Politics LIVE: Keir Starmer warned 'it's over' as PM urged to U-turn after Donald Trump's Chagos deal slapdown

Former Conservative leader blasts Labour for 'fairy-tale nonsense' over Chagos

Iain Duncan Smith has blasted Labour for speaking "fairy-tale nonsense' over the Chagos deal.

The former Conservative leader said: "I went out there to the US to talk to Congress and members in different areas of Government to try to explain that the Government has not told them the full truth about this terrible arrangement.

"They keep on saying they're going to get all sort of legal attacks on them if they don't do this.

"That is utter ridiculous fairy-tale nonsense. It's a complete lie by the Government."

WATCH: Alicia Kearns says the Tories 'cannot condone what is criminal activity' of Chagossians in their fightback against Labour

Parliament was "misled" when the Government said there were weeks to secure the UK’s Chagos Islands deal, a shadow minister has claimed.

Shadow Safeguarding Minister Alicia Kearns has told broadcasters: "We have been misled, I think, as Parliament, I’m afraid.

"We were told that there were weeks, only weeks for which the base [UK-US military base on Diego Garcia] could continue to operate safely.

"And now many, many months on, we’re now finding out that actually the entire basis on which the Labour Government said they only had weeks to negotiate and get this done was not true."

Liberal Democrats demand Steve Reed and Lord Hermer's pay to be docked over local elections fiasco

The Liberal Democrats will table a motion to dock the pay of Housing Secretary Steve Reed and Attorney General Lord Hermer over the u-turn surrounding postponed local elections.

The party's Shadow Attorney General, Ben Maguire MP said: "Steve Reed’s handling of this May’s crucial local elections has been completely disastrous from the get go.

"Ministers should never have been allowed to deny millions of Brits their democratic right to vote on a whim, and the buck stops with him.

"He should now do the right thing and resign for presiding over this local elections fiasco.

"At the very least, he and Lord Hermer, whose legal advice led to this decision, should pay out of their own pocket instead of asking taxpayers to pick up the tab for the government’s legal costs.

"[The] Liberal Democrats have fought every step of the way to make sure these elections go ahead, and those who stood in the way of democracy should be held accountable."

Yvette Cooper brands British couple’s 10-year sentence in Iran as 'totally unjustifiable' 

The Foreign Secretary has labelled a 10-year jail sentence for a British couple in Iran as "totally unjustifiable."

Lindsay and Craig Foreman were arrested in January 2025 while travelling through the country on an around-the-world motorcycle journey and detained on charges of espionage.

The couple, from East Sussex who are being held in Tehran’s Evin prison, deny the allegations.

Yvette Cooper said: "This sentence is completely appalling and totally unjustifiable. We will pursue this case relentlessly with the Iranian government until we see Craig and Lindsay Foreman safely returned to the UK and reunited with their family.

"In the meantime, their welfare is our priority and we will continue to provide consular assistance to them and their families."

Keir Starmer blasts Reform UK's pledge to scrap Equalities Act as 'shocking'

Sir Keir Starmer has said Suella Braverman's pledge to scrap the Equalities Act is "shocking" as he said the Reform policy is "anti-British".

The Prime Minister said if a future Reform government got rid of the 2010 law it could lead to women being overtly discriminated against.

Sir Keir said it went against British values including tolerance and compassion, adding he "shuddered to think" what women would make of the policy.

On Tuesday, Reform UK’s new equalities spokeswoman Suella Braverman said she would abolish the act which was one of the last key pieces of legislation passed by Gordon Brown’s Labour government more than 15 years ago.

In response to Sir Keir, Reform UK’s new Treasury spokesman Robert Jenrick said he did not think anybody had benefitted from the Act.

Mr Jenrick instead pointed to earlier legislation which has given protection against discrimination on race, and gender.

In an interview with the BBC, Sir Keir said: "Can I just say how shocking it is that Reform are suggesting that we tear up the Equalities Act?

"This is decades of protection and it goes basic values, one of which is, should women be treated equally with men. That is core, that is British, that is something which was fought for, the right for women to be treated equally with men.

"For Reform to say 'no more' it’ll now, under their watch, be alright to go back to the old days where women were not treated equally, I shudder to think what any of the women watching this would think of someone who says I want to rip up the proposition that women should be treated equally with men."

Robert Jenrick is 'just trying to get a headline', says former Shadow Cabinet ally

Alicia Kearns has blasted her former Shadow Cabinet ally Robert Jenrick, accusing the Newark MP of "trying to get a headline."

Reform's newly appointed Shadow Chancellor had suggested that Britain is "broken" and that only Nigel Farage's party can fix it.

When asked if Britain is broken, the Shadow Home Affairs Minister told GB News: "Our country is not broken, the British people represent the most amazing country.

"Yes there are things that need to be fixed...Reform's narrative is consistently talking down our country, talking down our Parliament and talking down our ability to do it.

