Andy Burnham wants to be able to FORCE homeowners to sell up

Shared migrant crisis: 'I think there’s a lot of things to do together', French President told PM

Sir Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron said they would discuss tackling illegal migration as they met at the Munich Security Conference today.

The pair held bilateral talks following an earlier E3 meeting with Germany’s Chancellor.

Before their talks behind closed doors, the Prime Minister said: “Defence and security is absolutely what we need to focus on. But there’s also the other challenges, illegal migration, etc.”

Mr Macron told Sir Keir “I think there’s a lot of things to do together” on defence and security.

“It’s a good occasion to speak about economy, industry, migration security issues that are to be fixed, and this is a common interest.”

Peter Mandelson ordered to testify in US investigation into Jeffrey Epstein links

Peter Mandelson has been summoned to appear before Congress to testify about his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein.

House Democrats sent a letter to the disgraced peer on Friday, calling on him to give evidence to the oversight committee as part of their investigation into the prolific paedophile.

The representatives asked Lord Mandelson to respond by Feb 27, citing the “urgency and gravity” of their investigation and the need to “uncover the identities of Epstein’s co-conspirators and enablers, and understand the full extent of his criminal operations”.

Members of Congress say “numerous pieces of evidence have come to light” demonstrating Lord Mandelson’s “close ties to Jeffrey Epstein over the span of multiple years”.

They believe the former business secretary may hold “critical information” on Epstein’s co-conspirators and enablers.

Read more here

'No UK security without Europe', PM says at Munich summit

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer called for the UK to work with Europe as “there’s no UK security without European security, there’s no European security without UK security”.

The UK and Europe depend on each other for security, Sir Keir Starmer told Germany’s Friedrich Merz, who warned of a “world in trouble”.

As the two leaders met at the Munich Security Conference, the Prime Minister said: “There’s no UK security without European security. There’s no European security without UK security - so we have to work together.”

German Chancellor Mr Merz said: “So we are facing the world in trouble, and now it’s important to keep the Europeans together, and the Europeans include the UK. It’s not just the European Union.

“This is also the United Kingdom. It’s also Norway.

“And we are reaching out even to Canada, a country which is now really willing to co-operate with the Europeans more than ever before.”

PM joins Ukraine talks with Zelensky at Munich security summit

Sir Keir Starmer met the Ukrainian president and European leaders at the major defence summit in Munich, Germany today.

Efforts to end the war between Ukraine and Russia are high on the agenda at the conference, as the four-year anniversary of Vladimir Putin’s full-scale invasion nears.

The future of transatlantic ties is also the focus of discussions as Europe grapples with antagonism from Donald Trump’s White House.

The US delegation is being led by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who pointed to a “new era in geopolitics” before his arrival.

PM at Munich Security Conference as proceedings underway

Sir Keir Starmer has joined a meeting with the United States and European leaders on Ukraine at the Munich Security Conference.

The Prime Minister was seated next to Marco Rubio at the long table, with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz opening the session with a special welcome for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

It also included leaders or ministers from Finland, France, Denmark, Estonia, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden, the European Council, the European Commission, Nato, Canada and Italy.

UK national security adviser Jonathan Powell also attended.

The meeting was billed as an extension of talks held in Berlin in December, when European leaders set out conditions for any peace deal with Russia, with security guarantees backed by the US.

Another round of US-brokered negotiations between Ukraine and Russia to end the war are set to take place next week as the four-year anniversary of the hostilities nears.

Labour Party is ‘over’ after 'taking votes for granted’ says Green leader

Green Party leader Zack Polanski has claimed the Labour Party is “over” after taking “votes for granted over decades”.

The comments come ahead of the Gorton and Denton by-election at the end of February with the Greens and Reform UK looking to take the seat from Labour.

Mr Polanski referenced Reform UK’s narrow victory in a Peterborough City Council by-election, where the Greens finished second by just 36 votes, while the Labour party candidate placed fourth.

He said: “I think that demonstrates what people feel about this Labour Government right now.

“The Labour Party have taken people’s votes for granted over decades, and they’re over. They’re done. It’s very clear.

“I’m meeting people who used to vote Labour, who wouldn’t dream of voting Labour again.

“It’s very, very clear - the way to stop Reform is to vote for the Green Party".

Sadiq Khan is Labour’s 'most approved politician', poll suggests

Sadiq Khan is the most favoured Labour politician among party members, according to an exclusive poll for LabourList.

Polling conducted by Survation found that the Mayor of London is the most approved Labour mayor among the membership, with an approval of +74.

Khan’s approval rating among the party membership is greater than that of Ed Miliband, who topped LabourList’s Cabinet league table with a net approval of +70.

West Yorkshire Mayor Tracy Brabin and Metro Mayor for the Liverpool City Region Steve Rotheram round out the top three, with approval ratings of +56 and +44 respectively.

