UK Politics

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailBritain will help the US build a “temporary pier” in Gaza to allow hundreds of extra daily truckloads of aid into the strip, Lord Cameron has announced.The foreign secretary said people in Gaza are in “desperate humanitarian need” and the UK will join with the US and partners to open “a maritime corridor to deliver aid directly”.“We continue to urge Israel to allow more trucks into Gaza as the fastest way to get aid to those who need it,” he added.The announcement came as Lord Cameron repeated his call for a “permanent sustainable ceasefire”, but said the prospect of a pause in the fighting in Gaza before Ramadan was “more of a possibility than a probability”.After Hamas left talks in Cairo without a ceasefire deal, Lord Cameron said: “I think there’s still a possibility, but I think it’s more of a possibility than a probability because the two sides seem to be some way away.He stressed that there is “a deal on the table” and that Hamas could “act now to stop the suffering and bloodshed in Gaza”, calling on the group to accept an agreement with the Israeli government. “And then we have that pause which is valuable because we can try and turn that pause into a permanent sustainable ceasefire,” he said. Foreign Secretary Lord David Cameron used a visit to Berlin to call for more aid to be allowed into GazaThe foreign secretary also said a judgment would be made on whether Israel remains compliant with international humanitarian law “in the coming days”. The decision is key to whether Britain will pile pressure on the Israeli government to let more aid into Gaza by withholding arms sales from Israel. Speaking on Friday, Lord Cameron said it was “incredibly frustrating” Israel was not taking steps to allow more aid into Gaza.The Foreign Secretary told BBC Radio 4’s World At One programme: “Right now there’s a crisis. We need 500 trucks a day or more going into Gaza.”In the last five days, we’ve been averaging 123 trucks a day. That’s not good enough and that needs to be fixed now.”And that can be fixed if Israel opens more crossing points, if they allow more UN staff into Gaza to help process the aid and get it round the different bits of Gaza. And they could also do things like full resumption of the water and the electricity that goes into north and south Gaza.”We’ve set out these points repeatedly and it’s incredibly frustrating that these things haven’t happened when you think of the terrible humanitarian situation in Gaza.”He also urged Israel to open Ashdod Port in Israel, a “functioning port” to where aid could be brought immediately on ships from Cyprus and driven into Gaza.It comes a day after Lord Cameron called for much more to be done to help get aid to Gaza as he warned of a looming humanitarian catastrophe.Asked whether the UK is doing enough to pressure Israel to allow aid into Gaza, the Foreign Secretary told a press conference in Berlin: “I think the Israelis have to really understand that this is on the brink of being a desperate situation in terms of disease and famine, and so the time for doing more is now.”We also need to make sure that at the same time as saying that, we say to Hamas that they should release these hostages…”In all the thoughts we have about the aid getting into Gaza, and I would argue no-one is doing more than Britain and Germany to pile that pressure on, let’s remember that there’s a group of people that could stop this conflict right now. And that is Hamas.”Joe Biden is ordering US forces to conduct an “emergency” mission that will see them construct a seaport on the Gaza coast to allow a new influx of humanitarian aid into the territory as Israel’s war on Hamas enters its sixth month.Joe Biden called for an ‘emergency’ mission to construct a seaport in Gaza to let more aid into the territory He confirmed the decision in his State of the Union speech overnight, with a senior official in his administration saying it will “get life-saving humanitarian aid into Gaza to alleviate the suffering of innocent Palestinians who have nothing to do with Hamas”.European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said she expected the maritime aid corridor to start operating between Cyprus and Gaza this weekend, taking desperately-needed aid to besieged Palestinians.Ms Von der Leyen said a pilot test run of food aid collected by a charity group and supported by the United Arab Emirates could be leaving Cyprus as early as Friday from the port of Larnaca in Cyprus, with the pier operational within weeks.“We are launching this Cyprus maritime corridor together, the European Union, the United Arab Emirates, and the United States,” Ms Von der Leyen said after a visit to facilities in Cyprus.