Keir Starmer admits Labour ministers 'occasionally don’t get it quite right' as PM's popularity hits a new low

Labour CV row revived as No10 publishes Jonathan Reynolds' 'apology' to Starmer for 'falsely claiming' to be solicitor 

Downing Street has published Jonathan Reynolds' "apology" to the Prime Minister for "falsely claiming" to be a fully-fledged solicitor when he was a trainee lawyer, attributing the blunder to an "administrative error".

The new document has revived Labour's row over CVs - as Chancellor Rachel Reeves' employment history was brought into disrepute along with that of her Cabinet colleague since October.

Sharing the letter from the Business Secretary on X, shadow minister Andrew Griffith shared: "It took 90 days: Following my FOI, No10 has finally published the Business Secretary’s “apology” to the PM for falsely claiming to be a solicitor.

"He claims it was an "admin error" - despite writing it himself and saying it in Parliament. No wonder they hid this so long!"

 Labour ABANDONS plans for five local grooming gang inquiries

Labour has dropped plans for grooming gang inquiries, making the announcement on the final day before Parliament breaks up for Easter recess.

In January, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper announced £5million to fund five local inquiries into grooming abuse gangs, but today it has been updated to a “flexible” fund.

Instead of funding five locally-led inquiries, Safeguarding Minister Jess Phillips said they would back “locally-led work on grooming gangs”.

READ THE FULL STORY HERE.

Starmer calls for social care reform to 'fix' the NHS

Keir Starmer has announced that "lasting" social care reform is necessary to fix the state of the NHS.

Labour has requested that Baroness Louise Casey lead an independent commission into the state of Britain's adult social care this month.

The final report is due in 2028, which has fuelled speculation that the topic might become a key issue in the next General Election.

"It is very hard to get the NHS back working as we want if we don’t also sort out social care," he asserted.

Starmer defends Cabinet colleague who compared benefits to pocket money

Sir Keir Starmer has admitted that people "occasionally don't get it quite right" and "usually apologise" with the words they use.

It comes a few weeks after Chief Secretary to the Treasury Darren Jones and Rachel Reeves discussed benefits in relation to pocket money for children.

The PM told the Commons Liaison Committee: “Of course language matters, I think every member of Cabinet knows that. Occasionally people don’t get it quite right. They usually apologise and are quite right to.”

He added: “The two values that have driven me in everything I’ve done as a lawyer and as a politician are dignity and respect. Dignity is probably the most important word in my dictionary.”

PM pushes to deregulate in fresh bid for 'chunk of growth'

Reducing red tape and regulation can deliver a "large chunk" of economic growth, Sir Keir Starmer has told the Liaison Committee.

The Prime Minister said that, over recent decades, the Government has typically moved to create regulators when confronted with problems.

As a result, he said, it now takes "far too long" for decisions to be made.

"I think there is a large chunk of growth we can get by stripping away regulation," the PM said.

'Faster!' Starmer pushes to 'break down barriers' for businesses and infrastructure

Dame Meg Hillier told the Prime Minister that during the pandemic, the Government had stepped in to support struggling families and businesses - and asked if he was considering doing similar amid heightened risks of a global recession.

Sir Keir Starmer replied that his Government was more focused on "breaking down barriers that are in the way" for businesses, and added that it was "not so much" about "putting money in, it is changing the way the state operates".

Then, Bill Esterson, the Labour MP who chairs the Energy Security and Net Zero Select Committee, probed the PM on whether he could deliver on his pledge to ensure people are better off at the end of this Parliament than they were at the start.

Starmer replied that "there are things that are already happening" to make people feel better - and pointed to NHS waiting lists coming down.

He added that under his Government, new infrastructure projects would no longer "take forever" to complete - while Labour will "go faster and get these barriers out of the way".

Starmer reveals 'all options on the table' on Scunthorpe - as reports suggest steel plant could be NATIONALISED

Sir Keir Starmer has vowed that "all options are on the table" regarding the British Steel blast furnace in Scunthorpe just as reports emerged that his Government is "seriously considering" nationalising the plant.

Labour, Bloomberg reported, is holding active discussions about taking it into public ownership from the hands of China's Jingye Group, according to people familiar with the matter.

Ministers will do whatever it takes to save British Steel from collapse, they said - and at the Liaison Committee, Starmer said "all options were on the table".

