Lisa Nandy lavishes eight minutes of praise on BBC before taking veiled swipe at GB News

David Lammy slammed as 'dangerously out of his depth'

David Lammy has been slammed as 'dangerously out of his depth' by the Shadow Crime Minister Matt Vickers.

The incesned Conservative MP for Stockton West asked: "How are we in a situation where the **Justice Secretary** doesn’t know what’s going on in our prisons?!"

He was hitting out at the Deputy Prime Minister's reticence when addressing the Commons about another prisoner freed accidentally.

"I have been informed this afternoon that HMPSS are investigating a further case of a potential release in error on Nov 3, who may still be at large," he said earlier today.

Lisa Nandy says resignations at the top of the BBC are 'not the answer' to fixing the corporation's problems

Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy agreed that leadership changes at the BBC will not fix all the problems faced by the corporation when pushed by tge Tory front bench.

"I do strongly agree with him that two resignations are not the answer to the challenges that the BBC has faced, not just over the last week, but in recent months. I’ve come to this House too many times to share with the House progress updates on editorial failings.

“I’m pleased that the chairman of the BBC, Dr Samir Shah, has accepted where the institution has made mistakes. I’m pleased that he’s been open with the chair of the Select Committee about that and I’m pleased that he is setting out concrete actions that follow.”

Ms Nandy said that these actions must be swift, robust and transparent.

The Culture Secretary acknowledged “serious concerns and failings” on the part of the BBC Arabic Service, but said: “The World Service is a light on the hill for people in places of darkness and there are many in this in the world at the moment, and this Government strongly supports the World Service and will continue to do so.”

Waspi compensation decision to be RECONSIDERED as undisclosed 'evidence' comes to light

The Government will reconsider its decision not to award compensation to Waspi women after new, undisclosed "evidence" came to light, the Work and Pensions Secretary has said.

Pat McFadden made the announcement while addressing MPs in the House of Commons.

It comes as the Waspi campaign launches a High Court challenge following the Government’s refusal to offer compensation over changes to the state pension age.

Women born in the 1950s are preparing for a crucial legal battle at the High Court next month as they seek to overturn the Government’s refusal to offer financial redress for state pension age changes.

The judicial review, scheduled for December 9 and 10, will see Women Against State Pension Inequality (Waspi) challenge the Department for Work and Pensions’ (DWP) decision to deny compensation to those affected by the rise in retirement age from 60 to 66.

READ THE FULL STORY HERE

David Lammy given a dressing down by Speaker Lindsay Hoyle over 'foolish' rules break

David Lammy has been issued a dressing down by Speaker of the House Sir Lindsay Hoyle.

Following the completion of the Deputy Prime Minister’s address to the Commons, Sir Lindsay said: “Can I just clear something up, and it’s not got to happen.

"First of all, I was told that this Secretary needed 13 minutes. Bear with me - and I said look, you need to ask. The Department said it was 10. It wasn’t 10, it was almost 12 minutes.

“I will work with Secretaries of State but it is 10 minutes. If there needs to be an extension, please ask, don’t keep changing the times. In the end it is unfair on shadow ministers when it goes over.

“Please, stick to the rule of 10. To have this conversation with the Department that it was no longer needed makes your Department took foolish and it’s certainly not going to make me look foolish in the future," the Speaker advised.

Robert Jenrick calls on David Lammy to ‘get a grip or go’

Shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick has quoted his opposite number in Government, David Lammy, and called on him to “get a grip or go” over the nation’s prison crisis.

Addressing the Commons, Mr Jenrick said: “This situation could not be any more serious.

“There has been a ninefold increase in violent offenders accidentally released in the last year... The criminal justice system under his (Mr Lammy’s) watch has been made to look a total mockery.

“The public is being put at risk... In his own words, it's time for him to get a grip or go,” Mr Jenrick said.

Responding, Mr Lammy said that the crisis was one “that we inherited in our prison system and it's worthy of sober reflection” to jeers from the opposite benches.

Continuing, the Deputy Prime Minister said of Mr Jenrick: “He knows that when he was in Government, there were 17 prisoners released in error every month.”

Yesterday, Mr Jenrick said on social media that Mr Lammy "must resign" if he failed to answer questions in the Commons.

David Lammy defends avoiding mistaken release PMQs grilling

The Justice Secretary has also defended his decision not to answer questions about the mistaken release of an inmate at HMP Wandsworth during his stand-in appearance at Prime Minister's Questions last week.

