Sir Keir Starmer has touted yet another U-turn after coming under fire from Angela Rayner.
The Prime Minister's spokesman has refused to confirm if the Government would go ahead with Shabana Mahmood's plans to increase the time it takes for migrants already in the UK to qualify for permanent settlement.
Ms Rayner, in a speech at an event held by campaign group Mainstream, said the Home Secretary's planned changes to indefinite leave to remain for people already living in the UK would be a "breach of trust".
Downing Street appeared to signal an openness to watering down Ms Mahmood’s plans on Wednesday, defending efforts to make the immigration system “fair” while declining to get ahead of a consultation on the measures.
But in a later statement, a Government spokesman doubled down on the plans, saying: "The Government’s position has not changed.
"We will always welcome those that come to this country and contribute to our national life. But the privilege of living here forever should be earned, not automatic.
"But between 2021 and 2024, this country experienced levels of migration it had historically seen over four decades. We must be honest about the scale and impact of hundreds of thousands of low-skilled migrants getting settlement."
Sources played down reports of concessions, telling The Telegraph the rumours were "untrue".
Sir Keir Starmer's party is currently under pressure from both the left and right, with Labour expected to lose seats across the country to Nigel Farage's Reform UK and Zack Polanski's Greens.
Ms Rayner has since been widely seen as a potential successor to Sir Keir amid rumblings of a leadership challenge, as both Labour’s poll ratings and the Prime Minister’s personal approval ratings flounder.
Yesterday, the former Deputy Prime Minister was backed by Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham, who said: “The party would do well to listen to what Angela has got to say.”
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'The state pension is outdated and unfair. From April, that will all change', writes Torsten Bell
Labour Minister Torsten Bell laid out plans for reforms to British pension system, calling the current method "outdated and unfair".
Writing exclusively for GB News members, Mr Bell said: "Access to the State Pension needs to be fair.
"The last government allowed some people living abroad, with little link to the UK, to build up entitlement on the cheap, sometimes paying as little as £182 a year in voluntary National Insurance to rack up pension rights after living in the UK for just three years.
"So we’re changing the rules from April."
GB News members can read the full announcement from the Pensions Minister here.
Labour minister says tariffs on steel are 'not very Donald Trump'
The UK’s plan for tariffs on steel coming into the UK is "not very Donald Trump", according to a Labour minister.
The plans to boost domestic production of steel will mean that, from July, overall quota levels for steel imports will be reduced by 60 per cent compared to current arrangements, and steel coming into the UK above these levels will be subject to a 50 per cent tariff.
Trade minister Chris Bryant told Sky News: "It’s not very Donald Trump. It’s very, very specific.
"Look, I believe I’m passionate about free trade, but it has to be fair trade.
"If you’ve got artificially low prices, completely pricing us out of the market, pricing British Steel out of the market, that is a problem for us because we need to have a sovereign capacity of steel in the UK."
WATCH: Unite leader Sharon Graham speaks to GB News after declaring she will join Birmingham bin strikes
A top union boss handed Labour a stark warning before joining a major rally led by Birmingham bin workers this morning.
Unite's General Secretary Sharon Graham vowed she would join the refuse collectors, who have been striking for over a year against the city council's decision to cut their pay, while suggesting she would seek disaffiliation with Labour entirely.
The union, historically one of Labour's highest donors, has slammed Sir Keir Starmer's party for dragging its feet on paying the bin workers.
Conservative Party chair says it was 'wrong' from allowing US to use shared bases
Kevin Hollinrake has told GB News with was "wrong" for Labour to prevent the US from using shared bases with the UK as part of their war on Iran.
The Conservative chair said: "To stop the US, our ally from using the bases, was wrong. We have never advocated joining those actions in terms of that unilateral bombing of Iran and now Lebanon.
"So to be clear, yes, the US should be able to use our shared bases. No, we would never advocate UK planes and missiles hitting that region."
Conservative Party chair calls on Labour to suspend plans to raise fuel duty
Conservative Party Chair Kevin Hollinrake
|GB NEWS
The Conservative Party Chair has called on Labour to suspend plans to increase fuel duty as he prepared to launch the party's local election campaign.
British gas prices have surged by more than 20 per cent this morning as the US-Iran war continues to rage on in the Middle East.
Kevin Hollinrake told GB News: "[The war in Iran] does impact us there's no doubt about it but I don't believe its out of our control. The Government can act now.
