Author: Fatimah Idera

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer is expected to set out the next stage of his government’s plans shortly after May’s major elections, with the King’s Speech scheduled for mid-May. The speech has been pencilled in for 12 or 13 May, according to BBC reports, just days after voters go to the polls on 7 May. Those elections include contests for the Scottish Parliament, the Welsh Senedd, thousands of council seats in England and several directly elected mayors. Labour is preparing for difficult results, and some MPs believe a poor showing could prompt questions over Sir Keir’s leadership. One government source…

Welsh ministers are being humiliated by the UK government’s approach to devolution, a Labour Member of the Senedd claimed. Alun Davies criticised Westminster’s handling of funding and disputes over devolved powers, saying Wales was being treated unfairly. His comments highlight growing tensions within Labour between the UK government and the Welsh administration over where authority should lie in devolved areas. The row centres on the UK government’s Pride in Place scheme, which will fund town centre regeneration projects by allocating money directly to local councils in Wales, bypassing the Welsh government. The policy relies on legislation that allows Westminster to…

According to a report available to New Daily Prime, the UK government has announced an independent inquiry into the influence of foreign money on British politics, following growing concerns about attempts by hostile states to undermine democracy. The review comes after Nathan Gill, a former senior figure in Reform UK, was jailed for 10 years for accepting bribes from a pro-Kremlin agent while acting on behalf of the Russian state. His conviction has intensified scrutiny of foreign financial interference in domestic politics, particularly from Russia and China. The government-commissioned inquiry will examine whether the UK’s political finance laws are robust…

A Home Office minister has rejected a request from former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn for a meeting to discuss the worsening health of eight remand prisoners linked to the protest group Palestine Action who are currently on hunger strike. Corbyn raised the issue during justice questions in the Commons, warning of deep concerns for the detainees, five of whom have already been taken to hospital. The activists, accused of offences connected to Palestine Action, are being held on remand, with some not due to face trial until 2027. Recall the group began their hunger strike in October, demanding immediate bail…

The Home Office has unlawfully failed to protect vulnerable migrants held in immigration detention, a High Court judge has ruled. Mrs Justice Jefford found that the systems meant to safeguard detainees from inhuman and degrading treatment breached Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights. She said the failures had persisted for years and could affect thousands of migrants at risk in detention. The ruling followed a legal challenge brought by two men from Egypt and Bangladesh who were detained between July 2023 and March 2024. Both were held at Brook House immigration removal centre near Gatwick. Brook House…

Resident doctors in England will proceed with a five-day strike from Wednesday after voting to reject the government’s latest proposal aimed at ending the long-running pay and jobs dispute. Doctors, previously known as junior doctors, voted against the deal in a survey conducted by the British Medical Association (BMA). The offer, put forward last week by Health Secretary Wes Streeting, focused on expanding training places to allow earlier access to specialist roles but did not include a pay rise for the current financial year. The proposal was rejected by 83% of those who voted, with a turnout of 65%. A…

King Charles has said he is appalled and saddened by what he described as a most dreadful antisemitic terrorist attack at a Hanukkah celebration in Australia. At least 11 people were killed and 29 others taken to hospital after a shooting at Bondi Beach on Sunday, according to police. In a statement, the King said that he and Queen Camilla’s “hearts go out to everyone who has been affected so dreadfully”, adding that the light symbolised by the Jewish festival “will always triumph over the darkness of such evil”. Among those killed was Rabbi Eli Schlanger, a London-born rabbi and…

More than 700 migrants crossed the English Channel on Saturday, bringing an end to a four-week pause in small boat arrivals, according to the latest figures from the Home Office. A total of 737 people arrived in Dover on 11 boats on 14 December, marking the conclusion of the longest period without any Channel crossings in seven years. The previous arrivals were recorded on 14 November. The latest figures push the number of migrants who have crossed the Channel so far this year to 40,029, exceeding the 36,816 recorded throughout the whole of 2024. December is usually a quieter period…

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has declared violence against women and girls a national emergency, unveiling plans to overhaul how such crimes are investigated and tackled across England and Wales. Under a long-delayed government strategy due to be published on Thursday, every police force will be required to establish specialist rape and sexual offence investigation teams by 2029. The move forms part of Labour’s pledge to halve violence against women and girls within a decade. Speaking with Laura Kuenssberg programme, Mahmood said the criminal justice system too often fails women, describing current policing as a postcode lottery. She said the new…

Badenoch described the Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) mandate as a “well-meaning but ultimately destructive” policy that could damage the UK’s car industry.