Indy TV

The Labour Party’s UK campaign co-ordinator Pat McFadden has slammed Rochdale candidate Azhar Ali for comments he is alleged to have made about the 7 October Israel attack.Mr Ali has apologised after he reportedly said Israel had been warned about the 7 October attack and allowed it to happen.The Labour Party has issued a statement on behalf of the candidate after the Mail on Sunday published comments from a recording of him telling the Lancashire Labour party that Israel had warned of the attack before it happened, but they “deliberately took the security off”.Appearing on the Laura Kuenssberg Show on Sunday (11 February), Mr McFadden, who has been a Labour MP for more than 20 years, described Mr Ali’s claims as “appalling” and insisted they do not “represent the Labour Party”. More

Michael Gove admitted he can be “irritating” when he was quizzed over rumours of a fallout with his fellow cabinet minister Kemi Badenoch.The business secretary is understood to have fallen out with Mr Gove after he had an affair with one of her friends.The levelling-up secretary, who is divorced from columnist Sarah Vine, went on to have a relationship with the female friend of the business secretary, according to The Times. The woman has since separated from her husband.In an interview with The Times this week, Mr Badenoch confirmed the story for the first time. “He did something that was very, very annoying,” she admitted.When asked by Trevor Phillips what the “very annoying” thing was on Sunday (11 February), Mr Gove replied: “Me being me, there are plenty of things I do that irritate my colleagues from time to time.” More

Michael Gove has refused to follow Rishi Sunak’s example and enter into a £1,000 bet over the success of the Government’s Rwanda asylum scheme.The Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Secretary told Sky News’ Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips: “I don’t have that sort of money, Trevor.”But he added “we absolutely will” get flights off the ground before the general election.Asked whether he would make the bet with £100, Mr Gove said: “I would happily give you 100 quid, take you out for a very nice meal and spend that money on making sure that you are a happier man.”Phillips replied: “This is a political programme, not a dating agency.” More

Rishi Sunak has once again refused to be drawn on exactly when a general election could be called.Speaking to ITV News on Friday 9 February, the prime minister suggested the UK will have a “brighter future” with another Conservative government and claimed voting in Labour would be “going back to square one”.“We are going to have an election this year,” Mr Sunak said when asked if a vote would happen “sooner rather than later”.“We have had a tough couple of years, I am the first person to say that… but at the start of this year, we are really pointing in the right direction.” More

Paddy McGuinness shocked Question Time host Fiona Bruce – and the audience – by revealing his father once used pliers to pull his teeth.The panel, which also included James Daly and Wes Streeting, were discussing the difficulty of registering as an NHS dentist patient when a member of the audience asked if it was “time to invest in a pair of pliers”.“Funnily enough my dad did that, took his own teeth out because he couldn’t get a dentist appointment,” McGuinness said, drawing a shocked “what?” from Bruce.“This is a few years back, so I know that first hand.” More

Kate Garraway and Ben Shephard clashed with Jonathan Reynolds on Labour U-turns during an interview on Good Morning Britain on Friday 9 February.After listing U-turns on wealth tax, tuition fees and nationalisation, Mr Shephard suggested the public doesn’t know what Labour is going to deliver “because give it five months and you could change your minds.”“I don’t think it is fair to say – going back to previous Labour commitments from previous leaders – that there has been a change,” Mr Reynolds, the shadow secretary for business and trade, responded.“As you get to a general election year, we have to be ready, we have to have a manifesto ready.” More

Paddy McGuinness clashed with a Tory MP over the Brexit campaign promise about leaving the EU leading to £350m a week for the NHS.The comedian and TV presenter, 50, called out James Daly during an appearance on the BBC’s Question Time on Thursday, 7 February.As the new deputy chair of the Conservatives launched into a defence of his party, McGuinness questioned him: “Well where is it? Why is the NHS on its knees if it’s here? Why are they going on strike, nurses and doctors, if it’s here? Where is it?”Viewers praised McGuinness on social media, with one commenting: “Paddy McGuinness for PM. Wow.” More