But when pressed on those options, the Prime Minister claimed he wouldn't be able to elaborate

RECAP: Reform UK tears into 'obsessed' Greens for claiming Farage's 'far-right' party will 'disappear like the BNP'

Reform UK has warned that the "obsessed" Greens "would destroy this country if they ever got close to power" after their co-leaders claimed that Farage's party will "soon crash and disappear like the BNP".

Kicking off their local elections campaign today, Green co-chief Adrian Ramsay laid siege to the "far-right" Reform with a series of barbs.

Reform UK uses the "politics of fear to divide our communities", he said, and claimed it wants to "privatise our NHS".

He added: "Reform has no track record of delivering at any level of government. Reform's trying to make gains on the back of a weak and lacklustre political old guard.

"Yes, they shout the loudest - I think we can all agree on that. But when it comes to getting anything done, offering any real solutions, Reform's rhetoric evaporates.

"And they will soon crash back to reality and disappear into the aether like Ukip and the BNP before them," Ramsay exclaimed.

But now, Reform has hit back - a spokesman told GB News: "All the Greens have is lies and misinformation. The NHS will always be free under a Reform Government.

"The Green Party would destroy this country if they ever got close to power. Whilst the Greens obsess over us from the sidelines, we are focused on winning seats and changing the country for the better."

Labour sets out large-scale child protection plan after grooming gangs outcry resurfaces - but MPs STILL know 'almost nothing', Tories warn

Labour's Safeguarding Minister Jess Phillips is setting out the party's "progress update" on the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse following the reemergence of Britain's grooming gangs outcry earlier this year.

A new child protection authority will be created to address one of the inquiry's central recommendations "for providing national leadership and learning on child protection and safeguarding", Phillips said, while the independent child trafficking guardian (ICTG) scheme is to be expanded across England and Wales.

But newcomer Tory MP Katie Lam warned that MPs know "almost nothing" about the progress of local inquiries into "rape gangs which have terrorised so many innocent children".

She told the Commons: "In January, the Home Secretary said the Government would conduct five local inquiries into the rape gangs which have terrorised so many innocent children.

"Over three months since the Government announced these local inquiries, Tom Crowther KC, a barrister invited by the Home Office to help establish them, knows almost nothing about their progress - and neither do we."

Home Office locked in bitter battle with Department for Education over 'Deliveroo visa' scandal

The Home Office and Department for Education are reportedly locked in a bitter row over a visa pathway which sees foreign students at UK universities graduate - only to end up working in low-skilled roles for food delivery companies.

The DfE is said to be encouraging universities to lobby against reforms to the graduate visa, which currently allows students to stay in the UK for up to two years after they finish their degree.

But research by the Government's Migration Advisory Committee has found that over 60 per cent of people on a graduate visa earned less than £30,000 after 12 months on the scheme.

As a result, the Home Office is pushing for a new requirement that students must find a graduate-level job to remain in the UK, according to the Financial Times.

The FT also reports that beneath the Home Office’s attempts to limit the graduate visa route are two sets of data:

• One shows a high number of overseas students moving from university into low-paid work, including social care;
• The other suggests tens of thousands of people have moved from a study visa into the asylum system.

Home Office data released last month showed 40,000 asylum claims in 2024 had come from people who had held a UK visa before - and around 40 per cent of these people had held a study visa.

A DfE spokesman said they "did not recognise" any dispute with the Home Office regarding the migration proposals, while a Government spokesman said: "The Home Office and Department for Education are working closely to take an evidence-based approach, linking migration policy to education and skills, so immigration is no longer used at the expense of homegrown talent."

RECAP: Labour MPs revive 'Orwellian' Blair-era ID scheme in desperate bid to curb surging illegal migration

Legions of Labour MPs are pushing to revive a Tony Blair-era digital ID scheme in a bid to curb a surge in illegal migration to Britain.

Three groups of party MPs - the Labour Growth Group, the Red Wall Group and the Blue Labour group - have all told the Government to "get a grip", and have pointed to the former Prime Minister's long-held push for ID cards as a starting point.

An open letter from the 40 Labour lawmakers says that the digital documents could help target "off-the-books" employment - which has long been touted as one of the biggest draws of illegal migrants to the UK.

It reads: "This Government will only succeed if it is able to get a grip of illegal migration. A key plank of this initiative must be tackling illegal 'off-the-books' employment."

"Without a gear shift in this area, we will be in danger of looking back wistfully at a golden, missed opportunity. Now is the time to act," the document adds - and references how other major economies have long held ID cards.

