Tory leader Kemi Badenoch unveils first new policy amid pressure from Reform

UK 'would oppose any effort to move Palestinians in Gaza to neighbouring Arab states' - minister

Foreign Office minister Anneliese Dodds opens her statement by telling the House that "for the people of Gaza, so many of whom have lost lives, homes, or loved ones, the last 14 months of conflict have been a living nightmare".

She tells MPs: "The UK is clear that we must see a negotiated two-state solution, with a sovereign Palestinian state which includes the West Bank and Gaza, alongside a safe and secure Israel, with Jerusalem as the shared capital."

Ms Dodds goes on to call for the release of all the Israeli hostages still being held by Hamas, and for more aid to get into Gaza.

The government's priority is "ensuring the fragile ceasefire continues", and to "rebuild that pathway to sustainable peace".

"Palestinians must determine the future of Gaza, with support from regional states and the wider international community," she says.

"We would oppose any effort to move Palestinians in Gaza to neighbouring Arab states against their will. There must be no forced displacement of Palestinians, nor any reduction in territory of the Gaza Strip."

The minister adds that Palestinians must be able to return home and rebuild, which is a "right guaranteed under international law".

Her comments come after US president Donald Trump said Palestinians could be moved out of Gaza and the US could take over the territory - although the White House appeared to walk back the remarks yesterday.

 

Commons Urgent Question On Israel And Gaza

An Urgent Question is under way in the House of Commons on the situation in Israel and Gaza.

It was tabled by Labour MP Andy McDonald, and he was hoping to summon the foreign secretary to the Commons.

However, Foreign Office minister Anneliese Dodds has been sent to respond in his place.

Over in the House of Commons, and we've just had questions to the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs.

And would you believe it, some familiar faces popped up on the Conservative benches.

Both former prime minister Rishi Sunak and ex-chancellor Jeremy Hunt asked questions in the morning debate.

Former prime ministers take different approaches to appearing as a backbencher - Theresa May was a fixture in the Commons after her time in Number 10, and would often make pointed contributions drawing on her experience.

Others - like Boris Johnson and Liz Truss - were less commonly seen on the green benches.

Mr Sunak is likewise now only an occasional visitor to the Commons chamber.

However, his rural constituency of Richmond and Northallerton is one that has a lot of interest in DEFRA policies, and so it is unsurprising for him to pop up today.

True to form as a constituency champion, he asked the government about what they would do to make it easier for small business to supply food to the public sector - something he has been told is an issue.

Minister Daniel Zeichner said he was "honoured" to have Mr Sunak ask a question, adding that he would look into the matter.

Defending his legacy

Mr Hunt, who has ten years more experience as an MP than Mr Sunak, including five years in opposition, took his chance to ask a question to make a political point.

He raised Labour's claim there was a £22bn black hole in the public finances left by the Tories - an attack which directly tarnishes Mr Hunt's time as chancellor.

The Godalming and Ash MP pointed out that the Office for Budget Responsibility "refused" to endorse the figure.

He then pivoted to ask how the government can justify its changes to inheritance tax for farmers.

DEFRA Secretary Steve Reed lept up to the despatch box to say Mr Hunt was "fully aware" of the "appalling" state of the public finance when he left office - and said it forced the Labour administration's hands.

 

Labour's plan for councils - and what it means for looming local elections

Labour are planning the biggest overhaul of local government in decades.

It will see some smaller, district councils combined into bigger "strategic authorities" with more sway over their areas - with the aim of getting things done much quicker, especially regarding building.

More people will also live under powerful regional mayors, like those in Greater Manchester and Liverpool, for example.

What's the case for doing this?

Ministers argue many people live in areas covered by multiple councils and often don't know which one to turn to.

You might have a parish council, a borough council, and a county council all operating where you live.

They hope their plan will be more efficient, both in terms of pushing things through (like housing) and also saving money.

And by providing more mayors, people will have a more obvious figurehead they can hold to account.

What's the case against?

The Local Government Association and opposition parties have said it could dilute democracy.

Millions of people could end up under the same unitary authority, giving them less say over their immediate local area.

