Politics LIVE: 'I'd do it again!' Grant Shapps defends Afghan gagging order by claiming 'secrecy saved lives'
WATCH: Chris Hope breaks down comments made by Grant Shapps about the Afghan data leak
GB NEWS
Sir Grant Shapps has defended his decision to gag the press over the Afghan data leak under the previous government.
The former Conservative defence minister, who was in post when the superinjunction was imposed, said he would "walk over hot coals to save those lives".
Included in the leak was the details of over 100 Britons, some of which were those who worked as spies and in special forces, were included in the massive data breach that resulted in thousands of Afghans being secretly relocated to the UK.
Shapps, the former MP for Welwyn Hatfield said his focus had been on "sorting out the mess and saving lives."
An injunction over the breach was sought by Shapps' predecessor Sir Ben Wallace, and a wider-ranging superinjunction, which prohibits disclosure not just of the information but of the order itself, was granted when Shapps was in office.
Shapps told the BBC he wanted to err "on the side of extreme caution" over the leak.
He added: "I’d much rather now be in this interview explaining why a superinjunction was required, than being in this interview explaining why I failed to act and people were murdered.
"I would do the same thing all over again. I would walk over hot coals to save those lives."
Asked whether he supported calls from the Intelligence and Security Committee (ISC) for the publication of an intelligence assessment which formed the basis of the superinjunction, he said: "Yes, I would."
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WATCH: Tory MP Danny Kruger calls for 'Christian restoration' as only a handful of MPs turn up to empty Commons
Tory MP Danny Kruger has issued a rallying cry for Britain to have a "new restoration" in a passionate parliamentary plea but only a handful of MPs could be bothered turning up to the House of Commons.
Kruger, the MP for East Wiltshire, set out just how much Christian influence there has been in the House of Commons, including its connection to St Stephen's Chapel.
He also warned that a "deeply dangerous ideology" is posing a huge threat to the West.
John Swinney vows to ramp up pressure on Westminster over second independence referendum
Scottish First Minister John Swinney has pledged to ramp up pressure on Westminster over a potential second independence referendum.
The SNP leader said it was important for supporters of independence backing his party at next year’s Holyrood election over other pro-independence parties such as Alba and the Scottish Greens.
Writing in The National, Swinney said: "I will be saying to those who voted Yes in 2014, and who have become independence supporters in the years since, that what they believed in then is just as valid today.
"They saw that Britain was fundamentally broken, that Westminster couldn’t deliver on their dreams and aspirations, and what they saw has come to pass. And now it is time to do something about it.
"I will also be urging people who were not persuaded of the merits of independence in 2014 to see the state of Britain today and take a different view."
Sir Ed Davey accuses John Healey of misleading Parliament over Afghan leak
Sir Ed Davey has called on Healey to come back before Parliament over the comments
PA
The Liberal Democrats have accused John Healey of misleading Parliament over the Afghan data breach.
It comes as John Healey told MPs in the House of Commons that no serving member of the armed forces had been put at risk by the data loss.
However, it emerged yesterday that over 100 British officials, including members of the special forces and MI6, were compromised in a data breach.
Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey said: "Three days ago John Healey claimed no-one serving in the armed forces was put at risk by the data breach. Today we found out that appears to be false.
"We need to know if any serving members of the armed forces were impacted - and the Defence Secretary must urgently come before Parliament to answer the question of whether he knowingly misled MPs and the public."
Rupert Lowe calls for full abolishment for the asylum system - 'The entire system needs scrapping'
Former Reform UK MP Rupert Lowe has called for the full abolishment of the asylum system.
Writing on social media, the Great Yarmouth MP said: "Abolish the asylum system. Deport those arriving, deport those already here.
"Bespoke agreements with certain countries if we choose to do so, but the entire system needs scrapping. No more asylum seekers."
REVEALED: Keir Starmer tipped to lose his seat in shock election upset
Sir Keir Starmer at his Holborn and St Pancras count
PA
Sir Keir Starmer is tipped to lose his seat to a pro-Gaza candidate at the next general election, according to a new analysis of the polling data.
A survey by Find Out Now just days ago found that Starmer's predecessor Jeremy Corbyn's new party would draw level support with Labour at a General Election.
Fresh projections revealed by Nowcast.EU founder Josh Housden has tipped it to steal the PM's seat of Holborn and St Pancras - which borders Corbyn's Islington North constituency.
At last year's General Election, the pro-Gaza independent candidate Andrew Feinsten came second with 7,312 votes, cutting Starmer's majority lead by over 16,000 votes.
Sir Grant Shapps defends decision to gag press over Afghan data leak
Sir Grant Shapps has defended his decision to keep an unprecedented superinjuction order in place over the Afghan data leak under the previous government, saying he would "walk over hot coals to save those lives".
The former Conservative minister said lifting the superinjunction, which was imposed while he was in post, may have endangered the lives of those whose personal information was released "in error" in February 2022.
He told the BBC: "I’d much rather now be explaining why a superinjunction was required, than being in this interview explaining why I failed to act and people were murdered.
"I would do the same thing all over again. I would walk over hot coals to save those lives."
James Murray says there's no 'silver bullet' to stop the gangs
Treasury secretary and Ealing North MP James Murray
GB NEWS
James Murray has told GB News there is no "silver bullet" to deal with the migration crisis.
The Treasury Secretary was speaking as GB News confirmed that more than 23,000 small boat migrants have crossed the channel this year, as hundreds more make the crossing this morning.
He told GBN Breakfast: "Part of the deal the Prime Minister announced with the French was about having a deterrent about sending people back if the come over on the boat.
"The other part was some of the legislation going through Parliament at the moment to improve our powers by giving the Government counter-terrorism style powers to go after the gangs.
"There is no silver bullet to stopping this overnight but it means we have to work relentlessly on every front."
Claire Coutinho slams ECHR as she calls Afghan data leak 'catastrophic'
Claire Coutinho has said the leak of data relating to Afghan asylum seekers was "absolutely catastrophic" as she took a swipe at the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR).
Appearing on GB News this morning, the shadow Secretary for Energy Security and Net Zero said: "How you could send spreadsheets around with no controls and that kind of sensitive information needs looking at.
"In terms of the ECHR forcing us to take people that is something I really worry about.
"The ECHR has been used to force us to keep people in this country."
Jeremy Hunt fears 'disastrous' Rachel Reeves tax hikes with Britons set to be plunged into 'doom loop'
Rachel Reeves will put taxes at the Budget this Autumn, former Conservative Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has said.
Hunt also said that his biggest mistake when he was in charge of the Treasury was not to be clearer about his determination to cut taxes.
And he said Britons were as concerned about the spiralling welfare budget as the small boats migrant crisis.Asked if Reeves will put up taxes at the Budget.
Hunt told Chopper's Political Podcast: "I fear she will, yes. I think it's going to be a disastrous thing for the economy if she does.
"What many of us are worried about is that we're going to end up in this doom loop of ever higher taxes and ever lower growth. And there are lots of divides in British politics.
"The Conservative Party is the only party that really believes that you have to have lower taxes if you want higher growth.
"Look around the world - America, Asia - all the countries where the economy is going gangbusters are places which have kept their taxes low. Only in Europe, including the UK, sadly, have we gone in the opposite direction.
"Now I know I had to put up taxes after the pandemic. You know, we borrowed £400 billion and that had to be paid for. But I was seeking to get us on a path back to lower tax. And I'm worried that we're now going to go in the opposite direction."