The poll was conducted prior to Anas Sarwar’s call for the Prime Minister to resign earlier this week.

'I did not step back from urging Starmer to quit', says Scottish Labour leader

Anas Sarwar “didn’t step back” from his calls for the Prime Minister to quit in a conversation between the two men on Thursday, the Scottish Labour leader has said.

Speaking at a press conference in Edinburgh today, Mr Sarwar joked he had taken the “nuclear option” by calling for Sir Keir Starmer to go, adding the pair spoke by phone on Thursday.

Mr Sarwar had said on Monday that the Prime Minister should quit in the wake of the scandal around the appointment of Lord Peter Mandelson as US ambassador.

“It was a perfectly fair and reasonable conversation about how we make sure that we are focused on the election on May 7," he said.

“He’s determined that he wants to deliver for the people of Scotland.

“I made very clear that I want a UK Labour Government demonstrating it’s delivering for Scotland, and I made clear that the choice in the election campaign is going to be between me and (First Minister) John Swinney.

“I didn’t step back from what I said, I stand by what I said and what I stated, but I’m looking to the future and the choice between me and John Swinney for this country.”

​'Only the Tories believe in keeping UK together', Kemi Badenoch tells Welsh conference

Speaking to party members in Llandudno ahead of Senedd elections in May, Mrs Badenoch said it had “never been more important to vote Conservative in Wales”.

She said: “We in this room are the only people in Welsh politics who believe that Britain is stronger together.

“There is only one party in Welsh politics that cares about the United Kingdom, only one party that would vote against a referendum on separation, only one party will keep our country together.”

The Senedd elections on May 7 are expected to be a contest between Plaid Cymru and Reform UK, thanks to the previously dominant Labour Party’s slide in the polls since 2024.

Scottish Labour promises to implement key asks from Tom Hunter manifesto

Scottish Labour has pledged to implement Sir Tom Hunter’s pro-business manifesto if it wins the Holyrood elections in May.

Anas Sarwar, leader of Scottish Labour, said he was committed to delivering the calls from one of Scotland’s top business leaders.

They include reforms to business rates, investment in energy and reforming the planning and skills system in Scotland.

The Scottish Labour leader said he would “kickstart a new era of growth” if he became first minister this year.

PM lands in Munich for conference leaving behind political chaos at home

The Prime Minister has touched down in Germany, where he'll be attending the Munich Security Conference.

Sir Keir Starmer is taking a short break from UK politics to will rub shoulders with around 50 world leaders at the event, where he is due to give a speech tomorrow morning.

Number 10 has promised the Prime Minister's speech will be about his "vision for the future of European defence security".

Nicola Sturgeon's husband accused of embezzling over £450k across 12 years

Nicola Sturgeon's husband and former SNP chief executive is accused of embezzling £459,000 over a 12-year period.

Peter Murrell, 61, now estranged from Ms Sturgeon, is facing an embezzlement charge.

According to the indictment, Mr Murrell is accused of embezzling hundreds of thousands of pounds between August 2010 and January 2023.

Follow the story here.

Union chief calls for Angela Rayner to replace Keir Starmer amid Reform landslide fears

A senior union chief has called for Angela Rayner to replace Sir Keir Starmer as she accused the Prime Minister of leading the party into a heavy election defeat to Reform UK.

General Secretary of the Transport Salaried Staffs’ Association (TSSA) Maryam Eslamdoust has said it was "time Labour had a woman leader" as she took aim at the Prime Minister.

While Ms Eslamdoust is not the first union leader to call for the Prime Minister to step down, she is the first to directly call for Ms Rayner to replace Sir Keir.

She told The Guardian: "The Tories have had three women Prime Ministers and four leaders and we’ve had none. I think Angela Rayner is a credible figure.

"I think some women MPs are making a lot of noise around there needs to be a woman deputy, but if they’re serious about that, they need to put their money where their mouth is and support Angela Rayner."

'A grave misuse of terrorism laws' - Liberal Democrats stand behind Palestine Action High Court ruling 

Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesman, Max Wilkinson, has said the initial ban of Palestine Action was a “grave misuse of terrorism laws” in response to today's High Court ruling that the group's ban was unlawful.

He said: “Placing Palestine Action in the same legal category as Isis was disproportionate and risked undermining public trust and civil liberties.

“This ruling does not place anyone above the law. Any individual members of Palestine Action who are accused of serious offences such as vandalism and violent disorder should be investigated, prosecuted and, if convicted, sentenced accordingly.

“But these are potential criminal acts and not comparable to the horrors of terrorism.”

Follow the full story here.

'It's not a political football' - Education Secretary defends new school gender guidance 

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson has defended the Government's new guidance by saying the framework is "not a political football".

She said: "Parents send their children to school and college trusting that they’ll be protected. Teachers work tirelessly to keep them safe. That’s not negotiable, and it’s not a political football.

