UK Politics

Sunak in ‘war against lanyards’, Starmer jokes after rainbow colours banned in civil serviceSign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailRishi Sunak faced off against Sir Keir Starmer in the first PMQs since ENatalie Elphicke’s defection last week. The Prime Minister was branded by Starmer a “jumped up-milk monitor” obsessed with “confiscating lanyards”. The Labour leader accused the PM of trying to grant high-risk criminals early release, but Mr Sunak told MPs serious offenders would not be freed from jail early as part of a Government bid to cut overcrowding.The SNP’s Westminster leader, Stephen Flynn, demanded that Sunak apologises for comparing Scottish people to war criminal Vladimir Putin. PMQs came amid a fresh crackdown on culture war issues, with a ban to be introduced on children under nine being taught sex education and about gender identity. Policing minister Chris Philp said the new measures are expected to come into force soon. Speaking today, he also called on police forces to increase the use of stop and search as part of tougher measures to tackle knife crime. Show latest update 1715784702PM’s sex education plan to spark homophobia in schools, critics say Salma Ouaguira15 May 2024 15:511715784109Rishi Sunak ‘shocked’ by Slovak PM shooting The incident took place in the town of Handlova, some 150 kilometres northeast of the capital Bratislava, after a government meeting.Rishi Sunak has taken to social media to send his support to the Slovak PM. Salma Ouaguira15 May 2024 15:411715783519’Sex education restriction is ill-informed and war noise,’ schools’ unions sayThe National Education says there are many areas of concern in the new sex education restrictions.The crackdown hasn’t been well received among unions who claim education about sex and about positive relationships is already being delivered in an age-appropriate way. The Union’s general secretary Daniel Kebede has accused the “ill-informed” PM of causing culture war noise. More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailRishi Sunak’s government is reported to be planning a ban on children being taught about gender identity and having “explicit” conversations about sex before the age of 13.In an apparent doubling down on so-called culture war issues, the government is reportedly set to publish new guidance on when children should be offered sex education, with schools required to provide parents with samples of the material their children will be taught.The guidance will tell teachers to focus on “biological” facts about sex and will warn that ministers view gender identity as a contested subject, and will ban all sex education until year five, when children are aged nine or over, according to a series of reports.The government is reportedly set to publish new guidance on when children should be offered sex education More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailSir Keir Starmer is under fresh pressure to scrap the two-child benefit cap if he becomes prime minister after Gordon Brown said it is condemning children to live in poverty.The former Labour prime minister lashed out at the “inequities” of the policy and said it “should be scrapped” before the next general election.But his call also piles pressure on Labour, which is currently backing the policy despite criticism. Shadow health secretary Wes Streeting told The Independent that Labour would inherit a difficult set of public finances but would work to bringing down child poverty.Sir Keir Starmer has said he will maintain the two-child benefit cap More