Andy Burnham launches new attack on Keir Starmer after accusing Labour of 'never supporting' him in elections

Former Scottish deputy first minister Jim Wallace dies after surgery complications, family says

Former Scottish deputy first minister Jim Wallace has died after suffering complications as a result of surgery, his family have said.

Lord Wallace, who served as Holyrood’s first ever deputy first minister, was undergoing a procedure at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh today, but died as a result of complications from what was a scheduled major operation.

His wife, Rosie Wallace said: “The family are very shocked by Jim’s death. It was all so sudden. He was still incredibly active in a whole host of areas.”

Kemi Badenoch says PM 'seems incapable of acting in UK's national interest' after No10 leaves door open for future China visit 

Kemi Badenoch has criticised the Prime Minister after No10 left the door open to a future visit to the UK by Chinese President Xi Jinping.

The Conservative party leader said: "Keir Starmer seems incapable of acting in Britain’s national interest.

“We should not roll out the red carpet for a state that conducts daily espionage in our country, flouts international trading rules and aids Putin in his senseless war on Ukraine.

“We need a dialogue with China, we do not need to kowtow to them.”

China to halve tariffs on Scotch whisky after Keir Starmer strikes deal 

Tariffs on Scotch whisky exports to China are to be halved following a deal struck by Sir Keir Starmer.

The PM said whisky distilleries, which he hailed as the “jewel in Scotland’s crown”, would benefit from the move.

As a result of a new deal agreed during the Labour leader’s trip to China, tariffs on Scotch whisky are to be cut from 10 per cent to five per cent – a deal the UK Government said would be worth £250million to the UK’s economy over the next five years.

China is currently the 10th largest market for Scotch whisky by value, with the new deal coming in the wake of an earlier agreement by the UK Government which cut tariffs on sales of Scotch to India.

Sir Keir said: “Our whisky distilleries are the jewel in Scotland’s crown.

“Having already slashed tariffs on whisky exports to India, we’re now doing the same with China – proof that our pragmatic, hard-headed international engagement brings benefits at home.”

No10 leaves door open to future visit to UK by Chinese President Xi Jinping 

Downing Street has left the door open to a future visit to the UK by President Xi Jinping.

No10 did not rule out a visit by the Chinese leader when questioned about the possibility during Sir Keir Starmer’s trip to Beijing.

The Prime Minister’s spokesman underscored the Government’s aim to reset the relationship between the two countries after years of tension.

The official told reporters in Beijing: “I’m not going to get ahead of engagements, future leader visits.

“But I think we’ve been very clear that a constructive and more open relationship with China is in the UK’s national interest and that’s what the Prime Minister will continue to pursue."

Lucy Powell mocks Reform UK by-election candidate in social media post: 'You might go running off to the police again'

Labour deputy leader Lucy Powell has posted a mocking statement to social media in reference to Reform UK by-election candidate Matt Goodwin, saying he "might go running off to the police again".

Mr Goodwin, who has selected by Reform to stand as their candidate in the Gorton and Denton by-election, posted to X: "I just knocked on a door in Denton: 'I’ve lived here 34 years and nobody has ever knocked on my door'.

"This is why I’m standing Labour have taken these areas for granted for decades. Send a message they can’t ignore. Vote Reform UK, Get Starmer Out."

Ms Powell, who is also an MP for Manchester Central, responded to the post saying: "I’ve been out door-knocking too but I won’t post on here what people had to say about you as you might go running off to the police again…"

Mr Goodwin yesterday said Reform had "given formal notice to Greater Manchester Police (GMP) under Section 106 of the Representation of the People Act 1983" after accusing the Labour Party of "selectively editing" a video posted to its official X account.

GMP however said there was "no offence identified".

Labour brands Reform by-election candidate 'snowflake' 

Labour has branded Reform UK by-election candidate Matt Goodwin a "snowflake".

Mr Goodwin, who has been selected by Reform to stand in the Gorton and Denton by-election, yesterday said Nigel Farage's party had "given formal notice to Greater Manchester Police under Section 106 of the Representation of the People Act 1983" after accusing the Labour Party of "selectively editing" a video posted to its official X account.

GMP however said there was "no offence identified".

A force spokesman said: "We can confirm we have received a report and after assessment, informed the complainant there is no offence identified."