And then we come to perhaps the most contentious part…

What does this mean for local elections?

There are local elections coming up in May - likely to be a major test of Labour's performance since coming into government.

It's often the case that voters use local elections as a way of demonstrating their displeasure with what central government is up to, and Reform in particular are hoping for big gains.

But it's worth noting the Tories still control plenty of councils, and they could well be under threat too.

Because of the government's plans, though, some areas in which councils are looking to reorganise will now not have local elections until 2026.

They are East Sussex, West Sussex, Essex, Thurrock, Hampshire, Norfolk, Suffolk, Surrey, and the Isle of Wight.

Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey is just as unhappy as Reform - he's said it's a "disgraceful stitch-up".

 

AstraZeneca CEO on cancelled UK investment: Increasing taxes not encouraging

The CEO of AstraZeneca has been speaking to the media this morning, and was asked about the decision to cancel plans for a £450m vaccine manufacturing plant in Liverpool (more here).

Pascal Soriot told journalists that they cancelled the planned plant because they could not make the facility "economically viable", and the company is now assessing alternate sites, Reuters reports.

Despite the new government's efforts to draw investment to the UK by stripping back regulation and other barriers, he said the UK needs to continue improving the economic environment for investment in the life sciences industry.

And he also said that increasing taxes on industry is not encouraging - a comment that will sting the chancellor, who has defended her decision to raise employers' national insurance in the budget.

   

New Tory immigration policy 'not about opinion polls', insists shadow home secretary

The Tory party has announced a new "tough" immigration policy just days after Reform UK topped a Sky News-YouGov poll for the first time, leaving the Tories in third (more here).

But the shadow home secretary, Chris Philp, told Sky's Wilfred Frost: "This isn't about opinion polls.

"This is about doing the right thing. It's about identifying a problem the country faces, which is [that] we've had far too many people coming in in recent years.

"It's about making sure that only people who make a contribution are allowed to stay here. And if they don't, they're asked to leave."

He insisted that it is a "new approach under a new leader".

 

Philp: Not fair for British taxpayers to subsidise new arrivals

We've just been speaking with shadow home secretary Chris Philp about the Tory party's first major policy proposal - making it much harder for immigrants to the UK to get leave to remain.

He told Sky's Wilfred Frost: "The simple message is that if people come to this country saying they're going to work, then we expect them to do that.

"If they don't work, if they say they need to have benefits instead, then we would revoke their visa and require them to leave."

He went on to say that if they have not worked at an appropriate level by the end of their visa, they would not get the right to stay in the UK permanently.

"It's about making sure the people who come here to work actually do work and actually do earn money, earn salaries at a level where they're making a contribution because people on very low salaries actually end up costing more in public services than they contribute," Mr Philp said.

"And I don't think it's fair on the British taxpayer to ask them to essentially subsidise people who have only just arrived in the country."

Frost put to Mr Philp that this appears to be U-turn on how previous Tory leaders have dealt with immigration, and he replies that the party has "a new leader and there is a new approach".

He went on: "Kemi and I have both been honest and said mistakes were made in the past. The numbers were far too high to be completely honest with you. The numbers of illegal migrants coming in were far too high for the last few years.

"This policy is designed to make sure those people who have recently arrived are required to leave if they're not making a contribution."

 

Mandelson arrives in Washington to take up US ambassador role

The Price of Darkness has officially descended on Washington DC.

Lord Peter Mandelson has arrived in the US capital ahead of starting officially as UK ambassador on Monday, Downing Street has confirmed.

We understand that, despite some in President Trump's orbit having some reservations about him (one adviser called him a "moron"), the new administration officially approved his appointment just before the inauguration.

The veteran politician has been on something of an apology tour over the last couple of weeks, making clear that he now regrets having previously described the US president as "reckless", a "bully", and a "danger to the world".

He told the New York Times last night that his comments were "childish and wrong", and he was "a bit irate" at the time he made them in 2019.

 

Minister: No specific timeline for new nuclear energy

We've just been speaking with energy minister Michael Shanks about the government's plan to slash red tape in order to build more nuclear reactors.

