'Labour has HUMILIATED Britain!' Fury in Washington as Trump told to intervene in Starmer's Chagos 'colonial guilt'

'Prevent isn't fit for purpose!' Farage fumes as Cooper confirms Tories KNEW about Axel Rudakubana's history

Nigel Farage has warned that Britain's anti-terrorism programme, Prevent, "is not fit for purpose" after Yvette Cooper confirmed that senior Tories also knew about Southport killer Axel Rudakubana's run-ins with the scheme.

In a video posted to social media this afternoon, the Reform UK leader also laid into reports blaming e-retailer Amazon for allowing the triple-murderer to purchase a knife online.

Rudakubana was referred to Prevent three times between 2019 and 2021 - but was free to murder three young girls in Southport last summer, to which he admitted in court on Monday.

And now, Farage has warned that Prevent "didn't do their job".

"The truth was denied from us, the police were told they couldn't tell us about the man's background... Now we learn that even the Conservative Party frontbench knew the truth. No-one was told, despite on previous occasions us all knowing whether the person was known to the authorities.

"This murderer is a terrorist, even if Keir Starmer won't call him it - and frankly what we're seeing is one of the biggest cover-ups in the history of our country.

"We're living in two-tier Britain. It's a disgrace," he warned.

Tesco takes aim at Labour's farm tax raids just as Reeves slapped with OBR warning over IHT hike

Labour's farm tax raids have come under even further scrutiny today following a pair of stark warnings from supermarket giants Tesco and the Office for Budget Responsibility.

The OBR has released a fresh report on Rachel Reeves's inheritance tax hikes on family farms, which warns that the revenue raised through the levy may not raise as much money as Labour hopes.

The Treasury's costings for the tax have been "assigned a 'high' uncertainty rating" by the OBR as farmers' "behavioural responses" to the raids are hard to predict.

The report also warns that older farmers will find it virtually impossible to restructure their affairs quickly enough to not be left in dire straits by the tax.

That followed a warning from Tesco, which has joined Lidl, Sainsbury's, Asda and Morrisons in backing farmers over fears about the impact on farmers and Britain's food security.

The retail giant's chief commercial officer Ashwin Prasad wrote in a blog today: "This is not just a debate about individual policies - the UK's future food security is at stake.

"After years of policy change, it has been harder than ever for farmers to plan ahead or to invest in their farms.

"It's why we'll be supporting the National Farmers Union's calls for a pause in the implementation of the policy, while a full consultation is carried out."

Badenoch 'wastes PMQs' after failing to quiz Starmer over Southport killings

Kemi Badenoch has seemingly missed an opportunity to grill Sir Keir Starmer on the failings surrounding Axel Rudakubana's horrific killings last summer.

The Prime Minister, who vowed not to leave a stone unturned in an inquiry into the Southport killings, might have expected Badenoch to take aim over a number of issues raised by other Conservative colleagues, including Shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick.

However, speaking in the House of Commons, Badenoch said: "I also know that the thoughts of many will be with the victims of the Southport killings.

"There are important questions to answer and I will return to those after the case is concluded."

Badenoch continued by instead opting to quiz Starmer on Labour's education reforms.

Ahead of the Leader of the Opposition's first intervention, the Prime Minister also addressed the Southport killings.

He said: "We will change the law so that the most serious offenders attend their sentencing hearings."

Reform UK's deputy leader Richard Tice argued it was "unreal" that Badenoch had not quizzed Starmer on a topic other than education.

He said: "Kemi wastes PMQs again. Should have led on Trump and shocking debt figures to challenge Starmer."

No10 refuses to address Starmer's Heathrow dodge

No10 has refused to provide any more clarity on Sir Keir Starmer's position on any Heathrow Airport expansion.

The Prime Minister's official spokesman said: “You’ve got the Prime Minister’s words in the House, obviously, I’m not going to comment on some of the speculation that we’ve seen.

“But as we’ve said before… we’re absolutely determined to get our economy growing and secure the long term future of UK aviation sector.

“Any airport expansion proposals must demonstrate they contribute to economic growth, which is central to our our plan for change whilst remaining in line with existing environmental obligations.”

'What's his position?!' Starmer dodges question on backing third runway at Heathrow Airport

Sir Keir Starmer has refused to say if he will back a third runway at Heathrow Airport amid speculation Rachel Reeves could soon back an expansion.

Green MP Adrian Ramsay asked the Prime Minister: "Expanding London’s airports and building a third runway at Heathrow would be incredibly irresponsible in the midst of a climate emergency, flying in the face of the climate change committee’s advice.

“The Prime Minister clearly knows this because he and seven Cabinet colleagues voted against a third runway at Heathrow in 2018.

“So can the Prime Minister confirm what is his position now?”

Starmer replied: “I am not going to comment on speculation. He knows that we are as a government committed to growth, we are committed to the aviation sector and to pour climate obligations.

“But I am not going to take lectures from those who talk about climate change but oppose vital renewable infrastructure in their own constituency.”

'Worst of socialism!' Badenoch blasts Labour for 'attacking excellence' by buckling to trade unions

Kemi Badenoch has accused Sir Keir Starmer's education reforms as being an attack on academic excellence.

She described the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill as “the worst of socialism” and asked: “Isn’t it deprived children in England who will pay the price?”

The Prime Minister dismissed the Leader of the Opposition by claiming that Labour is focused on “driving standards up”.

Blasting Labour for its links to trade unions, Badenoch added: “It is not teachers. Their pay is being capped. It is not parents. Their choices are being restricted. It is definitely not children. Their outcomes will get worse.

“So who is benefiting? It is the trade unions. The National Education Union sent out a tick list proving that after a decade and a half they are finally getting their way.