“We are now very close to opening this corridor, hopefully this Saturday-Sunday and I’m very glad to see an initial pilot will be launched today,” she said alongside Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides.One aid group, World Central Kitchen (WCK), is currently gathering food supplies in Larnaca for the people of Gaza, with support from the UAE.And overnight, Mr Biden said: “I’m directing the U.S. military to lead an emergency mission to establish a temporary pier in the Mediterranean on the Gaza coast that can receive large ships carrying food, water, medicine and temporary shelters.“No U.S. boots will be on the ground. This temporary pier would enable a massive increase in the amount of humanitarian assistance getting into Gaza every day. But Israel must also do its part.“Israel must allow more aid into Gaza and ensure that humanitarian workers aren’t caught in the cross fire. To the leadership of Israel I say this.“Humanitarian assistance cannot be a secondary consideration or a bargaining chip. Protecting and saving innocent lives has to be a priority.“As we look to the future, the only real solution is a two-state solution. I say this as a lifelong supporter of Israel and the only American president to visit Israel in wartime. There is no other path that guarantees Israel’s security and democracy.“There is no other path that guarantees Palestinians can live with peace and dignity.”British aid packages have previously been air-dropped into Gaza in a joint operation with the Jordanian military, and the Government has continued to work on finding alternative routes for supplies to reach the territory.The UK Government has also called for a “humanitarian pause” in the fighting to enable aid to get into Gaza and hostages held by Hamas to be released.Last week, the Commons International Development Committee warned that a famine in Gaza would be unavoidable without changes to allow more aid to get into the region.The cross-party committee said any ceasefire of less than 30 days would not be enough to get sufficient food into Gaza, while US vice-president Kamala Harris has suggested a six-week ceasefire is within reach. More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailFormer prime minister Theresa May has announced she will not stand at the next general election in the most high-profile departure from parliament since Boris Johnson quit after being found guilty of misleading MPs over the Partygate scandal.In a statement to her local newspaper the Maidenhead Advertiser, Ms May said it had been a “challenging decision” to step away from Westminster after more than 27 years as an MP.“It has been an honour and a privilege to serve everyone in the Maidenhead constituency as the Member of Parliament for the last 27 years,” she said.Tory former prime minister Theresa May (Hannah McKay/PA)Ms May, 67, would have been defending a majority of 18,846 had she decided to run again in her Berkshire constituency, where she was first elected in 1997, bucking the national trend to win in Labour’s landslide victory.She joins a growing number of Conservative MPs deciding to quit politics, including several high-profile ex-cabinet secretaries and other ministers. Alok Sharma, the former Cop26 president, has announced he will stand down at the next general election, saying it had been the “honour” of his life to have served as an MP. Mr Sharma, who represents Reading West, previously held the business secretary brief.Sajid Javid, the former health secretary, Dominic Raab, the ex-justice secretary and Ben Wallace, the former defence secretary – all of whom were at one time touted as potential future Tory leaders – are among the other big-name Conservatives who have called it a day as their party struggles in the polls.Mr Sharma and Mr Raab, who resigned from his cabinet position following a slew of bullying allegations which he denied, would have been defending majorities of fewer than 5,000 votes at the next national poll.Most MPs walking away from politics are Conservatives, which is unsurprising given they are the biggest party, winning 365 seats at the 2019 election.According to the Institute for Government, the 2010 election saw more than 100 MPs stand down, mainly from the Labour Party, which had been in power since 1997.Some MPs also announced they were standing down after the expenses scandal the same year.Sajid Javid is among the high profile figures stepping down Of all the 96 MPs standing down ahead of the next national poll – expected in the spring or autumn – 59 are Conservatives. Harriet Harman, the former Labour leader, Margaret Beckett, the former foreign secretary, and Ben Bradshaw, the former culture secretary, are among the 17 Labour MPs standing down.Nine SNP MPs, six independents – including former health secretary Matt Hancock – one Green, one Plaid Cymru and two Sin Feinn MPs have also decided to call it a day.Of the six independents, three – Mr Hancock, Crispin Blunt and Julian Knight – were Conservatives before they had the whip withdrawn. The three others – Conor McGinn, Bob Stewar and Nick Brown were previously Labour MPs.Although the Conservatives have the most MPs quitting, the SNP will have