Britain should 'never' have opened migrant hotels, says Home Secretary 

Britain should “never” have housed asylum seekers in hotels, the Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has said as the first group of migrants moved into a former military barracks in East Sussex.

Some 27 men have been housed at Crowborough training camp, where the Home Office plans to accommodate up to 500 men as it bids to end the use of asylum hotels.

The move has sparked opposition from neighbours of the camp, and the local authority, Wealden District Council, has said it is considering legal action. While visiting the site, Ms Mahmood vowed to defend any legal challenge “vigorously”.

“I understand the strength of feeling, but I do also believe that getting out of asylum hotels is absolutely crucial for the country," Ms Mahmood said during her visit.

“We should never have used asylum hotels to house illegal migrants into this country.”

Reform pledges to 'give it our all' to challenge Andrew Gwynne's seat 

Reform UK have pledged to "give it our all" in challenging Andrew Gwynne's Greater Manchester seat if a by-election is called.

“If the by-election happens, then Reform will throw everything at it.

“It’s a huge ask for anyone to beat Labour in Manchester but we will give it our all," the party promised.

Labour hits out at Reform following Andrew Gwyne's resignation 

The Labour party has reacted to the resignation of Andrew Gwyne Gorton and Denton seat in Greater Manchester with a barb at Reform UK.

“We look forward to local residents in Gorton and Denton soon having the opportunity to get the representation they deserve with a new Labour MP.

“While Reform fill their ranks with more and more Tories who failed the country, people living in Gorton and Denton will soon have the opportunity to elect a local champion and Labour MP who will be relentlessly focused on tackling the cost of living, cutting NHS waiting lists and bringing investment and jobs to the local community," a spokesman said.

Andrew Gwynne confirms he will resign from his Greater Manchester constituency

Suspended Labour MP Andrew Gwynne has confirmed he will stand down from his Gorton and Denton constituency, citing health reasons.

In a post on Facebook, the MP wrote: “It has been the honour of my life to have been an elected representative for almost exactly three decades, representing my home community firstly as a Denton West Councillor on Tameside Council and then in the House of Commons as MP for Denton and Reddish and more recently for Gorton and Denton.

"Over those years I haven’t got everything right and I’ve certainly made mistakes, but I’ve always tried my very best and I have helped tens of thousands of constituents with their issues along the way. Indeed it’s been helping people that’s given me the greatest pleasure in these jobs."

Sir Keir Starmer: 'Andy Burnham is doing an excellent job as Mayor'

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said Andy Burnham was doing an "an excellent job as Mayor" when asked on whether he would support the former MP returning to Parliament.

Speaking to broadcasters about the prospects of a by-election in Gorton & Denton, the Prime Minister said: “It is a very early stage, and the National Executive Committee of the Labour Party will set out the process in the usual way, as it always does for by-elections.

“Andy Burnham is doing an excellent job as Mayor of Manchester. We work very closely together.

“Last year, we were responding together to the terrible attack on a synagogue in Manchester.

“More recently, we were working together on Northern Powerhouse Rail.

“I think Andy would acknowledge that working with this Government has been much better than the experience he had of working with previous governments.”

Andy Burnham speaks out on claims of plan to run as an MP

Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham has claimed he is "in the dark" over suggestions Andrew Gwynne is set to resign as an MP.

However, the 56-year-old did not deny he could stand for parliament in such a scenario.

Asked about a return to Parliament, the Manchester mayor said he was "very focused" on his current role.

Speaking on claims Mr Gwynne will imminently quit the House of Commons, Mr Burnham said: "It’s not been confirmed to me. I’ve had no contact on this issue with Andrew or anyone close to him. I know him of old, of course, but I’m as in the dark about this as anyone.

"People shouldn’t rush to conclusions."

Reform UK says 'establishment is running scared' as Nigel Farage vows to 'fight' in High Court over cancelled elections 

Reform UK said the "establishment is running scared" as Nigel Farage has pledged to "fight" in the High Court over Labour's decision to postpone local elections.

The Clacton MP said: "Today, Keir Starmer has colluded with Labour and Tory councils to cancel 30 council elections on May 7.

"Millions of people’s right to vote has been taken away. Reform UK are fighting this denial of democracy in the High Court."

Keir Starmer and Danish PM to discuss 'vital steps' towards security in Arctic 

Sir Keir Starmer said he and his Danish counterpart would discuss how to “take the vital steps” towards security in the Arctic, as he credited “pragmatism” for Donald Trump’s withdrawal of tariff threats.

