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Rishi Sunak has “no interest” in ending the long-running UK train strikes, Simon Calder has suggested.The Independent’s Travel Correspondent also described Mr Sunak as the “most anti-rail prime minister we have ever seen” during an appearance on BBC Politics London on Sunday 21 January.“He’s got no interest in settling the incredibly long-running – we are now in the third calendar year of strikes by Aslef train drivers – and it’s now increasingly seen as an election wedge issue,” Mr Calder said.“The government doesn’t really care.” More

Keir Starmer will “undoubtedly” be the next prime minister, Scotland’s first minister has suggested.Humza Yousaf told Laura Kuenssberg that he is “very willing” to work with an incoming Labour government.“I think he absolutely will be [the next prime minister],” Mr Yousaf said, in an interview that aired on Sunday morning (21 January).“I’ve written to Keir Starmer, I’ve invited him to Edinburgh for a discussion. I’d like to speak to Keir Starmer as the man who will undoubtedly be the next prime minister of the United Kingdom.” More

Grant Shapps suggested “accidents sometimes happen” as he responded to two Royal Navy ships colliding in Bahrain.Video widely shared on social media appeared to show HMS Chiddingfold reverse into HMS Bangor in the Middle Eastern port.The defence secretary was asked “how on earth” the incident happened during an interview with Laura Kuenssberg on Sunday 21 January.“I immediately spoke to the first sea lord in charge of the navy and he has confirmed that an investigation is under way,” Mr Shapps said.“We look forward to finding out what the causes were.” More

David Lammy’s speech calling for a ceasefire in Gaza was disrupted by pro-Palestinian protesters.The incident happened in London on Saturday 20 January.Labour’s shadow foreign secretary was addressing the Fabian Society conference on foreign policy when flag-waving demonstrators mounted the stage shouting: “When will you condemn the genocide? How many more children need to die?”After they were escorted away by security, more people in the audience stood up to launch verbal attacks on the party’s stance on the Middle East conflict.Once Mr Lammy returned after being temporarily rushed backstage, he joked: “I was born in Tottenham, don’t worry.” More

Rishi Sunak laughed as a disgruntled voter in Winchester pleaded with him to fix lengthy NHS waiting lists for treatment.The woman told the prime minister “you could make it all go back to how it used to be” before the prime minister appeared to chuckle nervously in an exchange caught on camera by Sky News.”If we had a problem, you could go to the hospital. My daughter spent seven hours waiting,” she added.Figures suggest that some 6.39 million patients across England were waiting for routine hospital treatment in November, down slightly from 6.44 million in October. More

Emily Thornberry was grilled during a heated debate on Rwanda on Thursday night’s BBC Question Time (18 January).The Shadow Attorney General for England and Wales was challenged to spell out Labour’s alternative when it came to stopping migrant boats crossing over the English Channel.A frustrated audience member aimed his comments directly at Ms Thornberry and said: “I have to say, I’m not too sure but Emily’s very quick to criticise the plan.“But then what’s your plan? You know, there has to be a plan. We’re a small island. We haven’t got room for everyone.”Ms Thornberry hit back by branding Mr Sunak’s plan a “gimmick” and saying Labour would target human-trafficking gangs. More

Rishi Sunak did not guarantee that a flight would take off to Rwanda before the general election if legislation passed the House of Lords quickly.Asked if he would give such a guarantee, the Prime Minister told a Downing Street press conference today (18 January): “Look at my actions. “We had the Supreme Court ruling middle of November and within a matter of weeks after that happened we negotiated and signed a treaty with Rwanda, and brought fresh legislation to Parliament that had its first vote as well and was supported.“So, that gives you a sense, I hope, of the urgency with which we are attacking this problem.” More

Rishi Sunak has praised the Conservative Party for “coming together” to pass his Rwanda bill.The Prime Minister saw his legislation pass its third reading in the House of Commons on Wednesday night (17 January), after a would-be backbench revolt on his flagship policy largely melted away.Mr Sunak’s controversial deportation bill was passed by 320 votes to 276, giving the government a majority of 44.His leadership risked being thrown into question after Tory rebels threatened to bring the bill down, but the mutiny failed to materialise after an 11th-hour meeting in parliament ahead of the crunch vote. More