Senior Labour MP Dame Emily Thornberry has slammed her party's trans policy, saying that they had “ended up in the wrong place”.
The Islington South and Finsbury MP, who also chairs the Commons Foreign Affairs Committee, said there had been “social conservatism” promoted in Labour.
Speaking to BBC Radio 4, she said: “I think that we have been trying to be something that we’re not, and I don’t think that we need to do that.
“I think that he was trying to push us into a place that didn’t come naturally to us, and therefore people didn’t follow their instincts so much.
"I think some of this social conservatism that was being promoted did not come naturally to us. We are not a socially conservative party.
“I dread even saying this, but I think that we’ve ended up in the wrong place on trans, and we’ve done that by treading very self-consciously and not actually following our hearts, which is that trans people are on the margins, they are vulnerable.
“If the Labour Party doesn’t look after trans people, what are we about?"
“They’re most likely to get beaten up. They’re the ones who are most likely to have prejudice against them. We should not be indulging in anything that marginalises them even more."
FOLLOW FOR MORE POLITICS NEWS THROUGHT THE DAY BELOW...
No10 denies U-turn on Middle East stance despite Deputy PM's comments UK could legally strike Iran
Downing Street has rejected that David Lammy’s comments represent a change in position after the Deputy Prime Minister said it would be legal for RAF jets to strike Iranian missile sites which could target Britons.
Asked if this was a U-turn, the Prime Minister’s official spokesman said “no”.
He referred back to the legal advice published by the Government and the Defence Secretary’s comments that the focus is on “defensive action”.
Asked if that advice meant the UK could strike targets in Iran that have the capability to strike British targets, he said: “We have consistently said that we’ll take the necessary steps to prevent future strikes, as we’ve set out over the course of the week, is allowing the US to take out those missiles at source whilst we are defending the skies.
“That is a consistent position that we have conveyed throughout the week".
Government continue pledge to repatriate British nationals from Middle East
A second Government charter flight to bring UK nationals back from the Middle East is due to depart Oman this evening, Downing Street has confirmed.
Further flights are expected in the coming days and more than 160,000 British nationals have now registered their presence with the Foreign Office in the region.
British Airways is also putting on daily commercial flights from Muscat to help meet demand for those wishing to leave, the Prime Minister’s official spokesman said.
'Slippery slope to full conflict' warns Lib Dems after Deputy PM's comments
The Liberal Democrats have called for Downing Street to clarify whether it has changed its position after David Lammy said RAF jets could legally strike Iranian missile sites being used to attack British interests in the Middle East.
Calum Miller, the Lib Dem foreign affairs spokesman, said: “The Deputy Prime Minister is sliding down the slippery slope to full conflict by backing direct UK strikes on military positions in Iran.
“We need an urgent clarification from No10 on whether this is a change in Britain’s position on involvement in Trump’s illegal war.
“Another Labour government cannot be allowed to pull the wool over the public’s eyes as it follows America into an overseas war with unclear goals".
They said any offensive action must be approved by a vote in Parliament.
“We must not copy Trump’s unconstitutional and illegal approach to war in the Middle East".
Whip restored to Labour MP who rebelled against inheritance tax plan for farmers
Penrith and Solway MP Markus Campbell-Savours had the whip suspended after he voted against the Government’s plans to impose inheritance tax on farmers | PARLIAMENTA Labour MP who was suspended after rebelling against the Government over its plans for inheritance tax on farmers - which it later reversed - has had the whip restored.
Chief Whip Jonathan Reynolds has restored the whip to Markus Campbell-Savours, it is understood.
The Penrith and Solway MP voted against the Government in a budget vote in early December.
The Government had planned to impose inheritance tax on farmers’ business assets after the first £1 million, but raised the tax-free threshold to £2.5 million in a U-turn just before Christmas.
Mr Campbell-Savours said in January that it had caused “unnecessary pain” for MPs to be instructed to vote in favour of keeping the agricultural and business property relief levels at the same rate, only for a change to be announced soon after.
Home Secretary says security services 'won't hesitate to take action' as four alleged Iranian spies arrested
Shabana Mahmood is set to scrap the Government's automatic legal obligation to house destitute asylum seekers | PAHome Secretary Shabana Mahmood has said the police and security services “won’t hesitate to take action” after four men were arrested on suspicion of spying for Iran.
Posting on X, she said: “I want to thank the police and our security services for the action they’ve taken today to keep Britain safe from a potential threat.
“The Jewish community and the wider public will understandably be concerned by today’s arrests. We continue to monitor the situation closely and engage with those affected.