Ahead of private talks with Mette Frederiksen at Chequers, the Prime Minister said: “We welcome you here as a friend and close ally of the United Kingdom for a very, very long time, never closer than now.

“Of course a close ally in Europe and in Nato, the single most effective military alliance the world has ever seen.

“We both share the objective of making sure Nato is strong and united. So it’s very good to welcome you here, and obviously we can talk about a number of really important issues today: Greenland, obviously, Ukraine, obviously.

“Our position on Greenland has been set out now a number of times in recent days.

"And in terms of recent developments and the withdrawal of the threat of tariffs, I see that as a reflection of pragmatism, common sense and sticking to our values and our principles.

“The hard yards now finding a better way forward on the issue that we all agree on, which is security in the Arctic, is the next chapter here, and I look forward to discussing with you how we take the vital steps down that path.”

Labour council leader loses no confidence vote over local election delays 

The leader of Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council has been removed from his post following a vote of no confidence.

Councillors passed the motion against Labour Councillor Chris Watkins at an extraordinary council meeting yesterday.

It comes after Councillor Watkins voted to request elections due to be held in May be pushed back.

The now-deputy leader argued it would not be a "prudent use of resources", the BBC reports.

Councillor Watkins has been replaced as council leader by Councillor Steve Hey.

Labour rule book exposes big hurdle Andy Burnham could face if he plans to become MP 

Andy Burnham could face a big hurdle standing in the way of a potential bid for a Westminster seat.

Under the Labour Party 2026 rule book, the Greater Manchester mayor would have to seek express permission by the National Executive Committee before seeking nomination.

The committee is chaired by Shabana Mahmood and lead by Sir Keir Starmer.

The rule book states: "Directly Elected Mayors and Police and Crime Commissioners must seek the express permission of the NEC/SEC/WEC (as applicable) before seeking nomination as Labour candidates for the Westminster Parliament.

"The NEC/SEC/WEC’s decision shall be final."

'Another day of shame for Labour', says Chris Philp as first migrants bussed into army camp 

Chris Philp has branded it "another day of shame" for Labour after it was revealed the first group of migrants were driven into Crowborough Camp in Sussex overnight.

The coach, with a police escort, was driven onto the army camp in persistent rain just before 3.30am.

The shadow home secretary said: "This is another day of shame for the Labour government.

"This site was used to train 6,000 army and RAF cadets each year, as well as for police and fire training.

"They have all now been kicked out to accommodate illegal immigrants instead. Illegal immigrants are costing £4billion a year to house, and they pose a threat to local communities up and down the country."

He added that residents had raised "legitimate objections" to using the site to house asylum seekers which Labour had "overridden" "without hesitation".

“Only the Conservatives have a plan to deal with this. Through our BORDERS plan we will come out of the ECHR and deport all illegal immigrants within a week of arrival," Mr Philp said.

"Then the boats will stop and we will not need to accommodate tens of thousands of illegal immigrants.”

Labour confirms exactly which 29 councils will have elections postponed as full list published

Labour has confirmed that a total of 29 council elections scheduled for May will be postponed.

Ministers asked 63 councils in England last month if they wanted to delay their elections until 2027 so they could bed in a local government shake-up.

The full list of councils who chose to postpone elections includes:

• Adur District Council
• Basildon Borough Council
• Blackburn with Darwen Council
• Burnley Borough Council
• Cannock Chase District Council
• Cheltenham Borough Council
• Chorley Borough Council
• City of Lincoln Council
• Crawley Borough Council
• East Sussex County Council
• Exeter City Council
• Harlow District Council
• Hastings Borough Council
• Hyndburn Borough Council
• Ipswich Borough Council
• Norfolk County Council
• Norwich City Council
• Peterborough City Council
• Preston City Council
• Redditch Borough Council
• Rugby Borough Council
• Stevenage Borough Council
• Suffolk County Council
• Tamworth Borough Council
• Thurrock Council
• Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council
• West Lancashire Borough Council
• West Sussex County Council
• Worthing Borough Council

TIMELINE: The Labour WhatsApp chat that now threatens PM's premiership 

• February 8, 2025
  • Report reveals Andrew Gwynne made offensive comments in a group chat called 'Trigger Me Timbers'.
  • The Gorton & Denton MP wrote: "Dear resident, f**k your bins. I'm re-elected and without your vote. Screw you. PS: Hopefully you'll have croaked it by the all-outs."
• February 9, 2025
  • Sir Keir Starmer sacks and suspends his Health Minister over the comments.
  • Mr Gwynne apologised for his "badly misjudged comments", which also included jokes about ex-Shadow Home Secretary Diane Abbott.
• February 10, 2025
  • Burnley MP Oliver Ryan was also suspended from the Labour Party alongside almost a dozen councillors after also being a member of the WhatsApp group.
  • A group of Tameside councillors resign over the scandal.
• August 15, 2025
• Mr Ryan has the Labour whip reinstated.