Reacting to the police statement, the Labour press office account wrote to X: "Matt Goodwin is a snowflake - pass it on."

Labour under pressure to classify Iran's Revolutionary Guard as terror group 

Sir Keir Starmer is facing mounting pressure to proscribe Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organisation after the European Union moved to blacklist the force over its violent crackdown on anti-government protests.

France threw its support behind the proposal on Wednesday night, following similar calls from Germany, Italy and Spain, clearing the way for a formal EU designation next week.

Kaja Kallas, the EU’s foreign affairs chief, said the move would place the IRGC “on the same footing” as al-Qaeda, Hamas and Islamic State.

“If you act as a terrorist, you should also be treated as terrorists,” she said.

Although the designation is not expected to sever diplomatic relations with Tehran, officials believe it will have significant political repercussions in London.

A source close to the discussions said: “I think the EU’s decision will make it very difficult for the UK to resist.”

Labour had pledged in opposition to ban the IRGC, but in government decided against using existing terrorism legislation after being advised it was poorly suited to organisations that form part of a foreign state.

Canada and Sweden have already proscribed the IRGC, while the United States designated it a terrorist organisation in 2019, adding to the pressure on the UK to follow suit.

Conservatives accuse Labour of taking credit for their polices: 'Inherited from the last Government!'

Nick Timothy, who recently replaced Robert Jenrick as shadow justice secretary, accused the Government of taking credit for new prison places created by the last Conservative government.

He said: “The minister seems to want a medal for letting criminals out of prison early, and what he said about the new prison places created since the election was utter nonsense.

“These places were inherited from the last government. All he and his colleagues are doing is turning up to new prisons to cut the ribbon.

“Millsike, Fosse Way, Welland Oaks – and other prisons he didn’t boast about – were all set up and funded before the minister and I were even elected to this House.

“On the plan for 14,000 new prison places by 2031, he pretends this is some new radical departure, but that number depends entirely on the thousands of places from new prisons and house blocks started under the last government.”

It came as Justice Minister Jake Richards announced the Government had created nearly 3,000 extra prison places since it came into office in July 2024 and is on track to hit its goal of 14,000.

Government insists on commitment to welfare reform amid backdown reports

The Government has insisted it remains committed to reforming the welfare system amid reports the Prime Minister has intervened to stop fresh attempts to reduce the benefits bill.

Sir Keir was said to have vetoed the plans over fears of confrontation with Labour backbenchers.

A major Commons rebellion in July last year forced the Government to U-turn on plans which would have changed the eligibility criteria for the personal independence payment (Pip), a benefit aimed at helping working age people with disabilities to deal with extra living costs.

However, No 10 indicated the Government was still intent on welfare reform.

The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: “Final decisions on the contents of the King’s Speech haven’t been taken yet, but we are getting on with fixing the broken welfare system we inherited in order to get Britain working.

“That includes reforms to Motability and universal credit, and launching the youth guarantee.

“We’ve also commissioned Alan Milburn to look at how we can tackle the number of young people out of work to address the root causes that hold people back, and launched the Timms review co-produced with disabled people and their representative organisations to make sure Pip is fit and fair for the future, and we’ll set out any further legislative plans in due course.”

Waspi women 'right to be angry' at Labour say Conservatives 

Waspi pensioners are understandably angry at the Labour Government, the Conservatives have said.

Shadow Treasury minister Mark Garnier recalled previous pledges of support by Labour MPs in opposition for the Waspi women.

“Before getting into Government, it seemed that Labour MPs did think that an injustice had been done,” he said.

Mr Garnier added: “No wonder therefore that the Waspi women who were promised so much are so angry. The people who used to stand beside them have turned against them. If the Government really believed that these women had faced a great injustice, they would have found a way to compensate them.”

He told MPs: “Isn’t it now just fact that this Government resemble, frankly, a bunch of joy riders pulling handbrake turns in a Tesco car park when they should be a serious party of Government?

“Their backbenchers keep being marched up the hill only to be told to march down again. They even take the whip away from them for having a conscience, only to be told later that ministers are proud to support policies that were only recently sackable offences.

“Does he really think this constant back and forth is fair on Waspi women?”

In response, Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden said: “I remind him we did vote against the acceleration in the rise to the state pension age that was put through by the coalition government.”

He added: “I have repeated the apology given by my predecessor for the maladministration that the ombudsman found.”

