Keir Starmer refuses to defend the BBC as Donald Trump vows to go ahead with $10bn law suit

WATCH: Michelle Dewberry slaps down Labour Minister Jake Richards as she unleashes tirade on how Britons' are concerned for their safety

Keir Starmer determined to tackle 'poison' of antisemitism in UK

Sir Keir Starmer said he was "determined" to tackle the "poison" of antisemitism in the UK at a Hanukkah reception in No10.

The reception came in the wake of the Bondi Beach terror attack over the weekend that killed 15 people.

“Antisemitism is not just a problem for Jews, it’s a problem for us all," the Prime Minister said.

"We do come together to celebrate Hanukkah but we also come to stand together in solidarity because I know the whole community has been shaken once again, not for the first time, by the abhorrent attack on Bondi Beach.

"We need to stand together in defence of the Jewish way of life, of the liberties and freedoms that make our British way of life."

Sir Keir, whose wife, Lady Victoria Starmer, is Jewish, said he was "determined to defeat this poison of antisemitism together", adding that there was a sense that antisemitism was becoming "normalised".

Rachel Reeves blasted for £283m skills package - 'too little too late'

The Government has announced a £283million funding package aimed at equipping the next generation of British workers with skills in construction, technology and engineering.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves said that the investment is intended to help tackle skills shortages while supporting housing and infrastructure ambitions - but industry figures have questioned whether the funding goes far enough.

Around £100million of the funding will be used to expand construction training capacity across colleges in England.

Labour said the move will help reduce long waiting lists for building courses.

READ THE FULL STORY HERE.

Conservatives blast 'job-destroying' worker's rights legislation

Shadow business secretary Andrew Griffith has slammed the Government's new Employment Rights Bill as "bad".

Mr Griffith called the new legislation the "job-destroying Unemployment Bill", saying it was "ironic" that the it had been passed on the same day that figures showed a rise in unemployment.

"It will pile costs onto small businesses, freeze hiring, and ultimately leave young people and jobseekers paying the price for Labour's capitulation to their union paymasters," he warned.

He added that a Tory government would "scrap the most disastrous elements of this bill".

Labour's Employment Rights Bill set to become law after being passed through Parliament

The Government's flagship Employment Rights Bill has passed through Parliament, after peers ended their refusal and finally voted the bill through.

It means the reforms, such as a ban on zero-hours contracts and day-one rights to statutory sick pay, are set to achieve Royal Assent and will become law.

Business Secretary Peter Kyle said the legislation would "drag Britain’s outdated employment laws into the 21st century".

"I am delighted that the Employment Rights Bill has completed its passage through the House of Lords today," he said.

"This landmark legislation, now soon to be in law, will drag Britain’s outdated employment laws into the 21st century and offer dignity and respect to millions more in the workplace."

Trades Union Congress General Secretary Paul Nowak said workers would enjoy better security, pay and conditions as a result of the Bill.

Peers in the House of Lords have rejected elements of it and sent it back to the Commons on numerous occasions, simply for MPs to hit it back to the Lords again. This afternoon, though, peers accepted the proposal.

WATCH: Farmer despairs at family farm tax raid as Keir Starmer suggests he is 'aware' of industry suicides

A young farmer has spoken to GB News on his despair at Labour's family farm tax raid.

Speaking to Britain's Newsroom hosts Andrew Pierce and Miriam Cates, Cameron Kinch said that the policy has been "plucked out of thin air", adding the change "was not in their manifesto".

It comes as Sir Keir Starmer admitted that he was "aware" of farm owners considering taking their own lives as a result of the new policy.

Donald Trump suspends UK trade deal after frustration with Labour in major blow for Keir Starmer

The US has suspended a technology deal with Britain amid frustrations with Labour over trade talks, it is understood.

The US-UK "Technology Prosperity Deal" was struck during Donald Trump's state visit earlier this year.

The agreement aims to see US firms invest in UK and boost co-operation on AI, quantum and other emerging technologies.

Officials in Britain have however confirmed the US put the deal on hold last week, with one saying President Trump's administration was pushing for the Government's concessions in areas of trade outside the tech partnership, the Financial Times reports.

READ THE FULL STORY HERE.

No10 insists UK still in 'active conversations' with US on tech deal 

Downing Street has insisted the UK is still in “active conversations” with the US on a technology prosperity deal after the US reportedly halted talks.

The deal was struck during Donald Trump’s state visit in September, but there have been reports that Washington paused further negotiations on its implementation last week.

The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: “First of all, we remain in active conversations with US counterparts at all levels of government, and we’re confident of securing a deal that will shape the future of millions on both sides of the Atlantic.

