Nigel Farage hails 'victory for individual liberty' over apparent Government U-turn 

Nigel Farage has hailed the Government's apparent decision to drop mandatory elements from its digital ID scheme as a "victory for individual liberty".

"Keir Starmer has abandoned plans for the Digital ID to be compulsory," the Reform UK leader said.

"This is a victory for individual liberty against a ghastly, authoritarian government.

"Reform UK would scrap it altogether," he promised.

Government source indicates digital ID scheme will remain unchanged 

A Whitehall source has told GB News that the digital ID scheme may remain unchanged, as it has been suggested that mandatory elements of the policy were set to be dropped.

“Currently right to work checks are a mix of different systems, many of which are paper-based," the source said, adding that this was “a weaker system” against international examples.

The insider said this "acts as a pull factor for people looking to come to the UK illegally for illegal working".

“We are still moving to a system of mandatory digital right-to-work checks, and consultation will look at the best technical way to do so. In practice, this could include a digital check of a passport or eVisa," the source told The People's Channel.

Listed: ALL of Labour's 13 major U-turns since coming to power

Since coming to power in July 2024, the Labour Government has executed 13 screeching U-turns on major policy ambitions. They are:

• Waspi compensation – Labour dropped plans to compensate women affected by state pension age changes after initially signalling support, citing cost and legal constraints.
• Farm tax – Ministers retreated from proposals affecting agricultural inheritance tax relief following backlash from farmers and rural MPs.
• Employment rights – Elements of Labour’s promised employment law overhaul were delayed or watered down amid concerns from business groups.
• Benefit cap – Labour rowed back on pledges to reform or remove the benefit cap, arguing fiscal limits prevented immediate change.
• PIP changes – Planned reforms to Personal Independence Payments were softened after warnings they would reduce support for disabled people.
• Welfare reforms – Broader welfare overhaul plans were scaled back, with ministers stressing stability over structural change.
• Tax rises – Labour abandoned or delayed some mooted tax increases after concerns about economic impact and voter confidence.
• Grooming inquiry – The Government reversed its initial reluctance and agreed to support a national inquiry into grooming gangs following political pressure.
• Winter fuel payments – Labour stepped back from tightening eligibility for winter fuel payments after criticism from pensioner groups.
• NIC hikes – Proposals to increase National Insurance contributions were dropped, with ministers instead promising no rises on working people.
• Defence spending – Commitments to rapid increases in defence spending were softened, with targets pushed back beyond the current parliament.
• Business rates – Plans for fundamental reform of business rates were delayed, with interim measures replacing more radical changes.
• Digital IDs – The Government is now set to drop all mandatory aspects of its digital ID scheme.

Wes Streeting tells Labour to stop making excuses over string of U-turns 

Wes Streeting has issued a barb against Labour, blasting what he called an “excuses culture” and demanding an end to Government U-turns.

“This excuses culture does the centre-left no favours,” the Health Secretary said at an Institute for Government conference in central London.

He asked: “If we tell the public that we can’t make anything work, then why on Earth would they vote to keep us in charge?”

When asked if U-turns were slowing the Government down, Mr Streeting said: “Feedback is the breakfast of champions.

“We love to hear it, and if people think we’re getting it wrong – and we think that they’re right – far better to do the right thing rather than to spare one’s political blushes.”

He said: “In the NHS, we have an initiative called Girft – get it right first time. That should be our New Year’s resolution for 2026 – let’s try and get it right first time.”

“Where there aren’t levers, we build them; where there are barriers, we bulldoze them.

“If people in charge aren’t up to the job, we replace them with the best and the brightest,” the Health Secretary added.

Top Starmer aide admits Government communications are 'failing' 

Government communications are “failing” because they “operate like it’s the 90s,” Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister Darren Jones has said

“We have a fundamental problem,” he told an event hosted by the Institute for Government think tank.

“Because too many parts of the public blame the state, even on things like the economy – they think it’s the broken state that’s leading to poor living standards – we’ve got an enormous job to do to persuade people that kind of mainstream democratic politics, Government, the institutions of government, are the best way of running the country.

“And unless you get the comms bit right, you’re not going to win that argument. And there are some examples as to why we’re failing in that at the moment. The first is we kind of operate like it’s the 90s.”

