Starmer votes at 16 plan gets green-light as Labour confirms timeline for extending franchise to schoolchildren

Rayner and Cooper predicted to LOSE seats in shock poll that forecasts surge for 'kingmaker' Farageeditsharetrending_up

Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner and Home Secretary Yvette Cooper would lose their seats to Reform UK if a General Election was held today, a shock new opinion poll has revealed.

The MRP poll conducted by PLMR and Electoral Calculus showed a major shift in public opinion since Labour’s landslide victory in the 2024 General Election.

The survey also puts support for Sir Keir Starmer level with Kemi Badenoch’s Tories on just 23 per cent.

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‘People are SICK of it’: Martin Daubney slaps down GB News guest in blistering Reform UK row

Watch as tensions simmered on GB News after former Labour spokesman James Matthewson raised a point about Britons turning to ‘far-right’ factions in politics.

He appeared to be making reference to Nigel Farage’s Reform UK, who are riding the crest of a wave after topping a YouGov poll this week for the first time.

GB News star Martin Daubney put it to his debating partner that Britons are “sick” of being called far-right for showing concern about issues like immigration.

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Steve Bannon blasts Tories as 'p******' in blistering rant after FAILURE to ‘make Britain great again’

Former White House Chief Strategist Steve Bannon has furiously lashed out at the Tories in a blistering rant on GBN America.

Bannon said the Tories failed to harness the opportunities of Brexit after Britons voted to leave the European Union in 2016.

He said the party is ‘controlled opposition’ and a wave of populist sentiment is needed in Britain to ensure a wave of prosperity.

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Lammy says Trump's US foreign aid cuts could be 'big mistake'

David Lammy has warned Donald Trump cutting millions to US foreign aid could be a "big strategic mistake" that allows China to step in and further its global influence.

The Foreign Secretary cited the merging the Department for International Development into the Foreign Office in 2020 led to a decline of Britain's "soft power." It comes as thousands of USAid employees have already been laid off and programmes shut down worldwide.

Lammy told The Guardian: "What I can say to American friends is it’s widely accepted that the decision by the UK with very little preparation to close down DfiD, to suspend funding in the short term or give many global partners little heads up, was a big strategic mistake.

"We have spent years unravelling that strategic mistake. Development remains a very important soft power tool. And in the absence of development … I would be very worried that China and others step into that gap.

"We were hugely critical of the way that the last government handled the decision. So I would caution US friends to look closely at what went wrong in the United Kingdom as they navigate this decision."

Labour minister sparks FURY by claiming inheritance tax is ‘very generous to farmers’

A Labour Treasury Minister has sparked fury by claiming his party’s imposing of death duties on farmers is ‘actually very generous.’

Torsten Bell, Parliamentary Secretary for the Treasury, was defending Chancellor Reeves’ tax raid in a fiery Westminster Hall debate that saw him interrupted nine times when he made the claim.

Bell’s boss Chancellor Reeves slapped previously exempt farmers with 20 per cent death tax on assets over £1million in her October budget.

GB NEWS MEMBERS CAN READ THE FULL STORY HERE

DWP minister slams benefit claimants for 'taking the mickey' as Labour plots overhaul to disability payments

Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall has claimed some benefit claimants are "taking the mickey" while outlining reforms to the welfare state, whilst acknowledging that most people on disability benefits want to work.

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) minister said: "I have no doubt, as there always have been, there are people who shouldn't be on those benefits who are taking the mickey and that is not good enough – we have to end that."

However, she emphasised that many more claimants genuinely want to return to employment, stating: "Many of them have either just lost jobs that they desperately miss, or really want to get back into to work once they've got their health condition under control."

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Grenfell Tower to be demolished

Grenfell Tower, the west London block in which 72 people lost their lives in a fire, is set to be demolished.

Angela Rayner formally announced the decision today after informing bereaved families and survivors earlier this week.

It is expected to take "around two years to sensitively take down", the Government has confirmed.

No changes will be made before the eighth anniversary in June, as previously promised.

Former Plaid Cymru leader Dafydd Elis-Thomas dies at the age of 78

Dafydd Elis-Thomas, the former leader of Plaid Cymru, has died at the age of 78.