“Our special relationship with the US remains strong and the UK is firmly committed to ensuring the tech prosperity deal delivers opportunity for hard-working people in both countries.”

Government launches investigation into foreign money in UK politics 

The Government has launched an independent review of foreign financial interference in UK politics, after the jailing of a former MEP for taking Russian bribes.

Housing, Communities and Local Government Secretary Steve Reed said the conduct of Nathan Gill, who was sentenced to 10 and a half years in prison for taking money to make pro-Russian statements, was a “stain” on British democracy.

Gill was an MEP for Ukip and the Brexit Party, led by Nigel Farage, before joining Reform UK under Mr Farage, where he served as its leader in Wales.

Mr Reed told MPs that the review would be chaired by former top civil servant Philip Rycroft, who had worked in the Cabinet Office and Department for Exiting the EU under previous Conservative governments.

Killers of probation and prison officers could face whole-life orders, says David Lammy

Killers of probation and prison officers could face whole-life orders under plans announced by the Justice Secretary in a bid to deter revenge attacks.

David Lammy said the scope for the sentence, which means a prisoner can never be released from jail, will be widened in the wake of the murder of former prison officer Lenny Scott last year.

The father-of-three was shot dead by armed robber Elias Morgan for seizing an illicit phone from his jail cell years earlier while working at HMP Altcourse in Merseyside.

Whole-life orders can already be handed down to those who target prison or police officers currently in their roles, but the law change will cover those off-duty or who are no longer serving.

Deputy PM Mr Lammy said: “Perpetrators of heinous killings like these must feel the full force of the law.

"I can announce today that we will broaden the starting point for whole-life orders to include murders connected to the current or former duties of a police, prison or probation officers.

“It is the latest step this Government is taking to keep our hard-working prison and probation staff safe.”

Rishi Sunak says he would make 'same choices again' in setting up Covid-19 loan scheme criticised over fraud risks 

Rishi Sunak has said he would make the exact same choices again in setting up a Covid-19 business loan scheme which has since been criticised for the fraud risks it presented.

The former prime minister defended how the Bounce Back Loan Scheme was rolled out, telling the UK Covid-19 Inquiry: “I would make the same choice again in the same situation, I would do the same thing again.

"But at the time, I could tell you certainly nobody was waving their hands saying ‘no, no slow it down, more checks, more form-filling’.”

The ex-Chancellor earlier said the Government was “eyes wide open about” the risk of fraud, “and made the judgment that the risks were outweighed by the need”.

He added: “Over time, we built in more protections. So if this happens in the future those protections will be there, but at the moment we launched this it was not as if we were sat there and just forgot to do something, that two weeks, four weeks, six weeks later we scratched our head and said we wish we had done that.

“That was just not the case. It was a straightforward choice – we can launch this thing now and get going with it so the money gets to businesses, or we can wait, and I think that is the misunderstanding of this.

“Waiting, sure you could have lowered the ultimate fraud levels by waiting and building some of these checks, but you have to then be confident that you were going to accept the loss of business that would result from that.”

Richard Tice announces launch of 'Send working group' chaired by Dame Andrea Jenkyns

Richard Tice has announced the launch of a "Send working group" as part of Reform's plans to overhaul the "broken" special educational needs system.

The deputy party leader told a Reform press conference: "What we have folks is a system that is completely broken.

"The Send system is broken in Britain and Reform are determined to fix it and that is why I am announcing today that we are setting up a Send working group to be chaired by Dame Andrea Jenkyns who has considerable professional and personal experience in this sector.

"There will be a number of members of this working group - Reform councillors, Natalia Oliver from Lincolnshire, Beverley Fordham from Kent, along with experts who are currently working in the profession and for reasons I hope will be obvious therefore must remain anonymous.

"The plan for this working group is they will be working through all of 2026 but to produce its first interim report in the first quarter of next year."

Richard Tice apologises for 'offending' people when delivering speech about special educational needs and says system is 'broken' at 'every single level' 

Reform deputy leader Richard Tice is delivering a press conference about the party's plans for Send (special educational needs and disabilities).

He began his speech by apologising to people he had "offended" at a previous press conference.

"The first word I want to say is: 'sorry'. Four weeks ago when I gave a press conference I offended a number of people when I talked about Send," he said.

"We never stop learning in life and what that told us is that everybody is unhappy, frustrated, angry, furious about what is going on within the Send system.

"Parents feel that they are battling - they are fighting a system that doesn't work for their children and we have to talk about difficult issues, challenging issues in a way that sometimes is uncomfortable."

The Boston and Skegness MP added: "At every single level the Send system is broken and we at Reform are determined to be at the heart of reforming it and improving it."

