Author: Fatimah Idera

Sir Keir Starmer is tightening his grip on Labour MPs as the party braces for a major rebellion over upcoming benefit reforms, with backbenchers now being ordered to attend a critical vote on July 1. Dozens of Labour MPs who had planned to be absent from Parliament that day say their official permission to miss the vote has been withdrawn, a move seen as a clear signal from party leadership that no dissent will be tolerated. The vote concerns the Government’s proposed £4.3 billion cut to welfare spending, including major reforms to Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payments (PIP). The…

Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds has warned Britain not to become too dependent on foreign labour due to a defeatist approach to getting young people into skilled jobs. He criticised what he called the casual attitude taken by previous governments in allowing sectors like healthcare, construction, and manufacturing to rely heavily on imported workers, leaving the UK workforce with tremendous skills gaps and vulnerable to global economic shocks. His intervention comes ahead of Labour’s release on Monday of a long-term industrial strategy designed to reduce Britain’s dependence on foreign workers by investing in its talent pool. The plan includes a 10-year…

Sir Keir Starmer is facing growing pressure from within his own party to ban Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist group, following the Government’s decision to designate Palestine Action as a terrorist organisation. The move comes after activists from the group broke into RAF Brize Norton on Friday and vandalised two military aircraft. In response, the Home Office announced that Palestine Action will be banned under terrorism laws, a decision that has sparked backlash from the group, which plans to stage a mass protest outside Parliament at noon on Monday. Labour backbenchers are now urging the Prime…

Ministry of Defence staff have lost a record number of security passes, with more than 15,000 reported missing over the past five years and a further 1,000 recorded as stolen, newly released figures reveal. 80 security passes go missing every week On average, nearly 80 security passes go missing every week, prompting security experts to warn of potential risks if the passes were to fall into the wrong hands. The revelations come just days after pro-Palestinian activists infiltrated RAF Brize Norton and damaged two military aircraft, reigniting concerns about security at defence sites. Figures obtained through Freedom of Information requests…

Immigration is now seen as the biggest burden on the NHS by Labour voters, according to a new poll, highlighting growing dissatisfaction within the party’s support base. A survey of 2,000 people who backed Labour in the 2024 general election found that 24% believe high levels of immigration are putting the greatest strain on the health service and more than those who cited the ageing population or the mental health crisis. The poll, conducted by Merlin Strategy on behalf of the Adam Smith Institute, found 22% blamed mental health pressures, 13% pointed to a lack of social care, 12% cited…

Every baby born in the UK will have their entire DNA mapped under a revolutionary NHS programme aimed at predicting and preventing disease before symptoms even appear. Health Secretary Wes Streeting unveiled the initiative as part of a wider 10-year health plan expected to launch in early July. At the heart of the strategy is a shift away from treating illness after it arises, toward using cutting-edge genomic science and digital technology to prevent disease entirely. Within a decade, every newborn in the UK will undergo whole genome sequencing, a process that decodes the complete genetic makeup of a person. This…

The United Kingdom Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer, has defended an anti-war protester accused of attempting to sabotage US military aircraft by drawing renewed attention following a similar incident at an RAF base. On Friday, pro-Palestinian activists allegedly gained access to RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire. In footage posted by Palestine Action, two individuals were seen on the base, with one appearing to spray paint into the engine of an Airbus Voyager air-to-air refuelling tanker. The incident prompted the scrutiny of Sir Keir’s legal record, particularly his role in a 2003 case involving anti-war activists who broke into RAF Fairford…

British nationals stranded in Israel will be evacuated on government-organised charter flights once the country’s airspace reopens, the Foreign Office has confirmed. The decision marks a reversal of the UK’s earlier position, with Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) officials previously indicating that chartered flights would not be offered. On Friday, however, Foreign Secretary David Lammy announced that the UK is now coordinating with Israeli authorities to facilitate evacuation flights from Tel Aviv, depending on demand from British citizens. Thousands of UK nationals are believed to be in Israel, though many are permanent residents or have opted to remain despite…

Scottish First Minister John Swinney has suffered a significant political setback after veteran SNP politician Fergus Ewing announced he is leaving the party and will run as an independent in the next Holyrood election. Ewing, 67, who has represented the Inverness and Nairn constituency since the Scottish Parliament was re-established in 1999, declared on Friday that he could no longer support the party he has belonged to for over 50 years. His resignation comes amid growing dissent within the SNP over the party’s direction under Mr Swinney’s leadership. In a statement, Ewing accused the SNP of having “deserted many of…

Assisted dying is on track to be legalised in England and Wales after MPs voted in favour of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill in what has been described as the most consequential parliamentary decision of the current session. In a closely contested vote on Friday, the House of Commons approved the legislation by 314 votes to 291 a narrow majority of 23 paving the way for adults with a terminal illness and less than six months to live to seek medical assistance to end their lives. The Bill, led by Labour MP Kim Leadbeater, represents a significant…