Ed Miliband was forced to give a grovelling apology after accusing his shadow counterpart of “going into hiding” when she was actually looking after her baby son.
The Energy Secretary pointed to Shadow Energy Secretary Claire Coutinho’s absence on Monday during a statement to the Commons.
He said: “The trouble is we’re in a situation now where the Shadow Secretary of State goes into hiding when there’s a statement about the climate crisis, because it’s just too embarrassing to try and articulate the opposition’s position.”
His comment was then followed up by Energy Minister Kerry McCarthy on Tuesday, who replying to a question from Coutinho on “offshoring” British industries, said: “Perhaps if [she] had been here yesterday, she’d have been able to engage with the Secretary of State about that then.”
Coutinho hit back that she had been missing because she was looking after her son and had recently come back from maternity leave.
She said: “I will just briefly say that yesterday the Secretary of State said I was hiding, when I was in fact with my six-month-old baby, who I know he’s aware of.
“So, on behalf of all young mums who face these kinds of comments from their first few weeks back to work, can I gently suggest that he reflects on his remarks?”
Miliband then apologised, telling her: “I completely respect her decision to be with her young baby, and there was no offence intended.
“I think it’s very, very important that we understand the needs of new parents and indeed parents across the country.”
Rachel Reeves confirms pensions overhaul to boost savings return in Mansion House speech: 'We must do more!'
Rachel Reeves has confirmed an overhaul to the UK pension system to bolster returns for savers during her Mansion House speech earlier this evening.
The Chancellor declared that Britain's growth ambitions depend on a "fighting fit and thriving" financial services sector, placing the City at the centre of the Government's economic strategy.
Speaking at her annual Mansion House address to finance leaders, the Chancellor unveiled what the Government describes as the most significant financial services reforms in over a decade.
Former PM speaks of 'shock' after Afghan data leak
Liz Truss said she is 'shocked by the secrecy' over the admissions of thousands of Afghans to Britain
GETTY
Former British Prime Minister, Liz Truss, said she is "shocked" at the news thousands of Afghans are being relocated to Britain under an £850million scheme following a data leak.
In a post to X, Truss said: "I am shocked by the secrecy and cover-up over the admission of thousands of Afghans to Britain at the cost of £7bn to the taxpayer.
"A decision that was in itself wrong. It is an huge betrayal of public trust. Those responsible in both Governments and the bureaucracy need to be held to account."
A dataset containing the personal information of nearly 19,000 people who applied for the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (Arap) in support of British forces was released "in error" in February 2022 by a defence official.
The breach resulted in the creation of a secret Afghan relocation scheme, the Afghanistan Response Route, in April 2024.
GB News was today able to report the leak after an unprecedented superinjunction was lifted by judges at the High Court.
Starmer and Trump to 'refine' trade deal, says president
Donald Trump said that he and Sir Keir Starmer will “refine” the trade deal between the UK and the US in an expected meeting later this month.
The US president told American reporters on Tuesday, July 15, that the pair will have a meeting “probably in Aberdeen” during his private visit to Scotland.
A trade deal struck between the UK and the US earlier this year reduced tariffs on car and aerospace imports, but questions remain over whether steel imports into America will face 50 per cent tariffs.
There is a baseline tariff of 10 per cent for most other imports.
Trump’s July 9 deadline for when he said he would start implementing tariffs on trade partners has been and gone.
The US president said: “We’re going to be meeting with the British Prime Minister, very respectful, and we are going to have a meeting with him, probably in Aberdeen, and we’re going to do a lot of different things.
“We’re going to also refine the trade deal that we’ve made. So we’ll be meeting mostly […] at probably one of my properties, or maybe not, depending on what happens, but we’ll be in Aberdeen, in Scotland, meeting with the Prime Minister.”
No10 says work on repealing Legacy Act 'in lockstep' amid reports minister may quit
Downing Street insisted the Government was “working in lockstep” on repealing the Legacy Act amid reports that a defence minister could resign over the changes.
Sir Keir Starmer's Government plans to repeal and replace the Legacy Act, brought in by the Conservatives in 2023 to halt investigations into all but the most serious allegations involving Troubles-related cases.
Human rights groups criticised the act for providing immunity to British soldiers, but opponents to scrapping it fear that the changes will open up a “two-tier” system in which IRA members are given immunity but British troops are open to prosecution.
