'We couldn't do it!' Top Tory claims Brexit hindered returning asylum seekers in damning leaked recording

Bradford rape gangs scandal 'left 72,000 children at risk', warns report

Safeguarding Minister Jess Phillips has been warned that more than 72,000 children may have been at risk of child sexual exploitation across Bradford.

The alarming figure was presented during a meeting at the Home Office yesterday.

Keighley and Ilkley MP Robbie Moore and solicitor David Greenwood delivered a dossier highlighting the potential scale of abuse spanning from 1996 to the present day.

READ THE FULL STORY HERE.

Creative workers facing 'apocalyptic moment' over AI bill

Creative industry workers feel they are facing a “kind-of apocalyptic moment”, a technology minister said as he insisted the Government wants to address concerns over artificial intelligence (AI) developers.

Sir Chris Bryant, who is also a culture minister, acknowledged the fears of artists, musicians and others as the Government resisted calls by peers to amend the Data (Use and Access) Bill to include greater protections.

The House of Lords supported an amendment designed to ensure copyright holders would have to give permission over whether their work was used, and in turn, see what aspects had been taken, by who and when.

Labour accused of flouting parliamentary convention by announcing policy to the media

Sir Keir Starmer's Labour party has been accused of flouting parliamentary convention by briefing media outlets on policy before announcing it to fellow MPs.

In an urgent question, SNP MP Kirsty Blackman said "there is little point in having a ministerial code" if it continues to be ignored by the Government.

It comes after the Speaker of the House of Commons berated trade minister Douglas Alexander last week for suggesting a statement on the UK-US trade deal should be delayed

Blackman, the MP for Aberdeen North said: "Over recent times, we have seen an increasing trend of Government failing to make statements to the House first, despite there being no barrier to them doing so.

"Thursday last week was a mess, with the Minister of State for business and trade trying to withdraw the statement on the UK-US trade agreement, despite members waiting in here for seven hours for the statement to materialise."

WATCH: Brexit fishing row erupts as Labour accused of ‘codswallop’ with EU reset

Reform UK's fisheries spokeswoman June Mummery has launched a scathing attack on both Labour and Conservative governments over their handling of fishing rights post-Brexit.

The former Brexit Party MEP expressed her disgust at reports that Sir Keir Starmer is preparing to grant EU fishing boats access to British waters as part of his EU reset.

READ THE FULL STORY HERE.

Jails to be full in just MONTHS as Labour announces plans to let prisoners go free

Labour has said that male prisons are currently running at 99 per cent capacity and there will be "no spare cells" by November if nothing is done.

Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood gave a Downing Street briefing "to set out the scale of the crisis" facing the prison service.

Director General Chief Executive at the service Amy Rees said the main problem is prisoners being recalled back to prison, adding that this has risen astronomically since the 1990s.

She said: "The total prison population is 88,087 and the adult male estate is operating at approximately 99 per cent of its capacity every year. On our current trajectory, the prison population rises by 3,000, and now we expect to hit zero capacity, to entirely run out of prison places for adult men, in November of this year."

Prison Officers Association boss says building new prisons will 'not improve the current population crisis'

The chairman of the Prison Officers Association Mark Fairhurst said the construction of new prisons "will not improve" the overcrowding situation.

He said: T"he Government would be better off spending billions of taxpayers’ money on modernising the prison estate, funding an under-resourced probation service, providing more secure mental health beds and ensuring we have robust community sentences that the public have confidence in.

"Building new prisons will take years and will not improve the current population crisis.

"If new prisons are to be built, I hope the Labour Party’s commitment to the biggest insourcing in a generation is applied and the new build prisons remain in the public sector."

Three SHOCK graphs explain why Keir Starmer is panicking as Labour ploughs MILLIONS into stopping Reform

A new set of graphs has revealed Keir Starmer's panic as Labour ploughs MILLIONS into stopping Reform.

The new YouGov polling comes after Reform blitzed the local council elections earlier this month, taking control of 10 local councils, winning two mayoral races, and adding a fifth MP to its ranks.

Of the almost 200 council seats Labour lost to other parties, Reform picked up just over 150, with double-digit gains in Durham, Doncaster, Lancashire, North Northamptonshire and Northumberland.

GB NEWS MEMBERS CAN READ THE FULL ANALYSIS HERE.

Robert Jenrick says Labour has 'chosen to put the public at risk'

Shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick has said Labour has "chosen to put the public at risk" and is "siding with criminals."