He explained to Sky's Wilfred Frost that the existing planning guidance around nuclear reactors is "an update to planning guidance that goes back to 2011" that restricted the number of sites available for nuclear energy to just eight.

But today's small modular nuclear reactors "can be built on a whole range of other sites", so the aim is "to open up the country to that development".

The aim is to ensure "energy security into the future", and also boosting economic growth.

Frost noted that nuclear reactors have historically taken many years to build, and asked how long it will take for modular nuclear reactors to come online.

But he did not give an exact timeline, and said: "These are projects that are being developed right across the world - we're at the cutting edge of some of this.

"But, you know, Britain used to lead the world in nuclear power technology in this country. We haven't built any for 30 years. The previous government didn't move forward anywhere near quickly enough on these projects.

"We now want to capitalise on the real potential that these modular reactors can play."

Pushed again on the question, he said it will be up to individual developments to make proposals to the government, and added: "I would love to be able to tell you as energy minister, that I could make that happen tomorrow.

"That's not going to be the case. There will be a process here, but everything this government is doing is about moving further and faster."

 

Home secretary to chair summit on tackling rampant smartphone thefts

The Home Secretary will chair a summit with law enforcement bodies to focus on tackling smartphone thefts.

One of the issues the Met Police wants to raise is with tech companies improving security on devices so stolen phones cannot be easily resold.

The Met Police has stepped up its efforts to clamp down on phone thieves, seizing 1,000 stolen mobiles and arresting 230 people in one week.

During a week of co-ordinated action across London, the capital's police force specifically targeted and clamped down on phone thieves.

This included action in hot spot areas, like the West End and Westminster where nearly 40% of thefts occur, it said.

Increased patrols in Westminster saw 17 arrests for robbery and theft, following 42 stop and searches.

In Hackney and Haringey, officers made 15 arrests connected to the operation, including a 15-year-old boy on an illegal electric bike who was found with a large knife and £1,000 cash.

Other operations included arresting two e-bike thieves, who were later sentenced to a combined five years, for phone thefts.

 

Politics At Jack and Sam's: Starmer goes nuclear

Sky News' deputy political editor Sam Coates and Politico's Anne McElvoy look at the day ahead in British politics.

Sam and Anne discuss Starmer's plans to break down barriers to building nuclear reactors in the UK, and Kemi Badenoch's new proposals for stricter immigration rules in a possible bid to win back voters moving towards Reform.

Elsewhere, Jonathan Powell, Starmer’s National Security Advisor, goes to Washington to discuss plans for the Chagos Islands.

 

Campaigners react to decision to demolish Grenfell Tower

Grenfell campaigners have reacted to the "deeply sensitive decision" by the deputy prime minister to demolish the tower block.

Victims' families and survivors were given the news in a meeting attended by Angela Rayner on Wednesday night.

Grenfell Next of Kin, which represents some of the bereaved families, described it as a "deeply sensitive decision... after a thorough engagement process in person" following an "uncomfortable conversation with uncomfortable truths".

The government has previously said there will be no changes to the site before the eighth anniversary of the fire disaster, which claimed 72 lives on 14 June 2017.

It is expected more details will be set out by ministers by the end of the week.

Engineering experts have said that while the tower remains stable, and it is safe for people to live, work and study nearby, its condition will worsen over time and there is no realistic prospect of bringing it back into use.

 

Starmer to slash red tape to build nuclear reactors

Planning rules will be ripped up to make it easier to build new nuclear reactors and create thousands of highly skilled jobs, the government has announced.

The reforms are the latest in a series of proposals designed to "get Britain building" to help grow the economy, after powers for environmental quangos to delay infrastructure projects were removed.

The UK was the first country in the world to develop a nuclear reactor but the last time a power station was built was in 1995.

Ministers have blamed this on "suffocating" red tape, leaving the UK lagging behind in the global race for cleaner more affordable energy.

Under moves announced today, mini-nuclear power stations known as small modular reactors (SMRs) will be included in the national planning guidance, allowing them to be built in the UK for the first time.