Keir Starmer caves in to Labour rebels as he refuses to reform benefits spending 

Keir Starmer has caved to Labour rebels and ruled out reforming Britain’s welfare system.

The Department for Work and Pensions has been told it will not be allocated parliamentary time to introduce any new changes to the benefits system until at least next year.

This would make it increasingly unlikely that any contentious welfare reforms will be implemented before the next general election, currently expected in 2029.

Two major reviews into the welfare state, which ministers hope will eventually curb the rising cost of the benefits bill, are due to report later this year. However, both are expected to require primary legislation to take effect, now unlikely to be forthcoming.

A review into disability benefits, launched after a Labour backbench rebellion derailed plans to make £5 billion in savings, is due to report in the autumn.

Separately, Alan Milburn, the Government’s work tsar, is examining how changes to the benefits system could reduce the number of young people not in employment, education or training.

Another proposal set to be dropped is a plan for so-called “unemployment insurance”, unveiled as part of a package of welfare reforms last March. The scheme would have increased payments for people recently leaving work, while reducing long-term support for some claimants with health conditions.

Downing Street is now drawing up plans for the King’s Speech, due in May, which will set out the Government’s legislative agenda for the next session of Parliament, expected to run until at least mid-2027.

Labour REJECTS compensation package for Waspi women 

The Labour Government has confirmed women born in the 1950s will not be awarded compensation over inequalities resulting from state pension age changes in a blow for the Women Against State Pension Inequality (Waspi) campaign.

Addressing the House of Commons, Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) minister Pat McFadden provided an update to MPs over the payout package, confirming "the Government has came to the same conclusion" in rejecting compensation.

Waspi campaigners have lobbied consecutive Governments for redress following the state pension age equalisation between men and women, which impacted an estimated 3.8 million women.

Many women born in the 1950s argue they were not adequately informed of the changes, which saw the retirement age for women rise from 60 years to in line with men.

READ THE FULL STORY HERE

Keir Starmer secures major travel visa deal with China

Keir Starmer has made a major deal on travel visas with China during his visit to Beijing.

Downing Street announced that visa-free travel to China for UK citizens had now been secured.

"As one of the world's economic powerhouses, businesses have been crying out for ways to grow their footprints in China," the Prime Minister said.

"We'll make it easier for them to do so – including via relaxed visa rules for short-term travel – supporting them to expand abroad, all while boosting growth and jobs at home."

During his trip, Sir Keir and President Xi Jinping discussed how the “huge opportunities” in China could benefit people back in the UK.

The Prime Minister also told the president he was seeking a “more sophisticated” relationship with Beijing.

Andy Burnham opens up on ‘exchange’ with Keir Starmer over by-election block 

Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham has opened up on his “exchange” with Keir Starmer after he was blocked from standing in the Gorton and Denton by-election.

Addressing questions of a rift, Mr Burnham insisted he did not want to “undermine” the Prime Minister’s authority by seeking to stand in a parliamentary by-election.

“I want this to be known as well: I spoke to senior people in the party, including the Home Secretary. We had a really great conversation.

“And I did ask to speak to the Prime Minister, because I wanted to assure him of something I put in the letter that supported my application, and it was that I wasn’t coming in to undermine him or the Government.

“I was coming in to see if I could contribute, because some of the things I know are holding Greater Manchester back are problems at that level,” he told the BBC.

Asked for his thoughts on a conversation he and the PM had on Monday, Mr Burnham said: “It was a fair exchange, but we both said how we how we felt, and I was glad to have that conversation and a chance to say how I felt.

“I would have preferred, obviously, to speak in advance to the decision to assure him of what I was trying to do. As I say, I think it could have created a more positive path for everybody, including the Prime Minister, including the Government.”

Keir Starmer gifts Xi Jinping a football from Arsenal and Manchester United clash 

Keir Starmer gifted Xi Jinping a football used during last weekend’s Premier League fixture between Manchester United and Arsenal.

The Prime Minister is a keen Arsenal fan, while the Chinese president is reportedly an avid supporter of Manchester United, who won Sunday’s match 3-2.

Sir Keir brought the ball from the game to give to Mr Xi as a gift when they met in Beijing on Thursday.

He is seeking warmer ties with Beijing on the trip to China, the first by a UK prime minister since 2018.

