Starmer claims Hamas leader's death 'provides opportunity' - 'No one should mourn Sinwar!'

Labour's US election love-in under threat as staffers delete call to campaign against Trump

A Labour Party trip to the US to campaign for Kamala Harris looks to be in jeopardy after a job advert for volunteers was quietly deleted from social media.

Yesterday, images came to light of Labour's head of operations urging 10 staffers to join "nearly 100" current and former Labour employees to campaign for the Democratic Presidential hopeful.

British nationals would, under the scheme, be heading over to battleground states to fight Trump - and were even told that their housing would be "sorted".

GB News understands individuals would pay for the trips in a personal capacity and in their own time, while GB News understands the US Democratic Party were paying for the visit.

The posting raised doubts about Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer's previously neutral stance on the US election, not least from ex-Trump staffer Sebastian Gorka, who asked: "What would Starmer think if President Trump sent a team to campaign against him in the UK?"

But now, after a pile-on from senior lawmakers on the other side of the Atlantic, it has been removed.

Staunch Trump ally Marjorie Taylor Greene asked Labour to "please go back to the UK and fix your own mass immigration problems that are ruining your country".

While Republican senator Tom Cotton said it was "yet another reason to vote for President Trump".

Israel and Ukraine dominates agenda in Starmer's trip to Berlin

Sir Keir Starmer's trip to Berlin has been dominated by events in Israel and Ukraine.

Speaking in the German capital, Starmer said "no one should mourn the death of Hamas leader" Yahya Sinwar.

Addressing Israel's right to self-defence, the Prime Minister added: "We continue to support Israel’s right to self-defence, particularly in the face of the attacks by the Iranian regime."

The meeting, which included Joe Biden, Emmanuel Macron and Olaf Scholz, also included a commitment to continue to offer support to Ukraine against Vladimir Putin.

Salmond's coffin heads home

Alex Salmond's coffin has left Aberdeen Airport as it heads to his family home in Fraserburgh, Aberdeenshire, after touching down earlier today.

Acting Alba Party leader Kenny MacAskill and a piper joined members of Salmond's family after the charter plane, paid for by Sir Tom Hunter, arrived from North Macedonia.

His casket, draped in a Saltire, left the tarmac followed by his family and wife Moira.

Lammy in excruciating China 'genocide' U-turn

Foreign Secretary David Lammy appears to have dialled down his rhetoric over China's treatment of Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang - having called to recognise it as a "genocide" just last year.

Lammy is in Beijing for talks with China - but when pressed on his 2023 comments that he would "act multilaterally with our partners" if Labour was elected to name the issue a genocide, No10 has remained coy.

The Prime Minister's official deputy spokeswoman said: "It's the UK government's position that such judgments are for competent courts.

"However, we stand firm on human rights and have been clear that China continues to persecute and arbitrarily detain the Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities."

Pressured on his comments, she said: "Again, I can't speak to comments that predate the Government's administration.

"The Government's policy is that such judgments are for competent courts."

Farage joins US criticism of Labour's Kamala campaign - 'Election interference!'

Nigel Farage has also weighed into the row on Labour staffers heading stateside to campaign against Donald Trump.

Writing on social media on Friday, the Reform UK leader called the move "direct election interference" and warned of the fallout if Trump goes on to win the election.

He said: "This is direct election interference by the governing Labour Party, and particularly stupid if Trump wins. Who is paying for all of this?"

The answer to his finishing question? The US Democratic Party, GB News says.

Jenrick calls small boats a 'national emergency' in blistering attack on Starmer - 'Condemning people to death!'

Small boat crossings are a "national emergency", Tory leadership hopeful Robert Jenrick has said in the wake of this morning's news that a baby died when a migrant boat capsized in the Channel.

Jenrick, who has talked tough on migration throughout his leadership campaign, said: "We've seen more deaths this year than ever before.

"Starmer is condemning people to death for his own ideology.

"Rather than strengthening the Rwanda scheme to deter people from making the journey in the first place, he scrapped it all because he didn't come up with the idea.

"Now, European countries are looking to do the same thing. It's a national emergency and he's playing politics with it."

Reform rages at 'waves and waves' of migrants in Britain - 'Not our problem!'

Reform UK's Rupert Lowe has lashed out at "waves and waves of unskilled immigration" plaguing Britain's labour market.

In last night's special political programme on GB News, Decision Time: The Race to Lead, Tory leadership candidate Robert Jenrick had warned that the Tories' approach to immigration had lost the party key votes at this summer's election.

