Britain to host crunch talks with 41 nations in bid to unblock Strait of Hormuz

Keir Starmer spoke with Prime Minister of Pakistan to discuss 'lasting peace' in Middle East

Sir Keir Starmer spoke to the Prime Minister of Pakistan, Shehbaz Sharif this afternoon.

A Downing Street spokesman said: "The Prime Minister said that the ceasefire was very welcome and thanked Sharif for Pakistan’s critical role.

"They agreed that the upcoming talks were vital to progress the ceasefire towards lasting peace, and to ensure the full reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.

“Recognising that it was still early days, the Prime Minister was clear that the UK was supportive of this process and hoped it would pave the way to a long-term resolution of the conflict.

“They recognised the long and deep ties between the UK and Pakistan and agreed to stay in touch going forward".

Housing minister calls for BAN on local election postponement powers

Whitehall could be banned from postponing local elections for more than a year under Government proposals.

Housing minister Baroness Taylor of Stevenage has put forward an amendment to the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill, which would prevent council elections from being delayed for more than 53 weeks for local government reorganisation.

It follows Labour being forced into a U-turn earlier this year after Housing Secretary Steve Reed postponed and then reinstated 30 council elections - almost denying some 4.5 million voters their right.

The decision to reinstate the polls was taken after fresh advice from lawyers following a legal challenge from Reform UK.

The Tories have said the amendment shows that the Government has “belatedly agreed that the mess they created must never be repeated”.

Conservative MPs put forward a similar amendment to the Bill in the Commons in November, which was rejected by Labour.

The move to delay the elections was part of a wider reorganisation of councils in England.

Labour MP slams David Lammy's 'misguided and harmful' jury reforms

The plan to reduce the use of jury trials is a "distraction" from the real reasons for the court backlog, a Labour MP has said, as the government braces for the prospect of a major backbench rebellion over the reforms.

Writing in The House on Friday, Labour MP Cat Eccles said that the proposal is "not only misguided but harmful", and that the focus should be on addressing "chronic underinvestment, poor coordination, and systemic inefficiencies" in the justice system.

The MP for Stourbridge said she had recently visited Birmingham Crown Court, the second-largest court in the country, where one barrister told her: “You won’t find a single person in this building who thinks juries are an issue".

Justice Secretary David Lammy has said that the reforms are a bold but necessary way to help tackle the national court backlog in England and Wales.

Under the changes, announced by the Labour government in December, juries would no longer be used for crimes with sentences of less than three years.

However, more extreme offences, such as rape and murder, will still be put before a jury.

Iranians 'only alive today to negotiate', says Donald Trump amid shaky ceasefire

Donald Trump has said the only reason Iranians “are alive today” is to negotiate, ahead of talks in Pakistan.

Writing on his Truth Social platform amid a shaky ceasefire, the US president said: “The Iranians don’t seem to realise they have no cards, other than a short term extortion of the World by using International Waterways.

"The only reason they are alive today is to negotiate!"

Nigel Farage agrees Donald Trump must ‘take some blame’ for economic impact of Iran war

Nigel Farage has agreed that President Donald Trump must “take some blame” for the economic fallout of the war with Iran.

The Reform UK leader addressed the issue after Keir Starmer said he was “fed up” with bills soaring because of the “actions of Putin or Trump across the world”.

Speaking to the press, Mr Farage said he was similarly “fed up” and sniped at Energy Secretary Ed Miliband’s net-zero policies amid a “global crisis”.

However, he added that: “If Trump and Israel do stuff, it affects us. No doubt about that.”

READ MORE HERE

Reform double down on visa block proposal from nations demanding slavery reparations

Nigel Farage has defended his party’s proposal to block visa requests from a British Overseas Territory if its Government demands slavery reparations.

Reform UK named Montserrat in a list of countries and territories which the party would limit legal migration from, if their leaders continued to ask London to compensate for its role in the transatlantic slave trade.

Asked why this was the case, Mr Farage said: “Well, hang on a second. Let’s just play fair with this.

“If Montserrat think they’re going to sue us in some bogus international court for vast sums of money, that is not the way the relationship needs to be".

Speaking in Romford Market, east London, the party leader added: “Do you know what? I have arguments within my family. We have these little disputes within our wider political family".

Montserrat is a member of Caricom, a group of countries and territories which has published a 10-point plan for reparatory justice.

Reform UK also named Caricom in its list.

Disgraced Lord Mandelson facing fine after pictured public urination

Disgraced peer Lord Mandelson is facing a fine of up to £300 after he was pictured urinating in the street.

