Politics LIVE: Brexit negotiator takes on German ambassador in furious EU spat as Starmer’s ‘reset’ under fire again

MSPs banned from 'double-jobbing' in unanimous Holyrood vote after row over 'dual mandates'

MSPs have been banned from "double-jobbing" after SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn faced significant backlash over potentially running for a Scottish seat.

The vote will mean that individuals are not permitted to serve the Scottish Parliament and Westminster simultaneously.

Previously, the MP for Aberdeen South, Flynn, received substantial criticism after he announced that he hoped to stand for a Holyrood seat in 2026, which meant he would have to boot out current MSP Audrey Nicoll, while he also nursed his Westminster seat.

Starmer dealt another Chagos blow as Mauritius demands MORE from Britain - 'Not good enough!'

Sir Keir Starmer has been dealt yet another blow to his surrender of the Chagos Islands after Mauritius's new PM demanded more "benefits" from the deal.

Though the island nation is still willing to agree terms with the UK, its PM Navinchandra Ramgoolam said the existing deal "would not produce the benefits that the nation could expect from such an agreement".

Ramgoolam has made counter-proposals to Britain and received a response yesterday - but he didn't go into details, according to Bloomberg.

His rejection of the UK's terms - already labelled "appalling" by Tories - looks set to delay its final sign-off even further.

That will doubtless set hearts racing on Whitehall - with Donald Trump's inauguration as President a little over a month away, Labour will likely seek to conclude proceedings before he can veto the deal.

Back in November, Nigel Farage told The Independent that Trump would be moving to bin off the surrender. "It's happening," he said.

While at the same time, Ramgoolam said he was launching an "independent review" into the agreement.

The islands are - or were - a strategic military hub for Britain in the middle of the Indian Ocean. One of them, Diego Garcia, contains a joint UK-US military base, which was leased back from Mauritius for 99 years as part of the giveaway.

PM spends a whopping 170 hours on planes since start of premiership

The Prime Minister has now hit a remarkable 170 hours in the air as he disembarks from his trips to Norway and Tallinn.

Starmer's trips abroad have contributed to nationwide disgruntlement with the Labour leader, as many have claimed that he would rather schmooze with international leaders over handling domestic affairs from Whitehall.

Downing Street has revealed that the PM's latest trip overseas will mark his last for 2024, and he is set to spend the next fortnight in Great Britain.

Now, after six months in post, Sir Keir has spent around 173 hours and 31 minutes in the air, Guido Fawkes has reported.

Rachel Reeves blamed by British bosses for utterly ruining UK economy as post-Budget Britain slumps again

Rachel Reeves has been told that Labour's tax raids will put tens of thousands of family businesses and hundreds of thousands of jobs at risk as Britain's economy continues to slump.

The Builders Merchants Federation (BMF) has joined a list of trade bodies in penning an open letter to the Chancellor warning of the consequences of her inheritance tax hikes - which says that Labour risks "starving businesses and the economy of much-needed investment".

It comes amid a slew of damning statistics on post-Budget Britain.

Private sector employment in December fell at its highest rate since 2009, excluding the Covid pandemic, corporate confidence has plummeted and GDP has shrivelled for two months in a row.

Alex Veitch, policy director at the British Chambers of Commerce, said businesses had been left "scratching their heads to see how growth will be possible in the face of rising costs".

"They are looking to absorb the costs but tell us that will mean scaling back investment, cutting recruitment and, in some cases, making redundancies... These are choices firms didn't want to be facing."

Farage and Nick Candy hold 'historic' meeting with Elon Musk at Trump's Mar-a-Lago home just weeks after X owner tipped to hand millions in funding

Reform UK's Nigel Farage and Nick Candy held "historic" talks with Elon Musk yesterday, the party has revealed.

The trio sat down at Donald Trump's Florida resort Mar-A-Lago to discuss top topics including the "Trump ground game" - and hinted about "ongoing discussions on other areas" in the wake of rumours that Musk might donate to the party.

Candy, Reform's treasurer, and Farage released a statement on Tuesday about the talks, which read: "We had a great meeting with Elon Musk for an hour yesterday.

READ THE FULL STORY HERE

PICTURED: Liz Kendall 'reaffirms commitment' to Waspi campaign (2019)

Now-Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall, who announced that Labour would not be paying out Waspi women today, promised to "support their campaign" as a "longstanding supporter" in 2019, it has emerged.

In 2019, Kendall said: "I have been a longstanding supporter of the Waspi campaign and I was proud to meet Waspi women again in Parliament recently to sign their pledge and reaffirm my commitment to support their campaign."

Waspi outrage erupts over Labour's 'bizarre and totally unjustified move' as even Starmer admits Ombudsman's 'findings were clear'

Waspi chairwoman Angela Madden has reacted with fury to the news that Labour would not be paying out compensation today.

She said: "The Government has today made an unprecedented political choice to ignore the clear recommendations of an independent watchdog which ordered ministers urgently to compensate Waspi women nine months ago.