One signatory, Rother Valley MP Jake Richards, said: "This is the kind of transformative, common-sense change voters across the UK are crying out for. But the Government has got to move rapidly if we're going to make it a reality."

Many Britons, however, have long voiced their resistance to any kind of ID system - with campaign group Big Brother Watch warning they are "Orwellian" and hailing Winston Churchill for scrapping them in 1952.

And at the moment, the Government itself is saying no, too. A spokesman said: "We are committed to using technology to improve lives and transform public services.

"Digital identities offer a secure, efficient way for people to prove who they are without physical documents, reducing fraud and saving time.

"Trusted providers following Government rules are already conducting hundreds of thousands of digital checks monthly, helping people access employment, housing and vital services more quickly and easily.

"At the same time this is boosting productivity, driving economic efficiency and supporting long-term growth as part of our plan for change."

Reeves slaps down 'buy British' campaign idea - 'Not in our interest!'

Rachel Reeves has slapped down reports of a "buy British" campaign following a question by the Liberal Democrats.

Lib Dem deputy leader Daisy Cooper had asked the Chancellor whether she'd back the drive - but Reeves instead talked up how Britain has "benefitted hugely from access to global markets".

"Ratcheting up barriers to trade is not in our interest," the Chancellor said. "It's not good for supply chains".

"What we dont want to see is a trade war with Britain becoming inward looking... our country has benefitted hugely with access to global markets. It's in our national interest," she added.

Rachel Reeves faces MPs after Trump tariff rollout

Rachel Reeves is addressing the House of Commons on Donald Trump's tariffs after the President slapped Britain with a 10 per cent levy on exports to the US.

The Chancellor said the tariffs "had and will continue to have huge implications for the world economy" - as she vowed to families and businesses that "we have your backs".

We'll bring you more updates from Treasury questions as they come in...

Greens compare 'far-right' Reform UK to BNP in furious local election launch rant - 'They'll disappear!'

The Greens are kicking off their own local elections campaign today - and the environmentalist party has opened its campaign with a furious attack on Reform UK.

Many people are looking for "something different", co-leader Carla Denyer said, before handing over to her colleague Adrian Ramsay.

He said: "So which way should people turn? On the one hand, we have the far-right: Reform. A party that uses the politics of fear to divide our communities, and whose policies are explicitly designed to only benefit a small number of the very richest.

"Reform is a party that wants to privatise our NHS. They want to halt action that would create a healthy, liveable environment. They'd let rich oligarchs buy up our democracy, while sowing division in our society, instead of making the case for the investment that our public services need.

"Most importantly for these local elections, Reform has no track record of delivering at any level of government. Reform's trying to make gains on the back of a weak and lacklustre political old guard.

"Yes, they shout the loudest - I think we can all agree on that. But when it comes to getting anything done, offering any real solutions, Reform's rhetoric evaporates.

"And they will soon crash back to reality and disappear into the aether like Ukip and the BNP before them."

'Rising star' Labour MPs met with Tony Blair just weeks before 'Orwellian' digital ID demand

A number of "rising star" Labour MPs met with Tony Blair just weeks before a letter demanding the imposition of a "digital ID" scheme was sent to the Government.

In late January, Labour parliamentarians met with the former Prime Minister for a breakfast meeting in the London HQ of his think tank, the Tony Blair Institute.

That was one of a number of small meetings - which were "more than just a think tank lobbying MPs on policy", people familiar with them told Politico.

The ex-Prime Minister also appeared to be "building a network", they said, shaping broader Labour politics and keeping an eye on "talent" of the future.

Blair has long called for the imposition of a digital ID system - and today, his think tank still does.

Scotland's largest prison in 'wretchedly poor state' as SNP urged to act on overcrowding

Inspectors have warned of the "wretchedly poor state" of Scotland's largest prison after reviewing the responses of a pre-inspection survey distributed at HMP Barlinnie, GB News' Scotland reporter Tony McGuire writes.

The 143-year-old prison on the outskirts of Glasgow has a capacity for an average daily population of 987, but hundreds more reside there today with almost two thirds of prisoners expected to share cells designed for just one person.

And now, the SNP has been urged to take action...

READ THE FULL STORY HERE

Peer hails rare ECHR win after court rules Philip Green CAN be named in Parliament

A Labour peer has heaped praise on the European Court of Human Rights after it ruled that there was no human rights violation when Sir Philip Green was named in Parliament as the holder of an injunction against The Telegraph newspaper.

The ECHR had unanimously found that Lord Hain had not breached Green's right to privacy under Article 8.

