Author: James Carter

The Education Secretary has sought to reassure drivers that Britain can withstand fuel supply disruption as petrol prices climbed above 150p per litre following Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Bridget Phillipson urged the public to maintain normal refuelling habits despite the average cost rising by more than 17p since hostilities with Tehran erupted in late February, insisting authorities have adequate preparations in place. Speaking on Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips, Ms Phillipson said motorists should heed guidance from motoring organisations such as the RAC, which has advised against panic buying. “They’ve been absolutely clear that if you go…

Sir Keir Starmer has signalled a potential retreat from controversial immigration reforms following a significant backbench revolt and warnings the proposals could devastate the adult social care sector. More than 100 Labour MPs signed a letter condemning plans to extend the qualifying period for indefinite leave to remain from five to ten years, describing the policy as unjust and a betrayal of fundamental party principles. The Prime Minister acknowledged in a Sunday Mirror interview that “powerful” arguments from social workers about the impact had influenced his thinking, though he stopped short of confirming the policy would be abandoned. “We must…

A major teachers’ union is set to debate a motion calling for organised resistance against a potential Reform UK government, as its general secretary launched a fierce attack on Nigel Farage ahead of the organisation’s annual conference. Daniel Kebede, head of the National Education Union (NEU), branded the Reform leader a “Toytown Trump” and warned he would represent “a disaster for Britain” if he entered Downing Street. “We have a multi-millionaire dressed in tweed masquerading as a man of the people,” Mr Kebede stated. “The reality is he would cut our schools to the bone along with the NHS and…

The Green Party is under mounting pressure to confront allegations of antisemitism within its ranks following revelations of inflammatory messages exchanged by activists, with senior political figures demanding immediate action. Campaign Against Antisemitism has confirmed its lawyers are examining remarks made by members of Greens for Palestine, a left-wing faction within the party, which the organisation described as “straight out of Nazi Germany.” Conservative Party chairman Kevin Hollinrake condemned the language as “utterly appalling,” stating: “The Greens appear to be drifting into a pattern of tolerating anti-Semitism, failing to confront even the most blatant expressions of hatred.” The controversy centres…

Donald Trump has claimed US intelligence officials briefed him that Iran’s newly installed Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei is gay, making the remarks during a Fox News interview in which he described the assessment as widely held and suggested it would create difficulties for Khamenei within the hardline Islamic republic. Asked whether the CIA had made the assessment, Trump replied: “They did say that, but I don’t know if it was only them. I think a lot of people are saying that, which puts him off to a bad start in that particular country.” Trump has previously dismissed Khamenei as a…

Britain has been hit harder than any other major economy by the fallout from the Middle East conflict, according to the first detailed assessment from a significant international body of the war’s financial impact. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development has cut its 2026 growth forecast for the UK by half a percentage point, leaving output expected to rise by just 0.7 per cent this year — the largest single downgrade recorded among OECD member states. The eurozone and South Korea suffered the next biggest reductions. The UK’s particular vulnerability stems from its heavy dependence on imported energy. Rising…

A prominent Oxford economist has challenged Energy Secretary Ed Miliband to abandon what he describes as simplistic messaging on natural gas and adopt a more evidence-based approach to energy policy, as the war in Iran intensifies pressure on the Government over North Sea production. Sir Dieter Helm, professor of economic policy at Oxford University, argued that gas will remain a central part of Britain’s energy mix for the foreseeable future regardless of political ambitions, and that producing it domestically in the North Sea would bring clear advantages for both energy security and the broader economy. “We should stop trotting out…

Iran’s military has flatly rejected Donald Trump’s claim that a peace deal is taking shape, with a senior spokesman accusing the United States of conducting negotiations with no genuine counterpart on the other side. Trump told journalists on Tuesday that he was in contact with “the right people” within the Iranian regime and presented a 15-point framework for ending hostilities, insisting Tehran had already committed to abandoning its nuclear weapons programme. “They’re not going to have a nuclear weapon. That’s number one, two, and three. They’ve agreed to that,” he said. Iranian military spokesman Ebrahim Zolfaghari responded with a pointed…

The Government has imposed an immediate moratorium on cryptocurrency donations to political parties, announcing the measure will apply retrospectively from today while describing it as a necessary step to protect the integrity of British democracy. Housing Secretary Steve Reed confirmed the ban following Prime Minister’s Questions, saying it would remain in place until “sufficient regulation is in place to ensure full confidence and transparency in donations being made this way.” The move follows the publication of the Rycroft review into foreign interference in British politics, conducted by former senior civil servant Philip Rycroft at Labour’s request. The review was commissioned…

Health Secretary Wes Streeting has unveiled sweeping reforms to the regulation of NHS doctors, giving medical watchdogs greater powers to suspend and strike off practitioners who express antisemitic or racist views — in what the Department of Health describes as the most significant shake-up of the system in four decades. The changes follow sustained pressure on the General Medical Council over its handling of cases involving doctors who made inflammatory remarks on social media, with the department acknowledging there had been “too many” recent examples of antisemitic conduct going without swift consequence. Central to the reform is a new power…