Mr Jones continued: “If we don’t get this right, the prospect of Reform and others just slashing government is as big a risk for the Civil Service as it is for us politically and for the country.

“As a consequence of that, I think everyone gets that, and actually you’re going to see a lot of transformation and modernisation this year at quite the pace in how we do government comms.”

Reform's UK support plummets in new poll as defector suggests Nigel Farage could strike Tory deal 

Reform UK’s support has dipped to its lowest level since April last year following a modest recovery for Kemi Badenoch’s Tories.

Following a barnstorming 2025, Reform UK’s support plunged to just 24 per cent in YouGov’s latest poll, just four points ahead of the Tories.

Meanwhile, Labour secured third place on 19 per cent, leaving the Liberal Democrats and Green Party on 16 and 14 per cent respectively.

YouGov also found Mr Farage is behind Mrs Badenoch, Sir Keir Starmer, Sir Ed Davey and Zack Polanski in head-to-head contests.

Tory defector Nadine Dorries responded to the polls by suggesting Mr Farage could strike an “accommodation” deal with Mrs Badenoch.

The former Culture Secretary said: “I just don’t see a day when a General Election arrives, and if there isn’t some accommodation between Reform and the Conservative Party, we end up with a Labour Government.

“I don’t think anybody wants that, nobody wants another Labour Government.”

However, Ms Dorries insisted she does not think there will be a merger between the two right-of-centre parties.

However, Reform UK insists it is not going to do a deal with the Tories.

A Reform UK spokesman said: "We cannot be clearer on this.

"There will be no deals with a Conservative Party that unleashed record mass immigration, trashed the economy, and whose leader Kemi Badenoch was right at the centre of every disastrous decision in Government. The Tories can never be trusted again."

Cooper: 'We will not tolerate Iran-backed threats on UK soil' 

Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper has said scenes in Iran are “consistent” with Tehran’s actions on UK soil.

She told the Commons: “This latest conduct by the Iranian regime is no aberration, it is no outlier.

“Rather, it is all too in keeping with the fundamental nature and track record of this regime, consistent with its previous conduct towards its own people, as we saw during the lethal repression of protesters led by Iranian women following the death in custody of Mahsa Amini at the hands of Iran’s so-called morality police.

“Or consistent with its destabilising actions towards its neighbours in the region, as we have seen in its backing of terrorist and extremist proxies – of Hezbollah, of Hamas, of the Houthis and militia members in Iran and Syria and from Iran’s barrage of missile attacks on Israel.”

Ms Cooper said the scenes were “consistent too with Iran state threats, activities on UK soil, posing danger to dissidents, journalists and the Jewish community here in the UK, with more than 20 potentially lethal Iran-backed plots over the last year alone as tracked through the vital work of the UK security agencies”.

She later added: “We will not tolerate any Iran-backed threats on UK soil.”

Yvette Cooper announces further sanctions against Iran

Yvette Cooper announces further sanctions against Iran to "target finance, energy, transport, software and other significant industries”.

The Foreign Secretary said she previously told leaders in Tehran that it would “take time to fully implement the UK sanctions, and during that window, they should start compliance and engagement with the international community and end the deception and obfuscation”.

Ms Cooper added: “They have not done so.

“Weapons inspectors still have not been given access, and far from changing their approach, we have seen instead a reversion to the most brutal forms of repression on their own streets.

“As a result, I can confirm the UK will bring forward legislation to implement full and further sanctions and sectoral measures.

“The UK has already designated key players in Iran’s oil, energy, nuclear and financial systems.

“Further measures will target finance, energy, transport, software and other significant industries which are advancing Iranian nuclear escalation, and we will work further with the EU and other partners to explore what additional measures might now be needed in response to developments.”

Foreign Office summons Iranian ambassador over country's response to protests

The Foreign Office has summoned the Iranian ambassador over the country’s response to protests against the ruling regime, Yvette Cooper has told the Commons.

She said: "The UK condemns in the strongest of terms the horrendous and brutal killing of Iranian protestors and we demand that the Iranian authorities respect the fundamental rights and freedoms of their citizens."