And in response, the peer said: "I'm really pleased that the Strasbourg Court defended parliamentary privilege and my right to have named Sir Phillip for his shameful behaviour towards his staff.

"Instead of resorting to all sorts of specious legal twists and turns he should start behaving respectfully... Bullying and abusive behaviour is unacceptable - especially if it comes from a knight of the realm."

WATCH IN FULL: Ellie Costello speaks to Health Secretary Wes Streeting on GB News

Tories handed slim polling boost as local elections loom - top 3 parties in crunch head-to-head

The Tories have been handed a minor polling boost less than a month before the May 1 local elections.

Fresh data from pollsters at YouGov has placed Kemi Badenoch's party in third place with a 22 per cent vote share - though it is the only party out of a Labour-Reform-Conservative top 3 to have gained any support since YouGov's last poll.

As it stands, Labour tops the polls with a 24 per cent vote share, ahead of Reform UK on 23, with the Tories on 22, Lib Dems on 17 (a jump of 3 per cent, the highest of the major parties) and the Greens on nine per cent.

Labour to introduce union-backed race and disability quango over fears Equality Act doesn't go far enough

Labour is looking to introduce a new taxpayer-funded body to cut pay discrimination against disabled Britons or people from ethnic minority backgrounds.

Equalities Minister Seema Malhotra has put out a call for evidence for an "equal pay regulatory and enforcement unit" - which would work with trade unions to improve the enforcement of equal pay rights under the Equality Act.

Malhotra said the call for evidence marked an important step in Labour's drive to "better remove barriers to ambition and success".

The Government is also considering activating the dormant "socio­economic duty" clause in the Equality Act which would require public bodies to consider the impact of their decisions on people facing "economic disadvantage".

But with Labour having pledged on several occasions to cut back on quangos, the call for evidence has sparked fury from campaigners.

William Yarwood, media campaign manager at the TaxPayers' Alliance, told GB News: "Labour promised a bonfire of the quangos but instead they’re throwing more taxpayers' money on the fire.

"If ministers were serious about dealing with fairness issues, they’d enforce existing laws, not dream up new quangos with vague missions and cosy ties to union bosses... It's time for Britain's quangos to be uncovered - not endlessly multiplied."

Wes Streeting speaks to GB News Breakfast

Health Secretary Wes Streeting is speaking to GB News Breakfast following his announcement of more than 1,500 GP hires this morning.

Streeting is facing a grilling on funding the new doctors, illegal migration and more. We'll bring you his interview in full shortly.

Ftse 100 opens with minor rise in slight reprieve for Reeves and Starmer

The Ftse 100 opened with a 0.91 per cent rise this morning in a minor boost for Britain's economy.

That was joined by the larger Ftse 250 index - which grew 1.22 per cent as trading opened in London.

Streeting CONDEMNS 'unacceptable' unions as he calls on Unite to 'stop blocking the bin lorries'

Wes Streeting has lashed out at unions blocking a vital rubbish clean-up in Birmingham after weeks of bin chaos in England's second city.

The Health Secretary warned that the bin bags, rats and "other vermin" piling up on the streets was a public health calamity - and urged the Unite union to call off its "unacceptable" strikes.

"I certainly am concerned about the public health situation and the poor conditions we're seeing for people in Birmingham," he told Times Radio.

"As the bin bags are piling up, we see rats and other vermin crawling around. That's not good for public health. I think this dispute has escalated way out of hand.

"It is totally unacceptable that Unite, the trade union, this dispute has been blocking bin lorries from leaving the depot.

"I understand industrial disputes happen. I understand people have the right to withdraw their labour. That's part and parcel of industrial relations in our country. But what is not acceptable is allowing these sorts of... unsanitary conditions... to occur on people's streets.

"I'm urging Unite to do the right thing, stop blocking the bin lorries and allow people to get out there and clean the streets for the people of Birmingham who suffered for far too long."

Taxpayers told to cough up even MORE cash for Chagos handover as Mauritius demands more money in last-ditch attempt

Taxpayers may have to give up even more cash to give away British soil after Mauritius demanded more money for the Chagos Islands in a bid to gain a better deal from the UK.

Talks have reached their final stages after Donald Trump signed off on Britain giving away the islands - while Parliament could see a final deal presented within weeks.

But how much could working Britons be expected to cough up?

READ THE FULL STORY HERE

Wes Streeting condemns 'ludicrous' Tory health record as he confirms THOUSANDS of GPs hired in just six months

Health Secretary Wes Streeting has condemned the Conservatives' "ludicrous" record at the helm of the NHS following the news that over 1,500 GPs have been hired in the last six months.