In a scathing post on social media: "Under Shabana Mahmood, the court backlog has grown and the remand population in prison has risen.

"She refused to take the judiciary up on their offer of extra court sitting days.

"In two weeks’ time Labour even look set to scrap prison sentences for all but the most serious crimes.

"The only people benefiting from this Labour Government are illegal migrants and hardened criminals."

Keir Starmer says humanitarian situation in Gaza is 'intolerable and getting worse'

The Prime Minister has said the humanitarian crisis in Gaza is "intolerable and getting worse" as a Foreign Office minister admitted the Government has not done enough in response.

Israel’s offensive in Gaza has killed more than 52,800 Palestinians, many of them women and children, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which does not say how many of the dead were combatants or civilians.

Much of the enclave has been decimated with Israel limiting food and aid coming into Gaza.

During PMQs Liberal Democrats leader Sir Ed Davey urged Sir Keir to "pick up the phone to President Trump for a joint plan to recognise Palestine and get food, water and medicine into Gaza."

Starmer replied that "the situation in Gaza is simply intolerable and getting worse."

The Prime Minister added: "We are working with other leaders urgently to bring about rapid and unimpeded flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza which is desperately needed."

WATCH: Lee Anderson says 'big name' Tories are lining up to join Reform UK 

Reform UK MP Lee Anderson has told GB News that he has "big name" Conservatives that have approached him with interest in joining Nigel Farage's party.

Around 1,400 prison places to be freed under proposals says Mahmood 

The fixed-term recall measures announced on Wednesday are expected to free up around 1,400 prison places, Shabana Mahmood said.

Asked how many people would be released as a result of the measures, the Justice Secretary said: "So under the fixed-term recall measures that I’m announcing today, we believe they will create around 1,400 prison places.

"We believe that that number will allow us to get from November into spring of next year, as you will have seen on the slides earlier, we are on track to hit zero capacity within our prison estate by November, and this measure will tide us over until any changes from the sentencing review start to hit the system.

"And I understand the concerns of victims groups and others, the very worst thing that could happen is that we hit zero in November, and as Amy and I have both described at that point, you see the breakdown of law and order in this country.

"If we hit zero in November, then police cannot make arrests, courts cannot hold trials, and the whole system then collapses. So we cannot allow that to happen, and it is my job to make sure that that does not happen."

Prisons to be full in just MONTHS admits Labour as plans outlined to cut release dates

The Government will bring forward legislation meaning offenders serving sentences between one and four years can only be returned to prison for a fixed 28-day period.

Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood said: "Today, I am announcing a measure that will target the recall population, which has more than doubled in seven years.

"We will bring legislation in the coming weeks that means those serving sentences of between one and four years can only be returned to prison for a fixed 28-day period.

"Some offenders will be excluded from this measure, including any offender who has been recalled for committing a serious further offence.

"We also will exclude those who are subject to higher levels of risk management by multiple agencies where the police, prisons and probation services work together."

David Lammy and his wife 'victims of theft' after taxi driver 'steals' luggage and passports amid row over £600 fare

Foreign Secretary David Lammy and a taxi driver are locked in a bitter dispute over a €700 (£588) fare for a journey from Italy to France.

The driver claims Lammy and his wife refused to pay after being driven from Forli, near Bologna in northeast Italy, to a French ski resort.

The Foreign Secretary "totally refutes" the cabbie's allegations, his department said - with both parties now filing legal complaints against each other...

READ THE FULL STORY HERE

Justice Secretary to give emergency briefing on prisons crisis as jails reach 99% capacity

Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood is set to give an urgent briefing on the prisons crisis today as jails across the land reach 99 per cent capacity.

Mahmood will be speaking from Downing Street at around 3.30pm to address the chaos - with fewer than 1,000 spare spaces available nationwide.

She will address "the scale of the crisis we are facing in our prisons and why the Government must act to keep the public safe".

It follows reports that prisoners are set to be released after serving just one third of their sentences as part of plans to combat the overcrowding.

And Justice Minister Sir Nicholas Dakin has warned that full prisons are causing increased violence to prison officers, including recent incidents involving Manchester Arena plotter Hashem Abedi and Southport child murderer Axel Rudakubana.

WATCH IN FULL: Nigel Farage declares Reform UK are 'alive and kicking' following Labour's migration announcement

Kemi Badenoch urged to return to the Commons and correct the record after 'completely incorrect' unemployment claims

Just as MPs were leaving the floor after PMQs, Labour MP Jake Richards rose to launch a point of order in Kemi Badenoch's direction.