Mr Xi referenced four UK football teams during their meeting – Manchester United, Manchester City, Arsenal and Crystal Palace.

During a state visit to the UK in 2015, then-prime minister David Cameron took Mr Xi to visit the training ground of Manchester City.

Alex Norris skewered in GB News grilling as he suggests viewers 'didn't see Rwanda as a deterrent'

Labour border security minister rules out leaving the ECHR in veiled swipe at Reform UK and the Tories 

Alex Norris, Labour’s Border Security and Asylum Minister, has ruled out leaving the ECHR as he blasted such a move as political theatre.

When asked on GB News if he felt leaving the European agreement would bolster Britain’s border security, he said he “disagreed on multiple points”.

Mr Norris warned that breaking with the ECHR would “leave us then scrambling to rewrite our returns agreements that we do have, leaving us having months and, if not longer, spinning our wheels around the implications of it.”

“That's not real action. That's action designed for press releases.

“What we're offering are real solutions to the problem, all of which can be done within our existing human rights responsibilities.”

Both Reform UK and the Conservatives have pledged to leave the ECHR.

WATCH: Matt Vickers slams Keir Starmer on China visit 

Keir Starmer insists he is ‘working with allies’ on Iran following Trump threat

Keir Starmer has insisted he is “working with allies” on Iran after President Donald Trump issued a stark warning to the Islamic Republic.

“The big challenge here is to ensure that Iran doesn’t get a nuclear programme, and we all absolutely agree on that,” the Prime Minister said.

“We’re working with allies to that end, and that is the central focus I’m doing with our allies.”

Asked if Mr Trump’s actions were right, Sir Keir said: “We all agree that ensuring that Iran doesn’t get that nuclear programme is the number one priority, and that’s what we’re working on.”

In his social media post, Mr Trump signalled he wanted Iran to have “No nuclear weapons”.

“Time is running out, it is truly of the essence. As I told Iran once before, make a deal. They didn’t, and there was ‘Operation Midnight Hammer’, a major destruction of Iran.

“The next attack will be far worse. Don’t make that happen again.”

Matt Vickers hits out at Keir Starmer ‘kowtowing’ to China

Deputy Chairman of the Conservative Party Matt Vickers has hit out at Keir Starmer for “kowtowing” to China while speaking with GB News.

The Shadow Policing Minister rubbished the Prime Minister's assurance that pursuing closer ties with Beijing would help address the cost-of-living crisis.

“A lot of the problems that we face in this country were created in down industry, those increases in business rates that jobs tax, the changes to the employment right bill, and what they mean for businesses across the country,” Mr Vickers began.

“This government is not on the side of people who are working hard, who are doing the right thing, who are creating economic growth, creating jobs.

“Going over to China and kowtowing to people who pose a threat to our national security is not the way to solve this country's economic woes.”

Earlier, the Prime Minister said his trip to China was about “opening up access to business opportunities, seizing those opportunities which then get reflected in better businesses, in jobs and price reductions at home, really, really matter.”

Prime Minister lauds relationship with China as being in a ‘good place’ 

Keir Starmer has declared the UK’s relationship with China was in a “good place” while speaking with reporters during his trip to Beijing.

He praised his accord with President Xi Jinping and officials as a “very good, constructive meeting with real outcomes."

The relationship is in a good place, a strong place," the Prime Minister.

When pushed on potential criticism of pursuing such a relationship with China, Sir Keir said: "What I say to everybody here is that, I always act in our national interest.

"I know that, whatever's going on in the world, the most important thing, to the vast majority of people is the cost of living.

"So opening up access to business opportunities, seizing those opportunities which then get reflected in better businesses, in jobs and price reductions at home, really, really matter. And so we made real progress on all of those areas."

Here’s what's happening today in Westminster 

Good morning from all of us on the GB News Politics team. Here's what's driving the day today in Westminster and beyond.

In China, the Prime Minister has been praised by President Xi Jinping for his visit, which he lauded as "imperative" for world peace.

Xi said the UK-China relationship in recent years had seen “twists and turns that did not serve the interests of our countries” as he met Starmer in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. Our reporter Dan McDonald has the story here.

Today on GB News, the Conservatives' Shadow Policing Minister will be speaking this morning.

Later, Alex Norris, Labour’s Border Security and Asylum Minister, will also speak to The People’s Channel.

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