Veterans minister Al Carns is expected to quit over plans to repeal the law, The Times reported.
A No10 spokesman said the Government was “working in lockstep” when asked if Carns agreed with Sir Keir’s approach.
“The Government is always working in lockstep to deal with issues such as this, and we’re working in lockstep to fix this issue and the mess that we were left," the spokesman said.
A Ministry of Defence source played down the prospect of Carns quitting, but said it was a “tricky issue” and “when you are making policy there is always going to be debate internally”.
Trump to meet Starmer at 'oil capital of Europe' on visit to Scotland
Donald Trump will hold a 'state meeting' with Sir Keir Starmer later this month
REUTERSDonald Trump has backed oil and gas over “detrimental” wind power projects as he said he will meet Sir Keir Starmer for talks in the European “oil capital” of Aberdeen.
The US president said he will have a “state meeting” with the Prime Minister in the city when he makes a private visit to Scotland later this month.
Downing Street confirmed on Monday Sir Keir Starmer will travel north and meet Trump, who owns two golf resorts in Scotland, during his trip.
Speaking about the Prime Minster, he told BBC News: “I really like the Prime Minister a lot, even though he’s a liberal.”
Confirming the pair will hold talks, the US president said his “state meeting with the Prime Minister” will be “up in Aberdeen, which is the oil capital of Europe”.
The president added: “They should bring it back too. They have so much oil there."
Campaigners at Uplift, which wants to see a rapid switch away from oil and gas towards renewable energy, criticised the president.
Executive director Tessa Khan said: “Donald Trump clearly knows nothing about the North Sea other than the view from his golf course."
RECAP: 5 key points for individuals from Rachel Reeves’s Leeds reforms
Rachel Reeves has set out a package of financial services reforms she hopes will stimulate more investment and deliver a boost to the economy.
The Chancellor said the “Leeds reforms”, unveiled in the West Yorkshire city, “represent the widest set of reforms to financial services for more than a decade”.
For individuals:
– A new advertising campaign will highlight the benefits of investing to individual consumers.
– Banks will be able to offer a new type of help called “targeted support” from April next year.
– Risk warnings on investment products will come under review to ensure people can make accurate judgements about risk levels
– Long term asset funds will be allowed to be held in stocks and shares Isas next year.
– The Government will continue to consider reforms to Isas and savings to strike the right balance between cash savings and investment.
Donald Trump responds to Nigel Farage’s demand for President to address MPs
Farage has called for parliament to be recalled for the momentous event
GETTY
Donald Trump has responded to Nigel Farage's claims that Parliament should be recalled to allow the President to speak to MPs and peers.
President Trump is set to arrive on September 17, a day after MPs leave for their traditional party conference break on September 16.
Farage has called for parliament to be recalled so the Republican President can speak in the Royal Gallery or Westminster Hall.
However, in an interview with the BBC, Trump dismissed Farage's request, saying there was no need to recall MPs to Westminster.
Scottish Labour deputy dismisses threat from Reform ahead of Holyrood election
Scottish Labour’s deputy leader downplayed Reform UK's electoral chances in Scotland ahead of next year's Holyrood elections.
Dame Jackie Baillie said: "I don’t think Reform is going to do as well as everybody thinks in the Scottish Parliament elections.
"But let’s see. I’m not one for being complacent. We want to listen to the people of Scotland.
"We want to act on their concerns, and we want to replace the SNP with a Scottish Labour government that will deliver for them."
WATCH: Ousted Labour MP Zarah Sultana says Cop26 'does not go far enough'
John Healey offers 'sincere apology' to Afghans who helped British troops
Defence Secretary John Healey has offered a "sincere apology" for a massive data breach which exposed details of Afghans who had helped British troops, triggering a secret evacuation scheme and an unprecedented legal cover-up.
He told the Commons: "My first concern has been to notify as many as possible affected by the data incident and provide them with further advice.
"The MoD (Ministry of Defence) has done this this morning, although I have to say to the House, it has not been possible to contact every individual on the dataset, due to its incomplete and out-of-date information.
"This serious data incident should never have happened. It may have occurred three years ago under the previous government.