Earlier, Badenoch had said that unemployment had risen 10 per cent since the General Election - but the ONS said it had risen 0.2 percentage points from 4.3 to 4.5 per cent since last July.

Richards said the 10 per cent figure was "completely and utterly incorrect" - and blasted: "It's no wonder that George Osborne, former Conservative Chancellor, says she's got no economic plan if she can't even get basic statistics right.

"Will she return to the House and correct the record?"

'Is there any belief he holds for more than a week?' Starmer's migration U-turns blasted by Plaid - but PM delivers scathing response

Plaid Cymru MP Liz Saville-Roberts said: "This Prime Minister once spoke of compassion and dignity for migrants and for defending free free movement. Now he talks of islands of strangers and taking back control.

"Somebody here has to call this out. It seems the only principle he consistently defends is whichever he last heard in a focus group.

"Is there any belief he holds which survives a week in Downing Street?"

Starmer then blasted: "Yes, the belief that she talks rubbish. I want to lead a country where we pull together and walk into the future as neighbours and as communities, not as strangers.

"The loss of control of migration by the last Government put all of that at risk - and that is why we are fixing the system based on principles of control, selection and fairness," he added.

Keir Starmer and Nigel Farage go head-to-head as Reform boss labels Channel crossings 'national security emergency'

Sir Keir Starmer has clashed with Nigel Farage on Channel crossings following Labour's Immigration White Paper announcements on Monday.

Farage, responding to Starmer's attacks on the "dead" Tories, said Reform UK was "alive and kicking".

"I enjoyed your speech on Monday," Farage said - but called on the Prime Minister to go "further as a matter of national security".

"Over the weekend, an illegal immigrant from Iran, thought to have arrived on a small boat, was arrested on terror charges... Since his speech, 1,000 young males have crossed the Channel.

"Is now the time to declare the Channel situation a national security emergency?"

Starmer replied with an attack on the Tories, accusing them of "losing control" of Britain's borders, and talking up Labour's Border Security Bill.

"The Bill is the first to give terror powers to law enforcement... It's the most far-reaching provision ever for law enforcement to secure our borders.

"It's extraordinary, then, that [Nigel Farage] voted against it!"

Keir Starmer now labels Tories 'a dead party walking' after Badenoch blasts Labour's employment plans

Sir Keir Starmer has labelled the Conservatives a "dead party walking" after Kemi Badenoch attacked Labour's looming workers' rights reforms.

Badenoch had said unemployment levels are only going to "get worse" under Labour - and warned that leading business groups had said the party's reforms would be "deeply damaging to growth".

"Does the Prime Minister accept that they are right or does he believe that he knows better than business?" she said.

Starmer replied: "It's the same old Tories. Every time better rights for workers are on the table they vote against them."

Badenoch then told Starmer to "admit that Labour isn't working" - sparking a furious response.

After he earlier declared the Tories were a "once-great political party sliding into brain-dead oblivion", the Prime Minister went on to declare them a "dead party walking".

'Shame on him!' Keir Starmer unleashes brutal attack on Nigel Farage

Sir Keir Starmer has unleashed a scathing attack against Nigel Farage for saying that Jaguar Land Rover "deserves to go bust".

The Prime Minister had said he knew "first-hand" what a trade deal meant for JLR workers, families and the community - but attacked Kemi Badenoch for "saying she's going to rip it up".

Then, he turned his fire on Farage.

"The Reform leader... What did he say about JLR? He said JLR deserves to go bust! Shame on him!" Starmer blasted as an incredulous Farage looked on.

Kemi Badenoch: Starmer house fire 'an attack on all democracy'

Kemi Badenoch has described a series of fires at Sir Keir Starmer's properties an "attack on all democracy".

The Tory leader expressed her concern at the three blazes - currently being probed by counter-terror police - and labelled them "an attack on all of us... an attack on all democracy".

Starmer agreed with her words - and thanked her for sending him "a very kind message" shortly after news of the fires came to light.

PMQs underway - as British Overseas Territories look on

PMQs has just begun - and Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle has just mentioned that his counterparts from British Overseas Territories, including Gibraltar and the Falkland Islands, are in the gallery in the Commons...

Kemi Badenoch hints at potential PMQs attack line as Commons gathers for midday session

Kemi Badenoch has laid into this morning's news that Labour are planning to reduce early release times to a third of prison sentences for offenders - just minutes before PMQs gets underway.

The Tory leader said: "Labour is about to unleash a wave of criminals onto our streets.

