Habib backs Reform revamp as Yusuf 'empowers' members and loosens Farage's grip

Reform UK vows party overhaul - and members will be given the right to REMOVE Nigel Farage

Reform UK members will be able to force out Nigel Farage under changes to the its constitution, the party's chairman has told GB News.

Farage hosted a secret meeting of 70 local Reform UK organisers in Westminster on Tuesday as he seeks to democratise the fledgling party. Activists travelled from as far afield as Aberdeen for the meeting to and hear about plans for a new nation-wide local party structure.

In an exclusive interview with GB News, Reform UK Chairman Zia Yusuf said he hopes the overhaul will turn the party into a "formidable force in British politics."

Reform UK will have hundreds of local party organisers in place by Christmas.

CLICK HERE TO CHECK OUT THE FULL STORY

Labour prepares to reintroduce elements of EU free movement to secure new Brussels deal

Europe's youth would be allowed to come and live or work in the UK freely under plans considered by Labour ministers.

The Prime Minister has pushed for a relations "reset" with the EU and its most powerful member states, but his party has insisted time and time again that "no plans" were in place for any sort of youth mobility scheme.

Despite downplaying speculation, Government sources revealed they would have to "give ground" on free movement for under-30s in order to secure closer ties to the bloc.

Young people from across the EU, including those from states like Bulgaria and Romania, would be allowed to live and work in Britain for up to three years, with the offer reciprocally extended to Britain's youth on the continent.

The scheme would bring the EU into lock-step with countries including Australia and Canada - whose young people can live and work freely in the UK for a period, and vice versa.

"No one will say it publicly at this stage, but there is an acknowledgement that this is an area where we will need to move," one Government source told The Times.

They continued: "If we are serious about resetting relations with the EU then we need to be prepared to give them some of the things that they want."

While another source said that while the Government had not "proposed any plans" for a youth mobility scheme, Starmer's lot are ready to "listen to what the EU had to say on the issue" - though have set total free movement as a "red line".

But the bloc has remained firm that it will want "something in return" - with access to British fishing waters on the table.

A return to the Erasmus study abroad programme has also been rumoured - but the EU would likely limit British students to spending time in just one of the bloc's 27 member states, while any EU citizen could come to the UK.

The EU would also push for a pre-Brexit state of affairs in which its students avoid paying international fees to study at British universities.

An EU source admitted these proposals could be toned down - but they still expected concessions from the other side of the Channel.

One European diplomat told The Times: "Mobility will be a key... It is not that we think Starmer will swallow the whole commission position which is maximalist. But we do think he will shift. It might be Erasmus, which is popular in Labour circles. Something will give."

Cleverly: 'Labour undoing the work that I have done' on illegal migration

Shadow Home Secretary James Cleverly has hit out at Labour after today's release of quarterly immigration statistics.

Speaking about his own record at the Home Office, which he claimed was behind the slight decline in immigration, he said: "Sadly, what we have seen since Labour have taken over is that they're reversing a number of those decisions... They're easing the visa restrictions that I put in place.

"They've removed the Rwanda partnershp, which was the deterrent the National Crime Agency said that they needed.

"They're making all the wrong decisions, and they're undoing all the good work I achieved when I was Home Secretary," he continued, drawing attention to his efforts to shut the "back door" of Health and Social Care visa misuse, as well as agreements with Rwanda and Albania to deter and remove illegal migrants, respectively.

But Cleverly took a swipe at his replacements in Government, saying: "Labour don't have a plan - they never had a plan for immigration, and sadly the British people are learning a difficult lesson now."

With just months remaining until the Tory leadership contest comes to a close, the Shadow Home Secretary will be keen to talk up his credentials on immigration - a topic which has dominated the headlines, not least in the wake of a row over Kemi Badenoch's comments in the past.

Labour declares war on drivers as Transport Secretary backs 'hare-brained' LTNs

Transport Secretary Louise Haigh has backed controversial Low Traffic Neighbourhoods (LTNs) despite a raft of complaints from drivers.

Haigh, the MP for Sheffield Heeley, reinforced her position on the traffic measures - stating that it is not the responsibility of the Government but a decision local authorities should make.

She said the Department for Transport wants to move away from the "culture wars" which alienated local authorities from the Government - and instead offer "full support" to councils in England to impose the LTNs - which Rishi Sunak once described as "hare-brained".

