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    Labour minister defends Starmer over donor row: ‘He’s an Arsenal fan’

    Labour minister Dame Angela Eagle has defended the Prime Minister following reports he accepted at least £76,000 of gifts, including football away games and concert tickets.The Home Office minister was quizzed about the donations by Sky News presenter Kay Burley on Tuesday’s breakfast show (17 September).Burley said: “The freebies include the Royal Box at Wimbledon, hospitality at a Coldplay concert, Arsenal away games. “How does that align with the son of a toolmaker, man of the people image?”Dame Angela replied: “I think he’s an Arsenal fan, it takes all things I suppose.” More

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    Trevor Phillips tells Labour MPs ‘You are a pretty miserable bunch’

    Sky News presenter Sir Trevor Phillips labelled the Labour government a pretty miserable bunch” during an interview with the Foreign Secretary.The broadcaster challenged David Lammy over current pledges the new government has made since coming to power in July.Speaking on his Sunday breakfast show today (15 September), Sir Trevor said: “You’re proposing a ban on advertising fast food, you’re banning smartphones for kids, you are promising 10 years of slog to repair the NHS.“You personally are a cheerful chap but as a government, you are a pretty miserable bunch aren’t you?”Mr Lammy smiled and replied: “You do this to get to the sunny uplands.” More

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    West will not be bullied by Putin as talks continue on long-range strikes, says Lammy

    The West will not be bullied by Vladimir Putin’s threat of all-out war with Nato if Ukraine is given permission to use Western weapons to strike inside Russia, David Lammy said.The Foreign Secretary said talks were continuing with the US and allies about giving Kyiv permission to use UK-supplied Storm Shadow missiles to hit Russian airbases and military sites which are being used to launch attacks on Ukraine.Mr Lammy told Sky News’s Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips programme (15 September) : “Putin said ‘don’t send tanks’. We sent them.“Putin said ‘don’t send any missiles’. We sent them.“Putin threatens every few months to use nuclear weapons.“What he should now do is cease his aggression and leave Ukraine.” More

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    Watch: Ed Davey jet-skis to Lib Dem conference in Brighton

    Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey arrived at his party’s autumn conference on a jet-ski.Sir Ed said people are “absolutely ecstatic” as the party’s autumn conference began in Brighton on Saturday (14 September).At its first conference since the party won 72 MPs in July’s general election, Sir Ed described the mood as “very excited”.He said: “People are absolutely ecstatic about the historic result the Liberal Democrats won.“72 MPs makes us the biggest Liberal or Liberal Democrat parliamentary party for over 100 years.“The third party again, and the strongest third party for over 100 years. So we want our voice to get heard.” More

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    Nigel Farage heckled while accusing Keir Starmer of presiding over ‘two-tier policing’

    Nigel Farage faced shouts from MPs in the House of Commons after he accused Sir Keir Starmer of presiding over a “two-tier policing and a two-tier justice system” in the UK following the release of hundreds of inmates from prisons to ease overcrowding.The Reform UK MP said serious career criminals were released to make way for rioters and “those who’ve said unpleasant things on Facebook and elsewhere in social media.”The prime minister replied that he was angry “to be put in a position to release people who should be in prison because the last government broke the prison system.” More

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    Keir Starmer warns against ‘snake oil’ offered by far-right

    Sir Keir Starmer has said he is worried about the rise of the far-right, warning that it offers “the snake oil of the easy answer.”The prime minister told Laura Kuenssberg on Sunday, 8 September: “We can see what is happening in Germany with the recent election, see what is happening in France and other countries.”I am convinced that the answer to it is delivery in government.”Sir Keir’s comments came after the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) won the most votes in Germany’s regional elections in Thuringia. More

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    Wes Streeting apologises to constituents for ‘voting to take money from you’

    Wes Streeting apologised to his constituents for “going into work to vote for something that will take money away from you” but defended Labour’s plan to limit the winter fuel allowance.”It’s also important to say to people why, when you’re taking something away, why that choice is necessary,” the health secretary told Sir Trevor Phillips on Sunday, 8 September.It comes as Sir Keir Starmer continues his defence of the cut and faces a rebellion from backbenchers this week in a vote on his decision to withdraw the payment from millions of pensioners. More

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    Keir Starmer clashes with Laura Kuenssberg over UK unpopularity with US

    Sir Keir Starmer said Laura Kuenssberg was “wrong” to suggest that the UK is unpopular with the US over its decision to suspend some arms exports to Israel.Around 30 out of a total of approximately 350 licences have been suspended because of concerns they could be used in violations of international humanitarian law in the Israel-Hamas conflict.The prime minister has claimed Britain’s allies “understand” its move, arguing that it was a “legal not a policy decision.”Speaking to the BBC presenter on Sunday, 8 September, Sir Keir said the US is “very clear” it has a different legal system and it “understands the decision that we’ve taken”. More