What has Andy Burnham said about standing as an MP?

Rumours have repeatedly circulated about Andy Burnham's possible return to Westminster, as well as speculation that he may challenge Sir Keir Starmer to leadership.

The Greater Manchester mayor has repeatedly refused to rule out a tilt at the top job.

Speaking to GB News back in 2024, Mr Burnham said: "I am committed to my third term, absolutely. I’m not planning to head back to Westminster any time soon."

When asked if that would mean he would never head back, the Greater Manchester Mayor laughed.

A recent poll meanwhile found that Mr Burnham had overtaken both Sir Keir and Nigel Farage in the race for the public's approval as the country's preferred prime minister.

When asked by pollsters Ipsos whether Sir Keir would make a better Prime Minister against a host of other top politicians, 36 per cent of voters opted for Mr Burnham compared to 29 per cent for the Labour leader.

Mr Burnham is yet to make comment on Mr Gwynne's potential resignation.

Could Reform win in Gorton & Denton? 

Labour is just three points ahead of Reform UK in the Greater Manchester constituency, Nowcast's polling aggregator map has suggested.

The Green Party also looks set to make any potential by-election a three-horse race, with Zack Polanski's outfit set to end up just six per cent behind.

A slump in support for Sir Keir Starmer's Labour opens the door to a knife-edge contest less than two years on from a thumping 18,000-vote victory for Andrew Gwynne.

WATCH NOW: How ex-Labour MP's potential resignation risks undermining PM's premiership

Who is Andrew Gwynne? The ex-Labour MP set to spark leadership headache for Keir Starmer

Ex-Health Minister Andrew Gwynne might not have been a household name in British politics following Labour's thumping victory in the 2024 General Election.

However, the 51-year-old, who was first elected as the MP for Gorton & Denton in 2005, was sacked by Sir Keir Starmer after being embroiled in a WhatsApp scandal.

Alongside fellow Labour MP Oliver Ryan, Mr Gwynne was involved in a group chat which included a number of offensive messages, called Trigger Me Timbers.

Mr Gwynne wrote that he hoped a pensioner who did not vote Labour would die before the next election.

Mr Gwynne wrote on X in February last year: “I deeply regret my badly misjudged comments and apologise for any offence I’ve caused … I entirely understand the decisions the PM and the party have taken and, while very sad to have been suspended, will support them in any way I can.”

PM reveals he has not spoken to Donald Trump since the US President lifted his tariff threat 

Sir Keir Starmer said he had not spoken to Donald Trump since the US president lifted his tariff threat, but will do so “very soon”.

The Prime Minister told BBC Three Counties Radio: “No I haven’t, and I’ve been here and he’s in Davos.

“But I speak to him very regularly. I spoke to him on Sunday…

“We’ve spoken I think four or five times since Christmas, so I have no doubt I’ll be speaking to him very soon.”

First migrants bussed into army camp in dead of night despite furious local protests 

The first group of migrants has been transported into a Sussex barracks overnight.

The coach, with a police escort, was driven onto the Crowborough Camp in persistent rain just before 3.30am today.

The Home Office has confirmed the site accommodates single adult male illegal migrants who are claiming asylum in the UK in basic, safe accommodation while their claims are being assessed.

The first 27 migrants have been moved into the site which will be scaled up to more than 500, with the Home Office insisting they will only be housed there for up to three months while their asylum claim is processed before being removed from the country if their claim is rejected.

READ THE FULL STORY HERE

Keir Starmer says it was 'a good thing' Donald Trump rowed back on tariff threats over Greenland 

Sir Keir Starmer has said it was "a good thing" that Donald Trump rowed back on his threats to slap tariffs on the UK and Nato allies who opposed his ambitions to annex Greenland.

The US President had threatened eight Nato countries, including the UK, with new 10 per cent tariffs as a result of their opposition to his ambitions for the mineral-rich territory.

Following a “very productive meeting” with Nato secretary general Mark Rutte on the fringes of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Mr Trump yesterday suggested he had now reconsidered.

Speaking to local residents in a Hertfordshire village hall, the Prime Minister said: “I think you will have noticed that the last few days have been incredibly serious in relation to big things happening on the world stage.