David Lammy told MPs: “As someone who’s served in this House for 25 years, I take my responsibilities to Parliament incredibly seriously.

"The House will recall, I was asked repeatedly whether any asylum seeking offender had been released in error.

“At that time I had been alerted of the release of Ibrahim Kaddour-Cherif from HMP Wandsworth.

“Details about the case were still emerging on Wednesday. Importantly, my officials had not had confirmation about whether or not he was an asylum seeker.”

David Lammy refuses to rule out early release schemes

Justice Secretary David Lammy has refused to rule out early prisoner release schemes in the future.

Following a grilling from Shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick, Mr Lammy said: “Can I just remind the Right Honourable gentleman that just before the general election in July, his Government had three different versions of their early release scheme?

"And we inherited a situation, and he knows it, where prison capacity was completely unsustainable.

“And successive justice secretaries under his government have said that in the past week. We brought forward our early release scheme, it was important to do that to put capacity into the system but it’s the Sentencing Bill that will begin to deal with this issue in a comprehensive way.”

Mr Jenrick replied: “Well, if you strip all that waffle back, he didn’t rule it out, did he?”

Robert Jenrick questions David Lammy over Fuad Awale ruling

Robert Jenrick grilled David Lammy over the case of a killer who was awarded compensation after suffering "severe depression" when he was denied contact with other inmates.

Fuad Awale is serving a life sentence for shooting two men in the head in 2011 in what a judge described as a planned "execution" in Milton Keynes' Fishermead Estate on May 26, 2011.

The Shadow Justice Secretary said: “Fuad Awale is an extremist and double murderer who later took a prison officer hostage and demanded the release of the radical cleric Abu Qatada. He is the definition of evil.

“And yet the Justice Secretary’s department is now set to pay him compensation as his ECHR rights have apparently been infringed because he couldn’t associate with monsters like those who killed Lee Rigby.

"Will the Justice Secretary ensure not a single penny of taxpayers’ money is handed over to this man?

"And if he won’t, and he put our membership of the ECHR above the interests of the British people, will he put his money where his mouth is and pay any so-called compensation himself?”

Mr Lammy replied: “I know that the Rt Hon gentleman is always keen to get headlines but he knows that the consequences of judgments and what then impacts on government and any payments made have been an issue for successive governments for the entire time that he and I have been on the planet.

"He knows that we’re committed to the ECHR, offering asylum to those who are genuinely fleeing torture and execution.

"But he knows too that on the issues I referred to earlier, Article 8 in particular and what we can do domestically and how we can work domestically, we are seeking to do that.

"So this is not the time to start effectively revising decisions that have been made by our courts.

David Lammy will bring forward ECHR reform legislation

David Lammy has confirmed Labour will bring forward legislation to amend the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) so it cannot be used to thwart deportations.

Responding to veteran Tory MP Bob Blackman, the Justice Secretary said: "People are claiming the Article 8 right particularly and using domestic law to thwart removal to their countries, and that’s why it’s important that deal with that domestically and come forward with legislation to deal with that.

"But I do remind him that this Government is deporting more foreign criminals than ever before, over 5,000 just in our first year in office. We are taking this seriously and we’re acting."

Robert Jenrick up to grill David Lammy over prisoners release

Robert Jenrick is up in the Commons to grill David Lammy over recent accidental prisoner releases.

We'll bring you all the updates here.

Nearly 100 prisoners released from jail under Labour by mistake in last six months alone

Almost 100 prisoners were mistakenly freed from jail in six months, new figures show.

A total of 91 inmates were wrongly released between April 1 and October 31, according to the latest Ministry of Justice figures.

Justice Secretary David Lammy is set to face questions from MPs today as pressure mounts over prisoners freed in error after an Algerian sex offender and a fraudster from HMP Wandsworth were accidentally freed, sparking a double manhunt.

READ THE FULL STORY HERE.

Reform UK council approves new council tax despite Nigel Farage dismissing proposals as 'madness'

A Reform UK led-council has announced plans to double council tax on second homes despite party leader Nigel Farage dismissing such policies as "madness" and "extortion."

Under legislation passed by the previous Conservative government, councils in England have had the power to impose council tax premiums of up to 100 per cent on second homes.

At the time, Nigel Farage slammed the plans, telling The Telegraph: "Owning property used to be a right and a freedom. Today it is an excuse for the Government to use extortion."