Kensington and Chelsea council confirmed it is seeking to issue a fixed-penalty notice to the former Labour grandee over the incident in Notting Hill, west London, last November.

A fixed-penalty notice is not a criminal conviction but can show up on the police national computer.

Photos published in the Daily Mail appear to show the peer relieving himself after a late-night visit to former Tory chancellor George Osborne’s Notting Hill home last November.

He apologised at the time, claiming he had been “stood up by two Uber drivers and kept waiting in the street for half-an-hour” and was “bursting”.

The incident came after Lord Mandelson was sacked as the UK’s ambassador to the US last September over his relationship with paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein, who died in 2019.

UK and Qatar affirm 'strong support for initiatives' to reopen the Strait of Hormuz

Sir Keir Starmer agreed “strong support” for the “principle of freedom of navigation” in the Strait of Hormuz as he met the Qatari emir and prime minister earlier, Downing Street said.

A No10 readout of the meeting said: “The Prime Minister met His Royal Highness the emir of Qatar, Sheikh Bin Hamad Al Thani and his Excellency the Prime Minister of Qatar, Sheikh Mohammed Bin Abdulrahman in Doha this morning.

“The Prime Minister underlined the UK’s solidarity with Qatar following Iran’s indefensible attacks and his gratitude for keeping UK nationals living in the country safe.

“He added that the UK-Qatar Joint Squadron had worked well together to defend the region in a time of need. Now that the ceasefire has been agreed, he said, this brought some relief but work must be done to ensure it turns into a lasting peace.

“They affirmed their strong support for initiatives to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and for the principle of freedom of navigation. The Prime Minister set out how the UK was convening partners on the political, military and logistical steps necessary.

“They committed to further strengthen their relationship, including on defence co-operation economic growth.

“The Prime Minister said that his visit to the Gulf had been productive and they looked forward to speaking further soon".

Green Party wins by-election on Reform's 'flagship' council

Zack Polanski's Green Party won a seat on Reform UK's "flagship" council in a blow to Nigel Farage.

Green candidate Rob Yates saw off competition from Reform's Marc Rattigan and Tory candidate Charlie Leys to win the by-election in Cliftonville, Margate on Kent County Council.

Mr Yates said: "This result shows that across Kent and across the country the Greens are the antidote to Reform. Twelve years ago, Nigel Farage was parading down Cliftonville High Street, and now we have turned it green.

"There is a huge appetite here to live with a politics of hope, empathy, and local action, rather than a politics of division."

Mr Polanski congratulated Mr Yates, and said the result showed "Once again that Greens can win anywhere."

READ THE FULL STORY HERE.

WATCH: Nigel Farage on Donald Trump amid Keir Starmer's Gulf trip

Donald Trump and Keir Starmer's relationship is 'heading for a divorce', writes Bev Turner

GB News star Bev Turner has said the "special relationship" between Sir Keir Starmer and President Donald Trump is "heading for a divorce."

Writing for GB News Members, Bev said: "Watching Donald Trump and Keir Starmer circle each other in 2026 is rather like watching a couple you know well go from comfortable amiability with the odd moment of passive-aggression over the roast potatoes, to any-minute-now bagging up each other’s treasured belongings in bin bags.

"The months of passive-aggression are now teetering on the edge of irrevocable, open disdain. And frankly, it’s fascinating."

GB NEWS MEMBERS CAN READ BEV'S ANALYSIS HERE.

Tech bosses could be held criminally liable if sites do not remove revenge porn

Tech bosses could be held personally liable if their platforms fail to remove intimate images of people shared without their consent.

In new plans, senior executives without a reasonable excuse could face imprisonment or a fine or both if their companies fail to comply with Ofcom’s enforcement decisions to remove con-consensual intimate images.

The Government has tabled an amendment to the Crime and Policing Bill to this effect, which will be debated in the House of Commons next week.

Technology Secretary Liz Kendall said: "Too many women have had their lives shattered by having their intimate images shared online without consent.

"This Government is uncompromising in our mission to protect women and girls online, and we have taken action to stop tech firms from publishing this abusive content. In February, we told platforms that they must remove reported non-consensual intimate images within 48 hours.

"Now we are going further by introducing measures meaning that senior tech executives could be criminally liable if their companies fail to act when required to do so by Ofcom.

"Protecting women and girls online is not optional, it is a responsibility that sits squarely with every tech company’s leadership."

Nigel Farage says Keir Starmer is a 'pathetic excuse for a Prime Minister'

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage said Keir Starmer is a "pathetic excuse for a Prime Minister" as he launched his party's local election slogan.