BBC TV licence fee faces overhaul as funding change considered as part of major review 

The television licence fee could be reformed as part of the renewal process of the BBC's royal charger, the Government has confirmed.

This morning, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) provided insight into the future of the levy, which is currently charged at £174.50 for a colour TV and £58.50 for black and white televisions.

The announcement coincides with President Donald Trump filing a $10billion lawsuit against the public broadcaster over Panorama's coverage of comments he made on January 6, 2021.

READ THE FULL STORY HERE

WATCH: Care minister hits out at 'irresponsible' resident doctor strikes and claims those staging walk out are 'not living in the real world'

Unemployment figures show 'scale of challenge' Labour inherited, says work and pensions secretary 

The Work and Pensions Secretary said figures showing the unemployment rate at its highest level for nearly five years reflect the “scale of the challenge” Labour inherited.

Pat McFadden said: “There are over 350,000 more people in work this year and the rate of inactivity is at its joint lowest in over five years, but today’s figures underline the scale of the challenge we’ve inherited.

“That is why we are investing £1.5billion to deliver 50,000 apprenticeships and 350,000 new workplace opportunities for young people – giving them real experience and a foot in the door.

“To go further and tackle the deep-rooted issues of our labour market, Alan Milburn is also leading an investigation into the whole issue of young people inactivity and work.”

WATCH: Resident doctor strikes 'grossly irresponsible', says shadow chancellor

Tories blame Labour's 'growth-killing politics' for rising unemployment 

The Conservatives have blamed Labour’s “growth-killing policies” for rising unemployment figures.

Shadow work and pensions secretary Helen Whately said: “Losing your job is hard at the best of times, but in the run up to Christmas it’s particularly cruel.

“But thanks to Labour’s growth-killing policies, that’s the sad reality for many people this Christmas.”

She pointed to the hike on employer national insurance contributions and the measures included in the Employment Rights Bill.

Shadow business secretary Andrew Griffith said Labour were “pursuing a suite of anti-business policies that is sending employers to the wall”.

Unemployment rates increase AGAIN to 5.1 per cent as Rachel Reeves struggles with 'strain in the UK economy'

Unemployment in the UK increased to 5.1 per cent in the three months to October 2025, up from five per cent in September, according to the latest Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures.

While these figures come before Chancellor Rachel Reeves delivered her Budget on November 26, they come as another blow to the Treasury as the Labour Government attempts to bolster the economy.

Today's ONS unemployment rate figures for October are the highest since the first quarter of 2021, and if the Covid-19 pandemic era is not taking into account, the highest since 2016.

READ THE FULL STORY HERE

WATCH: Reform deputy leader Richard Tice slams 'hopeless' Rachel Reeves after unemployment figures rise again

Ed Davey urges PM to 'stand up for BBC' after Donald Trump files $10billion law suit 

Sir Ed Davey has urged the Prime Minister to stand up for the BBC in the face of an “outrageous legal threat” from the US President.

Donald Trump has filed a $10billion (£7.48billion) lawsuit against the broadcaster over the edit of a Panorama programme featuring his January 6 speech.

Sir Ed said: “Keir Starmer needs to stand up for the BBC against Trump’s outrageous legal threat and protect licence fee-payers from being hit in the pocket.

“The Trump administration has clearly set out they want to interfere in our democracy, which includes undermining our national broadcaster.

“The Prime Minister needs to make clear this is unacceptable.”

Dale Vince 'should apologise' for comments made after Bondi Beach attack, says minister 

Labour mega donor Dale Vince should apologise for comments made about the Bondi Beach terror attack, a minister has said.

The Tories call on Labour to "return all donations" made by the green energy tycoon after he drew links between the Australian massacre and Israel's actions in Gaza.

He wrote to X: "Commenting on the shootings in Australia today Netanyahu [Israel's Prime Minister] said - Antisemitism spreads when leaders stay silent.

"Nothing to do with Isreal committing Genocide in Palestine then. Netanyahu wants antisemitism to be a thing, it validates him - he acts to make it so."

Care minister Stephen Kinnock told Times Radio: "Dale Vince should apologise for that. It is completely wrong to somehow imply that the Jewish people should be blamed collectively for the actions of the Israeli government."

Asked if Labour would stop accepting donations from the donor, Mr Kinnock added: "First of all, let’s ensure that Dale Vince does come forward and apologise for those remarks, and we will then review the position and take it from there."

Mr Vince posted again on Monday to say his words “were not intended to excuse or legitimise terrorism, or any form of racism” and were "aimed at the intervention of Netanyahu who in my opinion overlooks the impacts of his own terrorism".