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Sir Keir Starmer says he wants to close a “loophole” that allowed a Palestinian family the right to remain in the UK after they applied through a scheme designed for Ukrainian refugees.
The prime minister and Kemi Badenoch clashed at PMQs after the Tory leader criticised a judge’s decision to allow the family to live in the UK.
After claiming that Ms Badenoch “hasn’t quite done her homework, because the decision in question was taken under the last government”, the prime minister accused the Tory leader of repeating the same question without listening to his initial response that ministers were seeking to tighten the rules in response to the case.
The Home Office has issued new guidance stating that anyone who enters the UK illegally “having made a dangerous journey, will normally be refused citizenship” – just days after ministers were accused of trying to outdo Reform by publishing migrant raid videos
Labour MP Stella Creasy said the changes “can’t be right” and would leave refugees “forever second-class” and without “a place in our society”, while former Green Party leader Caroline Lucas warned that “such performative cruelty won’t see off Reform – it’s more likely to strengthen them”.
Watch: Murdered MP David Amess’ daughter calls for public inquiry
Murdered MP’ daughter speaks out as report finds failings in counter-terrorism review
Murdered MP Sir David Amess’ daughter has spoken out as a damning report found vital chances to stop his killer were missed. The Prevent Commissioner will review the programme’s interaction with Ali Harbi Ali, who killed Sir David, Home Office minister Dan Jarvis said today (12 February), as he promised support to the former MP’s family. A review into the handling of Sir David’s murderer under the Government’s counter-terror programme Prevent found assessments were “problematic” and his case was closed too early, security minister Dan Jarvis has told MPs. Ali Harbi Ali had been referred to Prevent seven years before he killed the veteran MP on October 15 2021, but his case was closed in 2016.
PMQs was 6-0 to Starmer, says GB News political editor
The political editor of GB News has suggested that Sir Keir Starmer scored a 6-0 victory over Kemi Badenoch at PMQs.
Mail on Sunday commentator Dan Hodges said: “That wasn’t just Kemi Badenoch’s worst performance as leader. It was one of the worst performances ever from a leader of the opposition.
“She had no capacity to readjust after Starmer gave her a clear and direct answer on the Gaza family. It was embarrassing to watch.”
Meanwhile, The Sun’s political editor Harry Cole noted that the “Tory benches look like someone has p***ed on their chips”.
Courses for low-risk offenders cancelled to ease probation service pressures
Around 13,000 offenders did not complete rehabilitation courses as part of their sentences because the Probation Service was unable to deliver them in time under an “impossible” workload, the Justice Secretary has revealed.
Shabana Mahmood said thousands of accredited programmes ordered by the courts were not fulfilled before their sentences expired in three years to March 2024.
She announced courses for low-risk offenders would be cancelled in a bid to “confront the reality” of the pressures on the service.
The Lord Chancellor said: “Now is also a moment about the challenges that the service faces, and the simple fact is this, the service this Government inherited was burdened with a workload that was quite simply impossible.
“When we took office, we discovered that orders handed out by courts were not taking place in the three years to March 2024, around 13,000 accredited programmes, a type of rehabilitative course, did not happen.”
Ms Mahmood added that the problem had been years in the making.
They will still receive supervision from a probation officer and any breaches of a licence condition could mean they returned to prison, she added.
“We will ensure those offenders who pose a higher risk and who need to receive these courses will do so,” Ms Mahmood said.
Small boats crackdown ‘would deny Paddington Bear refuge in the UK’, Labour MP says
A new government crackdown on refugees travelling to the UK by small boat is so harsh it would mean turning away Paddington Bear, a Labour MP has said.
Jabed Ahmed reports:
Starmer vows not to abandon steelworkers in face of Trump tariffs
Sir Keir Starmer insisted he would “always put our national interest first” as the government weighs up its response to Donald Trump’s steel tariffs, with a 25 per cent tax on imports to the US set to come into effect next month.
The European Union has promised to retaliate over US tariffs, but Sir Keir said he is still assessing what the UK response will be. With Sir Keir hopeful of a visit to see Mr Trump in the coming weeks, the government will be reluctant to start a trade war with the US.
Sir Keir told MPs: “British steel is an essential part of our heartlands, and we will not abandon our skilled workforce, and it needs a level-headed assessment of the implications, which is what we’re going through at the moment.
“But we will always put our national interest first, and steelworkers first.”
Give Chagos Islands to Trump, ex-army chief urges as he lays into Starmer’s deal
Sir Keir Starmer should scrap his plans to hand the Chagos Islands to Mauritius and consider ceding control to the US instead, the former head of the British army has said.
Lord Dannatt, former chief of the general staff, said it is “very hard to find good news” in the prime minister’s deal to cede control of the Indian Ocean archipelago, and raised questions about how the agreement would be paid for.
Our political correspondent Archie Mitchell reports:
Veteran MP’s killer had Prevent case closed ‘too quickly’ – minister
A review of the handling of Sir David Amess’ murderer Ali Harbi Ali under the Government’s counterterror programme Prevent found assessments were problematic and his case was closed too quickly, security minister Dan Jarvis said.
He told the Commons: “The reviewer found that from the material reviewed, the assessment in terms of the perpetrator’s vulnerabilities was problematic, and this ultimately led to questionable decision-making and sub-optimal handling of the case during the time he was engaged with Prevent and Channel.
“It identified that the vulnerability assessment framework was not followed with the perpetrator’s symptoms being prioritised over addressing the underlying causes of his vulnerabilities.
“The reviewer ultimately found that while Prevent policy and guidance at the time was mostly followed, the case was exited from Prevent too quickly.”
Watch: Boris Johnson will not return to politics for one very bizarre reason
Starmer vows continued backing for global vaccine ‘success story’
Sir Keir Starmer has said the government will “continue to support” the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation (Gavi).
During PMQs, Tory former minister Andrew Mitchell said: “The prime minister will be well aware of the global vaccination fund, Gavi, one of the United Kingdom’s great success stories. It’s vaccinated from deadly diseases over a billion children under five. It presents real value for money to British taxpayers and over 80 per cent of our constituents support it.
“Will he give the House today an undertaking that Britain will continue this leadership and make a decisive pledge at next month’s replenishment?”
Sir Keir replied: “I’ve long supported it, will continue to support and share details with him just as soon as I can but it is important, have supported it and will continue to do so.”
Kemi Badenoch doubles down on claim Starmer refused to answer her question
Kemi Badenoch has doubled down on her repeated claim that Sir Keir Starmer refused to answer her question on whether the government would appeal a judge’s decision to allow a Palestinian family to remain in the UK under a Ukrainian refugee scheme.
The PM had replied that he disagreed with the judge’s decision, adding: “It should be parliament that makes the rules on immigration. And the home secretary is already looking at the legal loophole that we need to close.”
A post on Ms Badenoch’s X account following the exchange stated: “I asked the Prime Minister to appeal this crazy court decision that allows people from Gaza to use the Ukrainian Family scheme. He repeatedly REFUSED to say whether the govt had or would. This sets a bad precedent -legalism before national interest. He is a lawyer not a leader.”