"Today, as the further reports have come through, the Minister for the Middle East at my instruction has summoned the Iranian ambassador to underline the gravity of this moment and to call Iran to answer for the horrific reports that we are hearing," the Foreign Secretary added.

Yvette Cooper delivers statement in House of Commons on Iran 

Yvette Cooper is delivering a statement in the House of Commons on the situation in Iran.

The Foreign Secretary told MPs: "Horrific reports suggest that potentially thousands of people have been killed and many more arrested in the most brutal and bloody repression against public protest in Iran for at least 13 years.

"On December 28, protests began on the streets of Iran following a plunge in the value of Iran's currency.

"Over the following week the protest grew in scale, intensity and geographic spread.

"Crowds surged onto the streets from major cities to rural towns. Voices, ranging from shop keepers to university students protesting for change.

"Instead, they have been met with the most bloody repression. A total internet shutdown instigated by the Iranian regime from January 8, together with restrictions on phone communications, means that the full facts are not yet clear.

"But I am fearful that the reports that we have seen may underestimate the full scale of the horror as further evidence and testimony reaches the outside world."

Minister admits China 'poses series of threats to national security' but 'also presents opportunities' 

Planning minister Matthew Pennycook has said China “poses a series of threats to UK national security”, but added the country “also presents opportunities”.

Sarah Champion, the Labour MP for Rotherham who chairs the Commons International Development Committee, told the Commons: “Multiple Government agencies and Government departments have raised concerns about this mega-embassy.

“Our international partners have raised concerns about it. Every security briefing I’ve had identifies China as a hostile state to the UK.

“I am in no doubt this mega-embassy should not be allowed to go ahead.”

Ms Champion added: “I want my Government to stand up to bullies, not reward them. We need to be seeing rules, limits, put in place around China to stop this behaviour, not rewarding them with the embassy that they so dearly want.”

Mr Pennycook replied: “We need a consistent position on China which cannot be boiled down to one word.

“We recognise that China poses a series of threats to UK national security and we challenge these robustly. China also presents opportunities to the UK as the world’s second-largest economy and the UK’s third-largest trading partner.

“We will therefore continue to develop a consistent and pragmatic approach to economic engagement without compromising our national security.”

China's proposed London embassy  would give the country 'launch-pad for economic warfare,' says Minister

The Shadow Home Office Minister said a new Chinese embassy in London would give the country "launch-pad for economic warfare" against the UK.

Alice Kearns referenced a report from The Telegraph this morning, detailing how plans for the new embassy include 208 secret rooms and a hidden chamber. It has also been noted that there may be plans to demolish a wall between data cables running through the City of London and the embassy.

Ms Kearns said: "Cables on which our economy is dependent. Cables carrying millions of British people’s emails and financial data, and access that would give the Chinese Communist Party a launch-pad for economic warfare against our nation.

"The Home Office and the Foreign Office say security concerns have been addressed. So I put to the minister, had any minister seen these unredacted plans before the Telegraph uncovered them, and if not, why not?"

She added: "The Government can claim today that they had no idea about these secret rooms, and we will take them at that word. But they cannot now say they have no power to protect us. Protect our economy, protect the British people, deny the Chinese Communist Party their embassy."

 ‘Stop Reform’ plot risks victory for hard-left if Nigel Farage doesn't 'Unite the Right', MP warns

A tactical voting plot to "Stop Reform" could see the "far-left" pull off a shock victory unless Nigel Farage does a deal with Kemi Badenoch, a veteran Tory MP has told GB News.

Andrew Rosindell, who was first elected as the MP for Romford in 2001, suggested failing to ‘Unite the Right’ could also see the UK backtrack on Brexit.

Speaking to GB News, Mr Rosindell pointed out the policy areas that unite Mr Farage and Mrs Badenoch.

He said: “The Conservative Party and Reform are both on the right of British politics and share many common objectives with the shared aims of protecting Britain’s sovereignty, securing our borders, and upholding the traditional British values that make our country strong and great.

“If we allow division on the right, we risk handing power to a coalition of the left that will weaken our nation and totally reverse the progress we’ve made since Brexit.