 

Badenoch unveils first new policy as Tory leader - pledging to tighten immigration rules

The Conservative Party is pledging to tighten immigration rules after Reform topped a landmark poll for the first time earlier this week.

In her first major policy announcement as Tory Party leader, Kemi Badenoch is pledging to double the amount of time an immigrant needs to have been in the UK before claiming indefinite leave to remain from five to 10 years.

In order to claim indefinite leave to remain after 10 years, the individual must also meet new, tightened conditions.

These include not having claimed benefits or used social housing during the entire qualification period, not having a criminal record and being able to demonstrate that their household would be a "net contributor".

Ms Badenoch accused Labour of being "not serious about tackling immigration" and said there needs to be a "new approach".

"Our country is not a dormitory, it's our home," she said.

The announcement comes just days after Reform topped a Sky News-YouGov poll for the first time as the party continues to shake up British politics.

The poll also found Kemi Badenoch has slipped behind Nigel Farage when voters are asked whether they have a favourable or unfavourable opinion of the leaders.

 

Labour's plan for councils - and what it means for looming local elections

Labour are planning the biggest overhaul of local government in decades.

It will see some smaller, district councils combined into bigger "strategic authorities" with more sway over their areas - with the aim of getting things done much quicker, especially regarding building.

More people will also live under powerful regional mayors, like those in Greater Manchester and Liverpool, for example.

What's the case for doing this?

Ministers argue many people live in areas covered by multiple councils and often don't know which one to turn to.

You might have a parish council, a borough council, and a county council all operating where you live.

They hope their plan will be more efficient, both in terms of pushing things through (like housing) and also saving money.

And by providing more mayors, people will have a more obvious figurehead they can hold to account.

What's the case against?

The Local Government Association and opposition parties have said it could dilute democracy.

Millions of people could end up under the same unitary authority, giving them less say over their immediate local area.

And then we come to perhaps the most contentious part…

What does this mean for local elections?

There are local elections coming up in May - likely to be a major test of Labour's performance since coming into government.

It's often the case that voters use local elections as a way of demonstrating their displeasure with what central government is up to, and Reform in particular are hoping for big gains.

But it's worth noting the Tories still control plenty of councils, and they could well be under threat too.

Because of the government's plans, though, some areas in which councils are looking to reorganise will now not have local elections until 2026.

They are East Sussex, West Sussex, Essex, Thurrock, Hampshire, Norfolk, Suffolk, Surrey, and the Isle of Wight.

Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey is just as unhappy as Reform - he's said it's a "disgraceful stitch-up".

 

Scrutiny of assisted dying bill 'deeply flawed'

Conservative MP Danny Kruger has been one of the most vocal critics of proposed legislation to legalise assisted dying.

MPs voted in favour of the Terminally Ill (Adults) End Of Life Bill last year, kicking off months of scrutiny and further votes before it becomes law.

The scrutiny committee - made up of 23 MPs, including 14 opponents of the bill - will next week start reviewing the legislation and offer tweaks.

'PM really believes in this'

Mr Kruger is one of them, but tells Sophy Ridge he's concerned by the prime minister's support for the bill.

"We all recognise that really Keir Starmer believes in this," he says.

The prime minister made the first vote on the bill a free vote, meaning MPs of all parties could vote how they wanted. He voted in favour, and two ministers are on the scrutiny committee.

Committee line-up 'not reflective' of vote

Mr Kruger also believes the MP who introduced the bill, Kim Leadbeater, has established an "imbalance" on the committee.

"She's done that with a majority in favour, which is appropriate because there was a majority in favour in the House of Commons," he says.

"But there are more MPs in favour of the bill on the committee than there were in the House of Commons, so it's not quite reflective."

Had it been put in Labour's manifesto and brought forward as a government measure rather than a private member's bill (something any MP can do if they're selected by ballot at the start of a parliament), he believes the bill would have faced much more scrutiny.

He says even some who back the bill view the process as "deeply flawed".

   

Tory MPs wonder why Farage is taking up space their leader could be filling

Nigel Farage has been something of a minority voice today by saying he quite likes Donald Trump's proposal for Gaza.