"That’s why we’re following the evidence, including Dr Hilary Cass’s expert review, to give teachers the clarity they need to ensure the safeguarding and wellbeing of gender questioning children and young people."

The guidance is "about pragmatic support for teachers", she said, and most importantly, "the safety and wellbeing of children and young people."

The long-delayed framework states that teachers should approach requests to transition with “caution” and must consult parents, but ultimately accept a child’s request.

Read the full story here.

Palestine Action leader describes initial banning of the group as 'Trumpian abuse of power'

The co-founder of Palestine Action, Huda Ammori has described the High Court''s favourable ruling on Palestine Action as a "monumental victory".

She said: "This is a monumental victory both for our fundamental freedoms here in Britain and in the struggle for freedom for the Palestinian people, striking down a decision that will forever be remembered as one of the most extreme attacks on free speech in recent British history."

She further remarked the Government's decision to ban the "civil disobedience organisation" as a "Trumpian abuse of power", which would have seen Labour "proscribe the Suffragettes".

Ms Ammori said: "This ban was unlawful, resulting in the unlawful arrest of nearly 3,000 people - among them priests, vicars, former magistrates and retired doctors – under terrorism laws for simply sitting in silence while holding signs reading: ‘I oppose genocide – I support Palestine Action’."

'Stop criminalising the people protesting a genocide' - Green Party leader supports Palestine Action court ruling

The Green Party leader, Zack Polanski said charges against individuals supporting Palestine Action should now be dropped, following the High Court's decision ruling the group's ban as unlawful.

He said: "Now it is time for the Government to stop criminalising the people protesting a genocide – and start ending the UK’s complicity.

“Over 2,700 people have so far been arrested for holding a sign opposing genocide and the proscription of Palestine Action.

“Those already charged should have those charges dropped, and the Crown Prosecution Service should discontinue action against all those arrested.”

Home Secretary 'disappointed' by court decision to rule Palestine Action ban unlawful 

In response to the High Court's decision today ruling the Palestine Action ban as unlawful, Home Secretary, Shabana Mahmood, said: “The Court has acknowledged that Palestine Action has carried out acts of terrorism, celebrated those who have taken part in those acts and promoted the use of violence.

“It has also concluded that Palestine Action is not an ordinary protest or civil disobedience group, and that its actions are not consistent with democratic values and the rule of law.

“For those reasons, I am disappointed by the Court’s decision and disagree with the notion that banning this terrorist organisation is disproportionate."

She concluded by saying she intends to "fight this judgment in the Court of Appeal.”

'Get a grip!' - former cabinet secretary calls for PM to be more accountable

Former cabinet secretary under three Prime Ministers, Lord Gus O’Donnell, has said Sir Keir needs to "get a grip" of negative briefings in the Government, following the exit of the head of the civil service, Sir Chris Wormald yesterday.

Speaking to BBC Radio 4, Lord O'Donnell, who served under Blair, Brown and Cameron, said there were parallels between the resignation of former mandarin Sue Gray, who quit as Labour's chief of staff in 2024 after a chain of negative briefings against her.

He said those at Number 10 "have briefed anonymously against the cabinet secretary saying it’s not working".

“They’ve been doing this for a long time. This is a process that this Government, I’m afraid, it’s one of their biggest failings.

"This is the fundamental problem, and that is something the Prime Minister can solve by getting a grip on his special advisers," he said.

Labour minister tells GB News that Britain needs to 'clean up our politics' amidst 'foreign interference into our democracy'

Emma Hardy, a water minister told GB News that there was "no verification" on the speculation around Sir Chris Wormald, formerly the UK's most senior civil servant's £250,000 payout, after he exited his position of cabinet secretary yesterday.

She remarked on how there is a need for “cleaning up our politics”, mentioning “we do need to look at this issue around foreign interference into our democracy.”

It's been one of the wettest starts to the year on record, so Ms Hardy also explained how the Government plans to tackle pollution in our waterways and ensure water security for the future.

She said: "The infrastructure isn't there.

"£104billion is going to be invested into our water infrastructure, which includes nine reservoirs in the plan."

She continued saying the reservoirs would ensure water is stored during wetter seasons, creating reserves for the summer, which are due to become hotter and drier, due to climate change

In terms of water pollution, Ms Hardy said the Government has committed to a "50 per cent reduction in sewage entering our rivers, lakes and seas in the next few years".

They've also slapped fines on polluting water companies, banning bonuses for bosses who fail to keep our blue spaces clean, Ms Hardy said, concluding she wants people to "enjoy" the country's waters without worrying about "what is in it".

EXPLAINER: The Munich Security Conference

Sir Keir Starmer finds himself in Germany today, at the Munich Security Conference (MSC), so what is the event and what's the PM doing there?