“Tactical voting by progressive forces of the left involving Labour, Greens, Liberal Democrats, Scottish and Welsh nationalists and even Jeremy Corbyn’s far-left and Islamic independents is a real threat.

“The polls make it clear that cooperation on the right between Conservatives, Unionists and Reform is essential if we are to stop a far-left Government from seizing control of the UK after the next General Election.”

READ THE FULL STORY HERE

Keir Starmer poised for another major U-turn after Labour MP threatened to quit and spark by-election chaos 

Sir Keir Starmer could water down proposals to limit jury trials following a backlash from MPs, peers and senior legal figures, it has been claimed.

Whitehall sources suggest Government officials have been discussing changes in a last-ditch attempt to stave off a bruising defeat in the House of Lords.

Justice Secretary David Lammy is understood to be pushing ahead with the plans in their current form, The Guardian has reported.

The plans currently include establishing a new criminal court where judges will hear cases on their own in an attempt to cut the courts backlog.

READ THE FULL STORY HERE

Sir Ed Davey sets out 'fully costed plan' for NHS 

Sir Ed Davey has revealed the Liberal Democrats plans to "guarantee" GP appointments and invest in hospital and social care to crack down on the number of hospital patients waiting to be discharged.

He told a London press conference: "We put forward a fully costed plan to guarantee everyone a GP appointment within seven days or within 24 hours if it is urgent.

"We campaigned for it at the last election and we are still pressing the Government to adopt it now."

"Today, I am announcing a new plan to invest in hospitals and social care and in supporting family carers," the Lib Dem leader added.

"To help get people out of hospital quickly and help keep them out of hospital safely."

Sir Ed Davey says Labour 'too busy fighting over keys for No10 to fix NHS' and takes swipe at Nigel Farage

Sir Ed Davey said Labour is "too busy fighting over the keys to No10" to fix the NHS as he discussed growing A&E wait times.

The Lib Dem leader said: "We have to offer hope and only the Liberal Democrats can do that.

"Conservatives can't, they caused this crisis in the first place and they have literally nothing to say about it now.

"Sadly, Labour have shown they can't either and now they are too busy fighting over the keys to No10 to fix our NHS.

"And Reform - don't make me laugh. Nigel Farage doesn't care about the NHS.

"He still hasn't mentioned it once in the House of Commons - although he isn't actually there that often so that might be why - but he hasn't said the word 'hospitals' once.

"But we know what he wants to do don't we. We know his plans, even if he is too smart to say it out loud.

"He wants to privatise the NHS. Replace it with an American-style insurance system, a system where every year in the US almost half a million people go bankrupt because of their medical bills.

"That is Trump's America, don't let it become Farage's Britain."

Sir Ed Davey slams A&E wait times as 'national scandal' 

Sir Ed Davey has branded A&E wait times a "national scandal" that "has to end".

He told a press conference in London: "In 2025, more patients waited 12 hours to be admitted than in any year of the pandemic and in any year in the history of our NHS.

"That is a national scandal and it has to end. Because what more stark example could there be of the way things in our country aren't working the way they should than thousands of people lying for hours in corridors in our hospitals, people dying on those trolleys."

"This deadly corridor crisis isn't befitting of the heroic doctors, nurses and other health professionals who work in our NHS, it is not what we expect from our NHS and it is not what we pay our hard-earned money in taxes to fund our NHS for," he added.

Sir Ed Davey says Britons are dying 'every single day' because of 'shocking corridor crisis' in hospitals 

Sir Ed Davey is delivering a news conference on A&E wait times.

The Liberal Democrat leader said: "Every single day people are dying because of the shocking 'corridor crisis' in our hospitals and it didn't used to be like this.

"Not so long ago, ministers talked about four hour waits in A&E."

He added that "not so long ago" the thought of waiting more than 12 hours in A&E was "unthinkable".

Sir Ed pointed to data from November 2015 which showed 29 patients waited more than 12 hours, compared to over 50,000 in November 2025.

Shadow Chancellor will vow to protect OBR and accuse Nigel Farage of seeking to 'play fast and loose' with public finances in speech 

A Tory government would protect the UK’s budget watchdog, shadow chancellor Sir Mel Stride will say, rebuking Nigel Farage’s suggestion Reform UK could scrap the body if elected.