He later added: "The whole thing is madness. Whatever the downsides of increased house prices, these people bring a lot of money into these areas."

North Northamptonshire Council, which elected a Reform majority in May, plans to double council tax on the 511 second homes in the area from April 2027.

A spokesman from the party said Reform is opposed to the second home premium at national level but not at a local level.

They said: "The Reform UK administration in North Northamptonshire Council is working hard to deliver a balanced budget and address the almost 7,000 property shortfall in homes that they inherited after decades of local and national Conservative mismanagement.

"Whilst at a national level we oppose second home council tax premiums, we accept that local authorities have far fewer levers at their disposal than a national government when it comes to addressing urgent housing shortages."

Labour hits back at 'brass neck' on Chris Philp in swipe at Shadow Home Secretary

Labour has hit back at claims from Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp, who called today's Bell Hotel ruling a "dark day for local democracy."

A Labour source told GB News: "This is some brass neck from Chris Philp

"If he wants to understand why there are so many asylum seekers in hotels, I suggest he casts his mind back to his time in the Home Office. He was the one opening all these hotels.

"Or perhaps he could ask why the Shadow Justice Secretary, Robert Jenrick, bragged about 'ramping up' their use. The Tories opened these hotels. This Labour Government will close them."

Tories slam Bell Hotel decision as 'slap in the face' for locals

The Conservatives said a court ruling that asylum seekers can continue to be housed in the Bell Hotel in Essex was a “slap in the face to the people of Epping."

Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp said: "This is a dark day for local democracy and a slap in the face to the people of Epping. A Labour Government has once again put the rights of illegal immigrants above the rights of British citizens.

"the people of Epping have been silenced in their own town. Their council fought for them, their voices were ignored."

Referring to the Home Office’s intervention in the case, he said "Labour’s lawyers fought tooth and nail to keep this hotel open."

Tim Davie tells BBC staff to stand up to 'enemies' in farewell message

BBC director-general Tim Davie has told staff the corporation has to "stand up for our journalism" in his farewell speech.

He insisted that the broadcaster must command its own narrative, declaring it "will not just be given by our enemies".

Mr Davie resigned alongside BBC News boss Deborah Turness on Sunday amid an ongoing row at the corporation over its impartiality.

READ THE FULL STORY HERE.

Zack Polanski says Keir Starmer 'might not be MP at next election' as he rules out deal with Prime Minister

Zack Polanski said he doesn't think Sir Keir Starmer will be an MP at the next election as he definitively ruled out the Greens making an electoral pact with Labour while he was in charge.

He told Sky News: "We’ve got the two-child benefit cap, the disability cuts, the genocide in Gaza, no, Keir Starmer is not a man I would be willing to work with.

"I don’t think Keir Starmer will be the Prime Minister at the next election, I think it’s another question whether he’ll even be an MP, and so will I work with a future Labour leader?

"Depends who the future Labour leader is."

Keir Starmer takes aim at 'the toxic division of Reform' in brutal swipe at Nigel Farage's party

Sir Keir Starmer said the new political divide in the UK is between Labour’s "patriotic national renewal" and "the toxic division of Reform."

The Prime Minister told an interview with ITV: "Some of the rhetoric we’re hearing, racist rhetoric, divisive rhetoric, that frankly I thought we had dealt with decades ago is returning to politics and it makes people feel very scared.

"We have to stand up to that racism, that division, and we have to proudly say that to be British is to have concern for others, is to be reasonable, is to be tolerant and compassionate, and we’re proud of that."

WATCH: Charlie Peters interviews Nigel Farage along Whitehall before Remembrance Service

Waspi takes DWP to High Court over state pension compensation refusal

Women born in the 1950s are preparing for a crucial legal battle at the High Court next month as they seek to overturn the Government’s refusal to offer financial redress for state pension age changes.

The judicial review, scheduled for December 9 and 10, will see Women Against State Pension Inequality (Waspi) challenge the Department for Work and Pensions’ (DWP) decision to deny compensation to those affected by the rise in retirement age from 60 to 66.

The campaigners argue that inadequate notification of these changes left many women unable to prepare financially for retirement.

READ THE FULL STORY HERE.

Sir Keir Starmer hints two child benefit cap could be axed

Sir Keir Starmer has hinted the two-child benefit cap could be lifted, saying the Government would be taking “a number of measures” to "drive child poverty down."