Whilst he might see the conference as some light relief from this week's political chaos, the event brings together national leaders and senior decision-makers to debate international security policy.

In attendance will be over 450 security policy makers, alongside thought leaders from around the world, including heads of state, ministers, NGO executives, as well as highflyers in business, the media and academia - all to talk about the most pressing international security issues the world faces today.

This is the 62nd edition of the MSC, which will be taking place from today until Sunday, at the Hotel Bayerischer Hof and Rosewood in Munich.

At the conference last year, Vice President JD Vance blasted Europe on freedom of speech, immigration and security. So, what's in store for this year's event? Sir Keir is due to make a speech tomorrow morning, with Number 10 promising it'll be about his "vision for the future of European defence security".

PM has 'no political capital left' says Shadow Energy Secretary

Claire Coutinho, Shadow Energy Secretary, told GB News that the current political landscape is "chaos" and Sir Keir Starmer is "going through personnel like he's running through water".

"He is a Prime Minister who is very early on in his term, who is meant to have a great majority in being able to do all of the necessary and difficult things that we need, but he has no political capital left and he doesn't even have any personnel left in Number 10 by the sound of it," said Ms Coutinho.

She warned the country will soon be run by the "soft Labour left", headed by Angela Rayner and Ed Miliband, "even though the public did not vote for that".

Tony Blair urges Ed Miliband to abandon crackdown on North Sea oil

Sir Tony Blair has called on Ed Miliband to scrap a proposed tax increase and licensing ban on new North Sea oil.

It also warns that Mr Miliband’s aggressive net zero push is “not fit for purpose” and risks driving up household bills without an urgent reset.

A Government spokesman said: "Our clean power mission is the only way to bring down bills for good.

"The alternatives leave Britain dependent on petrostates and dictators whose control of fossil fuel markets helped drive the cost of living crisis, and are not in the interest of the British people.

"The route to energy sovereignty, lower bills and thousands of good jobs in our communities is becoming a clean energy superpower."

Keir Starmer seeks new top mandarin in Downing Street shake-up

Sir Keir Starmer will begin the process of appointing a new Cabinet Secretary after Britain’s top civil servant stepped down "by mutual agreement."

Sir Chris Wormald left the role on Thursday after just 14 months as Sir Keir sought to shake up his Downing Street operation in the wake of the Peter Mandelson scandal.

He is the third senior figure to quit the Government in the past week following Sir Keir’s chief of staff, Morgan McSweeney, and communications director, Tim Allan.

With three senior civil servants now jointly doing the cabinet secretary job, two interim chiefs of staff and no communications chief, Conservative shadow minister Alex Burghart said: "Britain isn’t being governed."

Sir Chris is widely expected to be replaced by Home Office permanent secretary Dame Antonia Romeo, viewed by Downing Street as a "disrupter", despite warnings from her former boss at the Foreign Office.

MPs to debate holding 'defection by-elections' after top Tories switch to Reform UK

MPs will debate changing the law on holding by-elections if an MP switches allegiance following a series of defections from the Tories to Reform UK.

The petition, which surpassed 128,000 signatures, surged after Newark MP Robert Jenrick and Romford MP Andrew Rosindell crossed the floor to Nigel Farage's party.

Almost 1,000 people signed the petition in Suella Braverman's constituency of Fareham & Waterlooville, with just over 500 backing automatic by-elections in Danny Kruger's seat of East Wiltshire.

Our Assistant News Editor Jack Walters has the exclusive story here.

Here's what's happening today in Westminster

Good Morning and Happy Friday from all of us on the GB News Politics team, here's what's driving the agenda today.

Sir Keir Starmer is off to Germany today to meet European allies gathering in Munich as the continent faces antagonism from Donald Trump and growing threats from China and Russia.

He is expected to hold meetings with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and French President Emmanuel Macron in the afternoon, and then address the summit on Saturday morning.

The Liberal Democrats have laid down the gauntlet to Sir Keir Starmer as they urged the Conservatives to join them and kill off Labour's bid to postpone elections this May. Our Chief Political Correspondent Katherine Forster has the exclusive story here.

Suella Braverman is the guest on this week's Chopper's Politics Podcast, where the former Home Secretary told our Political Editor she would be happy if Nigel Farage pursued socialist policies if he became Prime Minister. You can listen to the full interview with Reform's newest MP here.

Zack Polanski's Green Party is set to hold a vote on legalising heroin in a bid to make a more "inclusive" society, with party members having their say on the matter at the Green's Spring Conference. Our reporter Peter Stevens has the story here.

While Parliament is in recess, the High Court is set to rule at 10 am on whether the Home Office’s decision to ban Palestine Action under anti-terrorism legislation was lawful.

Here on GB News, we'll be joined by Shadow Energy Secretary Claire Coutinho and Water and Flooding Minister Emma Hardy.