“I can reassure you that our police and security services are world leading and won’t hesitate to take action to counter any threat to the UK.
“They will continue to use the full range of tools and powers available to them to keep this country safe. They have the government’s full support as they carry out their vital work.
“We must now give them the time and space to continue their investigations".
David Lammy blunder as Deputy PM incorrectly says Cyprus is in Nato
The Deputy Prime Minister made an awkward blunder on air today as he incorrectly described Cyprus as a member of Nato.
The discussion comes as the British air base in Cyprus, RAF Akrotiri, has suffered several attacks from Iranian drones since the conflict in the Middle East began on Saturday.
The Government is set to deploy type-45 warship HMS Dragon to the region to support the UK's allies as the conflict breaks one week, alongside four Typhoon jets as announced by the PM yesterday.
Speaking to BBC Breakfast about the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, David Lammy, said: "We will do everything we can to protect our airbase, to protect out staff and people, but also alongside out allies because Cyprus is part of Nato".
PM 'must put national security first', says Shadow Foreign Secretary
Priti Patel branded Yvette Cooper 'weak and feeble' | GB NewsShadow foreign secretary Dame Priti Patel described the arrest of four alleged Iranian spies today as "a stark reminder of the serious threat the Iranian regime poses on British soil".
She said: "The alleged attempts to spy on the British Jewish community highlight the foul antisemitism at the heart of the fundamentalist regime in Tehran.
“Having dithered over taking action against Iran’s murderous regime and undermined our relationships with our allies, Keir Starmer must show he will put the national security of Britain first and end the scourge of Iranian espionage in our country".
Government accused of 'not taking Iran threat seriously'
The Campaign Against Antisemitism (CAA) said it is grateful to police “for foiling this alleged plot” as four alleged Iranian spies were arrested today, but accused the UK Government of not taking the threat from Iran seriously.
A CAA spokesperson said: “The UK may not be acting against Iran, but Iran is acting against us. It is incredible that the Iranian threat, long recognised by British Jews and those paying attention, like the Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament, is still not being taken seriously by the Government.
“The Government’s failure to keep its promise to proscribe the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) - the main instrument that the Islamic Republic uses to foment antisemitic violence worldwide - has sent the message that support for the brutal Iranian regime and its Jew-hating and West-hating ideology is perfectly acceptable in Britain.
“We are grateful to the police for foiling this alleged plot, which underscores the reality in which the Jewish community lives. But the security services have to be lucky every time - the plotters only need to get lucky once.
“The Government must give the police the tools they need to tackle this peril and broadcast not weakness but the message that Britain stands against this menace".
David Lammy praises MI5 and counter-terrorism after arrest of four alleged Iranian spies
Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy praised the work of MI5 and counter-terrorism police following the arrests of four men on suspicion of aiding Iran’s intelligence service by spying on locations and individuals linked to the Jewish community in London.
He told ITV: “Iran is the biggest state sponsor of terrorism globally and sadly, that is in effect in our own society as well.
“Our intelligence services and counter-terrorism police have thwarted lots of action over the last few years.
“This is now a live investigation, so I won’t comment on that any further, except to thank our security staff and police for continuing to keep our people safe and doing everything they can where people would cause us harm and individuals in our country harm".
'Sometimes you need get there first', says Kemi Badenoch on prospect of Iranian attacks on UK assets
Kemi Badenoch
| GB NEWSConservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch said she would support Royal Air Force jets striking Iranian missile launch sites to get ahead of expected attacks on UK assets.
Speaking on BBC Breakfast, she said: “That is the right thing to do. Otherwise, we are allowing our service personnel to be put in danger. We have to think about them.
“If this was a nuclear attack, God forbid, it would be too late".
She claimed it would be foolish to await an incoming attack, and that "sometimes you have to make sure that you get there first to stop their ability to hurt your citizens".
She said she would like to see a “de-escalation”, but said: “We are in this war whether we like it or not because we have put bases in other people’s countries and we need to protect them.
She said she is particularly worried the Government "looks afraid to do anything and just wants to sort of make it go away, and we need to be stronger than that".
Scottish Labour leader 'is his own man', says Wes Streeting amid calls for PM to stand down
Anas Sarwar “is his own man”, UK Health Secretary Wes Streeting has said after the Scottish Labour leader’s calls for the Prime Minister to quit.
Mr Sarwar is the most senior Labour figure to push for Sir Keir Starmer to stand down - a call he made in a hastily-arranged press conference in Glasgow last month.