"We are focused on solutions and solving the problems. I'm not interested in Robert trying to get a headline.

"I'm interested in us doing the hard work as we're doing in Chagos, as we're doing on child cruelty and as we're doing consistently to fix the things that are not working

"I will never accept saying our country is broken. We the British people have not broken it, we're not going to and we're proud of the country we live in."

Senior Conservative blasts Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor's 'appalling and vile relationship with Jeffery Epstein

Alicia Kearns has said Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor should "not be above the law" as she blasted the former Royal's relationship with Jeffery Epstein.

The Shadow Home Affairs Minister told GB News: "No one should be above the law and that is most certainly true of him given his appalling and vile relationship with Epstein and the way he simpered to him.

"All support by the Government should be given to the police, but the issue with enquiries is they take years and they cost so much money.

"In this case we should be able to get to the bottom of it given the vast amount of emails and given the fact police forces are already working on the case.

"The Home Office should declare a specific operation, making sure all police forces are working to the same standards and making sure the British people get the answers they need."

Keir Starmer issues new statement on Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor allegations: 'No one is above the law'

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has issued a new statement on allegations made against Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor this morning, affirming that no individual stands above British law.

When pressed on whether the former prince ought to voluntarily present himself to authorities, Mr Starmer refused to be drawn, stating this was a decision for police to make independently.

The Prime Minister said: "I think that's a matter for the police, they will conduct their own investigations, but one of the core principles in our system is that everybody is equal under the law and nobody is above the law."

READ THE FULL STORY HERE.

Donald Trump is 'absolutely right' to call on UK to abandon Chagos deal, says Iain Duncan Smith

Iain Duncan Smith has praised Donald Trump after the President slapped down the UK's Chagos deal with Mauritius.

The former Conservative leader said: "President Trump is absolutely right to tell Starmer to abandon the terrible Chagos deal with Mauritius.

"[Mr Trump] understands how strategically important the airbase at Diego Garcia is. It is a bad deal that would cost UK taxpayers £34.7billion.

"There was never any legal reason for us to enter into any agreement with Mauritius...none at all.

"The Chagossian people should be allowed to return to their islands as British citizens, with control over their domestic affairs."

We'll be joined by the MP for Chingford and Woodford Green on GB News Breakfast from 9am this morning.

Reform plans to 'flood the zone' in coming weeks

Nigel Farage's Reform UK plans to "flood the zone" in the run up to the local elections.

The party's senior team is set to use rallies, interviews and speeches across the country after their "shadow cabinet" was unveiled, reports The Spectator.

However, the party's moves were criticised by the Conservatives, with one senior Tory saying: "It was a policy-lazy announcement. They’ve dodged the hard work on social policy."

Full timeline of Donald Trump's stance on Chagos

President Donald Trump has changed his stance on the Chagos deal multiple times over the past 12 months.

On February 27, 2025, in a meeting in the Oval Office with Sir Keir Starmer, the President indicated he would be prepared to back the deal, saying: "We're going to have some discussions about that very soon, and I have a feeling it's going to work out very well."

The deal was officially signed by President Trump on April 1.

However, fast forward to January 20 this year when President Trump described it as an "act of great stupidity" in a post on his Truth Social page.

On February 5, President Trump then said he had "very productive discussions" with Sir Keir, adding: "I understand that the deal Prime Minister Starmer has made, according to many, the best he could make."

Yesterday, Wednesday, February 18, the Department of State said it "supports the decision of the United Kingdom to proceed with its agreement with Mauritius concerning the Chagos archipelago."

Nigel Farage: PM must cancel Chagos 'surrender deal' over risk to special relationship

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has called on Sir Keir Starmer to cancel his Chagos handover deal.

Mr Farage said: “Keir Starmer risks alienating our most important ally by giving away the Chagos Islands, the worst deal in British history.

“President Trump is right to say the Prime Minister is making a big mistake. Starmer must cancel this deal.”

READ IN FULL: Donald Trump's Chagos deal slapdown

Donald Trump brutally slap down Sir Keir Starmer over the Prime Minister's Chagos handover deal last night.

In a Truth Social post, Mr Trump said: “I have been telling Prime Minister Keir Starmer, of the United Kingdom, that Leases are no good when it comes to Countries, and that he is making a big mistake by entering a 100 Year Lease with whoever it is that is ‘claiming’ Right, Title, and interest to Diego Garcia, strategically located in the Indian Ocean.”

He added: “Our relationship with the United Kingdom is a strong and powerful one, and it has been for many years, but Prime Minister Starmer is losing control of this important Island by claims of entities never known of before.

“In our opinion, they are fictitious in nature. Should Iran decide not to make a Deal, it may be necessary for the United States to use Diego Garcia, and the Airfield located in Fairford, in order to eradicate a potential attack by a highly unstable and dangerous Regime - an attack that would potentially be made on the United Kingdom, as well as other friendly Countries.”