The US president wants to take it over, force Palestinians to move to other countries, and turn it into the "Riviera of the Middle East", something the Reform leader said "sounds very appealing".

Critics, of which there are many, says it sounds more like ethnic cleansing.

Punchy Farage knows how to get attention

"His answer was quite punchy and wasn't totally direct," says Ali.

"It went on for quite a long time - he talked about tariffs, saying unlike Mexico and Canada, EU tariffs (imposed by Trump) would stick.

"He talked about Chagos, he talked about Peter Mandelson, saying he'd advise him but half his party would hate him for it."

By turning a news conference about local elections into a wide-ranging political smorgasbord of domestic and foreign talking points, Ali reckons Tory MPs may be watching on somewhat enviously.

"Is this a space Kemi Badenoch should be filling? Several Conservatives are asking - whether you agree with Farage or not - why he's having these big wide-ranging news conferences, and she isn't."

 

Government not in favour of Trump's Gaza 'take over' proposal

The government wants to see displaced Palestinians returning to Gaza, Foreign Office minister Stephen Doughty tells Sophy Ridge.

Echoing the prime minister, he distances the UK from Donald Trump's shock proposal that the US "take over" and people who had homes there before the war with Israel move elsewhere.

The "destruction and damage" in Gaza has been "appalling", he says, and the long hoped for two-state solution is what's needed.

"We want to see a long-term political settlement for a secure and sovereign Palestine alongside a secure and sovereign Israel," he adds.

 

Trump must be 'comfortable' with Chagos deal, says minister

Foreign Office minister Stephen Doughty is joining Sophy Ridge to discuss ongoing controversy about the UK's deal to give Mauritius control over the Chagos Islands.

The government says the deal to hand over the overseas territory is consistent with its adherence to international law, while ensuring continued use of a UK-US military base on the Diego Garcia island.

'This base is crucially important'

The Tories started the talks before Labour won the election but have staunchly criticised it regardless, and their attention has now turned to reports the government's paying Mauritius between £9bn and £18bn.

Mr Doughty says he doesn't "recognise" the figures being touted, but insists any money changing hands is crucial to national security.

"We pay for [military] basing arrangements around the world, and there are important costs on those," he says. 

"As a government, we won't scrimp on our national security.

"This base is crucially important to the defence of the UK and the US, and the security of our allies in the Indo-Pacific."

'No rush' to finalise deal

The deal was backed by Joe Biden, but there have been reports - not confirmed by the man himself - that Donald Trump isn't keen.

Mr Doughty says the government is happy for the new administration to have time to look over the deal, saying there's "no rush".

Asked if Mr Trump could get a veto, he adds: "It's very, very important the US absolutely is comfortable with this arrangement."

 

How today exposed a key difference between Trump and Starmer

The world feels pretty perilous right now.

Britain, we're told, is in a pre-war situation - but much of the world is at war already. 

And at the centre of this fragility is land. Norms we've previously taken for granted - lines on the map that used to feel definite - now feel like they are written in pencil rather than pen. 

Land is what people go to war for. It matters from an economic perspective, a security perspective, and also because of something deeper than that. 

History. Identity. Belonging. Belief. 

Which is why what Donald Trump said last night was so incendiary. 

America taking over Gaza, the Palestinians leaving forever, to "go to countries with humanitarian hearts", in his words. 

The Monopoly man

But it's not just in Gaza where people are losing their lives for the land where they live. 

In Ukraine, too, where Foreign Secretary David Lammy was today, soil is worth fighting for and dying for.

And that's why any end to that war where the map is redrawn, where parts of Ukraine are handed over to Russia, well that's difficult.

Trump talks an awful lot about land. He was a real estate man - he talks about Greenland and Panama like he's playing a game of Monopoly. 

On the other side, you have Keir Starmer - a lawyer who likes to stick to the rules, which is why he's determined to push through the Chagos deal, handing over sovereignty to Mauritius.

That's the way, he thinks, to abide by international law on land.

-SKY NEWS