"This reckless push to clear out prison cells will deny victims justice, undermine faith in the justice system, and put public safety at risk. This isn't justice - it's a licence to terrorise communities."

Rupert Lowe hints at launching new political party to challenge 'rotten' Reform UK

Rupert Lowe has hinted he could launch a political party to rival Reform UK - branding his former party "rotten".

The independent MP has urged voters to turn their backs on his former party and said there will be alternative option "very soon".

But what did he say?

READ THE FULL STORY HERE

Rupert Lowe will not face criminal charges after CPS review into Reform UK complaint over alleged threats

Suspended Reform UK MP will not face any charges after being accused of making threats by his party's leadership, the CPS has said.

A statement from the CPS's Special Crime Division chief Malcolm McHaffie reads: "Following a thorough and detailed review of the evidence in relation to an allegation of threats, we have decided that no criminal charges should be brought against a sitting MP.

"Having considered a number of witness statements, we have concluded that there is insufficient evidence to provide a realistic prospect of conviction...

READ THE FULL STORY HERE

RECAP: Keir Starmer launches 'mission critical' campaign to halt Labour 'wipeout' at hands of Nigel Farage

Sir Keir Starmer is kicking off a multi-million-pound "mission critical" campaign to halt a Reform UK-led Labour "wipeout" in the party's traditional heartlands.

Both No10 and Angela Rayner's Ministry of Housing have compiled a "plan for neighbourhoods" in communities in Reform-voting regions across the Red Wall - which is set to invest in regenerating council estates and public spaces in a bid to stave off "visible decline".

The campaign is based on the findings of the Independent Commission on Neighbourhoods (Icon), which has warned that some 600 areas in England are lagging behind Labour's five "missions" for power.

A series of Red Wall Labour MPs have put their weight behind the plans - and have all issued warnings over the growing threat of Reform as a driving factor in getting them over the line.

"What we saw in Runcorn is a reminder that shifts in support across the Red Wall are possible. Visible decline is pushing people towards alternatives like Reform," Leigh & Atherton MP Jo Platt told The Times.

Rother Valley MP Jake Richards added: "Governments of different colours have not done enough, and now social and economic decay is driving voters to Farage.

"We need a major investment programme in deprived neighbourhoods to get tough on the causes of Reform."

And North Durham's Luke Akehurst warned: "To avoid further electoral wipeouts, we need to make tangible changes in communities ahead of the General Election."

READ IN FULL: List of MPs set to probe Keir Starmer at PMQs

Nigel Farage will be asking a question to Sir Keir Starmer at PMQs this afternoon.

He joins 14 other MPs in probing the Prime Minister in Parliament - the full list is below.

1. Lorraine Beavers (Labour)
2. Rachel Taylor (Labour)
3. Lloyd Hatton (Labour)
4. Jonathan Brash (Labour)
5. Sarah Smith (Labour)
6. Amanda Martin (Labour)
7. Wendy Morton (Conservative)
8. Nigel Farage (Reform UK)
9. Fred Thomas (Labour)
10. Andrew Snowden (Conservative)
11. John Lamont (Conservative)
12. Jake Richards (Labour)
13. Melanie Onn (Labour)
14. Nesil Caliskan (Labour)
15. Bobby Dean (Liberal Democrat)

Keir Starmer faces transatlantic fury over Donald Trump relationship - 'Not impressed!'

Sir Keir Starmer has been left facing fury from both sides of the Atlantic after committing to a tariff deal with Donald Trump and offering him a second state visit.

After signing off on a trade agreement with the US, 22 per cent of Britons now hold a less favourable view of the Prime Minister - while just 15 per cent now see him more highly, data by City AM and Freshwater Strategy has revealed.

And this morning, Canadian PM Mark Carney said his countrymen "weren't impressed" by the second state visit offer - which requires Downing Street's sign-off - with Trump having repeatedly staked his claim to Canada as the "51st state".

"I think, to be frank, they [Canadians] weren't impressed by that gesture... given the circumstance," he told Sky News.

"It was at a time when we were being quite clear about the issues around sovereignty."

Sarah Pochin: 'Reform has got Labour on the run!'

Reform's Runcorn & Helsby MP Sarah Pochin has vowed that Reform UK has got Labour "on the run" following the party's series of migration announcements over Monday and Tuesday.

Pochin told Times Radio: "Reform have got them on the run. They know what the electorate want to hear.

"They've seen the devastating impact of our policies on their results in these latest set of elections, and so now, yes, they're sounding more like Reform than Reform are."