The Prime Minister’s comments follow Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ signal that she was open to scrapping the limit in her November 26 Budget.

Sir Keir told ITV: "I can tell you in no uncertain terms I’m determined to drive child poverty down. It is what the last Labour government did, and it’s one of the things we were proudest of.

"I am personally determined that is what we are going to do. You won’t have to wait much longer to see what the measures are. Some of them are already in place: the free school meals, the breakfast clubs, free childcare are all part of it.

"But look, we need to do more than that and I can look you in the eye and tell you I am personally committed to driving down child poverty."

Your Party in chaos AGAIN over donation row

Your Party has been plunged into chaos yet again as allies of co-leaders Jeremy Corbyn and Zarah Sultana are arguing publicly over hundreds of thousands of pounds in donations.

Ms Sultana, the MP for Coventry South, offered to transfer £600,000 from a company the party’s founders set up earlier this year, only to be rejected by allies of Mr Corbyn, the Islington North MP.

Allies of the former Labour leader accused Ms Sultana of playing "political games" with supporters’ money.

The row centres around hundreds of thousands of pounds’ worth of donations and fees received by MOU Operations Ltd, a company set up earlier this year while the details of Your Party were being ironed out.

Your Party officials have been seeking a sum of about £800,000 from MOU Operations, even threatening to take legal action against the company over it.

A spokesman for Ms Sultana told The Guardian: "Zarah is working to transfer all funds and data held by MOU Operations Ltd to Your Party.

"As sole director, she is legally responsible for ensuring the company’s costs, liabilities and expenses are settled, and this process may take some time."

They added: "The first £200,000 is scheduled to be sent on November 12. All remaining funds will be transferred once the company’s costs, expenses and liabilities are settled in full."

WATCH: Labour minister says BBC is one of our 'most trusted media organisations'

Reform UK 'split' over two-child benefit cap and Northern Powerhouse Rail 

Senior officials at Reform UK are "split" over the two-child benefit cap and Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR).

Mayors in northern towns and cities have signed an open letter to Chancellor Rachel Reeves calling for the full repeal of the benefit cap and the complete delivery of NPR.

Among the signatories are Reform's Mayor of Hull and East Yorkshire Luke Campbell and Reform's leader of Lancashire Council Stephen Atkinson.

The letter marks a departure from leadership in the party as Nigel Farage said last he was not in favour of a full repeal, instead suggesting he would only lift the cap for UK nationals in families where both parents were in work.

Deputy Leader Richard Tice suggested NPR would be an "even greater train crash" than HS2 as he said a Reform government would scrap the scheme.

A Reform source told The New Statesman: "Our policy would encourage families to work and lift children out of poverty, so the direction of travel in the letter is broadly in line with our proposals, but importantly we would only support lifting the cap for working families."

WATCH: Tim Davie says that he supports everyone in the BBC

Sir John Curtice warns of 'popularity trap' for Reform UK

Polling guru Sir John Curtice has warned Reform UK risks falling into a "popularity trap" despite continuing dominance in polls.

Sir John told GB News: "We are in a world of five-party fragmentation at the moment, so therefore everybody is going to be unpopular because nobody commands the majority of the election or anything close to them."

GB NEWS MEMBERS CAN READ SIR JOHN'S ANALYSIS HERE.

Ed Davey demands BBC remove former Conservative advisor from board

Sir Ed Davey has called on the BBC to remove a former Conservative advisor from its board as the broadcaster remains mired in crisis.

Sir Robbie Gibb, former Downing Street Director of Communications under Theresa May, has served on the BBC's board as a non-executive director since 2021.

Writing in The Guardian, the Liberal Democrat leader said: "To ensure the BBC’s independence, impartiality and trust, Gibb should have no role in appointing the new director general.

"The Government should remove him from the board immediately, and end the practice of political appointments, which so badly undermines the BBC, altogether."

Ministers warned banning Palestine Action could make group more popular

Advisors warned ministers against banning Palestine Action, as they suggested it would make the group more popular.

An official document was written three months before the proscription of the group by officials at the Home Office and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.

The document described Palestine Action as a "small single issue group with lower mainstream media exposure" than other direct action groups such as Just Stop Oil.

It cited a survey finding that 60 per cent of Britons believed Israel had gone too far in the war in Gaza and that a similar number supported a ban on arms shipments, reports The Guardian.