“Why is the Education Secretary allowing trade unions to run her department and ruin children’s education?”

Starmer replied: “The Bill benefits the children who need the nourishment of a breakfast club. The Bill benefits the families that can’t afford uniforms. The Bill benefits the children who are currently out of school and nobody knows where they are.”

'Vandalism!' Badenoch locks horns with Starmer in fiery education spat

Tory leader Kemi Badenoch has locked horns with Sir Keir Starmer in a fiery row about education reforms.

Badenoch claimed Labour was now “reversing” that and described the Bill as “an act of vandalism”

The Leader of the Opposition asked: “Why does the Prime Minister think so many school leaders are criticising this Bill?”

The Prime Minister rejected the claim and said that Labour “will continue to drive up standards”.

Liberal Democrats accuse Reeves of putting mortgages at risk - 'the budget has not worked!'

The Liberal Democrats have accused Labour of putting people's mortgages at risk as UK borrowing has hit its highest December level for four years.

Liberal Democrat Treasury Spokesperson, Daisy Cooper MP said: "This is yet another sign that the Chancellor’s Budget has not worked. It’s now putting people’s mortgages at risk and will make it even harder for the Chancellor to meet her borrowing rules.

"The answer to this is to turbo-charge growth by scrapping the jobs tax, and raising the necessary revenue for our NHS from the big banks and tech companies instead.

"After the Conservative Party’s disastrous legacy of economic vandalism, the Chancellor needs to go for growth through fairer tax measures that can unleash growth through small businesses, not undermine it."

Keir Starmer's Chagos deal threatening UK-US 'special relationship' as Donald Trump to give verdict in DAYS

A key aide for Donald Trump has warned the surrender of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius will jeopardise the "special relationship" between the UK and US.

The decision to cede the islands has been described as "haphazard" by former Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert Wilkie.

It comes as Downing Street is hoping for a friendly start to the relationship between the new Trump regime and Sir Keir Starmer.

Wilkie, who is leading the current transition team within the Pentagon, told the BBC: "I think it was a calamitous decision, I don’t think there was much thought put into it. "

He added that President Trump considered the move to be "something that could impinge on that special relationship" between the two nations, and that the Diego Garcia military base, on the largest of the Islands, provides "leverage to project power".

A Foreign Office spokesman said: ‘"Given Diego Garcia’s status as a key strategic asset, it is right to discuss the agreement with the new US administration."

Khan confirms his 'long-standing opposition' to airport expansion

Rachel Reeves could have opposition to plans to expand London airports from Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan.

The Chancellor is expected to support the proposed third runway at the west London airport and endorse expansion at Gatwick and Luton Airports, despite opposition from her own party, as well as climate activists and the Green Party.

The Chancellor said she would not comment on "speculation”"about Heathrow but pointed out that the Government has already taken "big decisions" by backing expansion plans at London City and Stansted Airports.

A spokesperson from Sadiq Khan said: "The mayor has a longstanding opposition to airport expansion around London – linked to the negative impact on air quality, noise and London’s ability to reach net zero by 2030."

UK borrowing rises unexpectedly as Rachel Reeves claims 'country's finances are in order' following Budget

UK borrowing costs rose unexpectedly to £17.8billion in December, but Chancellor Rachel Reeves remains confident in the country's financial health following the October budget.

This figure was around 25 per cent higher than what economists had predicted and was £10.1billion more than the same time last year, making it the highest borrowing in December for four years.

The unexpected rise puts pressure on Reeves to make tough decisions on budget cuts before the upcoming spending review in the summer.

READ THE FULL STORY HERE.

Tice calls to scrap the Equality Act 2010 - 'only Reform will cut daft regulations'

Richard Tice has called to scrap all diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) jobs and the Equality Act 2010 following the inauguration of Donald Trump.

It comes after a Trump administration official said one of the orders would "end DEI inside the federal government", cutting funding to DEI programmes across all agencies and including a review of offices renamed because of DEI initiatives.

The Reform UK deputy leader and Boston and Skegness MP said: "US DESTROY DEI UK must do same - fire all public sector DEI jobs, scrap the bloated 2010 Equality Act. Only Reform UK will do this. Only Reform will cut daft regulations and turbocharge growth."

Labour MP says NHS eating disorder services are 'beyond broken'

A Labour MP has called for more funding for NHS eating disorder services, describing the current system as "beyond broken"

Richard Quigley, MP for Isle of Wight West described the "nightmare" of watching his own child battle an eating disorder.

He said: "To watch someone who is bright and funny and clever just look lost and scared because there's no treatment coming - you feel like you're letting your child down. We're not just talking about a half day of training here.

"We're talking about days over a year to fully understand the nuances of, not just eating disorders, but the different types of eating disorders."

NHS England says it has invested additional funding to improve waiting times for eating-disorder services and more than £1bn a year goes into the provision of community mental-health care for adults.

Cooper and Starmer pledge tougher checks to stop youngsters buying knives online

Online retailers will be forced to put in place tougher checks to stop youngsters buying knives after Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said it is “shockingly easy” for children to buy blades.

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper told MPs it is a “a total disgrace” that Rudakubana, then 17, and with a history of violence, was able to buy a weapon online and promised new measures in the Crime and Policing Bill this spring.

Writing in The Sun, Starmer said: "It remains shockingly easy for our children to get their hands on deadly knives. The lessons of this case could not be clearer. Time and again, as a child, the Southport murderer carried knives. Time and again, he showed clear intent to use them.

"And yet, tragically, he was still able to order the murder weapon off of the internet without any checks or barriers. A two-click killer. This cannot continue. The technology is there to set up age verification checks, even for kitchen knives ordered online.

"We must now use it to protect our children from future attack and I will ensure that this happens."