His death was announced by his family in a statement on Friday morning.

The Senedd's first Presiding Officer Lord had been described as "one of the most influential figures of his generation" and the Senedd’s "founding father".

Plaid Cymru leader Rhun ap Iorwerth MS said that Lord Elis-Thomas' death will be a "huge loss" to Welsh politics and "the civic life of Wales."

In a statement, he said, "He was unquestionably one of the most influential figures of his generation, and as the Presiding Officer of the First Assembly made a priceless contribution in laying the firm foundations of devolution.

"We remember Dafydd as a groundbreaking MP when he became the youngest Member of the 1974 UK Parliament before leading Plaid Cymru with passion and distinction."“Dafydd was a personal friend to my family and I, and was an influential figure during my formative years.

“His love for our nation, its language and culture was unwavering.

“On behalf of Plaid Cymru, I extend our sincerest condolences to Dafydd’s family.”

Britain's nuclear deterrent at risk from Chinese threat if Starmer signs Chagos Islands deal, defence sources warn

Britain's nuclear deterrent would be vulnerable to Chinese interference if Sir Keir Starmer signs a deal with Mauritius over the Chagos Islands, senior defence sources have warned.

A top-secret satellite system used to direct British and US nuclear missiles would be compromised if a deal was signed, they fear.

They say that Britain's nuclear missile coordination system depends on crucial connection points at the Diego Garcia base.

These systems require both physical protection and British control of the islands' electromagnetic spectrum to operate effectively.

A concerning clause in the proposed agreement would allow other nations to access the electromagnetic spectrum around the islands. This arrangement could become a revenue stream for Mauritius.

Sources warn this could give Beijing an opportunity to disrupt the top-secret Automated Digital Network System 3, shared by British and US navies. The system is a critical component of the 'Nuclear Firing Chain' (NFC)

POLL OF THE DAY: Do you agree with Red Wall MPs there is a ‘southern bias’ in Starmer's Government? VOTE NOW

After Labour MP Jo White claimed Sir Keir Starmer needs to appoint a Red Wall Minister to his Cabinet, GB News asks its members if there is a “southern bias” in Government.

The Bassetlaw MP, who defeated Boris Johnson loyalist Brendan Clarke-Smith last July, put pressure on the Chancellor to do more for left-behind communities.

Asked if she felt that the North of England had been largely ignored in Rachel Reeves' growth speech, White told GB News: "I agree. There was a level of anger from my Red Wall colleagues."

GB NEWS MEMBERS CAN VOTE IN THE POLL HERE

Decision on whether to demolish Grenfell Tower to be announced

An official decision on whether to demolish Grenfell Tower is to be announced today.

Bereaved families and survivors of the tower block fire are understood to have been told by Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner on Wednesday that it will be demolished.

Rayner has been slammed as ‘disgraceful’ by families of Grenfell Tower victims, who felt there had not been enough consultation.

An official update will be given on Friday, but the Government has previously said there will be no changes to the west London site before the eighth anniversary of the disaster in June.

Reform UK WINS in Kent and Essex as Farage lands fresh electoral blow to floundering PM

Reform UK has landed two electoral blows to Labour overnight in a fresh wave of council elections that couldn’t have come at a worse time for Labour and Keir Starmer.

In the Medway council of Rochester East & Warren Wood (Kent), Reform won two seats unseating Labour incumbents whose vote share crashed 22 per cent.

Reform's other triumph came at the expense of the Tories in the Bentleys and Frating ward in rural Essex, not far from Nigel Farage's adopted town of Clacton.

GB NEWS MEMBERS CAN READ THE FULL STORY HERE

'Stagflation' fears grow as UK inflation to hit 3.7% by summer: 'Bleak for Reeves!'

Britain is at risk of falling into "stagflation" this year as the consumer price index (CPI) rate of inflation is forecast to hit 3.7 per cent by the summer while economic growth plateaus, according to analysts.

Earlier this week, the Bank of England delivered a stark warning for the UK economy, slashing its growth forecast for 2025 to just 0.75 per cent - half of its previous 1.5 per cent prediction made in November.