“And you may have seen but it is a good thing that yesterday, the threat of tariffs against the United Kingdom was lifted and now we can start hard yards and finding a way forward on security in the Arctic, which may seem a long way away, pretty remote, but actually it does matter to all of us in terms of the safety and security of our country.

“And we’ve got through the last few days with a mix of British pragmatism, common sense, but also that British sense of sticking to our values and our principles.

“But now, as I say, the hard yards of actually finding a better way for security for our country, for Europe and across the globe.”

'Another U-turn Keir?': Kemi Badenoch urges 'action' on proposed under-16s social media ban 

Kemi Badenoch has questioned if the Prime Minister will display "another U-tun" after a social media ban for under-16s was backed by the House of Lords.

The Conservative leader said: "Labour voted against the Conservative amendment, but it was backed by everyone else and is a huge win for Laura Trott MP and Lord Nash.

"But this is only the first step. Let’s see what happens in the commons. Another U-turn, Keir? The country is demanding action, not more dither and delay.

"Our approach isn’t about party politics but restoring common sense, helping parents protect their children and fixing the flaws in the Online Safety Act. If you agree, sign our petition."

Treasury minister insists Labour is 'stabilising the economy' as figures show Government borrowing has fallen - but remains one of the highest months on record 

Chief Secretary to the Treasury James Murray said the Government was “reducing borrowing” and "stabilising the economy" after official figures showed tax receipts outweighed a rise in public sector spending last month.

He said: “Last year we doubled our headroom and we are forecast to cut borrowing more than any other G7 country with borrowing set to be the lowest this year since before the pandemic.

“It cannot be right that £1 in every £10 we spend goes on debt interest – which could be better spent on our nurses, police officers and teachers – that’s why we’re tackling it.

“We are stabilising the economy, reducing borrowing, rooting out waste in the public sector and making sure that public services deliver value for taxpayers’ money.”

READ MORE HERE

Keir Starmer risks new explosive row with Donald Trump after Labour snubs President's board of Peace signing ceremony 

Labour has announced it will not take part in President Donald Trump's signing ceremony for the Board of Peace in Gaza.

Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said the UK will not be participating given "concerns about President Putin being part of something which is talking about peace".

She told BBC News: "We won't be one of the signatories today, because this is about a legal treaty that raises much broader issues."

Chancellor Friedrich Merz will also not be in attendance, with a spokesman for the German Government saying: "We are examining this proposal and will certainly respond accordingly in due course."

READ THE FULL STORY HERE

WATCH: Sir Mel Stride labels Chagos Islands deal 'madness' and says Labour 'well-versed' on U-turns

Government borrowing fell to £11bn in December - but still 10th highest month since records began 

UK Government borrowing fell sharply to £11.6billion in December as a spike in tax receipts and national insurance more than outweighed an uptick in spending, official figures show.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said borrowing was £7.1billion, or 38 per cent, less than the same month in 2024.

It also came in below the £13million that most economists had been forecasting.

Nevertheless, the ONS said the December borrowing figure represented the 10th highest for the month since records began in 1993, though not adjusted for inflation.

The figure represents the difference between what the Government spends on the public sector and what it makes from taxes and other income, therefore requiring it to borrow money or creating a surplus of cash.

Yvette Cooper says she hoped 'we are now in a much better place' on Greenland deal 

Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said she hoped “we are now in a much better place” to focus on collective Arctic security after US President Donald Trump said he had formed “the framework of a future deal” regarding Greenland with Nato Secretary-General Mark Rutte.

Ms Cooper told Sky News: "We’ve been unwavering in our principles and calm and very co-ordinated with our allies in pursuing the UK’s national interests.

"I hope this now means we are in a much better place to actually focus on what the real issues should be, which is our collective Arctic security, how Nato countries work together, respecting sovereignty, respecting our shared collective security in the face of shared threats, particularly from Russia."

Conservative Party risks only being relevant to 'posh suburbs', says Robert Jenrick 

The Conservative Party is no longer a national party and risks only being relevant to “posh suburbs”, Robert Jenrick has claimed.

The Tory defector to Reform UK also said in an interview with the Spectator magazine that his decision was in part inspired by a discussion with his father, to whom he revealed he would rather see Nigel Farage as prime minister than Kemi Badenoch.

The ex-shadow justice secretary defected to Reform last Thursday, describing Britain as “broken” and blaming the Tories and Labour for the country’s troubles.

His exit came after Mrs Badenoch sacked him from her frontbench and accused him of plotting to leave in a way intended to cause as much harm as possible to the Tories.