Speaking to reporters in Westminster by a van with the words "Vote Reform, Get Starmer Out", the Clacton MP said: "Keir Starmer is a pathetic excuse for a Prime Minister, particularly in troubled times when, both at home and abroad, Britain needs real leadership.

"A vote for anyone other than Reform in the May elections would signal that things can carry on as they are.

"Starmer will keep letting the boats cross the Channel, keep raising your taxes, keep hammering your savings and targeting small businesses.

"Enough is enough. My message to the British people today is simple: Vote Reform, get Starmer out."

Keir Starmer says ceasefire in Middle East is 'fragile'

Sir Keir Starmer has acknowledged the ceasefire in the Middle East between Israel and Iran was "fragile".

As he left Qatar at the end of his trip to the region, the Prime Minister said: "The overarching impression here is the importance, as they see it, of us standing with them as an ally, as a friend of theirs at a point of need.

"There’s been reflection on the work that we’ve done with them over the last six to seven weeks, on collective self-defence. Here in Qatar, we’ve got a joint squadron, so a real sense of 'here we are as an ally, standing with our allies when it matters most to them'.

"Obviously, the discussion moved very quickly to the ceasefire, a sense that it’s fragile, that more work is needed, that the Strait of Hormuz has to be part of the solution, a very strong sense that can’t be tolling or restrictions on that navigation.

"So we come away from here with a real desire on their part to work more closely with us on defence resilience, on economic resilience – that’s really important to us, because this is impacting us back at home, on our economy – so it’s very important we do that together.

"It’s a big opportunity as well for the United Kingdom. So it has been important that we’ve been here and there’s a sense here, as there is, I think, in the United Kingdom, that this conflict is going to define us for a generation and we must respond, and we will respond, with strength."

Keir Starmer spoke with Donald Trump about role of Gulf states in Iran

Sir Keir Starmer said he used a call with President Donald Trump to set out the views of Gulf states.

The Prime Minister said: “I had a discussion with President Trump last night and set out to him the views of the region here, these Gulf states are the neighbours of Iran, and therefore, if the ceasefire is to hold, and we hope it will- it has to involve them.

"They have very strong views on the Strait of Hormuz. We spent most of the time on the call talking about the practical plan that’s going to be needed to get navigation through the strait and the role that the UK is playing."

The UK has been working to bring together a coalition of countries to come up with a plan to get shipping moving through the vital route for global oil and gas supplies, which Iran has effectively shut down.

That included political and diplomatic efforts but also “looking at military capabilities” and the logistics of actually moving vessels through the strait.

Tony Blair's organisation urges Ed Miliband to open up North Sea oilfields in major energy warning

Ed Miliband must approve drilling at Britain’s largest untapped oil field, Sir Tony Blair’s think tank says.

More North Sea exploration is "essential", it argues, warning that the UK’s approach to energy "is increasingly out of step with global competitors".

While the UK is right to commit to Net Zero by 2050, it needs to adopt a more pragmatic approach, the report finds, explaining: "Energy is not an area where ideology can substitute for outcomes."

Our reporter Matt Gibson has the full story here.

John Healey says Labour should not be judged on President Donald Trump's social media posts

Defence Secretary John Healey said the UK should be judged on its actions in the Middle East rather than Donald Trump’s social media posts.

He told the London Defence Conference: "In the end I’d rather our actions spoke for themselves. If you look, even in this current conflict, the basing permissions that we in the UK have agreed with the US have been invaluable to their military operations."

Put to him that President Trump was furious that the UK did not give permission to use British bases earlier, Mr Healey said "sure".

However, he added: "In northern Iraq, our RAF regiment has been, almost daily, taking down drones and jointly protecting US forces and that joint base we’ve got with them.

"If we focus on our actions rather than just simply the exchange of words and social media posts, then the fundamentals for me remain.

"The fundamentals for me remain that America is absolutely locked into, with benefits as well as massive contributions, to Nato."

Labour minister slaps down suggestion British armed forces are 'on their knees'

A Labour minister has rejected the claims that the British armed forces are "on their knees" as he took a swipe at opposition politicians.

Defence Procurement Minister Luke Pollard told GB News: "I don't subscribe to this talking down of our armed forces that we're seeing from sone figures in the media and some politicians.

"The PM is right when he says we're being buffeted by international events.

"We're keeping our efforts focused on addressing the cost of living and getting the Strait of Hormuz open again."

Bank of England warns of 2008-style financial crash as Iran conflict decimates British economy

Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey has warned that the conflict in Iran could trigger a financial crisis similar to the 2008 meltdown.

