Indy TV

Gillian Keegan was chastised by the House of Commons speaker on Monday 29 January for giving lengthy answers that may have been a “ploy” to stop scrutiny from MPs.Lindsay Hoyle told the education secretary to be “punchy” with her responses as she took questions in the Commons.“We’re having this problem every time. If it’s topical [questions], they’re meant to be short and punchy,” Mr Hoyle said.“I’ve got to get these members in and all you’re doing is stopping the members not getting in, and if that’s the ploy, it’s not going to work.”Ms Keegan was discussing exams in the aftermath of the crumbling school buildings crisis when she was reprimanded. More

Sir Keir Starmer spoke to Iceland staff members at a Warrington store after the supermarket’s executive chairman gave his backing to Labour.Richard Walker, who quit the Conservative party last October in a blow to Rishi Sunak, said Sir Keir’s party was the “right choice” for business and voters.The former Tory donor said it was the Conservative party rather than him that had changed.”When I was trying to become a candidate, I was told to pipe down on issues that really matter to me, like the alarming rise of food banks, by very senior people within the party,” Mr Walker told BBC Breakfast. More

UK councils have been declaring bankruptcy, with seven local councils issuing Section 114 notices since 2018. The bankruptcies follow extreme budget cuts that have seen services pared back to their bare minimum, meaning local councils struggling to provide adequate social care, transport, education and housing to their constituents. But how does a local council go bankrupt? What happens to the services that they provide to residents? And what happens when a local council misuses taxpayer’s money?This is Decomplicated. More

Tory Minister Alex Burghart was met with laughter as he praised Rishi Sunak on BBC Question TimeMr Burghart appeared on the show on Thursday (26 January) and said: “The truth is, Rishi Sunak has been doing an incredibly good job in very, very difficult circumstances.”His comments were met by laughter from the audience, with many people shaking their heads.Mr Burghart said: “Hear me out, this has probably been …” before he was stopped by host Fiona Bruce.She said: “Just a minute. Why do you think people are laughing?” More

Rishi Sunak admitted he had a “stressful moment” as he helped apprentices wire a fuse box at a construction training centre in Scarborough.The prime minister looked delighted with their work and eagerly waited to see if the lights came on once the switch was thrown.“Boom! God, that was a stressful moment there,” Mr Sunak joked.He also took selfies with some of the apprentices studying at the Construction Skills Village, located near Scarborough, during a visit to the site on Thursday 25 January. More

Watch the moment an MP’s phone alarm interrupts a Commons debate, as members burst out laughing in response.Business and Trade questions in the Commons were briefly interrupted when Labour MP Barry Sheerman’s phone began to sound an alarm on Thursday (25 January).The Huddersfield MP ran from his seat on the Commons benches to turn off the high-pitched siren-like sound.Conservative former minister David Davis could be heard laughing from the backbenches, as he said: “Is that a pacemaker?” before other MPs started to laugh. More

David Cameron has told Israel to “deal with the bottlenecks” and allow aid into Gaza.The foreign secretary held talks with Benjamin Netanyahu, in which he told the prime minister of the need for a two-state solution.It came after the Israeli prime minister rejected allies’ demands for Palestinian statehood.Lord Cameron, who flew to Israel on Wednesday (24 January) said: “They’ve got to deal with the bottlenecks.“They’ve got to make sure the crossing points are open more often. They’ve got to make sure the checking is done more quickly.” More

James Cleverly has said it would be “foolish” for the Tory party to indulge in infighting following Sir Simon Clarke’s call for Rishi Sunak to be replaced.“I know Simon very well, I like him and respect him. I could not disagree with him more on this particular issue,” the home secretary said, defending the prime minister.Mr Cleverly added that Mr Sunak was succeeding in his efforts to reduce inflation and cut the number of people arriving on small boats. More