The downbeat assessment comes as a double blow to Chancellor Rachel Reeves, who recently reaffirmed the Government's commitment to growth in a major speech.

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More than HALF of migrants would be barred from Britain as they wouldn't earn enough under Tory immigration plans

Over half of migrant workers would be prohibited from staying in Britain as they wouldn't earn enough, should the Conservatives come to power under their new immigration plans.

Kemi Badenoch said migrants granted indefinite leave must be “net contributors” over the 10 years, which means their tax payments would outweigh all other benefits.

Migrants would need to be earning more than £28,000 to remain in Britain.

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Miliband U-turns on Heathrow runway expansion plans

Ed Miliband has given his backing to plans for a third runway at Heathrow, dropping his long-held opposition to the proposals.

The Energy Secretary had previously threatened to resign in 2009 if the then-Labour government gave its backing to the expansion plans.

In 2018, he voted against the plans in the House of Commons, stating that“we owe it to future generations not just to have good environmental principles but to act on them”.

However, he has now said he will “support what the Government is doing” and abide by his collective responsibility as a minister.

He also said he believed airport expansion could be delivered without breaking climate change rules.

Speaking to Sky News, Miliband said: “Obviously I abide by collective responsibility and what the Government has done, I do support what the Government is doing which is that we have asked Heathrow to come forward with their plans.”

Lord Hermer: 'Racism impacted almost every element of the British Empire'

Lord Hermer has said "almost every element" of the British Empire was racist and that there was a "moral" argument that the UK should pay slavery reparations.

The comments were made by the Attorney General on a podcast that has just been rediscovered.

Speaking on the Matrix Law podcast in 2022, Lord Hermer said that the British Empire enforced a “racial superiority that allows you to treat entire populations like school children”.

The former human rights barrister backed the removal of statues of slave owners and controversial British Empire figures like Cecil Rhodes, a 19th Century politician in southern Africa.

He said that "racism impacted almost every element of [the British Empire]," and that children should be taught about its “legacy of violence”.

Allies of Lord Hermer told the Times that the podcast were recorded years ago and his views did not influence any legal advice he gives to the Government.

Suella Braverman’s husband appears to set deadline for wife to defect to Reform

Suella Braverman’s husband has seemingly set his wife a deadline to defect to Reform UK as speculation mounts as to whether the former Home Secretary will switch to the populist party.

Rael Braverman, who defected to Reform UK late last year, gave a timeframe for Tories to sign up after a number leading Conservative enlisted into Nigel Farage’s ranks.

Ex-MPs Dame Andrea Jenkyns, Marco Longhi and Aidan Burley all switched from the Tories to Reform UK at the tail end of 2024.

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Starmer and Dutch PM agree on 'further co-operation' on clamping down on illegal migration

Sir Keir Starmer and his Dutch counterpart have agreed on “further co-operation” on tackling illegal migration, as well as continuing support for Ukraine.

The Prime Minister met Dick Schoof in Downing Street on Thursday evening, where the leaders reflected on the UK and the Netherlands’ strong friendship and shared approach to global challenges.

A No10 read-out of the meeting said they talked about the successes of existing co-operation on tackling organised crime, including the people-smuggling gangs driving illegal migration, and agreed further co-operation on this issue.

Starmer reiterated the UK’s “iron-clad” support for Ukraine and the leaders underscored their commitment to working together so that Ukraine is “in the strongest possible position”.

Reform UK's chairman says party could win '350 to 400' MPs at the next election

Reform UK's chairman has predicted the party could win “350 to 400 Members of Parliament” at the next general election.

Zia Yusuf also said he does “understand” any potential concerns over the prospect of the party accepting a donation from Elon Musk.

The comments come after Reform topped a YouGov voter intention poll for the first time this week.

The party returned five MPs in July’s general election but came second in 98 constituencies.

Discussing the results with the BBC, Yusuf said he thought his party “will win between 350 to 400 Members of Parliament” at the next general election, which must be held before August 2029.

Reform UK came top in the YouGov poll with 25 per cent support, compared with Labour on 24 per cent and the Conservatives with 21 per cent.