“It’s a party reconciling itself to being relevant only in the posh suburbs and fancy parts of our big cities. Kensington and Wimbledon, not Newark and Wolverhampton,” Mr Jenrick told the Spectator.

The Newark MP added: “That’s not the people I came into politics to represent, the people I grew up around or the people that I know in north Nottinghamshire. It’s not a national party at all.”

IN-DEPTH: How devastating 'stealth tax' risks RECORD church closures with Britain's historic places of worship at risk

Just two weeks ago, GB News revealed how Britain's holy places of worship face a new peril from Rachel Reeves - the now-scrapped Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme.

There were concerns that the Treasury could permanently end the scheme at the time.

The National Churches Trust (NCT) is still spearheading a campaign to keep churches open across the UK - and its head of public policy and affairs, Ben Sims, revealed just how badly they were faring.

"Churches have been able to rely on the scheme since 2001 and every Government until now had believed it is important to refund the VAT on churches because of all the charity work they do," he told GB News.

"We know there are certain churches that have been doing very big projects and when they found out they could only claim £25,000 this year have actually cancelled their projects.

"There are about 200 churches which are going to be affected by the cap this year."

Beyond serving as a place of worship, many churches operate food banks, serve as warm spaces and run groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous and toddler groups.

Mr Sims said a spike in church closures could have a "knock-on effect" on the National Health Service, claiming they save the taxpayer £8.5billion each year.

READ THE FULL STORY HERE

RECAP: Keir Starmer to visit CHINA just days after approving 'spy hub' embassy - 'Desperate to kowtow!'

Sir Keir Starmer is set to visit Beijing next week - just days after Labour green-lit China's mega-embassy in central London.

The PM is expected to head east in a bid to revive a "golden era" of relations, which tailed off after a series of Chinese espionage, technology, and influence operations, alongside disagreements on human rights.

The visit was largely contingent on approval for the embassy, and after it was given the go-ahead, talks between the two countries "begun in earnest", Reuters revealed.

It emerged on Wednesday that five UK allies - the US, the Netherlands, Sweden, New Zealand and Switzerland - had all raised fears about the site, and urged No10 not to "open Pandora's Box".

Labour has now been accused of "kowtowing" over the visit by senior Tories, though Sir Keir will not even get the chance to meet President Xi Jinping - instead, he is set to shake hands with second-in-command Li Qiang.

Sources said Donald Trump's threats to acquire Greenland could derail the trip, and cautioned that elements of the visit were still being finalised.

But things may now be more settled after the President struck a "draft framework agreement" with Nato, which may see a number of US military bases set up in the Arctic.

The British embassy in Beijing said the PM's travel arrangements would be announced in the usual way.

Kemi Badenoch calls emergency Tory assembly after Robert Jenrick defection

Last night Kemi Badenoch brought together the 1922 Committee, the assembly of all Tory MPs, for its first meeting since Robert Jenrick and Andrew Rosindell defected.

She told her party how it had lost Mr Jenrick to Reform UK “not on ideology, but personal ambition”.

Mrs Badenoch went on to challenge some Reform’s narrative about the defections from her party - and raged at Nigel Farage’s vow that his party represented the “genuine centre-right of this country”.

“We are not moving leftwards, we are the party of the right and will always be a party of the right,” she declared.

Tories launch major attack on PM after details of China visit emerge

Responding to reports of a potential visit to China, Shadow Foreign Secretary Dame Priti Patel said: "Having surrendered to China over their plan for a spy hub super-embassy in the heart of our capital, Keir Starmer is now getting ready to jet off to Beijing and toast it all with Xi Jinping.

"Meanwhile Labour are handing British sovereign territory and £35billion of taxpayers' money to Mauritius, an ally of China, despite the clear threat to national security.

"When he is in Beijing, Starmer must not make any further concessions to the Chinese Communist Party.

"Labour are desperate to kowtow to Beijing in the hope of winning some crumbs of investment into the tanking economy they are presiding over.

"Only the Conservatives can be trusted to put Britain first."

Sir Keir is pushing to revive a business dialogue forum known as the "UK-China CEO Council" that was established by none other than the Conservatives in 2018, with Theresa May being the last British PM to visit the country.

Writing in The Telegraph earlier this week, Shadow National Security Minister accused the PM of green-lighting the embassy "in return for a vanity visit later this month".

"It is an open secret in Westminster that Keir Starmer is planning on visiting Beijing within weeks. It is also widely understood this visit is contingent on the embassy being approved beforehand," she said.

"This is little more than diplomatic blackmail. What message does this send?"