"It's the reason that we lost four million of our people to Reform at the General Election - and millions more who decided to stay at home," Jenrick said.

Mere minutes later, Lowe launched into a scathing attack on the "total tripe" line that Britain's workforce, particularly the NHS, "would collapse without mass immigration".

Writing on social media, the Great Yarmouth MP said: "Skilled migrants, who contribute and importantly INTEGRATE, should be welcomed where needed.

"With a proper plan to train and develop our own workforce - and the millions currently out of work - that need would lessen and lessen.

"Any targeted and controlled immigration must, above all else, provide benefits for our country. That is NOT happening, and hasn't for decades.

"Quite frankly, we need to be selfish. The needs and the interests of the British people must be the top and only priority of the British Government - all else is entirely secondary.

"Skilled and decent professionals, when needed, from overseas should be actively poached.

"Waves and waves of unskilled immigration, which is a relentless drain on our economy? Sorry, but the answer is no. It's not our problem.

"Our immigration system should be designed to benefit those who live here, not those who wish to live here."

Lord Blunkett warns Labour to teach British values or live to regret it as ex-minister lashes out at 'far-right'

British values should be taught in schools or the UK will live to "regret" it, Labour peer Lord Blunkett has warned.

Speaking in the Lords, the former Education Secretary said: "We have seen over the summer the riots taking place across our country sadly, and because of course we see the most enormous threats both from the distortion on social media, and the re-emergence of the far-right across the world, so this is the moment to reinforce the importance of those values which do hold us together, the ties that bind.

Discussing the Education (Values of British Citizenship) Bill, Lord Blunkett said: "Let us take this Bill and use it as a mechanism to go forward, genuinely believing if we don't teach this now, we'll regret it later."

He also argued that teachers should receive additional training and funding to accomplish the Bill's ambitions, saying: "We must train teachers, we must give bursaries - which we're not doing [ to enable that to take place."

Salmond's coffin leaves North Macedonia

The plane carrying former Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond's body has taken off from North Macedonia, bound for Aberdeen.

Salmond's coffin was draped in a Saltire before the plane bringing him home to Scotland took off.

Salmond died on Saturday from a heart attack while speaking at a diplomacy conference in the lakeside city of Ohrid.

Nigel Farage 'living rent free' in Conservative heads amid growing threat of Reform UK: 'He'll be our next Prime Minister!'

Nigel Farage is "living rent-free" in the heads of the Conservatives and the Reform UK leader "will be the next Prime Minister", it has been claimed by the party's chairman.

During Thursday night's GB News Tory leadership special Decision Time: The Race to Lead, Badenoch delivered her verdict on Farage amid the growing support for the party.

She told host Christopher Hope that although she has "a lot of respect" for the Reform UK leader, she is "definitely not going to let him into the Conservative Party".

READ THE FULL STORY HERE

WATCH IN FULL: Decision Time: The Race to Lead

A reminder that GB News viewers can re-watch - or watch for the first time - last night's landmark political programme in the midst of the Tory leadership race online.

By clicking the link below, you can watch Decision Time: The Race to Lead - direct on GBNews.com.

WATCH THE FULL SPECIAL HERE

SNP chief resigns in 'substantial' shakeup as party reels from election embarrassment

SNP chief executive Murray Foote has announced he will stand down, saying he could no longer make the "necessary personal commitment" to change in the party ahead of the 2026 Holyrood election.

The former Daily Record editor was put in the role two years ago in a shock move, having previously resigned as the SNP's communications chief over a row with former chief executive - and Nicola Sturgeon's husband - Peter Murrell.

But following the pro-independence party's disastrous General Election wipeout, Foote is walking away.

In a statement today, he said: "The SNP has recently embarked on a substantial process of internal reorganisation and renewal to better equip it for current electoral contests and to prepare for the critical Scottish Parliament elections in 2026.

"While I agree these changes are both essential and appropriate, I also recognised after a period of reflection that I could not make the necessary personal commitment to leading the delivery of these changes into 2026 and beyond.

"In the circumstances, I concluded it would be in my best interests and the best interests of the party that I step down to give my replacement the time and space to mould and develop these changes in a manner they deem appropriate."

Foote will stay in the role until a successor is appointed.

Red-faced BBC presenter apologises for 'Jeremy C**t' slip-up

The BBC's Nick Robinson has apologised for mistakenly calling former Chancellor Jeremy Hunt "Jeremy C**t" live on air.