And in a swipe at the Immigration White Paper policies, Pochin labelled them "just a bit of bluster, a bit of waffle", she said.

Nigel Farage makes major campaign announcement as Reform UK plots to topple Labour in Wales - 'I'm not playing games!'

Nigel Farage has made a major campaign announcement for Wales as Reform UK starts setting its sights on the 2026 Senedd election.

Farage has confirmed that - while he did consider it - he will not be standing to take a seat in the Welsh Parliament.

Electoral rules in Wales mean that only Senedd candidates can take part in televised debates, and rumours had been circling that Farage may look to stand in a bid to bring his campaigning firepower to Welsh screens.

But now, the Reform boss has laid out his personal plans...

READ THE FULL STORY ON REFORM'S WELSH AMBITIONS HERE

Yvette Cooper 'pushing to backdate Labour's White Paper plans' to 'Boriswave' of 1.5 MILLION migrants

Yvette Cooper is looking to backdate Labour's Immigration White Paper plans to the "Boriswave" of migrants who arrived in Britain following the Tories' 2021 "New Plan for Immigration".

Government sources told The Times that the Home Secretary is pushing to apply a five-year extension of controversial Indefinite Leave to Remain rules to some 1.5 million foreign workers who are currently set to qualify for it later this year.

Cooper's Home Office has also revealed that many migrants in Britain are intending to stay for longer than they did previously.

A survey carried out by the department on the "future intentions" of migrants on different visa routes found that 55 per cent of foreign students intend to apply for a further visa once their present one expires.

Labour's North West mayors head south for clash with Keir Starmer

Labour's Manchester and Liverpool mayors Andy Burnham and Steve Rotheram will be in London today to demand that Westminster commits to a railway line between the two cities.

The pair will be speaking to the media at noon today - just as Prime Minister's Questions begins - in a push to get the link green-lit, which they say will generate as much as £90billion in economic growth in the North West by 2040.

"There's hardly a person in the North who hasn’t felt the frustration of slow, unreliable journeys or missed out on things because of creaking, outdated infrastructure," Rotheram said.

"For them, this is far more than just building a new railway - it's about opening the doors to opportunity."

While Burnham added: "For too long, such major infrastructure projects in the UK have been delivered in a top-down way. We want to work hand-in-hand with Government to plan and deliver this railway from the ground up."

Unions in meltdown as Labour's 'cruel' Immigration White Paper to spark migrant worker 'exodus'

Thousands of migrant workers are ready to leave Britain in an "exodus" fuelled by Labour's Immigration White Paper, a top union has warned.

A survey by the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) found that more than two-fifths of foreign nurses are planning to leave the UK - some 40 per cent of which blaming immigration policies for their decisions.

In response to the data, RCN general secretary and chief executive Professor Nicola Ranger fumed: "This situation is bad enough, but now the Government's cruel measures could accelerate this exodus, doing great damage to key services.

"Closing the care worker visa route and making migrant nursing staff wait longer to access vital benefits is the hostile environment on steroids.

"They pay tax and work in our vital services, they deserve the same rights."

The union has been slapped down by the Government - a spokesman said it is "clear that we need to end our overreliance on international recruitment and retain more homegrown talent".

What's Labour's line on the 'mission critical' anti-Reform campaign?

A Government source, reacting to reports of a "mission critical" campaign to invest in the Red Wall, steered clear of a direct mention of Reform UK.

"The Deputy Prime Minister and Prime Minister have been clear that the spending review will need to support the delivery of the Government's plan for a decade of national renewal and raising living standards in every part of the United Kingdom," the source said.

They added that No10 "welcomed Icon's valuable work to identify and understand the persistent challenges that exist in many parts of the country".

Thousands of civil servants booted out of London in major cost-cutting exercise

Thousands more civil servants are set to be moved out of London as the Government seeks to cut costs and "radically reform the state".

Under plans announced today, the Government will cut the number of civil servants working in London by 12,000 and shift jobs to a series of new regional "campuses" across the country.

The changes will also see 11 Government office buildings in London close, including one of its largest Westminster sites, in a move expected to save £94million a year by 2032.

Cabinet Office chief Pat McFadden - whose own department cut thousands of jobs last month - said the Government was "taking more decision-making out of Whitehall and moving it closer to communities all across the UK".

Other roles will be created in Birmingham, Leeds, Cardiff, Glasgow, Darlington, Newcastle and Tyneside, Sheffield, Bristol, Edinburgh, Belfast and York, with the changes said to bring £729million to the local economy by 2030.