Mr Bailey said turmoil in the $3trillion private credit sector, equivalent to around £2.2trillion, could spread across the global economy.

Speaking on Thursday in his role as Financial Stability Board chairman, he said Britain is already facing an energy shock alongside volatility in debt markets.

Our money reporter Joe Sledge has the full story here.

Huge £31billion investment in Britain is pulled over Labour's red tape and 'mad Net Zero agenda'

A £31billion investment in Britain has been pulled because of high energy costs and Labour's red tape.

The project, named Stargate UK, was intended to build a large data centre in northeast England and make thousands of powerful chips for AI development.

OpenAI, behind the massive investment push, has now said it will only move forward with the cash when the "right conditions" in the UK are in place.

At the moment, regulation and energy costs left "long-term infrastructure investment" off the table, it warned.

Our reporter Peter Stevens has the full story here.

Scottish Tory leader says Greens are 'more extreme' than Reform UK

The Scottish Greens are more extreme than Reform UK, the leader of the Scottish Conservatives has said.

Russell Findlay attacked the left-wing party after one of its candidates in the Holyrood election backed the abolition of prisons.

He also accused the party of wanting to "effectively" legalise heroin and crack cocaine, while Mr Findlay also accused the SNP of having a "bitter streak of Anglophobia".

He said he disagreed with Reform’s claim that Scotland was "at breaking point", but added that "uncontrolled mass migration" was putting pressure on public services.

Asked which other Scottish party he considered the most extreme, he said: "It’s a tough question. I genuinely think the Greens, if you just look at some of what they are proposing.

"Just this week, we’ve had a senior candidate who may well end up in Holyrood saying we should abolish prisons. That would mean murderers and rapists aren’t locked up.

"It is their policy that heroin and crack cocaine should be effectively legalised, which would cause further devastation and drugs deaths in Scotland."

Police in London and Manchester given extra £5m following Golders Green attack

Police in London and Manchester are to be given an extra £5million to pay for more patrols around places of worship, the Home Office has said.

Security minister Dan Jarvis said the money would help "keep people safe in the places where they live, work and worship".

The funding uplift follows an alleged arson attack in Golders Green, north-west London, where four Jewish community ambulances were set alight last month, and a terror attack on a synagogue in Manchester last October.

It will go towards Project Servator deployments, involving specialist officers who are trained to spot suspects who might be preparing to commit serious crimes.

More than 20 people have already been arrested on suspicion of antisemitic hate crimes, as part of a separate Metropolitan Police effort to crack down on hate crimes after the incident in Golders Green.

Mr Jarvis said: "At a time of heightened concern for some communities, it is vital that we step up our support.

"Project Servator has a proven track record of stopping criminals and terrorists through highly visible, unpredictable deployments that vary in time and location, deterring those planning harm and reassuring the public.

"This new funding will back the police with the resources they need to step up patrols, protect communities, and keep people safe in the places where they live, work and worship."

Here's what's happening today in Westminster and beyond...

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

Shabana Mahmood has been told to tear up Labour’s "one-in, one-out" deal as new exclusive analysis by GB News exposes how more than 21,100 migrants ignored warnings about being transferred to France in the first seven months of the pilot scheme. Our Deputy News Editor Jack Walters has the full story here.

Sir Keir Starmer held a phone call with Donald Trump last night, just hours after the Prime Minister said he was "fed up" with the US President and Vladimir Putin. You can read the full write up from our reporter Fintan Starkey here,

Elsewhere, Defence Secretary John Healey is due to open the London Defence Conference where he'll be answering questions about the UK's response to the ongoing crisis in the Middle East.

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage will launch his party's local election slogan "Vote Reform. Get Starmer Out."

Green leader Zack Polanski, who had his own similar "Vote Green. Let’s Make Hope Normal Again" slogan launched yesterday, is facing calls from senior party figures not to alienate the party’s traditional environmental base with issues including the Israel-Palestine conflict and LGBT+ rights.

Meanwhile Liberal Democrat Leader Sir Ed Davey will begin the last day of his Red Wall tour with a rally in the Midlands.

North of the border, the Holyrood campaign is ramping up with Scottish Labour Leader Anas Sarwar launching his party’s battle bus at 10am in Glasgow, with his Conservative counterpart Russell Findlay also in the city where he’ll be accusing the SNP of wasting taxpayer money.

First Minister John Swinney is in Inverness today, announcing out a package of measures that he says will support people into home ownership.

Parliament is back sitting on Monday and here on GB News this morning we'll be joined by Defence Procurement Minister Luke Pollard.