"This is a bizarre and totally unjustified move which will leave everyone asking what the point of an ombudsman is if ministers can simply ignore their decisions. It feels like a decision that would make the likes of Boris Johnson and Donald Trump blush.

"The idea that an 'action plan' to avoid such mistakes in future should be the result of a six-year ombudsman’s investigation is an insult both to the women and to the PHSO process.

"An overwhelming majority of MPs back Waspi’s calls for fair compensation and all options remain on the table. Parliament must now seek an alternative mechanism to force this issue on to the order paper so justice can be done."

Meanwhile, the Prime Minister - out in Estonia - was asked whether he understood the anger of the Waspi women who will not receive compensation.

"I do understand their concerns. The ombudsman's findings were clear. I have to take into account whether it's right at the moment to impose further burden on the taxpayer," he said.

NO COMPENSATION for Waspi women as Labour ignores £3,000 payout proposal

The Women Against State Pension Inequality (Waspi) campaign has received a devastating blow as Labour has confirmed it will ignore an official payout recommendation for millions of women impacted by a historic state pension injustice.

Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall announced the news in Parliament earlier this afternoon - and the move is set to see thousands of women receive miss out on up to £3,000 in compensation.

She said that most women "knew the state pension age was increasing" and that letters aren't as significant as the Ombudsman says - adding that Labour did not think "paying a flat rate to all women at a cost of up to £10.5 billion would be fair or proportionate to taxpayers".

REVEALED: Shocking number of British pensioners Starmer could have kept warm this winter with £50million sent to Syria

Today's £35million Ukraine spend follows a similar £50million to Syria just days ago.

And Sir Keir Starmer has been blasted for sending £50million in aid to the country's new regime just as vulnerable British pensioners choose between heating and eating this winter.

Foreign Secretary David Lammy announced the aid package - which will be distributed through the UN and other NGOs within Syria - in the wake of Syrian dictator Bashar Al-Assad's ousting.

And new GB News analysis has revealed just how many pensioners could have been kept warm this winter had Labour chosen to prioritise them.

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Downing Street defends Winter Fuel Payment cuts as Labour pledges further millions to Ukraine

Downing Street has defended Labour's Winter Fuel Payment cuts after announcing a £35million-valed support package for Ukraine.

With a third winter in the war against Russia looming, Ukraine has been given the eight-figure sum in "emergency support".

But with millions of British pensioners bracing to have their Winter Fuel Payments removed, the Prime Minister's official spokesman said: "The Government is committed to Winter Fuel Payment for those on pension credit, on top of the Warm Home Discount."

Cow joins Shadow Cabinet as Tories protest farm tax raid

The Shadow Cabinet has been joined by a cow in Westminster today in the Conservatives' latest protests against Labour's farm tax.

Tory heavyweights have been seen sporting placards reading "stop the family farm tax" and "Keir Starmer: farmer harmer" at the gates of Parliament - while their petition to call off the inheritance tax hikes has received almost 220,000 signatures.

Labour's plans to slash 'catastrophically high' net migration risk FAILURE as Britain faces 9 million-strong population explosion

Labour's plans to slash net migration may fail to cut "catastrophically high" figures, Government advisers have warned.

As part of its annual report today, the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) has told ministers not to go after a "one-size-fits-all" approach as Sir Keir Starmer wrestles with "off the scale" numbers of migrants arriving in Britain.

Though Starmer has so far moved to "reduce reliance on overseas workers" as part of his skills policy, migration failed to feature in his so-called "milestones" just days ago.

READ THE FULL STORY HERE

China scolds 'twisted' British MPs for 'creating trouble' amid Yang Tengbo allegations

China has scolded MPs for "creating trouble" through "anti-China political manipulations" amid allegations of espionage in the UK.

In a statement released on Tuesday, an embassy spokesman said that "anti-China clamours made by a handful of UK MPs" have "revealed their twisted mentality towards China" and accused them of trying to "smear China" and "undermine normal personnel exchanges between China and the UK".

The statement later added: "We always believe that a sound and stable China-UK relationship is not a one-sided favour but what meets the common interests of both sides.

"The UK side must have a right perception of China, see the historical trend clearly, and handle its relations with China on the basis of mutual respect, non-interference in each other's internal affairs, equality and mutual benefit.

"We urge the UK side to immediately stop creating trouble, stop anti-China political manipulations, and stop undermining normal personnel exchanges between China and the UK."

Kemi Badenoch talks up 'flat tax' as she issues Robin Hood swipe at Reeves - 'Taking from the rich AND the poor!'

Kemi Badenoch has hailed a flat rate of tax as a "very attractive" idea as she took a series of swipes at Chancellor Rachel Reeves last night.

Speaking to business owners and farmers at a summit specifically set up to oppose Reeves's family farm tax - which Badenoch has previously labelled "cruel" - the Leader of the Opposition pushed to "lighten the burden" of taxation, but only after "a lot of work".

Flat tax is "very attractive", the Tory leader said, "but if we're going to get to that sort of scenario, there's a lot of work we will need to do first hand".