Despite rumblings at the time of a move to oust the Prime Minister, Sir Keir was backed by his Cabinet ministers.
Speaking to the Daily Record during a visit to Edinburgh on Thursday, Mr Streeting said: “I think it’s very clear Anas Sarwar is his own man. He says it as he sees it".
He added: “I wouldn’t say it was comfortable listening for us down in Westminster, but I do understand that we are 20 months into this Labour Government at UK level, we have made mistakes, we are not basking in the warm glow of popularity.
“I think it is important when people cast their votes in May that they remember the election is about who governs Scotland.
“It’s Anas Sarwar and Scottish Labour that’s on the ballot paper. I do think there is a real opportunity to have a Scottish Labour government and a UK Labour Government working well together".
UK could legally strike Iran FIRST, says Deputy Prime Minister
Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy said it would be legal for RAF jets to strike Iranian missile sites which could target Britons.
The Justice Secretary stressed that the current operations involved British planes shooting down missiles and drones which were already in the sky over allied nations.
But he indicated they could lawfully be used to hit targets within Iran to prevent the launch of attacks.
He told BBC Breakfast: “It is entirely legal to protect our people and protect our staff, and therefore all operational capability is available to us in those circumstances.
“I’m not here to act as a lawyer, but I think your viewers will understand that in response to being attacked, yes, we can take down sites that are anticipating attacking our people across the region".
He said the UK had the satellite and intelligence capability to identify Iranian sites.
Asked if the UK could fire at an Iranian base in anticipation of it launching an attack, he said: “It is my understanding that that would be legal".
National Security Council leaks 'put British lives at risk', says David Lammy
Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy said there should be an investigation into leaks from a National Security Council meeting which revealed splits in the Cabinet over allowing the US to use British bases for strikes against Iran.
The Spectator reported that Sir Keir Starmer suggested allowing the US to use the bases to carry out defensive strikes against Iranian targets at a meeting last Friday, but was met with opposition from Ed Miliband, Rachel Reeves, Yvette Cooper and Shabana Mahmood.
Permission to allow the bases to be used against Iran’s missile sites was only granted on Sunday after Tehran had launched a wave of retaliatory attacks against countries across the Middle East.
Mr Lammy told Sky News: “I don’t recognise those reports and I have to say I think it is a travesty that any anyone should report from a National Security Council, because of course it puts British lives at risk and I hope that is properly investigated".
Labour calls for probe into Reform's crypto donations: 'Serious questions to answer!'
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has claimed Anna Turley has 'total contempt for democracy' | PALabour Party chair Anna Turley has written to the Electoral Commission after it was revealed Reform had secured a further £3million donation from Thai- based billionaire and ex-Tory benefactor Christopher Harborne ahead of the May local elections - where Nigel Farage's party is looking to win seats up and down Britain.
The donation followed £9million he gave to Reform last summer, among a flurry of donations in the back half of 2025 that saw the party acquire more funding than any other, with another £5.5million secured between October and December.
Ms Turley voiced concern that Reform UK hadn't declared the form of the donation, given that cryptocurrency donations above the threshold of £500 must be reported to the Electoral Commission as a non-cash donation.
She told The Independent: “Nigel Farage has serious questions to answer on crypto donations to Reform.
“After Farage said Reform would take crypto donations last May, and bragged about having received crypto cash in October, not a single donation has been declared. Farage needs to say why".
Ms Turley claimed it "raised alarming questions about transparency" and that the decision to write to the Electoral Commission was to ensure that the public can have confidence that "everything is above board" with Reform’s declarations.
David Lammy defends PM's response to Middle East crisis
The Government has been accused of a secretive process, despite promises to the contrary from then-Foreign Secretary David Lammy | GETTYDeputy Prime Minister David Lammy insisted he was not embarrassed by the UK’s response to the Middle East crisis.
The UK has been criticised for failing to have air defence measures in place to sufficiently protect RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus, which was hit by a drone.
Air defence destroyer HMS Dragon is not expected to sail to the eastern Mediterranean until next week.
Asked if he was embarrassed, Mr Lammy told Sky News: “Absolutely not - we have F-35s, Typhoons in the sky taking down missiles as we speak and that has happened over Jordan, it’s happened over Qatar and of course, we will support nationals in the region.
“It’s also right to say that we co-ordinate with allies, the French, the Germans. Cyprus is a Nato ally, so we coordinate also with other teams and other close allies on how we equip the area.
“HMS Dragon will be in the region in the coming weeks to further bolster and further support our air defences".
More From GB News