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Rishi Sunak blamed the Covid pandemic for Britain’s failing railways as he refused multiple times to rule out scrapping HS2’s northern leg in a series of excruciating interviews.During a round of interviews with local BBC radio hosts, the prime minister said running train services has been “very difficult” because the pandemic made people “stop travelling on the rail network”.“There have obviously been challenges on the rail network more generally, and it’s across the country because of the pandemic,” Mr Sunak said when grilled by BBC York’s Joanita Musisi over why he has “failed the North’s rail passengers so badly”.“It was bad before the pandemic, prime minister,” the presenter replied. More

Suella Braverman used a speech in the US to say that “simply being gay, or a woman” should not by itself be enough to gain protection under international refugee laws.The home secretary told the American Enterprise Institute in Washington DC: “Let me be clear, there are vast swathes of the world where it is extremely difficult to be gay, or to be a woman. Where individuals are being persecuted, it is right that we offer sanctuary.”She added: “But we will not be able to sustain an asylum system if in effect simply being gay, or a woman, and fearful of discrimination in your country of origin is sufficient to qualify for protection.” More

Tim Farron was booed by audience members at the Lib Dem conference during a heated debate over housing.The row centres around the party replacing its pledge to build 380,000 new homes a year with a new social housing commitment.In his speech, the former Lib Dem leader criticised what he called “vague” housing targets, arguing that they benefit housing developers rather than people trying to get on to the housing ladder. As he called the amendment to the party’s housing pledge “pure Thatcherism”, he was met with a chorus of boos from members of his own party. More

Andy Burnham has urged Rishi Sunak to avoid scrapping HS2, warning that the decision would leave the north of England with “Victorian infrastructure”.Speaking on Monday morning (25 September), the mayor of Greater Manchester questioned why those living in the region are treated as “second-class citizens”.“We need new north-south rail lines and we need new east-west rail lines, London has never been forced to choose between those two things,” Mr Burnham said.“London gets everything. Why should we always be forced to choose? Why should the public here always be treated as second-class citizens?” More

It’s been over three years since the UK officially left the European Union however France and Germany have recently drafted plans for an “four-tier Europe” with one tier that could include “even the UK”. News of these proposals came after Sir Keir Starmer held talks in Paris with President Emmanuel Macron but Labour have been dropped previously by voters who don’t want a closer relationship with the rest of the continent.John Rentoul, The Independent’s chief political commentator, answers your questions on what the proposal is and how it could reopen Brexit arguments. More

Larry the Cat “doesn’t get on” with Rishi Sunak’s dog, his wife Akshata Murty has revealed in her first interview.The chief mouser to the Cabinet Office has had some “heated exchanges” with the family’s labrador Nova, who has had “mixed emotions” about living at 10 Downing Street.”Larry’s come out on top,” the businesswoman said.Despite the tensions between the animals, Ms Murty told the Sky Kids FYI show that she felt “honoured” to live in the prime minister’s official residence. More

Sadiq Khan took aim at Rishi Sunak for “dithering” on climate action as the prime minister announced changes to net zero policy.The Mayor of London spoke at the UN climate summit in New York on Wednesday 20 September after the prime minister held a press conference back home.“The situation that confronts us today is grave, it’s nothing short of self-harm on a planetary scale,” Mr Khan said.“It’s easy to get angry at the delay and dither from some quarters and I know businesses and millions of people feel let down by news from my own country, that our prime minister is now backtracking on the UK’s climate commitments.” More

Rishi Sunak has denied he is “watering down” targets as he announced changes to climate change commitments aimed at reaching net zero by 2050.The prime minister held a Downing Street press conference on Wednesday 20 September, where he announced that the 2030 ban on the sale of petrol and diesel cars will be pushed back until 2035.Despite the roll back on net zero policy, Mr Sunak said it is “absolutely wrong” to describe his changes as watering down targets.“Our targets remain, our commitment to net zero and the Paris and Cop agreements that we signed remains.” More