the highest turnover following the next election. The eight standing down equates to nearly a fifth of the party’s MPs.The Conservative Party is on course for a heavy defeat at the next election, according to most surveys, with the Politico website’s “poll of polls” giving Labour a 17 per cent lead.The opposition has also narrowed the gap in Scotland where the SNP has dominated politics since coming to power north of the border in 2007. More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailDeepfake abuse is the “new frontier” of violence against women and creating such content should be outlawed, according to a former adviser to Boris Johnson.Baroness Owen of Alderley Edge warned existing legislation only bans the non-consensual sharing of deepfake material and does not tackle the non-consensual creation of the content.Peers heard there has been an increase in so-called nudify apps, which allow users to create fake nude images or videos of other people through generative artificial intelligence – widely known as deepfakes.Lady Owen said the ability to create such content on the apps in a matter of seconds “represents a very real threat to all women”.Conservative Lady Owen, who became the youngest life peer in the House of Lords last summer at the age of 30, told the International Women’s Day debate in the Lords: “Women are disproportionately affected by the creation of deepfake material.“Research published by Home Security Heroes in 2023 found that of all deepfake videos, 98% were pornographic and of those 99% were of women.”Lady Owen said the use of apps and the creation of deepfake porn for private use is currently legal, adding: “The largest site creating deepfakes receives an average of 13.4 million hits a month.“The rapid proliferation of these nudification apps, 80% of them having launched in the last 12 months alone, has created an environment where anyone can perpetrate harm with ease and it is not recognised as misogyny.”A woman can no longer choose who owns an intimate image of her. They can be created by anyone, anywhere at any timeBaroness Owen of Alderley EdgeLady Owen continued: “The creation of this material in and of itself without a person’s consent causes serious harm, regardless of whether a person is aware of its creation and has a much wider societal impact in the normalisation of online misogyny and hate.“We’re now at the precipice of a new age of technology and it is vital that we act now to ensure that in embarking on this brave new world, which can offer many exciting opportunities, we do not risk creating a technological gender gap which would further limit the economic inclusion of women in society.“The ability to create these images and videos using apps and platforms in a matter of seconds represents a very real threat to all women.“A woman can no longer choose who owns an intimate image of her. They can be created by anyone, anywhere at any time.”Many women are fearful of this happening to them. The current law as it stands is prioritising freedom of speech and expression of the creator over that of a womanBaroness Owen of Alderley EdgeLady Owen said it can have a “silencing effect”, including women withdrawing from social media and normal life.She added: “Many women are fearful of this happening to them. The current law as it stands is prioritising freedom of speech and expression of the creator over that of a woman.”Lady Owen also said: “Whilst we’re still learning about AI, it is crucial that we educate society to differentiate between what is real and what is not in a world where we can no longer trust images that are put in front of us.“Time is of the essence. We must not miss the chance to act by legislating against the creation of non-consensual deepfake content.“We must prevent the normalisation of misogyny. Deepfake abuse is the new frontier of violence against women and we must all take a stand.” More

Theresa May has announced she will not stand as an MP in the next general election, bringing her 27-year career in Parliament to an end.The former prime minister, 67, revealed her decision to stand down as MP for Maidenhead on Friday (8 March), saying she would focus on championing causes including the fight against modern slavery.The Independent has taken a look at Ms May’s most memorable television moments over the last three decades, from being elected the Conservative Party leader, to dancing to Abba and stepping down as prime minister. More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailThe Labour Party bolstered its election war chest by over £13m last year thanks to record private donations. Autoglass boss Gary Lubner led the charge as he donated £4.5m to the party, having previously pledged to give more to Labour before an election.Speaking to the Financial Times last year, the South African-born businessman – whose grandparents were Jewish refugees – said he had been appalled by the scale of antisemitism in the Labour Party under Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership and praised Keir Starmer for ridding the party of its “cancer”.The party is now celebrating its best performing year ever for individual donations as it maintains a 22-point lead ahead of the Tories in polls.Lubner had previously deserted Labour under Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership Anneliese Dodds, Labour Party chair, said: “With Keir Starmer’s leadership, the Labour Party is a changed party and donors can see we are serious about delivering for working people with five missions to transform Britain.