"We have put together a cheap energy plan that takes 20 per cent of energy prices by cutting things like green levies.
"We have said the Government should not go ahead with plans to increase fuel duty. The Government could ask oil and gas industry to start pumping oil and gas from the North sea as soon as Autumn."
Lords vote to pardon women convicted of having an illegal abortion
The House of Lords has backed a move to pardon women who have been convicted of having an illegal abortion.
The amendment to the Crime and Policing Bill would also apply to women who were cautioned and would remove the women’s details from police systems, regardless of the outcome of the case.
It comes after a landmark move by MPs in June last year to decriminalise women terminating their own pregnancy.
Labour MP for Gower Tonia Antoniazzi, who brought forward the amendment, said she had been moved after seeing women investigated by police over suspected illegal abortions.
Labour’s former health minister Baroness Thornton told peers there are women who have been convicted, and more who were investigated but not convicted, who have to permanently disclose this in a DBS check, because abortion offences are classed as violent crimes.
The upper chamber supported by 180 votes to 58, a majority of 122, to support Lady Thornton’s amendment to pardon those women.
WATCH: Oscar Reddrop warns Angela Rayner could be ready to oust Keir Starmer BEFORE May
Pat McFadden says unemployment figures are 'encouraging'
The Work and Pensions Secretary has said the latest unemployment figures are "encouraging" but Labour must do more to get people into work.
Pat McFadden said: "Today’s figures show there are 388,000 more people in work than there was this time last year. While this is encouraging, we know there is more to do to get people, particularly young people, into work.
"That’s why we’re investing £2.5billion to create up to 500,000 opportunities for young people to earn or learn, transform the welfare state into a working state, including a new £3,000 youth jobs grant for businesses who take on eligible young people and expanding the jobs guarantee to cover 18 to 24-year-olds.
"We’re also delivering the biggest reforms to apprenticeships in a decade, giving employers more flexibility and expanding foundation apprenticeships into the hospitality and retail sectors."
France faces fury after 'disgracefully' withholding information on meningitis outbreak for 48 hours
Sir Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron
| N/CFrance has been hit with a wave of fury from Britain after Emmanuel Macron was accused of "disgracefully" withholding key information on the outbreak of meningitis for 48 hours.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting told MPs that the French authorities had informed the UK Health Security Agency of a case of the infectious disease on March 14.
However, officials in Paris had been aware of the case detected in an exchange student from the University of Kent on March 12.
Reform UK's home affairs spokesman Zia Yusuf led the charge against France, comparing the situation to the ongoing small boats crisis.
Our assistant news editor Jack Walters has the full story here.
Union chief says workers up and down the country are 'scratching their heads' at Labour
The chief of Britain's biggest union has told GB News workers across the country are "scratching their heads" at Labour's actions in Government.
Unite General Secretary Sharon Graham told The People's Channel: "Labour is supposed to be in government for the working class to make sure they put those people at the front of the queue.
"Labour have not done that in many ways. The winter fuel allowance was the first step and that's led us to here in Birmingham."
Here's what's happening today in Westminster and beyond
Good Morning, and happy Thursday from all of us on the GB News Politics team. Here's what's happening today in Westminster and beyond.
The UK's unemployment rate has just been announced by the Office for National Statistics (ONS). Our money reporter Patrick O'Donnell has the full story here.
Ministers will be looking to the Middle East as Israel and the US strikes on Iran ramp up. Overnight, Tehran hit the Qatari Ras Laffan liquified natural gas plant in retaliation for the strike on its own gas field.
Solicitor General Ellie Reeves will be answering questions in the Commons from 10am about the importance of international law to Britain’s positioning on the conflict.
There is also set to be a general debate on progress in tackling climate change led by Labour MP for Basingstoke Luke Murphy and a debate on a motion on tackling online harms led by Lib Dem MP for St Neots and Mid Cambridgeshire Ian Sollom.
All eyes will be on Kent as the chief scientific officer of the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has said the number of confirmed cases of meningitis in the outbreak is likely to increase.
Meanwhile, Reform UK is launching its Scottish manifesto with the party's leader north of the border Malcolm Offord holding a press conference alongside Nigel Farage. We'll bring you the updates here from noon.
Here on GB News, we'll be joined by Unite General Secretary Sharon Graham and Conservative Party Chair Kevin Hollinrake.