In a speech at the Institute for Government think tank later today, Sir Mel will accuse the Reform leader of seeking to “play fast and loose with the public finances” as he defends the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) as key in preventing chancellors “from marking their own homework”.

Mr Farage earlier this month said he was giving “serious thought” to axing what he called “a Blairite-style quango” that is “dictating policy to elected politicians”.

The shadow chancellor is expected to say: “The OBR has become a vital part of our fiscal framework.

“It prevents chancellors from marking their own homework.

“But their role has been questioned in some quarters.

“It is not hard to see why a politician like Nigel Farage might want to get rid of the OBR when he fought the last election on a manifesto which made £140billion of fantasy unfunded commitments.

“Funnily enough, it is usually those who want to play fast and loose with the public finances who seem to have a problem with the OBR.”

WATCH: Labour MP issues stern warning to businesses using illegal workers that 'next knock at the door might by immigration enforcement' 

Labour MP says Elon Musk is 'ideologically committed to pushing free speech boundaries' amid Ofcom investigation into X

Elon Musk is “ideologically committed to pushing the boundaries of free speech”, a Labour former minister has warned.

Ofcom yesterday launched an investigation into Mr Musk's social media platform X following reports its AI chatbot Grok was being used to create and share undressed images of people and sexualised images of children.

Former transport secretary Louise Haigh told Radio 4’s Today programme: “These issues are a feature, they’re not a bug of Elon Musk’s Twitter.

“Elon Musk is ideologically committed to pushing the boundaries of free speech, and we’ve seen that from his reaction to the threats of the Ofcom investigation.

“He doesn’t believe in the kind of guardrails and safeguarding that the British public would expect online, and he takes a very different approach from AI companies like Google and OpenAI.

“So it’s right that we are really, really tough in our response, and I’m really pleased the Government has taken him on so roundly.”

WATCH: Former Conservative chancellor Nadhim Zahawi was 'begging Kemi Badenoch for peerage', Tories claim

Labour says 'all security implications' of plans for China's mega embassy in London 'have been addressed' as decision expected in days 

The Government has said "all security implications" of the planning application for China's mega embassy in London "have been addressed" as a decision on the proposals is expected in just days.

The long-awaited decision on the controversial embassy was last postponed until January 20.

Sir Keir Starmer is reportedly poised to announce the proposal has finally been approved.

A Government spokesman said: "National security is our first duty and government security experts have been involved throughout the process so far.

“As the Home Office and Foreign Office have previously set out, all the security implications of the planning application have been identified and addressed.

“An independent planning decision will be made by the Secretary of State for Housing Communities and Local Government in due course.”

Peter Mandelson issues 'unequivocal' apology for keeping ties with Jeffrey Epstein 

Lord Peter Mandelson has offered an “unequivocal” apology to the victims of Jeffrey Epstein for keeping ties with the paedophile financier after his conviction.

Over the weekend, the former UK ambassador to the US declined to apologise to Epstein’s victims in his first major broadcast interview since he was sacked.

When he spoke to the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, he apologised for a system which meant Epstein’s victims were not listened to, but not for his own association with the sex offender which continued after his first conviction.

In a statement released on Monday evening to the BBC’s Newsnight, Lord Mandelson offered a more direct apology.

Lord Mandelson told the programme: “Yesterday, I did not want to be held responsible for his (Epstein’s) crimes of which I was ignorant, not indifferent, because of the lies he told me and so many others.

“I was wrong to believe him following his conviction and to continue my association with him afterwards. I apologise unequivocally for doing so to the women and girls who suffered.”

Illegal working crackdown sees raids soar 77 per cent as 50,000 illegal migrants deported from British soil

A crackdown has been launched on illegal working across the country, with the number of raids on premises soaring 77 per cent.

Amid pressure to get to grips with the migrant crisis, the Government has announced it has deported 50,000 people working in the UK illegally since coming to power in 2024.

Accelerated enforcement has lead to the highest level of action on illegal working in British history, with 83 per cent increase in arrests from July 2024 to December 2025.

READ THE FULL STORY HERE

WATCH: Liberal Democrats call for X to be 'suspended in Britain' amid Ofcom investigation 

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