"But to all those whose information was compromised, I offer a sincere apology today on behalf of the British Government, and I trust the shadow defence secretary, as a former defence minister, will join me.”
John Healey says there was a 'lack of transparency' over data breach
John Healey
PA
John Healey told MPs he had felt "deeply concerned about the lack of transparency" around the data breach of Afghans seeking asylum.
The Defence Secretary told the Commons: "No government wishes to withhold information from the British public, from parliamentarians or the press in this manner."
He later said: "The full number of Afghan arrivals under all schemes have been reported in the regular Home Office statistics, meaning that they are already counted in the existing migration figures."
John Healey says leak into Afghan data was 'serious departmental error'
Defence Secretary John Healey has said the leaking of data relating to thousands of Afghans seeking asylum from the Taliban was a "serious departmental error".
A dataset containing the personal information of nearly 19,000 people who applied for the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (Arap) was released "in error" in February 2022 by a defence official.
The breach resulted in the creation of a secret Afghan relocation scheme, the Afghanistan Response Route, in April 2024, reports MailOnline.
GB News grills Labour minister over new electric car policy
GB News host Eamonn Holmes has grilled Labour's Roads Minister Lilian Greenwood on the Government's latest electric car incentive, declaring the scheme is "only good if people buy them".
The initiative provides discounts of up to £3,750 to make zero-emission cars more affordable for British consumers and aims to bridge the price difference between electric and traditional petrol vehicles.
Nigel Farage slams decision to punish young girl for wearing Union Jack dress
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has attacked the decision to punish a young girl for wearing a Union Jack dress to school.
Courtney Wright, who attends Bilton School in Rugby, chose to wear a Union Jack dress and wrote a speech about Britain's history and traditions on Friday, July 11, as part of the celebrations.
However, her father, Stuart Field had to collect the 12-year-old from school before the end of the day after he claimed she was told culture day was "not for her".
The Reform UK leader told GB News: "Our educational establishment hate this country, its symbols and its history."
Over ONE MILLION migrants claiming Universal Credit in Britain - including 700,000 unemployed
Gaines lied the Department for Work and PensionsPAMore than 1.26 million migrants are now claiming Universal Credit (UC) in Britain, according to newly released official figures.
The number of non-British nationals receiving the benefit has surged from 883,470 in 2022 to over 1.26 million in 2024, marking a sharp increase in just two years.
The figures, disclosed by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), show that EU nationals make up the largest group, with 770,379 claimants.
James Cleverly said the Tories should stop 'cycling through leaders' but does not deny wanting top job
Sir James Cleverly has said a new leader would not solve the Conservative Party’s problems but did not explicitly deny that he still had leadership ambitions.
Asked if he had ambitions to become party leader, the former Home Secretary said: "I’ve said this privately, I’ve said this publicly, and I said this when I got knocked out of the leadership and a number of people came up to me even before the competition finished, saying, 'oh, you’ve got to get yourself ready.'
"And I said, look, we have got to get out of this habit of cycling through leaders in the hope that ditching this one and picking a new one will make life easy for us."
He added: "We’ve got to stop grasping for these easy solutions. Oh, a new leader that will solve all our problems. Well, we tried that a number of times in the last government. It did not end well."
WATCH: Andrew Griffith discusses the schoolgirl who was punished for wearing Union Jack dress to celebrate British heritage
Labour minister says it's 'bizarre' that schoolgirl was told off for wearing British flag dress
A Labour minister has said it was 'bizarre" that a girl was put into isolation for wearing a Union Flag dress to celebrate being British at her school's culture day.
Courtney Wright was left "embarrassed" after she was pulled out her class at Bilton School in Rugby for wearing the dress.
When asked about the incident, Lillian Greenwood, Roads Minister and Nottingham South MP told GB News: "It's the first I've heard of this story but it seems really bizarre.
"I can imagine for anyone who is British, it seems perfectly reasonable to be wearing the flag."
Furious GB News row breaks out as Barry Gardiner and Zia Yusuf clash over asylum seekers
Watch as Reform’s Zia Yusuf locks horns with Labour MP Barry Gardiner in a fiery confrontation about the Government’s asylum seeker policy.
Yusuf fronts the insurgent party’s Doge unit which is conducting an ‘efficiency’ audit of councils.