The report said: "In the event that Palestine Action Group is proscribed, their profile may inadvertently be enhanced, finding support among similarly minded members of the public who oppose the British footprint in the Israeli arms industry."

A Home Office spokesman said: "Palestine Action has conducted an escalating campaign involving criminal damage to Britain’s national security infrastructure, intimidation, and alleged violence. That activity puts the safety and security of the public at risk.

"Decisions on proscription are not taken lightly. They are informed by a robust evidence-based process, with contributions from a wide range of experts from across government, the police and the Security Service."

WATCH: Ex-Commander in Chief reacts to accusations that Keir Starmer is undermining the army

Nigel Huddleston blasts Labour over today's unemployment figures

Nigel Huddleston told GB News today's unemployment figures are a "direct and immediate" result of Chancellor Rachel Reeves.

Mr Huddleston, the MP for Droitwich and Evesham, said: "It is indeed sad to see these figures.

"This is my constituent's lives being impacted here. This is a direct and immediate consequence of bad decisions made by Rachel Reeves."

Shadow Culture Secretary says veterans have 'legitimate concerns'

Nigel Huddleston has suggested "we should all be concerned" over Labour's stance on veterans.

Nine four-star generals, who signed an open letter to the Prime Minister to coincide with Armistice Day, warned that soldiers’ trust in the legal system has deteriorated so badly that it now "risks everything."

The Shadow Culture Secretary told GB News: "They've got legitimate concern and we should all be concerned.

"This is all about the consequence of withdrawing the legacy bill, a lot of our veterans feel their Government is not on their side."

Counter-terror scheme 'no longer keeping country safe' 

The Government's flagship counter-terror scheme Prevent is "no longer keeping people safe", according to a damning new review.

A three-year report by the Independent Commission on Counter Terrorism found the Government’s anti-terror programme needed a "radical overhaul", having turned away 90 per cent of people referred since 2015 because they had no obvious ideology.

It follows the inquiry into Southport killer Axel Rudakubana, who was referred to Prevent three times before the attack, but an assessment found there was "no apparent ideology."

Zack Polanski and Jeremy Corbyn blast Rupert Lowe for 'deeply un-British' social media comments

Green Party leader Zack Polanski and Your Party co-leader Jeremy Corbyn have issued a scathing attack on former Reform UK MP Rupert Lowe.

Mr Lowe, the Great Yarmouth MP said: "We need to create such a hostile and unwelcoming environment for illegal migrants that the vast majority deport themselves."

Reacting to the news, Mr Polanski told Left Foot Forward Mr Lowe's comments were: "cruel, nasty and deeply un-British”, adding "The mask is off."

Mr Corbyn, the MP for Islington North, said: "This is an utterly repulsive incitement of hatred. The hostile environment was a shameful period for this country, and it is beyond disgusting that a sitting MP would call for its return.

"We are at a dangerous moment in this country. We need an alternative that will defend the humanity or migrants and refugees, and build an inclusive society for all."

Responding to the comments, Mr Lowe said: "My proposal of an immensely hostile environment for illegal migrants has utterly enraged many on the left who believe more in the human rights of foreign murderers and paedophiles than those of the British people.

"Removing every single illegal migrant is the moral thing to do."

St George’s flags are creating 'no go zones' for National Health Service staff, health leaders warn

Senior health executives have suggested St George's flag displays are deterring workers in the National Health Service from entering certain communities.

Multiple NHS trust leaders have suggested healthcare staff report feeling threatened by the widespread presence of English flags, particularly when conducting home visits for patient care.

Healthcare managers revealed concerning statistics about workplace discrimination, with 45 per cent expressing extreme worry about prejudicial treatment of NHS personnel by patients and members of the public.

READ THE FULL STORY HERE.

Unemployment rises to highest level since Covid

Separate HMRC data showed payroll employment dropped by 32,000 in October, mirroring a revised 32,000 fall in September.

READ THE FULL STORY HERE

Government to toughen sanctions on rogue councillors in bid to 'restore trust'

Tougher sanctions for rule-breaking councillors are necessary to "clean up local politics" and restore public confidence, the Government said as it vowed to press ahead with reforms to strengthen the standards regime.

Under the proposals, councils will be able to suspend members found to have committed gross misconduct for up to six months, withhold allowances and ban individuals from premises.

In its response to a consultation on reforms, the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government said there were "widespread concerns" about inconsistent use of the current rules and a lack of effective sanctions for breaches of councils’ code of conduct.