Markus Andrews

Keir Starmer is on the verge of sanctioning senior members of Benjamin Netanyahu’s government over the crisis in Gaza amid calls from MPs for tougher action against Israel. The sanctions are being considered as alarm grows over the fate of thousands of Palestinians as the Israeli Defence Force steps up military operations and supplies continue to struggle to get through.Top of the list are understood to be Israel’s national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and finance minister Bezalel Smotrich, as well as others. It comes a day after Britain issued fresh sanctions against Israel and suspended trade talks over its “morally unjustifiable” escalation of violence in Gaza, with foreign secretary David Lammy blasting Netanyahu’s actions as “wholly disproportionate”.Israel’s security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir More

Angela Rayner sent a memo to Rachel Reeves suggesting an increase in taxes for savers, reports have claimed.The deputy prime minister was said to have suggested reinstating the pensions lifetime allowance and changing dividend taxes to raise revenue ahead of the spring statement, The Telegraph reported.The lifetime pensions allowance limited how much savers could put in their pension pot before incurring a higher tax charge and was abolished under the Tories.The deputy prime minister reportedly sent the suggestions in a memo titled “alternative proposals for raising revenue”, which estimated the changes could raise £3 billion to £4 billion a year.The chancellor has been adamant she will not turn to tax rises as part of the government’s efforts to fund its policies. But there have been reports that Ms Rayner has been pushing back against spending cuts behind the scenes.Angela Rayner sent a memo to Rachel Reeves suggesting an increase on taxes for savers, reports have claimed More

Frustration spilled over in the Commons on Tuesday – from Labour MPs and others – over the time it has taken for Keir Starmer’s government to step up and take action against Israel over the Gaza crisis.As the UN warned that 14,000 babies risked death from malnutrition by Thursday without urgent aid, there was a sense that, by the time foreign secretary David Lammy got to his feet, it was already too late and not enough.He announced a largely symbolic move of suspending trade talks with Israel and sanctions against some extremists in Israel connected to settlers. But there was no full suspension of arms sales nor sanctions against ministers in Benjamin Netanyahu’s government.But the question was why had it taken so long for the UK government to act even in this limited way? Why was it only now that they were tightening the screw?David Lammy addresses the Commons More

Senior government figures are in talks about whether to U-turn on the chancellor’s winter fuel cuts within weeks, it has emerged. The cuts, which will strip millions of pensioners of payments worth up to £300, could reportedly be partially reversed or scrapped altogether.Ongoing discussions have covered all options, including the government sticking with its existing policy, the BBC reported. Rachel Reeves announced the cuts in July More

The UK has slapped Israel with further sanctions and suspended trade talks with the country in response to violence against Palestinians in Gaza. David Lammy blasted Israel for a “morally unjustifiable” escalation in violence as he announced fresh measures to pile pressure on Benjamin Netanyahu, just hours after the UK, Canada and France on Monday warned they will take “concrete actions” against the Middle Eastern nation. The foreign secretary also announced that Israeli ambassador to the UK Tzipi Hotovely has been summoned to the Foreign Office, where government minister Hamish Falconer said he would tell her “the 11-week block on aid to Gaza has been cruel and indefensible”. It came amid growing alarm over warnings that 14,000 Palestinian babies could die in the next 48 hours if action is not taken amid allegations the Israeli government is committing genocide. Already Keir Starmer had joined French president Emmanuel Macron and Canadian PM Mark Carney had issued a statement warning of substantive action if the Israeli government continues to block aid getting into Gaza.But MPs from five political parties – Labour, the Tories, Lib Dems, Greens and SNP – told Mr Lammy that the government needs to go further and faster including suspending arms sales to Israel.Labour MP Melanie Ward, a parliamentary private secretary, asked the foreign secretary: “What is the red line? Gaza is out of time.”David Lammy said the Middle East is entering a ‘dark new phase in this conflict’ More