UK Politics

Keir Starmer has been urged to tackle a “dangerous brain drain” harming the UK economy just days before next week’s make-or-break Budget after official figures showed the number of Britons leaving the UK is far higher than previously thought. A total of 257,000 British nationals are now thought to have left the country last year – 180,000 more than the initial estimate of just 77,000, according to the statistics, which also revealed net migration reached a new record high. In the three years between the end of 2021 and the end of 2024, a total of 344,000 more Brits emigrated than previously thought, after the Office for National Statistics (ONS) updated its methodology. The extent of people leaving the UK comes as a blow to Sir Keir just a week before his government’s crucial Budget, amid claims Downing Street is panicking to save his premiership. More Brits left the UK than previously thought, new figures show (Alamy/PA) More

Sir Keir Starmer has warned Cabinet members against talking “about ourselves” after civil war and a series of Budget leaks rocked the government.The prime minister told ministers that “distractions” in recent weeks meant the government’s focus had “shifted from where it mattered most” and called for unity after an extraordinary briefing spat suggesting Health Secretary Wes Streeting was plotting a leadership bid.It comes after a chaotic series of briefings last week, in which the PM was said to be ready to defend any leadership challenge, and after the government U-turned on its apparent plans to increase income tax at the Budget later this month, as Rachel Reeves looks to plug the gap in the public finances. A readout of the cabinet’s weekly meeting issued by Number 10 on Tuesday said: “The prime minister opened cabinet by setting out the importance of the government’s mandate to renew the country. “He said distractions meant our focus shifted from where it mattered most – working every day in the service of the British people. Health Secretary Wes Streeting looks on as Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer delivers a speech (Leon Neal/PA) More

Shabana Mahmood tells Nigel Farage to ‘sod off’ as she defends asylum reformsNigel Farage has backed Shabana Mahmood’s asylum crackdown after the home secretary told the Reform UK leader to “sod off”.Mr Farage told a central London press conference on Tuesday: “Rhetorically we would agree with a lot of what the Home Secretary said.”He also quipped it might have been a pitch by Ms Mahmood to be the “next defector” to his party.His comments come after the home secretary told both Nigel Farage and Tommy Robinson to “sod off” when Sky News highlighted that the Reform leader said it seemed as if she was “auditioning” for a place in his party, while the far-right activist pledged support for her plans.Meanwhile, speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, Lord Dubs, a Labour peer who arrived in the UK as one of 600 Jewish children rescued from the Nazis, accused Ms Mahmood of “using children as a weapon”.Ms Mahmood faces backlash from Labour MPs over her sweeping reforms to the asylum system, which will see the government overhaul human rights laws in a bid to ramp up deportations.The home secretary’s plans have been labelled “repugnant” by her colleagues on the backbenches, and she has been accused of “chasing Reform”.Home Office ready to ‘disrupt and degrade’ against Chinese espionageThe Government said it would robustly defend the UK’s national security and democracy.Home Office minister Dan Jarvis said his department would “stand ready to … disrupt, degrade and protect against the dangerous and unrestrained offensive cyber ecosystem that China has allowed to take hold”.Mr Jarvis said the recent Cyber Security and Resilience Bill would provide safeguards and he did not rule out sanctions as a penalty against those involved in spying.MPs heard that China is the UK’s third largest trading partner as the minister said it was in the UK’s “long-term strategic interest” to trade and work with China on shared interests, including the environment, research and crime.However, he added: “We will always, always, challenge any country, including China, that attempts to interfere, influence or undermine the integrity of our democratic institutions, and we will take all necessary measures to protect UK national security. “That is why we have taken the action today and I am clear that further steps can absolutely be taken. Disrupting and deterring China’s espionage activity wherever it takes place, updating our security powers to keep pace with the threat, helping those who work in politics to recognise, resist and report the threat, and working with partners across the economy to strengthen their security against the threat.“Our strategy is not just to co-operate. We will engage China where necessary, but we will always act to defend our interests and challenge where our values are threatened.”Bryony Gooch18 November 2025 14:45’Perfectly reasonable’ to pay migrant families denied asylum to return to home countries, Cabinet minister insistsIt is “perfectly reasonable” to pay migrant families who have been denied asylum in the UK to return to their home countries, a Cabinet minister has said.Steve Reed would not be drawn on how much the Government might offer, telling Times Radio: “We will consult on that.”The Housing Secretary continued: “I think it’s perfectly reasonable to give people financial support to make the journey back to their home.“In the long run, it’s cheaper for the British taxpayer to do that.“We need to look at the overall cost of the Tory asylum-seeking system that we inherited.”Mr Reed stressed that families would not be separated as he defended the plans.“We cannot have a system that incentivises people to put their children on boats like that. We know that we need more safe and legal routes so that families who have the right to come here and seek asylum can get into the country, but we can’t continue to allow incentives to exist that result in children drowning in the Channel.”Tara Cobham18 November 2025 14:30Iain Duncan Smith: China should be on the enhanced tier of the foreign influence registration schemeA list of threats posed by China makes a mockery of the country not being on the enhanced tier of the foreign influence registration scheme (Firs), a Conservative MP has said.Former Conservative leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith, who is a co-chairman of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China, listed a series of ways Beijing has posed a risk.Addressing ministers, he said: “Bringing forward this whole issue, the China espionage case, following on from the collapse spy case.Sir Iain Duncan Smith took part in a protest over the plans for the embassy in February (PA/Jordan Pettitt) More

“If we fail to deal with this crisis, we will draw more people down a path that starts with anger and ends in hatred,” declared home secretary Shabana Mahmood, after her overhaul of asylum policy in the UK was unveiled.Following days of speculation, the sweeping reform of the system was presented to MPs on Monday, with the measures set to make the country’s asylum rules among the toughest in Europe.Ms Mahmood told the Commons it was the “uncomfortable truth” that the UK’s generous asylum offer was drawing people to its shores, and for British taxpayers the system “feels out of control and unfair”.But Ms Mahmood faces a significant backlash from Labour MPs on the plans – although enough Tory MPs offering to back the Bill would squash a backbench rebellion in a vote.People thought to be migrants attempt to board a small boat in France – where many wait the opportunity to travel across the English Channel to the UK More

Shabana Mahmood has told Nigel Farage to “sod off” after he accused her of copying his policies on curbing illegal migration, even making a tongue-in-cheek offer to her to join his party. The home secretary responded angrily to a series of jibes by the Reform leader in response to her controversial new proposals, telling Sky News: “Nigel Farage can sod off. I am not interested in anything he has to say.”Ms Mahmood gave the same response when challenged about her proposals being backed by the far-right activist Tommy Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, saying: “He can sod off too.”Home secretary Shabana Mahmood told MPs the UK is an ‘open, tolerant and generous country’ More

Almost a quarter of Labour voters (23 per cent) think the prime minister should quit now and let the party elect a new leader, a new poll has shown, in a damning verdict on Sir Keir Starmer’s premiership. A further 22 per cent think he should stand down at some point before the next election – meaning that in total almost half of all Labour voters want Sir Keir out of No 10 before the next election. The YouGov survey of 2,100 people saw just a third (34 per cent) say he should continue to lead the Labour Party into a general election. The polling was conducted on November 12 and 13, amid furious briefing from Downing Street with health secretary Wes Streeting being accused of plotting to oust the prime minister. A new poll has shown that almost half of Labour voters want the PM out of No 10 before the next election More