She continued: "At the moment, we are a welfare state with a little bit of an economy attached to it. We've got to turn that around. We cannot afford flat taxes where we are now."

On the farm tax, Badenoch said: "I can tell you we will reverse this damaging tax grab at the earliest opportunity. It is absolutely essential that we go back to how things were."

Speaking at the London Palladium, in which a Robin Hood pantomime was underway, she also joked that the Chancellor was just like the folk hero, "but she's taking from both the rich and the poor".

Starmer faces crunch defence decision as Labour's 'dithering' leaves British security at 'grave risk', ex-Defence Secretary warns

Former Defence Secretary Grant Shapps has warned that Labour's "dithering on defence" could leave British security at "grave risk" in the wake of a dire warning from the head of the Strategic Defence Review.

Lord Robertson is said to have told the Prime Minister he must choose between cutting 20,000 troops or scrapping Britain's aircraft carriers if he fails to increase defence spending - with the Express reporting that military chiefs are "clearing their diaries in a bid to resolve the crisis".

Shapps told the paper: "Labour's dithering on defence is a dereliction of duty that puts Britain's security at grave risk.

"This Government's so-called Strategic Defence Review has always looked like a smokescreen for delaying the vital commitment to proper defence spending.

"By abandoning my plan to spend 2.5 per cent of GDP on defence, Starmer has created a stark and dangerous choice: slash 20,000 troops or scrap both our aircraft carriers.

"Labour's failure to act leaves the UK exposed to growing threats and undermines our sovereignty.

"Even Lord Robertson has had to warn Starmer about the catastrophic consequences of inaction."

Humza Yousaf announces he'll step down as MSP as ex-First Minister rallies against 'war crimes in Gaza'

Ex-Scottish First Minister Humza Yousaf will step down as an MSP in 2026, he has said.

In a letter to SNP leader John Swinney this morning, Yousaf said there was "no way this son of immigrants could have ever dreamt of being the leader of his country when he was a boy" as he thanked his family and constituents for their support.

Yousaf also hailed the "message to young people" that his former position as the first "First Minister of colour, and first Muslim leader of a Western democratic nation" would send.

He added: "As First Minister, I hope I was able to demonstrate leadership during what I view as the moral question of our time, the ongoing atrocities and war crimes being committed in Gaza."

The MSP for Glasgow Pollok said serving as FM was "the greatest honour of my life" - but after spending 15 years in Holyrood, "the time will be right for me to move on" in 2026.

Phillipson claims Labour 'will co-operate with China' - despite espionage warnings

Bridget Phillipson has vowed that Labour "will challenge China when necessary" in the face of espionage warnings over alleged spy Yang Tengbo and the country's London "super-embassy".

The Education Secretary told Times Radio: "We will co-operate with China where it is in the British national interest.

“There are key areas of shared concern, but absolutely we will challenge where necessary, where required.

"The priority of this Government is to protect Britain's national interest, act in the right interests of national security and public safety, and that will always be what drives our interests, our approach to all countries."

But just weeks ago, Sir Keir Starmer admitted to "calling in" a Chinese "super-embassy" in the heart of London - sparking warnings that Labour was green-lighting a "massive spy hub".

It also comes as Britain's Establishment faces down allegations of high-level espionage from Prince Andrew-linked Yang Tengbo.

Yang has denied the allegations - but was barred from entering the UK last year by Suella Braverman because it would be "conducive to the public good".

Lowe tears into Labour's 'bureaucratic monster state' as he labels business owners and farmers the 'backbone of Britain'

Reform UK's Rupert Lowe has hit out at Labour's "bureaucratic monster state" in a fresh swipe at "overwhelming incompetence" in the public sector.

Writing on social media this morning, the Great Yarmouth MP issued a direct message to business owners and farmers - Kemi Badenoch's audience at a summit last night.

He wrote: "Creating a business, building it up, making it a success - it is bloody hard work.

"There are no sick days, no paid holiday, no excuses. You are on call, 24/7/365. It's down to you. Sink or swim.

"These are the people actually driving the economy, and they should be treated with far more respect. Small business owners, and farmers, are the backbone of Britain.

"It's not just Labour, it was the same under the Tories. Record taxes, record incompetence - those taking the risks and generating the wealth are the ones treated with utter contempt by the establishment.

"I've built countless businesses, I understand. I genuinely do. Not all of my risks have paid off, that's the nature of business! But we need to encourage people to try - that means making it worth the gamble. And it is a gamble!

"There needs to be a fundamental reset of the relationship between the productive economy, and the bureaucratic monster state. Who works for who?" Lowe said.

Unemployment stagnates since Labour's election win, 'stark' ONS data says

Britain's unemployment rate has remained unchanged at 4.3 per cent in the three months leading in to October, the Office for National Statistics has said.

The figures come amid fears over a plunge in hiring and jobs following Rachel Reeves's National Insurance hikes and ahead of her minimum wage rise next year,

"Today's figures are a stark reminder of the work that needs to be done," Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall said.

"To get Britain growing again, we need to get Britain working again - so people have good jobs which pay decent wages and offer the chance to progress."

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