Majority of Britons prefer closer ties with EU over US, new poll claims as Starmer meets bloc chief to 'reset relationship'

Ben Habib brands Rupert Lowe a 'warrior of common sense' after being denied migrant data: 'Deport everyone illegally here!'

Reform UK MP Rupert Lowe has been hailed as a "warrior for common sense" after being denied illegal migrant data by the Home Office.

Taking to social media, Lowe revealed that his request for statistics on crimes committed by illegal migrants in Britain was denied, branding the decision a "cover-up".

Speaking to GB News, Habib backed Lowe's efforts to access the statistics, suggesting the information should be made public to inform debate.

Habib declared: "I think Rupert Lowe is a superb warrior for common sense in the Commons, and I think he's absolutely right to be asking for that data."

READ THE FULL STORY HERE

Theresa May urges rapid rollout of measures to safeguard domestic abuse victims

Tory former prime minister Theresa May has urged the rapid rollout of court orders that impose tougher restrictions on domestic abusers as she highlighted the role employers could play in supporting victims.

The Conservative peer said the sooner domestic abuse protection notices and orders (DAPNs and DAPOs) were in place nationwide, the quicker people at risk would be protected.

The measures, legislated for by the previous government in 2021, are to be trialled in parts of England and Wales before being extended across the country.

DAPNs can be issued by the police immediately following any incident of abuse, providing protection straight away.

This allows time for DAPOs to be sought from any court aimed at safeguarding victims in the long term, with no time restrictions.

Along with imposing exclusion zones, the orders can impose positive requirements on abusers such as attending behaviour change programmes.

Breaches will be a criminal offence punishable by up to five years in prison.

Farage: 'I think lunch is pretty cool'

Out to lunch. pic.twitter.com/OUl4Yrj5tg

— Nigel Farage MP (@Nigel_Farage) December 12, 2024

Nigel Farage and Sir Keir Starmer have found something they have in common - an appreciation for sandwiches.

Speaking in a social media video while wining and dining this lunchtime, Farage said he thinks a midday meal "is pretty cool".

Woking MP calls for 'full inquiry' into 'heartbreaking' death of Sara Sharif: 'She was failed by our system'

Liberal Democrat MP Will Forster has demanded a full inquiry into the death of Sara Sharif, describing the case as "absolutely tragic, appalling, heartbreaking, and vile".

The Woking MP told GB News that while Sara cannot be brought back, steps "must be taken" to prevent similar tragedies from occurring in the future.

Sara Sharif's father and stepmother, Urfan Sharif and Beinash Batool, have been found guilty of her murder following a trial, alongside Sharif's brother Faisal Malik, who was found guilty of causing or allowing the death of a child.

READ THE FULL STORY HERE

Starmer hits back at Badenoch’s claim sandwiches ‘not real food’

Sir Keir Starmer has defended the sandwich as a "Great British institution", after Tory leader Kemi Badenoch said the lunchtime dish is not "real food".

The Conservative leader sparked controversy when she said in a recent interview that sandwiches were "what you had for breakfast", admitting that she prefers to opt for a steak.

She also said that lunch breaks were for "wimps" and that she will eat her meals whilst working.

Number 10 said the Prime Minister was “surprised” to learn about Badenoch's eating habits, adding that "the Prime Minister is quite happy with a sandwich lunch".

Veterans who suffered under ‘gay ban’ to receive redress in new year, says Healey

Veterans who suffered mistreatment in the armed forces under the “gay ban” will receive compensation “soon into the new year”, Defence Secretary John Healey said, as he apologised for the pain and injustice caused.

As part of a £75 million scheme being launched by the Government on Friday, veterans will receive up to £70,000 each and can apply to have their ranks reinstated.

Under the ban, which lasted until the year 2000, members of the armed forces who were – or were thought to be – gay or transgender were subjected to brutal interrogation and dismissal.

Some veterans have suffered lifelong consequences, being left without access to their military pensions, shunned by family and friends, and facing diminished career prospects.

Healey told the Commons the historic wrongs faced by LGBT+ service personnel is a “moral stain on our nation”, as veterans watched tearfully from the public gallery on Thursday.

“I am very conscious that for many of these veterans, time is ticking, and I am determined that this is not a scheme that will take long to make its proper decisions."

