Politics LIVE: Reform UK lashes out at Labour's 'disgusting' £500m foreign farmers' stash - 'A spit in the face!'

ICMYI: Starmer capitulates over inheritance tax raid days after farmers threatened 'militant action'

Sir Keir Starmer has seemingly capitulated over Rachel Reeves's inheritance tax raid just days after farmers threatened more "militant action" against plans to end their death duty exemption.

New inheritance tax rules could be changed to make it easier for those 80 and over to hand down their farm without incurring the 20 per cent levy, The Guardian has revealed.

The Treasury, which is currently assessing the impact of the changes, is also reportedly looking into the impact of changes announced in the Budget on active small and medium-sized farms.

Farmers met the Treasury on Thursday and proposed that older farmers should be exempt from gifting rules.

The rules stipulate that if they died less than seven years after handing the family farm down to their relatives, they would have to pay a tax that farmers have warned could wipe their business out.

Reeves looks set to change course just days after around 13,000 farmers descended on Whitehall to protest against the inheritance tax raid.

In a warning to Starmer, Farming Forum founder Clive Bailye said: “They need to know this is just a warm up act.”

The reported changes will likely reduce the expected amount raised by the tax - which stood at £520million a year when Labour first announced ending death duty exemptions for farmers.

Senior Labour MP claims UK 'obliged' to arrest Netanyahu after ICC arrest warrant

A senior Labour MP has claimed the UK would be "obliged" to arrest Benjamin Netanyahu after the ICC issued an arrest warrant for the Israeli Prime Minister.

Ex-Shadow Attorney General Emily Thornberry, who chairs the Foreign Affairs Select Committee, said: “We are, as signatories to the Rome Convention, obliged to implement the arrest warrant.

"So we would need to arrest him if he came to the UK just like would happen to him if he went to most of Europe.”

Trans men can be PREGNANT says Labour MP as he demands end to 'gendered vocabulary' in hospitals

A Labour MP has laid into the NHS for using "gendered vocabulary" in the latest trans row to grip Britain's health service.

Alex Sobel, the Leeds Central and Headingley MP, said doctors should use gender-neutral terms when referring to pregnant women to include transgender men.

He told the Commons that failing to ask transgender men whether there was a possibility they could be pregnant before hospital treatment could lead to "serious consequences".

Trans men - who were born female but identify as male - do not always undertake gender reassignment surgery, meaning that in some circumstances they can still become pregnant.

READ THE FULL STORY HERE

Reform UK MP served 21 day sentence after 'kicking girlfriend four times'

Reform UK MP James McMurdock served a 21-day sentence at a young offenders’ institution "kicking" his girlfriend "around four times".

McMurdock, who won the seat of South Basildon & East Thurrock by just 98 votes, was handed a custodial sentence following the incident outside an Essex nightclub in 2006.

There is no requirement for MPs to disclose previous convictions to the public when standing to be their representatives.

Tories slam Starmer over axing Winter Fuel Payments as energy price cap jumps £21

Shadow Energy Secretary Claire Coutinho has slammed Sir Keir Starmer for axing Winter Fuel Payments after Ofgem announced its energy price cap will jump by £21.

Coutinho said: “During the election Ed Miliband promised to cut everyone's energy bills by £300 by 2030.

“Now, not only is this promise nowhere to be seen, but he even ordered Labour MPs to vote against it in Parliament - running away from their broken promises once again.

“Instead, Labour’s reckless energy policies and their cruel plan to scrap the Winter Fuel Payment for 10 million pensioners is leaving families worse off - as we are already starting to see.”

Cooper refuses to say if Netanyahu would be arrested in UK

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has refused to say if Netanyahu will be arrested if he enters the UK.

Cooper, who was responding to questions after the ICC issued its arrest warrant, told Times Radio: “That is not a matter for me as the Home Secretary. International Criminal Court investigations rarely become a matter for the British legal or law enforcement processes or for the British government.

“If they ever do there are proper processes that need to be followed and it wouldn’t be appropriate for me to comment in advance on any of those as Home Secretary.

“What I can say is obviously we have always respected the independence of the International Criminal Court but those issues that they investigate are matters for them rather than for the Government.”

‘Final nail in the coffin!’ Kent farmers issue 'heartbreaking' plea to Reeves over ‘disastrous’ inheritance tax raid

Farmers in Kent have issued a "heartbreaking" plea to Rachel Reeves over her "disastrous" decision to launch an inheritance tax raid.

Fourth-generation farmer Kate Bastable, who was one of thousands to protest along Whitehall on Tuesday, told GB News about her fears following Labour's decision to end death duty exemptions.

With her four children interested in the agricultural industry, Kate said that her older children - 18 and 21 - were now contemplating their future on Park Leigh Farm, near Tonbridge, if Reeves’ inheritance tax leaves them "saddled with a huge debt for the rest of their lives".

Speaking to GB News about the mass demonstration, Bastable explained: "A lot of very angry people were there all just thinking of passing the farm onto their children, and the investment that they and their generations before them had made into the farm."

READ THE FULL STORY HERE

'Disgrace!' Starmer sparks fury by supporting ICC as Netanyahu faces 'farcical' arrest warrant

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu could face arrest if he visits Britain after Sir Keir Starmer gave his backing to the International Criminal Court's arrest warrant.

Netanyahu and former Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant were yesterday named in arrest warrants issued by the Hague-based court over the ongoing conflict in Gaza.

Britain, as one of 124 ICC members, is obligated to enforce such warrants, with the Prime Minister's spokesman notably refusing to rule out Netanyahu's potential arrest.

READ THE FULL STORY HERE

Farage vows to 'repeal' hate speech laws after Pearson police probe dropped

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has vowed to repeal hate speech laws following Essex Police's decision to drop its investigation in Welsh journalist Allison Pearson.

Essex Police, which established a "gold squad" to investigate a social media post published last November, confirmed its decision last night.

Farage welcomed the announcement, revealing he was "delighted" by the decision.

He added: "Now what about the dozens of people every day who face this intimidation? Reform UK would repeal the hate speech laws."

Labour FAILS to mention axing Winter Fuel Payments as energy bills jump to £1,738

Labour has failed to mention Sir Keir Starmer's decision to axing Winter Fuel Payments for around 10 million pensioners in response to energy bills jumping to £1,738.

Household energy bills will jump by £21 from January, Ofgem confirmed this morning.

There had been hopes that the price cap would be unchanged or even decline but predictions of a cold winter are instead pushing global gas prices upwards.

Responding to the announcement, a Labour Party spokesman said: “The Conservatives trashed Britain’s energy security by leaving us exposed to global shocks and working people are still paying the price.

"From banning onshore wind to failing to deliver new nuclear, their reckless decisions sent bills soaring.

“Labour is fixing the mess the Conservatives created, with our clean energy mission that will protect consumers and boost our energy security.”