New findings suggest taxpayers are footing the bill for migrants to go to the circus, play crazy golf and receive significant sums worth of Amazon gift cards
Damning new report warns UK is a 'powder keg' following Southport riots
Former Conservative Home Secretary Sajid Javid has warned the UK is "sitting on a tinderbox" and that several issues that led to widespread rioting last summer have not been addressed.
The new report, The State of Us, found the mismanagement of immigration, the cost of living and online extremism - alongside growing mistrust in government and rising equality could no longer be ignored.
Javid and former Labour MP for Dagenham John Cruddas wrote: "These forces are converging into something altogether more dangerous - leaving the UK sitting on a tinderbox of disconnection and division."
Senior researcher at British Future Jake Puddle said: "We are facing a long, hot summer, with a powder keg of tensions left largely unaddressed from last year that could easily ignite once again.
"People are unhappy about their standard of living and the state of their local area, and don’t trust politicians to sort it out."
Nigel Farage is the 'only one to turn things around' for Britain's economy, Ann Widdecombe says
Ann Widdecombe has declared Britain needs "real change" as GB News analysis has revealed the chilling state of the country's economy.
Analysis by the People's Channel can exclusively reveal that the UK's economy is not only on the brink, but in fact in a worse condition than we were in the 1970s.
Andrew Griffith outlines what he wants Rachel Reeves to announce at her Mansion House speech
Shadow Business and Trade Secretary Andrew Griffith
GB NEWS
Andrew Griffith has outlined what he wants Rachel Reeves to announce at her landmark Mansion House speech later today.
The Shadow Business and Trade Secretary said he hopes Reeves "will rule out any tax rises" and "reverses herb attack on international tax payers"
He also called on Reeves to "wander over to Angela Rayner and says ditch her damaging unemployment bill" but conceded "that's probably not what we'll get."
Reform UK faces first electoral test since landslide victory in 48 hours - can Nigel Farage do it?
Reform UK faces its first electoral test since securing control of Kent County Council in May when voters go to the polls in two Dartford by-elections on Thursday.
The party, which captured 57 of 81 seats at County Hall, will contest Conservative-held wards at Maypole & Leyton Cross and Stone House.
Lib Dems slam 'arrogance' of Thames Water as party renew calls to scrap Ofwat
Thames Water confirmed they would be bringing in the banGETTYThe Liberal Democrats have called for Ofwat to be scrapped as they slammed a recent hosepipe ban.
Didcot & Wantage MP Olly Glover said: "The arrogance of Thames Water is astounding. They have imposed this ban on their customers whilst continuing to charge too much for their failing services.
"This current period of very low rainfall underlines the importance of Thames Water improving the basics.
"Their executives should not be pocketing extortionate bonuses whilst this is happening, and the least they can do is pay back these bonuses whilst this ban is in place.
"Today’s news is also a reminder for why we need to scrap Ofwat, which needs to be replaced with a new regulator that is able to hold companies like Thames Water accountable for their incompetence."
Wes Streeting says resident doctor strike action is 'unconscionable'
Wes Streeting has said he "cannot fathom" why resident doctors are walking out as he called their actions "unconscionable."
The Health Secretary told the health and care select committee that he did not know why "any doctor in good conscience would make it harder for managers to make sure we have safe staffing levels."
Streeting told the hearing he thought it was "shockingly irresponsible" that the British Medial Association's (BMA) position is their leaders are telling their members not to inform their trusts or their employers if they’re going out on strike.
He added: "Now, I might not agree with the BMA strike action, but I do accept they have a right to strike. I do accept that they follow the rules in order to go on strike.
"What I cannot fathom is how any doctor in good conscience would make it harder for managers to make sure we have safe staffing levels.
"So I just think the sort of the BMA’s approach to this from start to finish has been completely wrong."
Reform UK mayor Andrea Jenkyns 'very relieved' as legal challenge dropped
Andrea Jenkyns has expressed relief after a legal challenge to her eligibility as Lincolnshire mayor was abandoned.
The Reform UK politician told GB News: "I'm very relieved that is out of the background, I can carry on with things."
The appeal against her candidacy was dropped two weeks ago, with Jenkyns revealing she never received notification of the court date. "I didn't even get a letter for the court date," she said during the television interview.