lose as been cleared by the gambling regulator.

Kevin Craig has now drawn up a draft law - the 'Gambling on Elections Bill' - which would ban any candidate from betting on the outcomes of elections.

Craig - a long standing donor to Labour which returned £100,000 in donations to him after the news broke - said he has also now been readmitted to the party.

READ THE FULL STORY HERE

WATCH: Stride tells GB News Starmer is failing to 'get a grip' on the issues people care about

Shadow Chancellor Mel Stride has accused Keir Starmer of "failing to get a grip" of the key issues in the UK.

The MP for Central Devon told GBN Breakfast that: "We're seeing this right across the piece, not just with small boats where the numbers have been going up, as we've discussed, but also on the economy where these additional taxation is now, according to the office for budget, responsibility can lead to higher unemployment, higher inflation.

"We're going to be seeing higher interest rates, lower wages. These are the kind of issues that this government is really got to get a grip on. And I'm afraid at the moment they're simply not doing that."

Reeves appoints 'Covid corruption minister' to tackle billions wasted on PPE contracts

The Chancellor has appointed Tom Hayhoe as Covid corruption commissioner to claw back taxpayers’ money wasted on deals during the pandemic.

He has started a review of £8.7 billion worth of PPE bought during the pandemic that was later written off the government’s books.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves previously said she had ditched Tory plans to waive £674 million of the more than £1.2 billion of PPE contracts in dispute and that those deals will be assessed by the commissioner.

Hayhoe has chaired NHS trusts and worked in corporate strategy and consumer marketing. He became chairman of the Legal Services Board’s consumer panel in May.

Labour MP: Britain in 'desperate need' of Iron Dome defence system

A Labour MP has claimed the Ministry of Defence has "neglected" funding protection against aerial threats - leaving the UK vulnerable to Russia and Iran.

North Durham MP Luke Akehurst said: "We need a properly integrated air and missile defence system that can defend against the whole range of aerial threats.

“This must be an urgent political, funding and industrial priority before it is too late – and our integration with new and bolstered air defence systems that our European allies have already had the foresight to invest in will be crucial.”