Health practices had previously been barred from hiring newly-qualified GPs, meaning more than 1,000 were due to graduate into unemployment - but an £82million-valued funding splurge to allow networks of practices to hire the GPs means that thousands have now got jobs.

After the figures were revealed, Streeting said: "Rebuilding our broken NHS starts with fixing the front door. We inherited a ludicrous situation where patients couldn't get a GP appointment, while GPs couldn't get a job.

"By cutting red tape and investing more in our NHS, we have put an extra 1,503 GPs into general practice to deliver more appointments.

"The extra investment and reforms we have made will allow patients to book appointments more easily, to help bring back the family doctor and end the 8am scramble."

The Health Secretary also put his weight behind Labour's controversial employers' National Insurance contributions hikes to back the hiring spree.

"It is only because of the necessary decisions we took to increase employer National Insurance that we are able to recruit more GPs and deliver better services for patients. The extra investment and reform this Government is making, as part of its plan for change, will get the NHS back on its feet and make it fit for the future," he said.

Labour AND Lib Dems U-turn on globalism as parties urge consumers to 'buy British'

Both Labour and the Liberal Democrats are urging consumers to buy British goods in reaction to Donald Trump's tariff-based shake-up of the global order.

In the public sector, departments are set to be told to prioritise British firms when securing contracts - a plan based on Labour's 2021 "Buy, Make and Sell More in Britain" campaign which has been brought back to life following the new tariffs.

Downing Street sources said the public should expect more "pro-growth moments" in the coming days, The Telegraph reports, and emphasised the need for "resilience" in the British economy.

The plans are said to be being drawn up by the Department for Business and Trade, and are borne of frustration by Labour ministers that most of the contracts for the construction of HS2 were awarded to foreign firms.

The plans are still in their early stages, but energy, defence and public infrastructure projects are three areas said to be earmarked for greater involvement from British firms - though prioritising UK companies could face legal backlash if the scheme comes to pass.

Meanwhile, the Lib Dems have kicked off a "Buy Local, Back Britain" drive - with leader Sir Ed Davey mocking Donald Trump's signature dance as he urged Britons to buy Scottish butter tablet and Lorne sausage in a video on Monday afternoon.

Starmer to face tense grilling by senior MPs as Trump and China exchange tariff blows

Sir Keir Starmer will face a major grilling at the hands of the Liaison Committee later today as the fallout from Donald Trump's tariffs continues to grow.

Yesterday, the President warned that if China failed to withdraw its 34 per cent retaliatory levy on American exports, Trump would slap Beijing with a staggering extra 50 per cent tariff.

And with Starmer sniffing out a way around Britain's own 10 per cent rate, he will be probed by senior parliamentarians on the last day the Commons sits before it heads into the Easter recess.

The Prime Minister is expected to sit before the group at around 2.30pm.

Tories forced to abandon Leeds HQ as another mega-donor jumps ship

The Conservatives could be forced out of their northern HQ in Leeds after another major donor stepped away from the party.

Richard Harpin, the founder of the home repairs company HomeServe, has ceased his donations to Kemi Badenoch's Tories, The Guardian first reported.

Harpin had propped up the Leeds base with his donations - but now could be poised to spend his money elsewhere.

It comes after Tory mega-donor Nick Candy jumped ship to Reform UK shortly before Christmas - while fellow big spender Lord Bamford funded Nigel Farage's barnstorming JCB entrance to Reform's local election campaign launch.

Tory sources confirmed to The Guardian that Harpin had paused his donations - though a source close to the businessman insisted he remained a strong supporter of the party.

RECAP: 'Get a grip!' Victoria Atkins urges Labour to act as London fly-tipping hotspot 'becoming like Birmingham'

Shadow Environment Secretary Victoria Atkins has told GB News the “Government has got to get a grip” on fly-tipping after a visit to one of the UK’s fly-tipping hotspots saw overflowing bins, dumped waste, and litter on the streets.

The People’s Channel visited the London Borough of Camden with the MP for Louth and Horncastle to take a look at Britain’s “waste crisis” head-on.

Camden was the second-worst-affected borough and area in England, with 34,786 recorded incidents of fly-tipping in 2023/2024.

This is more than 10 times the national average of 3,249.

And speaking to GB News on the Camden walkabout, Atkins has voiced her concerns...

READ THE FULL STORY HERE