READ THE FULL STORY HERE

SNP still owe Sturgeon's husband £60k in loan repayments

The Scottish National Party still owe their former chief executive Peter Murrell, Nicola Sturgeon's husband, £60,000 in loan repayments.

In SNP accounts released today, the party - which was handed an historic blowout at the General Election fewer than two months ago - admitted it still owed Murrell the money some three years after he loaned it to them.

Murrell, who was charged in connection with embezzlement of SNP funds earlier this year, had loaned the SNP £107,620 to help out with cashflow.

In it accounts, filed with the Electoral Commission, the SNP said: "Our membership has fallen from recent historic highs... In addition, our members continue to face the same cost of living pressures as everybody else.

"This impacts not only on membership income, but on donations and fundraising income too."

But it's not all bad news - the SNP reported a financial surplus of £661,568 last year, a drastic increase from its £804,278 deficit in 2022.

Home Office: Immigration down on 2023 - but arrivals remain over double 2019 level

The UK has welcomed almost 300,000 foreign workers in the last year, the Home Office has announced - a drop of 11 per cent since 2023.

Britain granted 286,382 visas to immigrants seeking employment in the year ending June 2024, according to new figures, marking a decrease on last year's data, but more than double 2019 levels.

Of that number, the Home Office dished out nearly 90,000 "Health and Care Worker" visas - again, a decrease on last year, with a notable drop-off between April and June 2024.

Read more on the full figures HERE.

Tom Tugendhat blasts 'out-of-touch' CCHQ as he vows party reform

Conservative leadership candidate Tom Tugendhat has launched a new survey of party members to hear their views on how the party must be reformed.

The Tonbridge MP said he wanted to "hear from our members about what changes need to happen to turn our party into an election winning machine" following the 2024 election.

Labour won a 172 seat majority in July, with the Conservatives suffering their worst result in over 100 years.

Tugendhat placed the blame for the defeat squarely at the feet of the party's central office, saying: "The Conservative Party is the most successful electoral party in history for a reason. Our success is down to our hardworking, dedicated members and activists who give up weekends and evenings, walk hundreds of miles canvassing and work tirelessly to champion conservative values on the doorstep.

"These are the people the Party in Westminster let down. We chose to fight each other rather than taking the fight to Labour. Despite how integral they are to our Party, we took them for granted, continuously dismissed their voices and made them feel forgotten.

"Local associations were hollowed out and overpowered by an out-of-touch CCHQ whose main interaction with members was an email asking for money.

“This has to stop. We need to draw a line under the past and focus on the type of change that will put a Conservative Government back into power in five years’ time and ensure we are able to deliver for the whole of the UK."

School teacher retention problem is a 'big priority' admits minister

The Government’s plan to recruit 6,5000 additional school teachers to counter problems with staff retention is “one of our biggest priorities”, according to Education Minister Catherine McKinnell.

She told GB News: "This is one of our biggest priorities, to really make sure that every child has the teachers they need in the subjects that they need as well.

"Because that's one of the big challenges we've seen in particular subject areas where there have been shortages, and I don't think any child should be taught by a teacher that isn't a specialist in what they are teaching.

"It's so important that we make sure we get teachers into schools and we meet our pledge, which is 6,500 additional teachers in our system to ensure that children get the teachers they need and also our schools have that support and robustness to really give children the best chance in life.

"We know that education is one of the biggest opportunities we have as a government to give every young person those chances in life and to break down those barriers to opportunity."

School standards minister hails 'day of celebration' as GCSE results released

School standards minister Catherine McKinnell has hailed GCSE results day a “day of celebration” as she revealed the 2024 marks are expected to be in line with 2023.

McKinnell told GB News: “We’re expecting the results this year to be in line with last year.

“And I think we do need to remember that this is a cohort of young people that have overcome incredible challenges in their time in secondary education.

“They were the generation of children that have gone through Covid and they’ve experienced huge amounts of – they should be incredibly proud today of their achievements.

“And I think it is incredibly exciting, it’s also incredibly nerve-racking for these young people, so I know they’re waiting for their results, and it’s a very exciting day.

“I think it’s a day of celebration of these young people and also the teachers, who have worked incredibly hard to get them to this point today.”

Politics LIVE

Welcome back to GB News' Politics LIVE blog.

We'll be updating this page throughout the day with live politics updates as they come in.