Majority of new homes will be built for immigrants, shadow minister alleges

Kevin Hollinrake asserted that the "majority" of the homes Labour plans to build over the next five years would be required to accommodate new immigrant arrivals.

The shadow housing secretary told the Commons: “This planning framework pushes development to rural areas, concreting over green belt, green fields and over our green and pleasant land, rather than focusing and supporting building in urban areas where we need to build the most.

“And to what end? Due to the loosening of restrictions on the visa requirements such as the salary threshold and the scrapping of the Rwanda deterrent, the majority of the homes they deliver will be required for people coming into this country rather than for British citizens.”

However, Matthew Pennycook hit back at the claims.

The minister said: “He knows as well as I do that the majority of homes that developers sell in this country are to British nationals, that most parts of the country have local allocation rules in place and local residency requirements that means that non-British nationals can’t access housing, that only those who are eligible for no recourse to public funds can do so.

“He knows those rules. He is scaremongering. It is beneath him. I know that the honourable gentleman doesn’t really believe it.”

'Breaking the backbone of Britain!' Rupert Lowe blasts 'terrible policy' from Labour as farmers fume: 'Bonkers!'

Reform UK MP Rupert Lowe has launched a scathing attack on Labour's inheritance tax policy for farmers, branding it a "terrible policy" amid widespread rural protests.

The MP dismissed government figures about the policy's impact as "complete rubbish," accusing officials of simply "parroting" numbers without proper research.

Reform UK MP Rupert Lowe fumed to GB News: "I think the figure the government is completely wrong, and all they simply do is come up with a figure and then they parrot it, like they do with the £22billion black hole, they created most of that.

READ FULL STORY HERE

Conservative peer faces three week suspension following 'racist remarks'

Conservative peer Baroness Catherine Meyer could face a three week suspension from the House of Lords.

It comes after a report allegedly found that she referred to fellow peer Lord Dholakia as "Lord Poppadom" on two occasions.

The baroness initially denied the allegation, but later said the incident took place at the end of a long day after she had drunk “possibly three glasses of wine”, the Lords’ Conduct Committee said.

She is also thought to have touched the hair of MP Bell Ribeiro-Addy without consent.

New Labour law could lead to pints being replaced by smaller glasses, MPs warn

MPs have issued a stark warning that the traditional British pint could be under threat thanks to new legislation currently being debated.

The Product Regulation Bill, which aims to review alcohol measures, has sparked concerns among parliamentarians who fear it could be exploited by future governments to reduce drink sizes.

The controversy centres around concerns that the legislation could potentially open the door to replacing the beloved pint with smaller measures, prompting calls for protective amendments to the bill.

Former minister Lord Sharpe has warned that future governments could potentially misuse the bill's powers.

In a warning to fellow peers, he highlighted the risk of the role of Secretary of State being held by a "metric maniac."

His particular concerns focus on the possibility of the traditional British pint being replaced by the Australian schooner.

Lord Sharpe described the schooner as "an abomination of a vessel, marginally too large for a sensible sherry but far too small for a sensible beer."

"It is not difficult to imagine... some interfering busybody who decides that they know what is better for the health of the nation than those who make up the population of the nation," he warned peers.

Labour MP left red-faced and admits he didn't have time to speak to farmers at protest: 'I heard them outside my office'

Labour MP Matthew Pennycook has faced criticism after admitting he failed to engage with farmers during yesterday's major Westminster protest.

When questioned on GB News about his attendance at the demonstration, Pennycook confessed: "I didn't, I heard them outside my office, if I'm honest."

The MP defended his absence, stating he was "furiously at work in putting the final touches to the planning reforms" that would be announced in the House of Commons later that day.

READ THE FULL STORY HERE

Farmers unable to escape Labour's inheritance tax raid despite HMRC loophole for super rich

Family farmers across Britain are finding themselves unable to use a key inheritance tax (IHT) loophole that remains available to wealthy investors and landowners.

The disparity stems from rules that prevent farmers from passing down their estates while continuing to live and work on their land.

While super-rich investors who have bought up farmland can easily transfer assets seven years before death to avoid IHT, family farmers face significant barriers due to their need to remain on their properties.