“We have received a significant financial boost, with last year being our best on record, but as the Tories gear up for a May election, we will continue to fundraise to meet it.”Despite senior Conservative officials insisting the country won’t take to the polls until the second half of the year, senior Labour party sources say they are preparing for a May election. Labour’s shadow paymaster general Jonathan Ashworth made a bet with Sky News’ Kay Burley that there would be election in that month.He said: “This election is coming in May. I think it is definitely coming in May … the Conservatives are planning for that.”Now Sir Keir’s party have a war chest to tackle the wealthier Tories – receiving more than £13m in individual and company donations in 2023, with a massive £4.2m in the final quarter of the year alone, according to figures published by the Electoral Commission.Jonathan Ashworth has made a public bet that the country would go to the polls in May British businessman and philanthropist Sir David Sainsbury, former chair of Sainsbury’s and life peer, gave £3m, while his daughter Francesca Perrin was the biggest-donating woman with a £1m gift. Sir David had been a long-standing Labour donor but deserted the party under Jeremy Corbyn, instead gifting £8m to the Lib Dems. He returned to the fold under Keir Starmer’s leadership.In 2021, the party received just £1.5m in private donations, and in 2022, £5.9m. Last year was rivalled only by 2005, when the party raised £10.8m under Tony Blair.Labour also accepted another £1m from green energy industrialist Dale Vince’s Ecotricity firm in November, according to figures published by the Electoral Commission.Green energy industrialist Dale Vince has donated £1m to the LabourThe Conservative Party also had a successful fundraising year, taking in almost £41m in private donations in 2023.The Tories’ single biggest donation came from the late Lord John Davan Sainsbury – the cousin of Sir David – who gave the party £10m in his will.In total, Labour received around £31m in cash donations to the central party overall, while the ruling party secured around £48m.The Liberal Democrats reported around £8m and Reform UK £255,000 in total cash donations for the year.£200,000 of Reform’s donation came from First Corporate Consultants Ltd, a company owned by prominent climate sceptic and former Tory donor Terence Mordaunt.The party also accepted £10,000 from financier Crispin Odey in August 2023, around two months after misconduct allegations against him emerged, the figures confirm.The Conservatives have been approached for comment. More

David Cameron has urged Hamas to accept the hostage deal as he reiterated a call for a “permanent sustainable ceasefire”.The foreign secretary’s remarks in Berlin on Thursday, 7 March, came after Hamas’s delegation left talks in Cairo without a deal for a Gaza ceasefire ahead of Ramadan.Lord Cameron also called for 500 aid trucks a day to prevent famine in Gaza as he downplayed a diplomatic rift with Germany.”No-one is doing more than Britain and Germany to pile that pressure on, let’s remember that there’s a group of people that could stop this conflict right now. And that is Hamas,” Lord Cameron said. More

Jeremy Hunt refuses to tell Robert Peston how many houses he owns as the pair clashed in a post-Budget interview broadcast on Wednesday, 6 March.The chancellor has seven apartments in Southampton, a half-share of holiday house in Italy, and a half-share of an office building in London, according to the register of interests.It comes after he mocked Angela Rayner, who has faced questions about selling her former council house, while announcing a capital gains tax cut.Mr Hunt would not be drawn on how many properties he owns, telling Mr Peston: “These are personal questions.” More

An ITV presenter mispronounced Jeremy Hunt’s name during a live broadcast on Thursday, 7 March, prompting an urgent correction for her accidental use of a swear word.Broadcaster Nina Hossain was speaking to a correspondent in Greater Manchester, when she mispronounced the chancellor’s surname.”You spoke to Mr c***”,” the presenter said before immediately correcting her mistake.”Mr Hunt, how did he respond to calls for her to resign?” she said afterward.It’s not the first time a newsreader has slipped up with Mr Hunt’s name – BBC presenter Victoria Derbyshire made the same mistake in 2019. More