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

Boris Johnson: 'Starmer's lies show that he stands with Hamas'

Boris Johnson has said that Sir Keir Starmer is 'standing with Hamas' through his 'lies' about pledging to stand with Israel.

The former Prime Minister pointed to a speech that Starmer made last month to the House of Commons, where he said that October 7 was the "darkest day since the Holocaust".

Starmer said: "We must unequivocally stand with the Jewish community. We must never look the other way in the face of hate."

Johnson has told The Daily Mail that the Prime Minister has gone back on this statement, calling is words "blather".

He said: "All those heartfelt expressions of sympathy, and pledges to stand with Israel: it was all lies. It was guff, hypocrisy, blather.

"Instead of standing with Israel, Starmer is effectively standing with Hamas – because he has cravenly endorsed the request, from the International Criminal Court (ICC), that the leaders of Israel should be charged with war crimes. If either Netanyahu, or Yoav Gallant, his defence minister, set foot in this country, they risk being arrested and bundled off to the Hague for trial and imprisonment."

UK will stand by Ukraine despite Putin’s ‘irresponsible rhetoric’, vows minister

The UK will stand by Ukraine despite the “irresponsible rhetoric” of Vladimir Putin, a defence minister has said.

Maria Eagle’s comments came after Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said the UK is “not at war” in relation to the conflict between Ukraine and Russia.

Russian president Putin has said he is entitled to target the military facilities of countries which have supplied weapons to Ukraine, allowing Kyiv’s forces to strike deep inside Russia.

On Thursday, Russia used a new ballistic missile in Ukraine, which Putin said was in response to the UK and US allowing missiles they have supplied to Ukraine to be used to strike targets in Russia.

In a televised address, Putin said: “We consider ourselves entitled to use our weapons against military facilities of those countries that allow their weapons to be used against our facilities.”

Defence procurement minister Eagle spoke to journalists as she opened an office for Rolls-Royce Submarines in Glasgow.

She said: “We’ve heard this kind of irresponsible rhetoric from him (Putin) before.

“He’s trying to stop nations supporting Ukraine, whilst he doesn’t seem to mind that much about the support he’s getting from North Korea and other nations.

“We can’t allow ourselves to be put off from supporting Ukraine, and we won’t be.”

Labour's support for Ukraine backed by Tory peer as tensions with Putin escalate

Conservative peer Lord Shaun Bailey has thrown his weight behind Labour's support for Ukraine, insisting Britain must not back down in the face of mounting Russian threats.

Speaking on GB News, Bailey declared it was "way too late now to back out" of supporting Ukraine against Russian aggression.

Tensions are escalating between the UK and Russia following President Vladimir Putin's warning, as he claimed he is "entitled to target military facilities of countries supplying weapons to Ukraine".

Russia deployed a new ballistic missile in Ukraine, with Putin claiming it was in response to UK and US-supplied weapons being used against Russian territory.

In a televised address, Putin warned: "We consider ourselves entitled to use our weapons against military facilities of those countries that allow their weapons to be used against our facilities."

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Minister opens new office ‘critical’ to Aukus submarine programme

A new office "critical" to developing the Aukus nuclear submarine programme has been opened in Glasgow.

Defence procurement minister Maria Eagle also said the UK Government does not see any issues with capability gaps as it retires older Royal Navy ships.

The office will by run by the Rolls-Royce Submarines office, which will support the programme to build the Dreadnought class of submarines.

These vessels will replace the Vanguard vessels which carry the UK’s Trident nuclear deterrent.

The company says it will create more than 100 skilled jobs, mainly in designing electrical components for the vessels.

Steve Carlier, President of Rolls-Royce Submarines, emphasised the strategic importance of the new office, saying, “The work we do for the Royal Navy is of critical strategic importance, and to deliver it, we need to harness talent from across the UK, not just from our base in Derby. The opening of our Glasgow office allows us to benefit from the region’s strong pedigree in electrical engineering and add to our own existing pool of nuclear experts.”

Rolls-Royce Submarines is expected to provide all the nuclear reactor plants for the attack submarines. They will enter service in the late 2030s in the UK and early 2040s for the Australian navy.

Eagle opened the office near Glasgow Airport on Friday, saying it will play a “critical” role in the future programmes.

She said: “It’s a big job and Rolls-Royce do a lot of it when it comes to the propulsion side of things and it’s great to see them expand.

“They’re going to have to expand more to do all the work. It’s really brilliant that Glasgow is getting a slice of this.

“What better place, with the history of shipbuilding and marine engineering that there is here.”

Starmer will CONTINUE to talk to Netanyahu despite defending ICC over Israeli PM's arrest warrant

Sir Keir Starmer will continue to talk to Benjamin Netanyahu despite defending the ICC's decision to issue an arrest warrant for Israel's Prime Minister, a No10 spokesman has confirmed.

The Prime Minister, who was not asked about whether he would approve the arrest of Netanyahu on his regional radio round earlier today, is expected to continue to push Israel to agree a ceasefire in Gaza.

It is not yet known if Starmer would approve of the arrest of Netanyahu if he visited the UK.

However, Cabinet Ministers have steered clear of criticising the ICC over its decision to issue an arrest warrant yesterday.

Responding to whether Starmer will continue to talk to Netanyahu after the ICC issued its arrest warrant, the Prime Minister's official spokesman said: “The Prime Minister will continue to speak to the prime minister of Israel and indeed all allies in order to conduct the essential business of reaching a ceasefire in the Middle East.

“We’ll update on the usual engagement in the usual way.

"But it’s obviously important that we have a dialogue with Israel at all levels to find a diplomatic solution to this war.”

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.

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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."

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'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.

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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.”