READ THE FULL STORY HERE

Kemi Badenoch says 'lunch is for wimps' as Tory leader slams 'sandwiches'

'Labour plans to bulldoze through rural areas to meet housing targets,' Conservatives warn

Labour's ambitious target to build 1.5 million new homes in five years has come under fierce criticism from Shadow Housing Secretary Kevin Hollinrake, who warns that the plans will devastate rural communities and green belt land.

The housing target, announced by Starmer as one of his six key "milestones", has sparked concerns about the disproportionate impact on countryside areas.

Hollinrake, speaking on GB News, said the proposals would "drive coach and horses - a bulldozer if you like" through local concerns about development locations.

READ THE FULL STORY HERE

Starmer says 'questions need to be answered' over the case of 10-year-old Sara Sharif

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has said “questions need to be answered” over the case of 10-year-old Sara Sharif who was murdered by her father and stepmother, describing the details as “shocking”.

On Wednesday, Sara’s father Urfan Sharif, 42, and stepmother Beinash Batool, 30, were found guilty of her murder. Her uncle Faisal Malik, 29, who lived with them, was convicted of causing or allowing her death.

Sara, 10, was beaten to death four years after taxi driver Sharif was awarded custody, despite accusations of abuse against him, jurors heard.

Reform UK chairman slams PM over net migration as Zia Yusuf suggests Starmer does not 'understand supply and demand'

Tories accuse Labour of 'gerrymandering' new housing developments away from urban areas

Kevin Hollinrake has accused Labour of manipulating its housebuilding strategy to reduce construction in urban areas while increasing development in the countryside.

While expressing support for building more homes, he emphasised the importance of placing them in “the right places.”

Speaking to GB News, the shadow housing secretary said: “This is typical socialism at work, shifting housebuilding out of urban areas to green belt and rural locations. That’s not right.”

Hollinrake also claimed that Labour’s approach could result in some rural areas facing a fivefold increase in local housing targets.

Kemi Badenoch signals willingness to collaborate more closely with Reform UK

Kemi Badenoch has signalled potential openness to collaborate with Reform UK.

The Tory leader emphasised the importance of building alliances with those who share similar values.

"I've always said we need to make sure we build a coalition of people who share our values," Badenoch told The Spectator.

Her comments come at a time of increasing speculation about potential political realignments within the right-wing political sphere.

Badenoch acknowledged the complex dynamics of voter allegiance.

"There are many people who vote Conservative who will not vote Reform. What I'm trying to do is maintain the coalition that we do have."

It comes after Farage surged ahead to become the favourite to replace Sir Keir Starmer as Prime Minister at the next election - as he suggested the Tories in “much deeper trouble” than they realise.

Ministers plan to slash more than 10,000 civil service roles

Ministers are planning to slash over 10,000 civil service jobs as Whitehall departments face pressure to meet spending limits under a new government efficiency initiative.

Sources indicated a growing consensus that the civil service had become overly large and unwieldy, largely due to its expansion to address the demands of Brexit and the Covid pandemic, according to information obtained by the Guardian.

With Chancellor Rachel Reeves requiring departments to implement 5 per cent budget reductions as part of a spending review, insiders suggested that job cuts are unavoidable.

A Cabinet Office source acknowledged that departments would need to make some “very hard choices” about staffing levels to remain within Treasury-mandated budgets.

Pat McFadden, the Cabinet Office minister said: "We don’t have a target for headcount.

"My focus is on making the people who work for us into being as productive as they possibly can. That’s why those efficiencies that the chancellor announced in the budget are important and there will be more to come. And technology should help us become more productive in the future."

Councils forced to build homes to resolve England’s housing crisis, PM says

Councils will be required to build homes to address England’s housing crisis, says Sir Keir Starmer.

Binding targets will mandate the construction of 370,000 homes annually, with the Government specifying targets for each area.

Starmer has emphasised the urgency of the issue saying: “We owe it to working families to act now.”

Alongside housing secretary Angela Rayner, Starmer announced that the revised National Planning Policy Framework will set area-specific targets and, for the first time, define the "grey belt."

These measures aim to deliver on the Government’s commitment to construct 1.5 million homes during the next parliamentary term.

The Prime Minister said: “For too long, hardworking people have been denied the stability of homeownership.With a generation facing a distant dream of owning a home and homelessness at record levels, the crisis cannot be ignored.

"Our Plan for Change will prioritise builders over blockers, fix the broken planning system, provide homes for working families, and foster economic growth that benefits everyone."