Robinson had been speaking to employment minister Alison McGovern on welfare cuts in the build-up to October 30's looming Budget when he made the gaffe.

He said: "The Tories announced £12billion in welfare cuts, and at the time, the local party condemned that. They said that Rishi Sunak, Jeremy C**t had no idea where they get the money."

But then, Robinson - in line with BBC guidance to issue an "on-air apology at the earliest opportunity" - said: "The eagle-eared amongst you have just pointed out that I repeated what was known as the 'Jim Naughtie error' up until my last interview, in which I mispronounced the name of the former Chancellor.

"So can I just apologise for Jeremy - Hunt - again. I'm so sorry."

Badenoch reacts to Hamas leader's death - 'The world is a better place!'

Yahya Sinwar was a terrorist and dictator. The world is a better place without the mastermind of the sickening and barbaric acts we saw on October 7th. Israel defended the peace-loving world, in ridding humanity of this evil.

Let us now work for the release of the remaining… https://t.co/9qX3CosZUs

— Kemi Badenoch (@KemiBadenoch) October 18, 2024

Kemi Badenoch has issued a statement in response to Israel's "elimination" of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar.

Writing on social media, the Tory leadership frontrunner called his killing a step in "ridding humanity of its evil" as she urged for the release of the terror group's remaining Israeli hostages.

Badenoch said: "Yahya Sinwar was a terrorist and dictator. The world is a better place without the mastermind of the sickening and barbaric acts we saw on October 7.

"Israel defended the peace-loving world, in ridding humanity of this evil. Let us now work for the release of the remaining hostages, and an end to the cycle of violence that has plagued the region. Sinwar's death aids that noble pursuit."

Labour MP CONFRONTED by GB News viewer over Starmer's riots putdown in fiery exchange: 'Two-tier policing!'

Labour's Lucy Rigby has been confronted by a GB News viewer in a heated exchange over Labour's handling of Britain's growing crime rates, as the MP defended Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer's handling of this summer's violent demonstrations.

Following the special GB News leadership event Decision Time: The Race to Lead, one member of the audience confronted the Labour representative on their recent prison early release scheme, urging the Government to "stop blaming the Tories".

READ THE FULL STORY HERE

Starmer: UK 'will not mourn' death of Hamas terror group leader Sinwar

Sir Keir Starmer has said the UK "will not mourn" the death of Hamas leader and October 7 massacre orchestrator Yahya Sinwar.

Junior Israeli troops are understood to have practically stumbled across Sinwar in southern Gaza on Thursday - with Israeli officials confirming they had killed their number one target yesterday evening.

The personnel who killed Sinwar were initially unaware that they had caught their country's number one enemy after a gun battle on Wednesday, Israeli officials said.

In response to the terror leader's death, the Prime Minister said: "Yahya Sinwar was the mastermind behind the deadliest day in Jewish history since the Holocaust, as 1,200 people were slaughtered in Israel.

"Today my thoughts are with the families of those victims. The UK will not mourn his death.

"The release of all hostages, an immediate ceasefire and an increase in humanitarian aid are long overdue so we can move towards a long-term, sustainable peace in the Middle East."

But despite Starmer's plea for a ceasefire, his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu said his country will keep fighting until all Israeli hostages are free, and that it will keep control over Gaza long enough to ensure Hamas does not rearm.

In his own address on Sinwar's death, Netanyahu vowed: "Our war is not yet ended."

Salmond's body to return to Scotland this afternoon

The body of ex-Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond is set to return to his country this afternoon.

Salmond had died in North Macedonia aged 69 from a "massive" heart attack on Saturday.

Despite Sir David Davis, a friend of the independence firebrand, pushing for an RAF flight to bring him home, businessman Sir Tom Hunter stepped in to pay for a chartered flight to repatriate Salmond's body.

Hunter said: "Whilst he and I disagreed on some of his ambitions, Alex Salmond devoted his life to Scotland and the Scottish people and as such he, and importantly his family, deserved the dignity and privacy of a private return to the home of his birth.

"Our deepest sympathy and thoughts are with his family at this time. To be clear, I remain resolutely apolitical."

The flight is due to take off at about 11am, landing in Aberdeen at about 1.45pm.

The former SNP and Alba boss's family, along with Alba's acting leader Kenny MacAskill, will be there to receive the coffin, which will be taken by hearse to the family home.

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